Article: Red Sox Short-Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year: 2024

[Steve Trefz]

Today, we continue to hand out our annual Talk Sox hardware. Who were the top pitchers for the Red Sox Florida Complex League and the Dominican Summer League in 2024? 

Yesterday, we named shortstop Franklin Arias of the FCL Red Sox the Talk Sox Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year. Today, we will discuss the top pitchers on the Sox Complex League squads: the Florida Complex League (FCL) Red Sox and the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Red Sox Red and Blue. 

The Red Sox saw their major-league bullpen completely implode in 2024 and will need to restock the roster for 2025. In this climate, finding short-season diamonds in the rough should pique everyone’s interest. These prospects won’t climb that high any time soon, but they will most likely be rising up the minor league system faster than preferred. Who should Red Sox fans be paying the most attention to?

The Talk Sox minor league writers and video providers were asked to vote on these awards. Before getting into the honorable mention and consensus top two, here are the others who received votes.

Others Receiving Votes

• RHP - Yoelvin Chirino, 19, DSL Blue, 12 G, 7 GS, 3.16 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 37 IP, 28 H, 23 BB, 40 K
• RHP - Yodrian Beltre, 18, DSL Blue (5 G) and Red (5 G), 10 G, 8 GS, 3.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 36 IP, 29 H, 12 BB, 34 K
• RHP - Jeison Payano, 18, DSL Red, 9 G, 6 GS, 1 SV, 2.61 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 31 IP, 22 H, 9 BB, 9 K
• RHP - Enrique Carta, 20, DSL Blue (12 G) and Red (3 G), 15 G, 2 SV, 2.32 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 31 IP, 20 H, 14 BB, 33 K

Honorable Mention

RHP - Greider Colina, 19, DSL Red Sox Red
16 G, 0 GS, 4 SV, 2.12 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 29.2 IP, 18 H, 13 BB, 29 K
The 6’2”, 180-pound, international free agent from Venezuela filled a long relief role for the Red team and found success in converting save opportunities as well. If Colina can follow up his first season of professional ball with another strong performance, he could find his way to Greenville before the end of 2025.

LHP - Oscar Sanchez, 21, DSL Red Sox Red
10 G, 0 GS, 1.04 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 17.1 IP, 6 H, 7 BB, 13 K
Sanchez is a few years older than other short-season players, but he probably won't have to worry about playing there again. A 2023 international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, this 6’0”, 180-pound lefty reliever has the potential to hold down a setup role for years to come if he can continue to develop and improve upon his control.

RHP - Gilbel Galvan, 18, DSL Red Sox Blue
17 G, 0 GS, 1 SV, 1.62 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 33.1 IP, 24 H, 13 BB, 21 K
Galvan might be small in stature at 5’10” and 167 pounds, but his professional debut stood tall. The 2024 international free agent out of the Dominican Republic improved steadily as the season progressed, only allowing three earned runs in the second half of the short season. Primarily used in two-inning middle relief opportunities, 2025 will most likely give Galvan a chance to keep growing in short-season ball or low A.

RHP - Dalvinson Reyes, 17, DSL Red Sox Blue (4 GS) and Red (1 GS)
5 G, 5 GS, 0.00 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, 17 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 19 K
Reyes is only 17 years old, but he already has the makings of a starting rotation gem. A promotion at the end of the season to make playoff starts for the Red team solidified that this 6’5”, 200-pound pitching machine is up to the challenge and has grown man moxie. While none of his starts went long, the 0.00 ERA speaks for itself. Add in Reyes’s unbelievable strikeout ability and pinpoint control, and Red Sox fans should be drooling over what might be coming up the pipeline in two or three years.

Short-Season Pitcher of the Year
Here are the top two vote-getters for Red Sox Short-Season Pitcher of the Year in 2024:

2. RHP - Yermain Ruiz, 18, DSL Red Sox Red
11 G, 11 GS, 1.77 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 45.2 IP, 27 H, 15 BB, 37 K
At 160 pounds, Ruiz;s 5'11" fram still has a lot of physical growth ahead. The young right-handed starter excelled in his first season of professional baseball in the Dominican Summer League, starting all 11 of his outings and averaging over four innings per game. The native Venezuelan looks to build more to his arsenal and increase his strike-out rate. Adding some muscle won’t hurt either. While his velocity reached mid-90s, there is room to grow.

Batters averaged .172 off of Ruiz this season, and his 2-0 record in the playoffs showed that the youngster is ready to shine at the higher levels of action. Look for Ruiz to begin in Salem or maybe even Greenville, with Portland potentially on the horizon in 2025 as well.

1.  RHP - Juan Valera, 18, FCL Red Sox (11 G) and Salem Red Sox (7 G)
FCL Stats Only: 11 G, 9 GS, 1.79 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 40.1 IP, 17 H, 14 BB, 40 K
Since this is a short-season award, we don’t factor in Valera’s Salem Red Sox efforts. Don’t be surprised if the 2025 minor league pitcher of the year list includes Valera yet again, perhaps even in a Portland jersey. After only starting one of his 15 outings for the DSL Red Sox Blue in 2023, the 6’3”, 205-pound Dominican righty started nine of 11 games for the FCL Red Sox, and all seven of his Salem appearances. With a WHIP under 1.00 and almost four times as many strike outs as walks, Valera quickly proved that he belonged on the mound despite being nearly three and a half years younger than most of his competition.

After originally signing for a mere $45,000 as an international free agent in 2023, Valera looks like a steal. Valera’s success at Salem also proved that the short-season efforts weren’t a fluke. His progression through the farm system will depend upon how patient the organization can be in rebuilding its staff. For now, Red Sox fans can just smile and enjoy the fact that the top prospects in Boston short-season baseball have starting pitcher written all over them.

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Hope sprung up through the pitching performances across the Red Sox complex leagues in 2024, with some left-handed relief, emerging young starter mentalities, and strikeout studs leading the way to victory. For 2024, Juan Valera earned and deserved our choice for our Talk Sox Short-Season Minor-League Pitcher of the Year. 

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[mvp 78]

Valera is the clear #1. I'd put Reyes 2, but that's just me and probably just projecting more into the future rather than current performance, but I do really get hot and bothered about scoreless streaks (see: Monegro, Yordanny).