Tag: shane drohan

Red Sox add trio of pitching prospects to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 deadline

The Red Sox added three pitching prospects — right-handers David Sandlin and Tyler Uberstine and left-hander Shane Drohan — to their 40-man roster in advance of Tuesday’s Rule 5 Draft protection deadline.

To accommodate the additions of Sandlin, Uberstine, and Drohan, the Red Sox traded left-handers Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy to the Rockies and White Sox, respectively, for a pair of minor leaguers and designated righty Josh Winckowski for assignment.

Sandlin is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 10 prospect, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization. The hard-throwing 24-year-old was originally selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma, then acquired by the Red Sox for reliever John Schreiber last February.

Sandlin opened the 2025 season with Double-A Portland, pitching to a 3.61 ERA (3.33 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 27 walks over 17 outings (13 starts) spanning 82 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .227 batting average. He received a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in late July but then struggled to a 7.61 ERA (5.27 FIP) in 15 appearances (one start) totaling 23 2/3 innings as he transitioned to a bullpen role ahead of a possible big league call-up.

That never came to fruition, but there is still plenty to like about Sandlin when it comes to his arsenal. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound hurler sits at 94-97 mph and reaches triple digits with his fastball. while also incorporating a slider, sweeper, splitter, and curveball into a diverse pitch mix.

Uberstine, a one-time USC hopeful who did not receive any scholarship offers coming out of high school, was Boston’s 19th-round pick in the 2021 draft out of Northwestern. After working his way back from June 2023 Tommy John surgery late last season, the 26-year-old opened the 2025 campaign at Portland and posted a 3.64 ERA (2.51 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to just four walks in six starts (29 2/3 innings) before receiving a promotion to Worcester in mid-May. From there, he forged a 3.56 ERA (4.92 FIP) with 102 strikeouts to 37 walks across 19 outings (15 starts) and 91 innings in which opponents batted .245 against him.

Altogether, Uberstine finished the season leading the Red Sox organization in innings pitched (120 2/3) and strikeouts (137). The 6-foot-1, 200-pound righty features a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph as well as a slider, a changeup, a cutter, and a curveball.

Unlike Sandlin and Uberstine, Drohan is already plenty familiar with the Rule 5 process. Boston’s fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Florida State, the 26-year-old Drohan was left off the club’s 40-man roster when first eligible following the 2023 season and was subsequently scooped up by the White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft that December. He was, however, later returned to the Red Sox in June 2024 after undergoing a nerve decompression procedure in his left shoulder four months prior.

Drohan began the 2025 season in Worcester but was limited to 12 outings (11 starts) with Boston’s top affiliate due to left forearm inflammation that sidelined him from early May until late August. When on the mound, though, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw compiled a 2.27 ERA (2.85 FIP) with 67 strikeouts to 16 walks over 47 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .185 batting average. He primarily operates with a 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96 mph, a changeup, a curveball, a cutter, and a slider.

With the additions of Sandlin, Uberstine, and Drohan, the Red Sox now have a full 40-man roster. That means that other eligible prospects who were left off, like righties Yordanny Monegro (who is recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Jedixson Paez, lefties Eduardo Rivera and Hayden Mullins, and outfielders Miguel Bleis and Allan Castro, could be taken by other clubs in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox add top pitching prospects Wikelman Gonzalez, Luis Perales to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 deadline

The Red Sox added two of their top pitching prospects to the 40-man roster on Tuesday in order to protect them from being available in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Boston selected the contracts of right-handers Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales, bringing its 40-man roster up to 39 players. Even with that one vacant spot, the club somewhat surprisingly decided against adding another eligible top pitching prospect in left-hander Shane Drohan.

