The Red Sox were lauded for a strong performance during last year's annual amateur player selection process, especially during the first day of the draft. The biggest steal of that day could be argued as any of the three pitchers the Red Sox drafted, however, none stand out more than the first player who fell right into their laps.

Drafted 15th overall, Kyson Witherspoon was viewed as a consensus top-10 talent prior to the event. Fortunately for the Red Sox, the right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State slipped and ended up available right in the middle of the first round. Witherspoon dominated in his final season at Oklahoma to the tune of a 10-4 record and 2.65 ERA in 16 starts. In that span, he threw 95 innings and struck out 124 batters, thanks in part to his velocity and secondary pitches that have scouts drooling over his potential.

Witherspoon, who turned 21 in mid-August, made significant strides during his college career and is already implementing some changes in Boston. One of the more notable alterations to his profile was the addition of a sweeper he worked on over the winter with Driveline, and the pitch is already flashing some impressive break. No prospect with the Red Sox averaged close to 20 inches of horizontal break with a sweeper, but Witherspoon’s managed that after one offseason of working on the pitch.

The rest of Witherspoon’s arsenal is made up of a fastball, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. Unlike other pitching targets by the Red Sox, his extension is under six feet (averaged around 5.7 feet). However, he’s able to repeat his delivery easily and hides the ball well throughout his throwing motion.

His fastball averaged 95 to 97 mph in college, which he maintained during his first two innings of game action in minor-league spring training. His velocity seems to have improved since being drafted (in terms of maintaining upper-echelon consistency), which will pair well with his strong command. However, the pitch gets its bat-missing ability from its velocity and not its shape.

His cutter was used often in college as a pitch he threw for consistent strikes. Velocity-wise, it averaged between 88 and 91 mph, though it's shown an ability to miss bats while also inducing batters to chase outside the zone. Likewise, his slider is a pitch he was able to use to generate whiffs, especially against right-handed batters. Both pitches have plus tendencies and are viewed as being potentially above average.

The curveball, on the other hand, is seen as a middling offering, and that's if he learns to consistently land it in the zone. In college, it sat 78 to 82 mph and is considered to have good depth on its break. When he’s able to command and control it he can generate a few whiffs.

His changeup is certainly the one that needs the most development (ignoring the new sweeper). The pitch has managed to reach the low-90s, but it was his least used offering in college and lacks the fade/tail to really dominate lefties down and away.

Overall, Witherspoon has a chance to join the likes of Payton Tolle and Connolly Early as pitchers who moved through the system quickly. He's got a projectable mid-rotation future, though there's no denying the ace upside occasionally flashing in his profile. His fastball, despite being viewed as his best pitch, could also be in line for some tweaking should the Red Sox want it to have a different shape.

Witherspoon, barring a surprise placement, will open the season in Greenville much like Tolle did the year prior. Though, should he dominate High-A batters, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is promoted to Portland by some point in June. The Red Sox have been aggressive the last few years when it comes to promoting prospects that are performing well, and it shouldn’t be any different with the draft class of 2025.