Nick John

For the Boston Red Sox, developing pitching has become easier following the implementation of Craig Breslow’s philosophy for the pitching lab. In August, the fruits of those labors really shone through, as several pitchers across the entire system put together great months, some making fans wonder if a promotion for the last few weeks could be in play. Thanks to their performances on the mound, it’s made the loss of Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon a little easier to swallow. We’ve narrowed this award down to the four best pitchers in the Boston Red Sox minor-league system from last month, though there were many more worthy candidates out there. Ranking Red Sox’s Best Minor-League Pitchers in August Honorable Mention: Ethan Walker LHP (Low-A Salem) It was tough making Walker the honorable mention, especially after his performance in August. That just shows how great the pitching across the system was. Walker put together a fantastic month for his hometown Salem RidgeYaks. Appearing in four games, one of them a start, he gave the team 15 innings of quality pitching as he surrendered four runs, two of them earned, on just six hits and five walks. In that same span he struck out 21 batters. It was a positive turn around for Walker after coming off a July where he allowed six earned runs in 11 2/3 innings pitched. The left-hander has said he considers himself a strikeout-first pitcher, and he certainly lived up to that reputation. For the month, he had a strikeout per nine innings of 12.6, the highest of his career for any month where he made more than one appearance. Health and consistency will be key for the left-hander to take the next step in his career after bringing his season to an end on a high note. #3: Hobie Harris RHP (Triple-A Worcester) A reliever, Harris came up huge for Worcester during August as constant roster changes with their pitching staff left holes that needed to be filled. After missing time earlier in the season due to injury, he's firmly put himself back on the 2027 radar. Making 10 appearances out of the bullpen, Harris served multiple roles whether it was being used for multiple innings or coming in during tight situations he performed his duty. Tossing 15 1/3 innings, he allowed just two runs, one of them earned, on nine hits and three walks. Most impressively for Harris was his ability to rack up strikeouts, getting 18 of them during the month. His 15 1/3 innings finished fifth on the team while his 0.59 ERA and 0.78 WHIP were first and second on the team, respectively, among qualified pitchers. #2: Hayden Mullins LHP (Double-A Portland) Mullins needed a month like August after an especially rough stretch of performances. The left-hander helped carry a Portland rotation that had lost four starting pitchers due to promotions to Worcester along with Eyanson. His outings throughout the month reminded people of how he looked in 2025 when there were talks of potentially being a top pitching prospect in the system and at risk of being taken in the Rule 5 Draft. Making four starts, Mullins gave Portland 20 1/3 innings while allowing six runs, just three earned, on 18 hits and eight walks. But more importantly, he showed an improved confidence in his stuff to garner strikeouts like in 2025, getting batters out by the way of the K 29 times. Naturally, that number led Portland for the month. Mullins is at his best when he attacks the strike zone consistently, allowing himself to then expand to the corners and try to get some chase from opposing batters. Thanks to his improved control in August, he was able to do that and flash some of his laden potential. #1: Dylan Brown LHP (High-A Greenville) If there’s been any prospect that has gone on a huge run this season, it’s been Brown. August was just the exclamation point on his breakout campaign, as he gave Greenville five huge starts and 23 2/3 innings. That number also includes two rain-shortened starts; in both outings, he allowed just one hit in three innings. For the entire month, Brown allowed eight runs, seven of them earned, on 16 hits (two of which were home runs) and four walks. In that same span he struck out 31 batters while keeping opponents to just a .186 batting average. The left-hander bookended August with starts of 6 1/3 innings, getting the win in both. His August 27 start was his best in some time, and it could be argued that it was his second-best with Greenville, only beaten by his June 24 start where he delivered seven shutout innings. In this more recent outing, he allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five. Brown stepped up as the ace of Greenville after promotions and injuries left the rotation scrambling to fill in innings. Now, he looks ready to potentially open 2027 in Portland. View full article