Gonzalez, 21, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Sox’ farm system, which ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only Perales. The Venezuelan-born righty split the 2023 season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, posting a 3.96 ERA and 3.33 FIP with 168 strikeouts to 70 walks in 25 starts spanning 111 1/3 innings of work.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Greenville, Gonzalez returned to the Drive this spring but struggled out of the gate by allowing 15 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings in his first four starts of the year. He then turned a corner as the calendar flipped from April to May, forging a 3.48 ERA across his next 11 outings (54 1/3 innings) before earning a promotion to Portland on July 14.

In his first start with the Sea Dogs on July 16, Gonzalez fanned nine of the 23 batters he faced over six scoreless innings on the road against the Reading Fightin Phils. Six days later, he struck out 10 more while being responsible for the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

All told, Gonzalez produced a 2.42 ERA and 3.07 FIP with 63 strikeouts to 28 walks in his final 10 starts (48 1/3 innings) of the season for Portland. He put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .162 batting average against.

Recognized as Boston’s 2023 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in September, Gonzalez led all qualified Red Sox minor-leaguers in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings (13.58), strikeout rate (35.2 percent), and batting average against (.189). On the flip side of that, though, the 6-foot, 167-pounder also posted a suboptimal 14.7 percent walk rate.

Gonzalez originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. He now throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 94-96 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a 75-79 mph curveball that features 11-to-5 break, an 84-88 mph changeup, and an 84-88 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Perales, Boston’s No. 7 overall prospect according to Baseball America, also split the 2023 season between two levels. The 20-year-old righty broke camp this spring with Low-A Salem and pitched to a 3.21 ERA (3.16 FIP) with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts (53 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox. He then made the jump to Greenville at the same time Gonzalez moved up to Portland during the All-Star break in July.

In eight starts for the Drive, Perales posted a 4.95 ERA (6.07 FIP) to go along with 44 strikeouts to 22 walks over 36 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .275 against him. Altogether, Perales finished the year with a 3.91 ERA (4.34 FIP) and 115 strikeouts to 50 walks across 21 total starts (89 2/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native signed with Boston for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019 and has now put himself in a position where he can be viewed as arguably the No. 1 pitching prospect in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and works with five different pitches: a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 99 mph, an 88-91 mph cutter that features short, horizontal break, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 85-87 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report. In similar fashion to Gonzalez, much of Perales’ development moving forward hinges on if he can improve his control/command of the strike zone.

Gonzalez, who turns 22 in March, is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. Perales, who turns 21 in April, is expected to return to Greenville next spring.

Drohan, meanwhile, looked like a sure bet to join Gonzalez and Perales on Boston’s 40-man roster just a few months ago. The 24-year-old lefty got off to a fantastic start this season, putting up a 1.32 ERA (2.42 FIP) with 36 strikeouts to nine walks in six starts (34 innings) for Portland before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in mid-May.

With the WooSox, though, Drohan struggled mightily to the tune of a 6.47 ERA (6.55 FIP) and 93 strikeouts to 63 walks over 21 outings (19 starts) spanning 89 innings. It did not help that his both his stuff and command faded as the year progressed and that obviously created some question marks regarding his upside.

Drohan, the No. 3 pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system behind Perales and Gonzalez, was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000.

Now that he has been left unprotected, Drohan — who turns 25 in January — could be scooped up by another team for $100,000 in December’s Rule 5 Draft. That club would then need to carry the 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw on their active roster for the entirety of the 2024 season (barring an injury) or would otherwise have to place him on outright waivers and then offer him back to the Red Sox for $50,000 should he clear.

The Red Sox, of course, lost three pitchers in last year’s Rule 5 Draft as Thad Ward (Nationals), Noah Song (Phillies), and Andrew Politi (Orioles) were all nabbed by other teams. Of those three, though, Ward was the only one to not be offered back to Boston at any point this past season.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Luis Guerrero selected to participate in All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Guerrero has been selected to participate in next weekend’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.

