Tag: salem red sox

Red Sox’ Michael Sansone makes strong mark in 2024 with Low-A Salem

After signing out of the independent Pioneer League in April, Michael Sansone put together an exceptional first season as a member of the Red Sox organization.

Sansone became the first player in the young history of the Yolo High Wheelers to have his contract sold to a major-league club. The 25-year-old left-hander came with prior experience in affiliated ball, as he spent parts of two seasons in the Rays organization after signing with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent coming out of Fairfield University (Conn.) in July 2022.

Shortly after signing with Boston, Sansone reported to Low-A Salem, where he would spend the remainder of the 2024 campaign. In 20 appearances (three starts) for the Red Sox, the lefty posted a 3.11 ERA and 3.25 FIP with 68 strikeouts to nine walks over 72 1/3 innings. Though he held right-handed hitters to a .193 batting average, left-handed hitters surprisingly batted .340 off him.

Among the 46 Carolina League pitchers who worked at least 70 innings this year, Sansone ranked second in walks per nine innings (1.12) and walk rate (3.1 percent), fourth in WHIP (1.01), ninth in FIP, 16th in ERA, 17th in xFIP (3.47), 19th in swinging-strike rate (13.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, Sansone primarily operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, slider, and changeup. When speaking with The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard back in April, Red Sox assistant director of professional scouting Mark Heil noted that while Sansone doesn’t throw particularly hard, the southpaw “has a good slider and changeup and excellent make-up.”

Sansone, who just turned 25 earlier this month, is not currently ranked by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville next season if he remains with the organization through the winter and into the spring.

(Picture of Michael Sansone: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez added significant velocity to his repertoire this season

Behind only Jedixson Paez, Elmer Rodriguez was the second-youngest Red Sox minor-leaguer to reach the century mark in strikeouts this season.

Rodriguez, who turned 21 in August, struck out 102 of the 375 batters he faced in 21 outings (20 starts) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-hander posted a 2.91 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 102:43 over a career-high 89 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .198 against him.

A former 2021 fourth-round draft pick out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez returned to Salem (where he spent all of 2023) to open the 2024 campaign. In 14 appearances (13 starts) for the Red Sox, the young righty forged a 2.51 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 73 strikeouts to 25 walks across 61 innings. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for June after allowing two unearned runs in 20 1/3 innings and was subsequently promoted to Greenville in late July.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1807906527921201618

From that point forward, Rodriguez pitched to a 3.77 ERA (5.34 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in seven starts (28 2/3 innings) for the Drive. Though he gave up hits less frequently, his strikeout rate fell (from 28.5 to 24.4 percent) and his walk rate rose (from 9.8 to 15.1 percent) after moving up a level for the first time in nearly two years. Perhaps that resulted from fatigue at the tail end of a long season, but it was nonetheless a productive year for Rodriguez.

Among the 486 minor-leaguers who pitched at least 85 innings in 2024, Rodriguez ranked 33rd in batting average against, 59th in groundball rate (50.2 percent), 60th in ERA, 76th in xFIP (3.47), 96th in strikeout rate (27.2 percent), 101st in strikeouts per nine innings (10.24), 120th in FIP, 135th in WHIP (1.20), and 156th in swinging-strike rate (12.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

In addition to earning Carolina League Player of the Month honors, Rodriguez was recognized as a Baseball America Low-A All-Star in September and a SoxProspects.com All-Star in October. The former rates the Trujillo Alto native as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system while the latter has him ranked 21st. MLB Pipeline regards him as the Red Sox’ No. 17 prospect, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization.

Though he is listed at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez is presumably heavier than that after adding strength this past offseason in an effort to gain more velocity. Those efforts seemingly paid off, as the projectable hurler sat between 94-97 mph and reached 99 mph with his fastball this season. He complements the heater with a bevy of secondaries, including an 85-88 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 88-91 mph changeup.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter, Rodriguez is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season. He is then in line to become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the protection deadline next November.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox OF prospect Natanael Yuten led organization in triples this season

After earning 2023 Florida Complex League All-Star honors, outfield prospect Natanael Yuten hit more triples than any other Red Sox minor-leaguer in 2024.