With the minor-league season reaching its conclusion in just a few weeks, players will be looking to finish their respective campaigns strong. August was a kind one for players within the Boston Red Sox organization as multiple hitters put up great numbers. Each of the four affiliate teams were also in playoff contention throughout the month, adding to the fun of watching their individual showcases. With that, we’ve managed to narrow the award this month down to the four best hitters in the Boston Red Sox minor-league system from last month despite several worthy candidates. Ranking Red Sox’s Best Minor-League Hitters in August Honorable Mention: Louis Andujar (Low-A Salem) It was a slow start for Andujar as he struggled in his first month in Salem, but since the calendar flipped to July, he has impressed with his bat. That continued into August, as the infielder showed that his hot summer is no fluke. Appearing in 17 games, Andujar slashed .305/.468/.525 with four doubles, three home runs and 9 RBIs. He also walked 12 times while striking out just 14 times. In the month, he also put together two hitting streaks—one of five games and the other three games long. During his first taste of affiliate ball, Andujar has been one of the best to adapting to the Red Sox's offensive philosophy under Craig Breslow. Through his first 62 games with Salem, the infielder has a pull-air rate of 21.6%, a stat to pay attention to should he be promoted to High-A Greenville in 2027. The right-handed hitter could become an exciting prospect with power for the Red Sox soon enough. #3: Owen Hull (High-A Greenville) There’s no denying that Hull has burst onto the scene in Greenville. Through his first 22 professional games, he’s hitting .326/.422/.533. In August alone, he hit .338/.447/.532 with nine doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs and walked 15 times while striking out in 13 at-bats. The outfielder has shown an ability to put the ball in play constantly, striking out in just 15.4% of his plate appearances. The outfielder has also demonstrated an ability to be patient at the plate and not expand the strike zone as he waits for a pitch he likes. Already 22 years old, Hull has still managed to produce against older competition as he has hit .308/.421/.462 against some advanced pitching. In his short, professional career, Hull has immediately flashed the potential that made him a top-70 pick in this year's draft. #2: Franklin Primera (Low-A Salem) Primera has put together a fantastic first showing in affiliated ball despite being just 19 years old. Across 45 games with Salem, the catcher hit .331/.468/.500 with 10 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 24 RBIs. In August, he only got better, as he slashed .382/.535/.592 with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 15 RBIs. More impressive, however, was his patience at the plate as he walked 16 times compared to eight strikeouts. The young catcher has garnered a lot of hype and interest from fans thanks in part to his early season breakout in the FCL. Once he reached Salem and his performance continued to be impressive for a player of his age, his prospect stock began to climb. Primera put on a show as the RidgeYaks made a playoff push, and despite the team falling out of contention, the catcher continued to carry the offense across the month and into the last few days of the season. #1: Justin Gonzales (High-A Greenville/Double-A Portland) After the month that Gonzales just put together, there shouldn't be any doubt that he's the top hitter in the Red Sox's minor-league system. Playing across two different levels in the month, the level of competition didn’t matter for the slugging outfielder. Appearing in 21 games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, Gonzales hit a combined .337/.438/.558 along with five doubles, one triple, four home runs and 23 RBIs. When you look at what he did in just Portland, you really get an idea of just how good he was. In nine contests, he posted a robust .375/.457/.625 line with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Despite being nearly five years younger than the average player in Double-A, Gonzales completely blitzed every pitcher he saw. There’s no denying that Gonzales is a very special player—August only highlighted that. The next steps in his development will involve getting him ready for Triple-A action sooner rather than later. View full article

“I’m just an ultra-competitor. Not going to try and blow up a radar gun, but I do have pretty good velocity. Kind of like an old-school pitcher, looking for ways to get people out.” Alex Kranzler is the latest pitcher to be drafted by Craig Breslow, having been taken in the 17th round of the 2026 MLB Draft. A 21-year-old right-hander out of Vanderbilt, Kranzler has a history of being a reliable arm out of the bullpen. Despite sporting a 6.18 ERA his junior season with Vanderbilt, Kranzler stepped up when it mattered most for his team. During the first round of the SEC Baseball Tournament, Kranzler entered the game with two outs in the fifth inning with his team trailing 4-1. His job was simple: keep the game close enough until his team could get going offensively. And he did just that, pitching 3 2/3 innings before allowing a runner to reach base as Vanderbilt scored seven unanswered runs to win the game. “Execute one pitch at a time,” Kranzler admitted when asked what was going through his mind during that outing. “Just be where your feet are, be in the moment. Trying not to look at the