Guerrero, one of the top young relievers in Boston’s farm system, will replace fellow Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan, who left his start for Triple-A Worcester this past Sunday with a calf cramp. Drohan was pushed back for precautionary reasons but is expected to pitch next week, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Guerrero, 22, will join infielders Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke in representing the Red Sox and suiting up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The hard-throwing right-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

In 26 appearances for Double-A Portland this season, Guerrero has posted a 1.19 ERA and 3.82 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 18 walks over 30 1/3 innings of work. He has put up those numbers while recording 13 saves in 15 opportunities and holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .147 batting average against.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee as an infant and now walks with a limp as a result. He told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this spring that he has limited mobility in his knee since the muscles in that area did not grow like the others.

“[But] for pitching, you just need to bend [the back knee] a little bit,” Guerrero explained. “My knee bends just as much as I need it to.”

Guerrero moved to the Boston-area as a child and then to Miami, Fla. for his senior year of high school. He was selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Chipola College and signed with the club for $122,500.

After not making his professional debut until last June, Guerrero made his way to High-A Greenville before the 2022 season came to a close. He was expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign, but he showed increased fastball velocity and wound up breaking camp with Portland as a result.

Prior to leaving Fort Myers, though, Guerrero appeared in five Grapefruit League spring training games as a minor-league call-up and left an impression on Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“It’s impressive what he can do on a mound. Impressive,” Cora said of Guerrero when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto. “He has his limitations and for him to throw 100 (mph) with that split (is impressive). I saw him in spring training walking around one day after a workout. And I didn’t know the whole story. I saw him walking and I was like, ‘Are you OK?’ And then he told me what happened.

“I felt so bad because I didn’t know,” Cora added. “But then it’s like a lot of respect for him because he was the first one in the gym when we were there and he didn’t have to. He was always available when we brought him in as a backup pitcher.”

As Cora alluded to, Guerrero regularly throws in the upper-90s and can reach triple digits with his fastball. The 6-foot, 215-pound righty also features a mid-80s, whiff-inducing splitter as well as an 88-91 mph slider.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Cora. “For him to have the stuff that he has, you have to have not only the ability but you’ve got to have the heart and the courage to overcome what he has overcome and be a guy in that platform.”

Guerrero, who turns 23 in August, will presumably be a candidate to make the jump from Portland to Worcester on the other side of the All-Star break.

(Picture of Luis Guerrero: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Shane Drohan to represent Red Sox in All-Star Futures Game

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Shane Drohan will represent the Red Sox in next month’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer, Yorke, and Drohan will all suit up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The Red Sox are the only team from the AL with three representatives lined up to play in the annual showcase that pits the top prospects from all 30 clubs against one another.

Mayer, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 6 prospect in the sport. The left-handed hitting shortstop was recently promoted to Double-A Portland and has batted .177/.258/.418 with four doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 19 strikeouts in his first 21 games (94 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs.

Prior to making the jump to Portland, though, Mayer had gotten his 2023 season off to a strong start, slashing .290/.366/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, seven homers, 34 RBIs, 23 runs scored, five stolen bases, 17 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) with High-A Greenville. All told, he has hit .250/.327/.487 between the two levels thus far.

Yorke, 21, is ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 86 prospect in the game. The right-handed hitting second baseman spent the entire first half of the 2023 campaign with Portland, hitting a stout .286/.377/.475 with 12 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 47 runs scored, six stolen bases, 32 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 60 games spanning 276 trips to the plate.

Both Mayer and Yorke were selected by the Red Sox in the first rounds of the 2020 and 2021 amateur drafts, respectively. Drohan, on the other hand, was taken in the fifth and final round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Florida State.

Drohan began the season in Portland and dazzled to the tune of a 1.32 ERA with 36 strikeouts to nine walks in his first six starts (34 innings) with the Sea Dogs. That string of performances resulted in the 24-year-old left-hander earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester last month, but he has since struggled to a 5.03 ERA with 33 strikeouts to 27 walks in eight starts (39 1/3 innings) for the WooSox.

