Noah Song Is On The Accelerated Path To The Boston Red Sox

[Alex Mayes]

Noah Song has always been a “what if” prospect in the Red Sox's farm system. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, a spot that was deemed a steal for Boston, as Song had the numbers and pedigree to be taken in the first round that year. He only slipped so far because he graduated from the Naval Academy, and there was concern that he wouldn’t be able to have a waiver granted that would allow him to postpone his military career so he could play baseball.

Those fears were confirmed after he appeared in seven games for the Lowell Spinners, where he dazzled with a 29.2% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate, and a 1.06 ERA. After that, he reported to basic training and pilot school, where he kept up a throwing program but obviously couldn’t be as dedicated to baseball as he'd like to have been. Song was eligible to come back to the team in 2023, where he was promptly selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft. The stipulation of that selection is that Song had to stick on the major league roster for the Phillies to remain in their system. He didn’t. He was returned to Boston in August 2023. In March 2024, Song underwent Tommy John surgery, putting him on the shelf for the next year.

Then, somewhat out of the blue (to those of us not actively following him), Song was activated to begin a rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League in May of this year. He made one appearance in the FCL, going two innings while striking out four and giving up no runs. He was then promoted to the Salem Red Sox, where he tossed four innings over three games, still holding a blemish-free ERA and striking out six. From there, he was promoted again to the Greenville Drive, where he went an 1 1/3 innings one game while striking out one and still not allowing a run. He now has been called up to Double-A Portland, where he continues to shine. He’s appeared in four games so far with a 1.13 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 25.8% strikeout rate, and a 6.5% walk rate. If we average his entire stint in the minor league so far, we have a 0.59 ERA, 2.82 FIP, 33.3% strikeout rate, and a 7% walk rate. Suddenly, Noah Song seems like he’s back in top shape and could contribute at the major league level this season.

The Red Sox’s bullpen is currently ranked sixth in the MLB in ERA (3.31), second in FIP (3.37), and tenth in innings pitched with 290.2. They are in good shape right now and have been a surprising bright spot on the season, but it’s no secret that they are overworked since the starting rotation hit an almost month-long skid in May that found the pen tossing more innings than anyone would consider optimal. During that stretch in May, the bullpen pitched the second most innings in the league (111 1/3) and they managed to keep their combined ERA to just a 3.23 figure. That’s incredibly impressive.

Should the rotation begin to falter again, though, reinforcements will be needed. Justin Slaten has no timetable for when he will return to pitching, Kutter Crawford's most recent set back likely puts his entire season in question, Jordan Hicks remains on the IL (though he is close to returning and making his debut with the big league club), and Liam Hendriks is progressing in his recovery but was less than reliable when he was with the team. Song is in a better place than all of these players, except for maybe Hicks, who will likely factor into the back of the bullpen once he does make his way to the big league club. 

Song still features a four-pitch mix; a fastball that can run anywhere from 93 to 98, a slider, curveball, and a changeup. He’s not the flamethrower he was coming out of the Naval Academy when he could top out at 99, but he seems to be building up his velocity throughout his stint in the minor leagues, and if he can sit in the mid-90s with his fastball consistently, then he should work as an excellent depth addition to the middle of the bullpen. In a system that is getting better about building pitching depth but still lacks some with upside at the upper levels of the system, Noah Song could be a breath of fresh air now that he’s finally fully committed to baseball and past his injuries. 

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[Larry Cook]

I saw him pitch 3 innings the other day!! His stuff looked really good!!! Ball had movement and lots of spin!! 
He needs to fine tune the secondaries and then move up to Worcester!!  Big time arm 

[Malcolm White]

17 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I saw him pitch 3 innings the other day!! His stuff looked really good!!! Ball had movement and lots of spin!! 
He needs to fine tune the secondaries and then move up to Worcester!!  Big time arm 

you know it's desperation time when the annual Noah Song Update drops. Theirs is a sinking ship and Noah Song isn't the answer. Unless he could field a position or run the bases like a grown-up.

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, Malcolm White said:

you know it's desperation time when the annual Noah Song Update drops. Theirs is a sinking ship and Noah Song isn't the answer. Unless he could field a position or run the bases like a grown-up.

He's the 40th man on the 40 man roster at the end of September. Probably a guy you call up as a feel good story to get nutjobs like us excited to tune in for a game or two when the Sox are out of it. 

[Larry Cook]

On 6/24/2025 at 7:27 AM, Malcolm White said:

you know it's desperation time when the annual Noah Song Update drops. Theirs is a sinking ship and Noah Song isn't the answer. Unless he could field a position or run the bases like a grown-up.

I think he could be a strong bullpen piece soon. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

17 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I think he could be a strong bullpen piece soon. 

Better tell Malcolm that Noah grew up a lot in the service. And it's doubtful Song is worried about sinking ships, unless those are his orders as a Naval flight officer.