scoreboard, trying not to look at pretty much anything other than who’s at the plate, what the count is and what pitch am I going to throw. I trusted the offense; I knew if I could just keep the score there, we were going to find a way to score enough runs to win it. Just try to do my part, do my job and compete.” He's also had sustained periods of success, having tossed 14 2/3 innings in the month of May while allowing just one run on four hits. While his former coach Tim Corbin joked that Kranzler has always taken his game to the next level the deeper the NCAA season gets, the right-hander feels it isn’t the month but rather the situation. “I’ve always been a guy that runs on adrenaline. When the moment’s higher, I typically pitch better. Just getting into a playoff atmosphere kind of gets the juices flowing.” Kranzler is currently in a rare situation since the draft moved to July, actually pitching in affiliated ball in the same season he was selected. The right-hander was added to Salem’s roster on August 19, just the fifth pitcher under Craig Breslow to make his debut in the same season he was drafted. He joins a small list that is made up by 2025 draft class member Patrick Galle and 2024 draft class members Griffin Kilander, Cole Tolbert, and Calvin Bickerstaff. While he hasn’t made many appearances so far (just three games and 5 1/3 innings), the right-hander has flashed some potential in his short professional career. On the mound, he’s looking to do whatever he can to help the team win regardless of his role or what the situation is. “I think my average fastball last year was right around 93 and a half,” Kranzler said about his pitch mix. “The slider is definitely my bread and butter. That’s been my go-to pitch for as long as I can remember. On top of that, a cutter, splitter and occasionally a curveball. But the sinker, slider, cutter and splitter is the main mix.” The right-hander admitted that leading up to the draft itself, there were no conversations with the Red Sox. In fact, he didn’t know he was going to be a member of the organization until the pick was made. What might have helped him land with the organization may have been his play in the MLB Draft League. Pitching with the Trenton Thunder, Kranzler made five starts, tossing 23 innings and striking out 23 batters while allowing just six earned runs. Outside of the performance, the right-hander stated it might have been some of the most fun he ever had on a baseball field while also helping prepare him for what pro ball would be like. While he’s had a mix of usage between starting and relieving since his first year pitching for Vanderbilt, the Red Sox have used him out of the bullpen for his first three professional outings so far. So long as he sticks to his philosophy on the mound, he should have success in that role. “Just attack hitters no matter who’s in the box. [It's] A fearless approach looking to do whatever I can to help my team win." View full article

“I got the call and I told him [Opata’s agent] I wanted to be a Red Sox. Best decision I ever made.” Since signing with the Boston Red Sox, Andrews Opata has shown that their investment was a good one. Through his first 96 professional games, the undrafted free agent has put together a well-rounded season, hitting .256/.370/.396 with 13 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs. He also has stolen 49 bases, a team record that is only growing with each swiped bag. Speed is a big part of his game, so it was only natural that he set (and continues to increase) a single-season record. “It was an awesome feeling. Honestly, I didn’t even know until 30, 45 minutes after the game when I looked at my phone. It was definitely a cool thing to say that I accomplished. I take pride in my speed and base running because I think being able to create a lot of runs for our team is really special to me,” Opata explained about his record setting season. The outfielder isn’t only interested in stolen bases, however, instead looking to make smart decisions and place himself in positions where the rest of the lineup can drive him in. He’s managed to do just that, having been driven in 76 times on the season. Despite his overwhelming speed, Opata admitted that it takes more than just that to succeed on the basepath. Especially against professional pitchers. “I go into the game knowing the pitcher’s time to the plate. Usually 1.3, 1.4 [seconds]. Knowing the arm behind the plate. Whether it’s better to stay at first base. I take into account a lot of different things and really steal when I know there’s like a 95% chance I’ll be safe. I’ll just stay at first and let the game play out,” Opata admitted. His cautious approach with his speed was on display during his time in college, as he went 85 for 91 in stolen base attempts. Since becoming a professional, he’s gone 49 for 56. But despite his plus speed and baserunning instincts, Opata didn’t enter draft day with the thought of being selected. Rather, he went into it with the thought he could be drafted or return to school, hoping that everything would work out. While he didn’t get drafted, Opata still received the call from his agent. His first