Rated by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect (No. 7 overall) in Boston’s farm system, Drohan was forced to leave his start on Sunday with a calf cramp. After tossing four scoreless innings against Lehigh Valley out of the gate, the lefty experienced discomfort while warming up for the top of the fifth and ultimately left the field with a trainer.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the plan as of now is for Drohan to make his next scheduled start in Buffalo later this week. The Red Sox, of course, will be sure to exercise caution if any pain lingers.

As always, this year’s installment of the Futures Game will consist of seven innings. The contest will be broadcasted exclusively on Peacock beginning at 7 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shines in debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shined in his debut for Double-A Portland on Thursday night.

Though the Sea Dogs fell to the Hartford Yard Goats by a final score of 4-3 in 12 innings, Gambrell was on point on a cool evening at Dunkin’ Park. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on two hits and zero walks to go along with eight strikeouts over six strong innings of work.

Gambrell retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a first-pitch leadoff home run to Drew Romo. He also surrendered a one-out triple to Bret Boswell, but he prevented a second run from crossing the plate by getting Bladimir Restituyo to ground out and striking out top Rockies prospect Zac Veen.

All told, Gambrell needed just 64 pitches (47 strikes) to get through six efficient frames. He induced 10 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision after Niko Kavadas hit a then-game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth.

With Shane Drohan making the jump and debuting for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, the Red Sox needed someone to take the left-hander’s place in Portland’s starting rotation. They achieved that by officially promoting Gambrell from High-A Greenville hours before his Sea Dogs debut.

After missing the entirety of the 2022 season with a significant ankle injury, Gambrell broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring. The 25-year-old hurler did not get off to the best of starts, posting a 6.87 ERA and 6.61 FIP with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in four April outings spanning 18 1/3 innings.

Once the calendar flipped from April to May, though, Gambrell appeared to have flipped a switch. After yielding two unearned runs and striking out eight over six innings on May 6, the righty gave up three runs and struck out seven over a season-high seven innings last Saturday.

With back-to-back impressive showings, Gambrell became a logical candidate for a promotion. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, the Drive already have a crowded starting rotation and have more reinforcements coming in Hayden Mullins, Bradley Blalock, and Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who are all currently on the injured list.

Boston originally acquired Gambrell and fellow righty Luis De La Rosa from the Royals in June 2021 to complete one part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City four months prior. Coming into the 2023 campaign, Gambrell had appeared in just eight games as a member of the Red Sox organization.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell stands at a burly 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. The California native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball, a 79-81 mph breaking ball, and an 83-86 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Gambrell, who does not turn 26 until November, figures to spend the rest of the season with Portland. There could be some challenges as he adjusts to more advanced competition at a new level, but he certainly got off to an encouraging start on Thursday.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote top pitching prospect Shane Drohan to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top pitching prospect Shane Drohan from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to Chris Henrique of Beyond the Monster.

Drohan, 24, has gotten his 2023 season off to a blistering start. In six starts for Portland to begin the year, the left-hander posted a miniscule 1.32 ERA and 2.26 FIP with 36 strikeouts to nine walks over 34 innings of work.

After earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Month honors in April, Drohan tossed six scoreless innings in his first start of May and then allowed a season-high three earned runs over five innings in his last time out against the Somerset Patriots this past Wednesday.

Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, Drohan ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.53), third in walks per nine innings (2.38), ninth in strikeout rate (28.1 percent), fourth in walk rate (7 percent), second in batting average against (.161), second in WHIP (0.82), sixth in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), first in ERA, third in FIP, and seventh in xFIP (3.03) per FanGraphs.

Drohan is in his third full season with the Red Sox organization after originally being selected in the fifth and final round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000 and has since risen through the prospect ranks.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Portland, Drohan made an effort to put on weight during the offseason. The lefty came into the spring listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and impressed at camp by displaying a newly-implemented cutter as well as a fastball with increased velocity.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Drohan now sits between 92-94 mph and tops out at 96 mph with his heater after averaging 90.8 mph with the offering last year. In addition to the cutter, the southpaw also operates with an 83-76 mph changeup and a 75-78 mph curveball.