Yuten, who turned 20 in October, spent the entirety of his age-19 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he got into 18 games towards the end of last season. In 101 games this year, the left-handed hitter batted .243/.304/.380 with 20 doubles, an organizational-leading seven triples, six home runs (including an inside-the-parker), a team-high 50 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 418 plate appearances for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

While a .684 OPS on the season is far from eye-popping, it is worth noting that Yuten slashed a more respectable .287/.338/.402 with 10 doubles and 16 RBIs in his final 33 games (133 plate appearances) from July 20 through September 7. He also produced better results against left-handed pitching (.278/.365/.519 line in 63 plate appearances) than against right-handed pitching (.237/.293/.357 line in 355 plate appearances).

Of the 26 Carolina League hitters who made at least 400 trips to the plate in 2024, Yuten ranked eighth in isolated power (.137), 10th in slugging percentage, 11th in batting average, and 13th in OPS, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Yuten saw an almost equal amount of playing time at both corner outfield spots for Salem. Across 404 2/3 innings in left field, the lean 6-foot-3, 143-pounder recorded one assist and committed four errors in 68 defensive chances. Across 419 innings in right field, he recorded four assists and committed one error in 96 defensive chances. He also started seven games at DH without seeing any time in center field for the first time in his young career.

Yuten, who hails from the Dominican Republic, originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. The La Romana native spent some time on SoxProspects.com’s Top 60 list earlier this season but is not currently regarded as one of the premier prospects in Boston’s farm system.

To that end, Yuten — should he remain with the organization through the winter — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem out of the gate in 2025. With that being said, it would not be terribly surprising if he received an early-season promotion to High-A Greenville in that scenario since he already has close to 500 career plate appearances at the Low-A level under his belt.

(Picture of Natanael Yuten: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias fare in stateside debut this season?

Behind only Miguel Bleis, infielder Franklin Arias stole more bases (35) than any other Red Sox prospect in 2024. As such, he was named the organization’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year last month.

Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. After putting together a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League last year, the Caracas native embarked upon his stateside debut by making the jump to the Florida Complex League this season.

In 51 games for the FCL Red Sox, Arias batted a stout .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 36 strikeouts over 206 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old then received a promotion to Low-A Salem in late July.

Though he struggled some out of the gate with Salem, Arias turned things around as the calendar flipped from August to September and slashed a respectable .257/.331/.378 with nine doubles, three home runs, 26 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 36 games (166 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Altogether, Arias posted a .309/.409/.487 slash line with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 54 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 35 stolen bases (in 41 attempts), 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 87 total games (372 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem. That includes a .290/.401/.454 line against right-handed pitching and a .422/.460/.689 line against lefties.

Among the 27 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 370 trips to the plate this season, Arias ranked first in wSB (3.0), third in batting average, OPS (.896), speed score (7.1), and wOBA (.427), fourth in on-base percentage and wRC+ (150), fifth in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (17.5 percent), seventh in isolated power (.178) and swinging-strike rate (9.6 percent), and 10th in walk rate (13.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias saw playing time at both middle infield positions between his stops in the FCL and Salem this year. In 57 total starts at shortstop, the projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed 10 errors in 243 chances. In 20 total starts at second base, he committed just two errors in 78 chances. He also started nine games at DH.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

In addition to being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Baserunner of the Year, Arias was recognized as the 2024 Florida Complex League MVP, an FCL All-Star, and the FCL’s top prospect. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 91 prospect in the sport.

Should he remain in the organization through the winter, Arias — who turns 19 in November — will likely return to Salem for the start of the 2025 season. If he continues to be a stolen-base threat moving forward, it will presumably have more to do with his approach than his speed. Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a conversation last month with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

“I would put him in the category of a kid who has really good instincts and can do things at a very mature level on the base paths,” Romero said. “Because I don’t think he’s a plus runner by any means. I think he’s got good speed and he’s very advanced at timing things, taking advantage, and preparing before the game. He’s just got a very mature way about going into it for his pregame. He’ll know pitcher moves. He’ll know catcher arm strength. I think he’s advanced in that area. He’s got good speed. He’s not a Jarren Duran. But I think it’s that he uses his IQ to help him steal a lot of bases.”

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes taking swings after undergoing hand surgery this summer

Red Sox infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes posted a video of himself taking some swings in a batting cage to his Instagram story earlier Thursday afternoon.