professional experience involved flying down to Fort Myers and after signing his contract, he managed to play in a few bridge league games before going home until a week before Thanksgiving. Upon returning to the complex in Fort Myers, he got back to work as he lifted, hit and did defensive drills. It was, in a sense, a precursor to spring training and allowed him to get acclimated to the system and get familiar with how things would be when he returned to Fort Myers in January for actual spring training. Then, during his first pro spring, he got into a few games as a late-game replacement, a special experience for the outfielder. But it wasn’t until he finally played in Salem that it was a truly special situation. “I haven’t ever played in an environment like that with a bunch of fans. It was fun. The first night I didn’t get a hit, but I remember coming home and was like it was super fun and knew every night it’s going to be similar to that. So I was just really excited to see how the season went.” Despite his success during his first season, there have still been some learning moments for Opata. Since his junior year of high school, his main position was center field. But in 2026, he’s mainly played the corner outfield positions for Salem. The transition back to the corners was a little tough for the outfielder at first due to a combination of factors that included how the ball would spin different towards left or right field compared to center field. Opata had to learn and adjust to the change in angles the ball would come at him and the routes he would need to take—that a fly ball to the corners might have some slice or hook to them. He would take time to learn the best position to be in based on the hitter at the plate and how Salem’s pitchers would attack them. But eventually, it became easier as he put in consistent work every day. Offensively, he quickly learned that the quality of pitching was different than what he faced in college. While he had previously faced pitchers who threw hard, now he had to deal with pitchers who not only had a good fastball, but also quality command of it along with movement on their pitches. Once he adjusted to it, however, he has been a quality offensive weapon for a Salem team fighting for a playoff spot. Despite the ups and downs, it’s been a season he’s valued deeply. “I’ve learned a lot this season about what it takes to be a professional baseball player. There’s the struggles that come and go and you just have to ride the wave. You’ll have good weeks and bad weeks, but if you just stay as consistent as possible, you’ll be in a pretty good spot.” View full article

If hitting was easy I'd still be playing after graduating high school instead of writing about baseball.

When the Boston Red Sox traded for Adley Rutschman, excitement was high throughout the fanbase as the team decided to go all-in and acquire a genuine All-Star in hopes of increasing their championship odds. There were some concerns, however; namely, Rutschman was on the injured list at the time with left wrist inflammation. It was his third time on the injured list this year after previous stints with left ankle inflammation and a concussion. Add to it that his OPS was just .671 from the beginning of May until he went on the injured list in July, and you had a recipe with a decent chance of turning out something inedible. Now with the Red Sox, Rutschman’s offense has yet to come back around as he’s hitting .146/.255/.244 since being traded. That's an OPS below .500 and and a 43 wRC+. He’s gotten just six hits, with four of them being singles while one was a double and the other was a home run. He’s also struck out 12 times. When you trade three of your top five prospects along with another who was in the top 20, not to mention starting catcher Carlos Narváez (even if his struggles have continued with Baltimore), you would hope for better production. Instead the team has gotten a backstop who has turned in the lowest exit velocities of his career (84.5 mph on average), has the lowest hard-hit rate of his career (34.5%) and has struck out at a career-high rate (25.5%) since being acquired. And yet, I'm here to tell you that it’s too early to worry. There are several factors leading to these issues that can be fixed, and there are others showing that he’ll be just fine. The biggest issue was that Rutschman was rushed back to Boston. When acquired at the deadline, he had last played in a professional game on July 18 before being placed on the injured list two days later with wrist inflammation. Upon joining the Red Sox organization, the team wasn’t sure when he would be ready for a rehab appearance but knew he was close. On August 8, five days after being acquired, he was sent on a rehab stint with the Worcester Red Sox where he would play two games. Overall, Rutschman got seven plate appearances across those two games, going just 1-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, two walks and a strikeout. Feeling he was ready, the team brought him up. It made sense; he was their big trade deadline acquisition, and they wanted him in Boston as soon as possible to help them win games. But they