Given the kind of season he has put together thus far, Drohan is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization. He is now slated to join a WooSox starting rotation that includes fellow left-handed pitching prospects Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy.

It should be interesting to see how Drohan adjusts to facing more advanced competition moving forward. Although he does not turn 25 until next January, Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft or the first time in his career later this year. Even before Monday’s promotion, he had already made a strong case to be added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Shane Drohan named Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for April

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has unsurprisingly been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for the month of April, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

In his first four starts of the season for Double-A Portland, Drohan has posted a miniscule 0.78 ERA and 1.53 FIP to go along with 26 strikeouts to just four walks over 23 innings of work. The left-hander is currently holding opposing hitters to a .163 batting average against.

Among 32 qualified Eastern League pitchers, Drohan ranks 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.17), second in walks per nine innings (1.57), fourth in strikeout rate (30.6 percent), second in swinging-strike rate (17.3 percent), second in walk rate (4.7 percent), first in batting average against, first in WHIP (0.74), second in ERA, first in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (2.79), per FanGraphs.

Drohan, 24, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000 and has since emerged as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the organization.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Portland, Drohan made an effort to put on weight during the offseason. He came into the spring listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and impressed at camp by displaying a newly-implemented cutter as well as a fastball with increased velocity.

Per SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Drohan now sits between 92-94 mph and tops out at 96 mph with his heater after averaging 90.8 mph with the offering last year. In addition to the cutter, the southpaw also operates with an 83-76 mph changeup and 75-89 mph curveball.

Given the uptick in velocity and strong start to the season, Drohan is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks tops among all of the club’s young pitchers. He is slated to make his fifth start of the year for the Sea Dogs in Erie on Thursday night.

With that being said, Drohan could soon be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester if he continues to impress with Portland. Although he does not turn 25 until next January, Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this year. As things stand now, he has already made a legitimate case to be added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Drohan, 24, got the start for Double-A Portland this past Friday. Going up against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium, the left-hander scattered just three hits and struck out six over six scoreless, walkless innings of work.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 71 (49 strikes), Drohan induced 12 swings-and-misses and ultimately earned the winning decision to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Through his first two starts of the year for the Sea Dogs, Drohan has yet to allow a run and has posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 11-to-1 in 11 innings. He is holding opposing hitters to a .158 batting average against, which currently ranks seventh among qualified pitchers in the Eastern League.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State, Drohan came into his third full professional season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 12 prospect (fourth among pitchers) in Boston’s farm system after a strong showing in spring training.

As SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall noted earlier this month, Drohan incorporated a new pitch (a cutter) to his arsenal over the winter while adding velocity to his fastball. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw now sits between 91-94 mph and tops out at 95 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 90.8 mph with the pitch last year. He also throws a curveball.

Drohan, who does not turn 25 until January, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November deadline.

Given the start he has gotten off to in Portland the season , the chances of Drohan being added to the 40-man later this year are likely increasing. It also would not be too surprising if the lefty earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan tosses 5 scoreless innings in 2023 debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan was sharp in his season debut for Double-A Portland on Friday night.

Going up against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in chilly conditions at Hadlock Field, Drohan scattered just three hits and one walk to go along with five strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work.

Drohan retired the first four batters he faced before giving up a one-out single to Luke Ritter in the top of the second. The left-hander then got Matt Rudick to ground into an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play and sat down the side in order in the third. In the fourth, he navigated his way around a leadoff single off the bat of Wyatt Young.

The fifth inning proved to be the toughest for Drohan, as he began it by issuing a leadoff walk to Ritter, who later moved up to second base on a one-out single from Hayden Senger. With runners at first and second and only one out, Drohan locked in by fanning Daniel Gomez and getting Mateo Gil to pop out to escape the jam and end his day on a positive note.

