Get To Know These New Red Sox Top Prospects

[Billy Mock]

Brandon Clarke, #15, High-A

The Red Sox have found recent success in identifying talent on the mound through the draft, and Brandon Clarke seems to be their latest success story. A fifth-round JUCO product, Clarke was selected 148th overall by the Red Sox in last year's draft. Since he didn't play after being drafted, 2025 has been his introduction to professional baseball, and the 22-year-old lefty has not disappointed. He opened the season in Low-A Salem, where he threw nine and two-thirds innings over three starts while allowing just one run. That included his first start in which he delivered four perfect innings while striking out five. Clarke was recently called up to High-A Greenville where he has made one start thus far, tossing four and two-thirds scoreless innings while striking out seven and allowing just one hit.

Not only has Clarke made the TalkSox top 20, but he also recently managed to crack Baseball America's recent edition of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball at 96, despite having only made four starts at the pro level. There's certainly a lot of upside for Clarke, and he's looking more and more like a future starter with every outing. Standing in at 6'4" and 220 pounds, he definitely has the physical traits to succeed, but he has the arsenal and feel on the mound as well. His fastball is the headliner, as it sits in the mid-to-high-90s, topping out at 99.5 mph. A fastball with that kind of life is typically going to play in the lower levels of the minors, but he also has a group of well-developing secondaries to complement it. His changeup and curveball are two pitches he has thrown dating back to his high school days, but he has introduced an effective cutter and a sweeper that are both finding a lot of success thus far. Clarke has displayed excellent command of the strike zone, walking only 3.8% of hitters he has faced this year while striking out 45.3%. His command and ability to withstand a starter's workload are likely the two factors that will determine his role down the road. 

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Jedixson Paez, #17, High-A

Jedixson Paez is another young arm making his first appearance on the TalkSox top 20, and for good reason. Paez was a part of the 2021 international signing class out of Venezuela, and has since established himself as one of the more consistent arms in Boston's system. Since entering the professional ranks in 2021 through the Dominican Summer League, Paez has thrown at least 50 innings to a sub-4.00 ERA at four different levels. Last year was the season in which Paez started to garner some attention, as he posted a 3.17 ERA across 96 2/3 innings between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville while sporting the fifth-lowest walk rate in all of Minor League Baseball among pitchers with at least 50 innings at 3.2%. With nearly 300 innings under his belt at the professional level, Paez owns a 3.25 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.

Despite his track record of success, it's taken a while for Paez to catch some steam in the prospect world simply because he doesn't fit the mold of the modern-day super pitching prospect. He's not reaching elite velocities and getting tons of swings and misses, but is rather a master of command while also inducing plenty of soft contact. In other words, he's a "finesse" arm.

The closest comparison I can think of is a young Marcus Stroman. His fastball has increased in velocity year to year but has only topped out recently at 94 mph. Given his ability to locate it well at the top of the zone or use it like a bowling ball sinker at times, it's a better offering than the 45-grade it has been given. His slider has actually been his go-to pitch to this point in his career, and it has found a lot of success due to its plus vertical and horizontal movement and his ability to drop it in the zone for called strikes or outside the zone to get chases. His changeup is another excellent pitch that pairs well with the slider to keep hitters off balance and produces plenty of soft contact. Paez has definitely shown he can be successful as a starter, and as long as his stuff translates well as he advances into the higher levels of the minors, this is a name I would expect to see higher up on our prospect rankings in the future.  

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Justin Gonzales, #20, Single-A

After a recent promotion to Low-A Salem, 18-year-old Justin Gonzales managed to sneak on to the top 20 following an impressive first year in the Red Sox system. Gonzales was apart of last year's international signing class out of the Dominican Republic and was the top hitter on last year's DSL team. He hit five home runs on his way to a .908 OPS and a 140 wRC+, both of which led the team. Due to an impressive outing at extended spring training, one game at the Florida Complex League was all it took before the Red Sox decided they wanted him in Salem. He's the youngest player on the roster at the moment, as he doesn't even turn 19 until the end of the year. With that being said, with what Gonzales has shown thus far, he's definitely playing beyond his years.

Standing in at 6'4" and 210 pounds, Gonzales already has the look of a big league ballplayer. Because of his size, he has showcased great power that should keep evolving as he grows into his frame. And that power should also show up more in game as he continues to optimize his approach and improves his ability to lift the ball. He has already shown some solid plate discipline and contact skills at the plate, as he only struck out in 10.4% of his plate appearances last year while walking at nearly the same rate.

There is already a power-to-all-fields quality in his bat, but his rapidly improving hit tool is what will really help him advance through the system. On the defensive side, Gonzales has split time between first base and right field. He's not an elite athlete by any means, but moves well enough for his size that he can get the job done in right field. He also just happens to have a 70-grade arm that has carried over from his pitching days in amateur ball that will certainly play. If he can't stick in right field, he should be fine at first base, especially given the offensive profile.

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[mvp 78]

Crazy that Clarke is top 100 already. Scouts must really like what they see.

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Crazy that Clarke is top 100 already. Scouts must really like what they see.

Hopefully, this is a sign our young pitching talent evaluation process has improved, greatly.

[Larry Cook]

6 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Crazy that Clarke is top 100 already. Scouts must really like what they see.

When he has command and control, his stuff is electric. Reminds me of winkleman with better control.