Cespedes, the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, is approximately four months removed from undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. The issue first popped up for the 19-year-old after he was promoted from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem in late June.

Though he was initially considered day-to-day, the soreness in Cespedes’ left hand lingered and led to further testing being done. Those tests ultimately resulted in the diagnosis of a hamate fracture, as Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham explained to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July.

Because of the surgery, Cespedes will have to wait until next April at the earliest to make his Low-A debut. Still, there is no denying that the Dominican native put together a strong first season stateside in 2024 after originally signing with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-touted international free agent last January. He then kicked off his professional career by earning 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and being named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

After being slowed by a quadriceps strain in spring training, Cespedes debuted for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox on May 9 and took off from there. In 25 games, the young right-handed hitter batted stout .319/.400/.615 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (105 plate appearances). That includes a .317/.374/.622 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .333/.571/.556 slash line against lefties.

Among the 139 hitters who made at least 100 trips to the plate during the FCL season, Cespedes ranked first in slugging percentage and isolated power (.297), second in OPS (1.015), fourth in wOBA (.464) and wRC+ (163), 11th in batting average, 34th in on-base percentage, and 42nd in strikeout rate (18.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Cespedes saw most of his playing time in the FCL come at either shortstop or second base. In 10 starts at short, the projectable 5-foot-8, 181-pounder committed five errors in 36 defensive chances. In seven starts at second, he did not commit a single error in 30 defensive chances. He also started eight games at DH, five of which came in succession to ease him back into things out of the gate in May.

Cespedes, who just turned 19 last month, has already shown that he has top-100 prospect potential when healthy. Given the breadth of position-playing prospects the Red Sox have in their system at the moment, it would not be surprising if Cespedes emerged as a possible trade candidate as the club looks to address other areas of need this winter. Assuming he remains in the organization, though, Cespedes seems likely to open the 2025 campaign at Salem.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Max Carlson has several ‘traits teams look for in a major-league reliever’

In the 12th round of last year’s draft, the Red Sox selected North Carolina right-hander Max Carlson.

Taken with the 358th overall pick, Carlson signed with Boston for $150,000 and marked his professional debut by making one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League shortly thereafter. He then broke camp with Low-A Salem for the start of his first full pro season earlier this spring.

Carlson appeared in three of Salem’s first 11 games, allowing seven runs (five earned) over 8 1/3 innings, before being elevated to High-A Greenville on April 20. However, that assignment would prove to be short-lived, as Carlson was sent back to Salem three days later after pitching in just one game for the Drive.

For the better part of the next four months, Carlson established himself as a key member of Salem’s bullpen. From April 25 through the MLB All-Star break in July, the righty posted a 1.34 ERA with 45 strikeouts to 11 walks over 17 appearances (33 2/3 innings). Opposing hitters batted just .198 against him in that stretch.

Though he struggled some upon returning from the break, most notably surrendering a season-worst six earned runs to Carolina on July 27, Carlson pitched well enough to earn another promotion to the High-A level on August 20. He then closed out the 2024 campaign by producing a 1.80 ERA in four appearances (10 innings) for Greenville. That includes tossing a season-high five frames of one-run ball in his final outing of the year against Winston-Salem on September 6.

Altogether, Carlson forged a 2.73 ERA and 2.41 FIP with 86 strikeouts to 23 walks in 33 total relief appearances (69 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville in 2024. Among the 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 65 innings this year, Carlson ranked first in FIP, second in ERA and swinging-strike rate (17.2 percent), third in xFIP (3.13), ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.16) and walks per nine innings (2.99), 10th in walk rate (7.7 percent), 11th in strikeout rate (28.9 percent), and 17th in WHIP (1.27), per FanGraphs.

Carlson, who turned 23 in September, was recognized as a 2024 SoxProspects.com All-Star last month. The Minnesota native is currently regarded by the outlet as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 23rd among pitchers in the organization.

Though he is not ranked among Boston’s top farmhands by publications such as Baseball America at the moment, Carlson was identified by BA’s Geoff Pontes as a pitching prospect with “elite” traits on his four-seam fastball earlier this summer.