Drohan needed just 69 pitches (46 strikes) to get through five scoreless frames. The 24-year-old southpaw induced 10 swings-and-misses and was credited with the winning decision as the Sea Dogs held on for a 2-0 victory over the Rumble Ponies to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State, Drohan comes into his third full professional season in a unique position. Despite not being ranked by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, the Fort Lauderdale native is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Drohan, who just turned 24 in January, is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he posted a 3.89 ERA and 4.49 FIP with 157 strikeouts to 51 walks in 27 appearances (25 starts) spanning 129 2/3 innings between High-A Greenville and Portland. According to FanGraphs, his 28.5 percent strikeout rate ranked 50th among the 311 minor-league pitchers who threw at least 100 innings last year while his swinging-strike rate of 16 percent ranked 15th.

While putting up those numbers and earning SoxProspects.com All-Star honors last season, Drohan flashed an 88-92 mph fastball that topped out at 94 mph as part of a three-pitch mix that included a 78-81 mph changeup and 75-78 mph curveball. Over the winter, though, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound hurler added a new pitch (a cutter) to his arsenal while also adding velocity to his fastball.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall earlier this week, Drohan “sat at 91-94 mph this spring, where as last year, he averaged 90.8 mph with his fastball.”

On Friday, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote that the increase in velocity Drohan displayed during spring training is “creating intrigue about his development as a starter.”

Drohan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career later this year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the deadline in November. In the meantime, one would have to figure that Drohan will have the opportunity to earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester at some point this season if he continues to impress in Portland.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan has swing-and-miss stuff

Because Jeremy Wu-Yelland underwent Tommy John surgery in April, Shane Drohan was the only member of the Red Sox’ 2020 draft class to pitch competitively this season.

Drohan, who was taken in the fifth round out of Florida State University two years ago, broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring after spending the entirety of the 2021 campaign at Low-A Salem.

In 22 appearances (20 starts) for the Drive, the left-hander posted a 4.00 ERA and 4.21 FIP to go along with 136 strikeouts to 40 walks over 105 2/3 innings of work. He allowed just two earned runs in his final three outings with Greenville before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland on August 16.

With the Sea Dogs, Drohan pitched to a 3.38 ERA with 21 strikeouts to 11 walks over five starts (24 innings). While he gave up runs less frequently, the 23-year-old southpaw saw his strikeout rate fall and his walk rate rise, which led to a higher FIP of 5.75.

It was certainly an adjustment period for Drohan, but he at least ended the year on a strong note by fanning eight of the 20 batters he faced in a 10-9 win over the Somerset Patriots in mid-September.

Between the two stops (Greenville and Portland), Drohan produced a cumulative 3.89 ERA and 4.49 FIP with 157 strikeouts to 51 walks across 27 appearances (25 starts) and 129 2/3 innings pitched. His 28.5 percent punchout rate ranked 50th among the 311 minor-league pitchers who threw at least 100 innings this season. His 16 percent swinging-strike rate ranked 15th, per FanGraphs.

On the heels of such a productive year on the mound, Drohan was named to SoxProspects.com’s 2022 All-Star team earlier this week. The Fort Lauderdale native is now regarded by the site as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 10th pitchers in the organization.

What makes Drohan so effective and capable of inducing whiffs in bunches? Well, he stands at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-92 mph four-seam fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a 75-77 mph curveball, and a 78-81 mph changeup.

Drohan, who turns 24 in January, will be entering an important season in 2023 as the former Seminole can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland next spring and the Red Sox will have until next November to add him to their 40-man roster.

As things stand now, Drohan has the upside to a be a back-end starter at the big-league level. Pitching his way onto Boston’s 40-man roster next season would certainly go a long way in solidifying — or maybe even surpassing — that projection.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)