“Carlson only sits 91-92 mph but has over seven feet of extension, above-average vertical break, and arm-side run, allowing his fastball to play above its below-average velocity,” Pontes wrote in August. “It’s a classic three-quarters arm slot, but the release and plane on the pitch play up due to his combination of extension and spin efficiency.”

In addition to throwing a fastball that can touch 95 mph, Carlson operates with a 79-81 mph changeup that has “late fade” and a 79-82 mph sweeping slider “that lacks depth at times,” per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, which notes that the 6-foot-1, 190-pound hurler has several traits “teams look for in a major-league reliever that could make him a more interesting bullpen prospect.”

To that end, Carlson — assuming he remains in the organization through the winter — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville as a member of the Drive’s bullpen to start the 2025 minor-league season.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez fare in 2024?

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez was the youngest in the organization to reach the century mark in strikeouts this season.

Paez, 20, struck out 113 of the 390 batters he faced in 2024. The young right-hander posted a 3.17 ERA (3.17 FIP) with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 113:12 in 22 appearances (12 starts) spanning a career-high 96 2/3 innings between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. Opponents batted .258 against him.

In seven outings (five starts) to open the season, Paez pitched to a 2.53 ERA (2.17 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to four walks over 32 innings for Salem. He was promoted in late May and subsequently produced a 3.48 ERA (3.67 FIP) with 78 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 outings (seven starts) spanning 64 2/3 innings for Greenville.

Among the 70 pitchers who threw at least 60 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Paez led in walks per nine innings (1.11), walk rate (3.1 percent), swinging-strike rate (17.8 percent), and xFIP (2.70). He also ranked ninth in WHIP (1.05), 17th in strikeout rate (30.2 percent), 23rd in groundball rate (45.2 percent) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.86), 26th in FIP, and 29th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Paez originally signed with the Red Sox for $450,000 as an international free agent coming out of Tinaquillo in January 2021. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly after that and was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Since then, there is no denying that Paez has emerged as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system given his strong command-and-control profile. Red Sox assistant general manager acknowledged as much when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in July.

“He’s always had this incredible poise and just an advanced feel,” Romero said of Paez. “It’s always been like that — strike-throwing ability over high velo or pure off-the-charts stuff. But his pitchability is incredible. We’ve seen the velo tick up now into the low 90s. Really good feel for a breaking ball. He has a four- or five-pitch mix that he really controls and commands really well. And that’s been kind of what has driven his success.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Paez complements his lower-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph with an 84-86 mph changeup, an 80-83 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph cutter. The athletic righty throws these offerings from a three-quarters arm slot and can manipulate them effectively while attacking the strike zone.

“Now that he’s physically getting stronger we are seeing that velo start to tick up a little bit,” said Romero. “So he’s really exciting. A true starter in every sense. … He does a lot of the little things like he fields the position really well and holds runners well. So he’s mature in a lot of ways.”

Paez, who turns 21 in January, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 15th among pitchers in the organization. While Baseball America does not have him ranked among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects, FanGraphs has him at No. 8 and MLB Pipeline has him at No. 23 on their respective lists.

If he remains with the Red Sox through the offseason, Paez is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 minor-league campaign. He can then become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time next winter.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia recognized by Baseball America for breakout season

Earlier this week, Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was named a 2024 Second Team Minor-League All-Star by Baseball America.

Garcia came into the 2024 season with very little fanfare and was not ranked by Baseball America as one of the top 30 prospects in Boston’s farm system. The 21-year-old returned to Low-A Salem this spring and batted .258/.365/.517 with six doubles, one triple, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 15 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 24 games (104 plate appearances) before being promoted to High-A Greenville in late May.

Upon joining Greenville, Garcia turned things up a notch offensively and slashed a stout .311/.371/.627 to go along with 14 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 37 RBIs, 44 runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 53 games (229 plate appearances) for the Drive. The right-handed hitter then received another promotion to Double-A Portland in mid-August and closed the year by posting a .263/.320/.386 line with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 14 runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and 24 strikeouts in 30 games (126 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Altogether, Garcia hit .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, an organizational-leading 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 99 strikeouts in 107 total games (459 plate appearances) across three different levels in 2024. That includes a .274/.347/.506 slash line in 405 plate appearances against right-handed pitching and a .380/.426/.760 slash line in 54 plate appearances against lefties.

Among the 386 minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate this season, Garcia ranked fifth in wRC+ (151), ninth in isolated power (.250), 10th in slugging percentage, 15th in OPS (.892), 53rd in batting average, 80th in speed score (7.1), and 127th in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Salem, Greenville, and Portland this year. With the Sea Dogs in particular, the 6-foot-215-pounder made 27 of his 30 starts in center field, where he recorded one outfield assist and committed two errors in 61 defensive chances.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his unique first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela in July 2019. His younger brother, Johanfran, signed with Boston in January 2022 and is still viewed as one of the organization’s premier catching prospects even after tearing his right ACL in early May and undergoing season-ending surgery.

The elder Garcia, meanwhile, is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system. If not for Kristian Campbell, the argument could be made that he was the organization’s top breakout performer this year. That is noteworthy when considering Garcia can become Rule 5-eligible this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox in some capacity, though, Garcia — who turns 22 in December — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland in 2025.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia named 2024 Carolina League All-Star

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia has been named a 2024 Carolina League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

Ingrassia, Boston’s 14th-round selection in the 2023 draft out of Cal State Fullerton, enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 1.85 ERA and 1.97 FIP with 93 strikeouts to 20 walks in 21 appearances (12 starts) spanning 58 1/3 innings for Low-A Salem. Opposing hitters batted just .179 against him.

After exiting his final start before the MLB All-Star break early, Ingrassia was placed on Salem’s 7-day injured list with left elbow inflammation on July 18. He returned to the mound for the Red Sox on August 25 and closed out the year with three scoreless outings in which he struck out seven and walked three over five innings.

Among the 96 Carolina League pitchers who threw at least 50 innings this season, Ingrassia led in strikeouts per nine innings (14.35), strikeout rate (39.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (20.9 percent), and xFIP (1.94). He also ranked second in FIP, third in ERA, sixth in batting average against, ninth in WHIP (0.99) and groundball rate (52.2 percent), 37th in walks per nine innings (3.09), and 41st in walk rate (8.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Ingrassia, who turned 22 in July, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 44 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 24th among pitchers in the organization. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his deceptive, cross-bodied delivery. He operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-92 mph fastball that has reached 93 mph, a 79-81 mph sweeping slider, and an 82-85 mph changeup.

As FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen noted earlier in the year, Ingrassia likely projects as a multi-inning reliever moving forward given his diminutive stature. If he were to remain with the Red Sox through the winter, Ingrassia would presumably make the jump to High-A Greenville to open the 2025 campaign.

(Picture of Jojo Ingrassia: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Duffy strikes out 10 in final start of season for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Duffy was excellent in his final start of the season for Low-A Salem last Thursday night.

Going up against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Carillion Clinic Field, Duffy scattered four hits and zero walks while striking out a career-high 10 over five scoreless innings. The 22-year-old right-hander finished with 82 pitches (58 strikes), eliciting 12 swings-and-misses.

In 22 appearances (21 starts) for Salem this season, Duffy posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.58 FIP with exactly 100 strikeouts to 27 walks over a staff-leading 98 2/3 innings. That includes a 1.05 ERA (2.25 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to eight walks in his last nine outings (43 innings) after the calendar flipped from June to July.

Among the 23 pitchers who threw at least 90 innings in the Carolina League this year, Duffy ranked second in ERA, fifth in WHIP (1.09), seventh in strikeout rate (24.9 percent) and xFIP (3.36), eighth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.12), walks per nine innings (2.46), walk rate (6.7 percent), and batting average against (.223), and 10th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Duffy, who turns 23 next month, was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y. The Ontario, Canada native had committed to transfer to South Carolina for his senior season but opted to sign with Boston for $350,000 instead. He made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League before first arriving in Salem last August.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and around 215 pounds, Duffy throws from a three-quarters arm slot and gets solid extension from his deceptive delivery. The righty primarily operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, changeup, and sweeping slider. As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Duffy’s fastball velocity increased throughout the season. He topped out at 95.3 mph with his heater against Kannapolis.

“My entire life I’ve been the guy who doesn’t throw the hardest but I throw strikes,” Duffy told Smith last month. “I’ve never really had a problem with not throwing strikes.”

Despite putting together an encouraging first full season in pro ball, Duffy is not currently ranked by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville in 2025.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)