had already seen what happened when they rushed Romy González back to the majors when they needed his offensive help. The results are rarely positive when that happens. Rutschman was very much the same case. In his first game, the catcher would go 1-for-3 before going hitless in his next 14 at-bats, including eight strikeouts. His timing was off and it was clear he needed more time to be back to his usual self. After that 0-for-14 stretch, the catcher has begun to look like the player Boston traded for. Going 5-for-14 over his next four games, Rutschman improved in all areas offensively as he only struck out once. Putting the ball in play more, his exit velocities have increased. Since the August 17 game against Arizona, Rutschman has 11 batted balls that have an exit velocity registered 90 mph or faster; of those, eight would be considered a hard-hit ball (95 mph or faster). In that span, he had 21 batted balls that were put in play, giving him a hard-hit rate of 38.1%. That's still down from his season average of 41.1%, but it shows improvement. Unfortunately, they haven’t all landed in for hits as his batting average for balls in play is a very unlucky .179. Prior to the trade, it was .265. For context, the average BABIP in major league baseball hovers between .290 and .300. Per Fangraphs, a BABIP of .230 is considered atypical for a hitter. For his career prior to the 2026 season, Rutschman’s BABIP sat at .280. With such a low BABIP with Boston, it’s only a matter of time before there’s a positive regression back to the mean. It isn’t what the Red Sox or their fans wanted immediately, but Rutschman is slowly getting back to the hitter everyone envisioned. The most important thing right now is patience. Yes, in a playoff race, patience is not something everyone has. But, given time, people will come to quickly forget the slow start to his tenure in Boston. View full article

“I’m taking it super day-by-day. There’s no plan, there’s no ‘you gotta be ready by this time’. For me it’s about taking one pitch at a time and we’ll reassess how I feel after tonight. There’s no plan, no flight that’s booked or anything like that,” Roman Anthony explained to the media prior to making his latest rehab appearance at Polar Park. The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, and they’ve been doing it without a handful of players who were meant to contribute in key roles for the club. Now, as the team prepares for a key weekend series against their dreaded rivals, the New York Yankees, they might be getting reinforcements. Prior to Tuesday night’s game, Anthony had his rehab stint reassigned to Worcester after playing the previous week in Portland. The star outfielder, who has been out of action since being placed on the injured list on May 7, has looked comfortable in his return to action as he’s gone 5-for-19 across six games including two huge home runs. With Anthony, the biggest hurdle to getting back on the field was trying to be pain free while swinging a bat and making contact especially against high velocity. Now, there doesn’t seem to be any issue. He’s been able to take good swings, bad swings and check his swing without any issues occurring over the past few days in Portland and Worcester. Despite having no set plan for when he would be activated, the outfielder admitted he was to play back-to-back games in Worcester and play the field for nine innings before assessing how he was doing. Following Wednesday night’s game, it was the first time he played back-to-back full games in the outfield since early in the season. “I’m feeling good, just gotta make sure that everything is really good and where it needs to be before we make a decision and kind of go from there. As far as right now, everything’s good again just trying to continue to get back into that rhythm in the box, the outfield and the bases as a complete player. “We’re in a situation now where, when that decision is to come back and play with the team it’s full-go and we’re in a great situation as a team. I want to get back up there as fast as I possibly can. All three of us want to do that. But I think there’s part of that, that has to make sure we are going and leaving no doubts at least leaving our rehab assignments.” Anthony wasn’t the only rehabber in Worcester, as both Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have been working their way back from their respective injuries. Both have been rehabbing for roughly the same amount of time as Anthony, but have remained just in Worcester as they traveled to Syracuse with the team. For Kiner-Falefa, while he wants to get back to the majors and help the club with the playoff race, he also knows that taking his time to be in the best shape would be most important. “I feel like I could be sharper. I feel good right now, I don’t feel at my best and with the amount of time I’ve taken off. I need the at-bats. I want the at-bats, and I want to come back and contribute. It’s not my decision, but the extra games would help a lot. Another week would be nice, but it’s not my decision,” Kiner-Falefa explained following Tuesday night’s game. In it, he wound up going 1-for-3 with two walks while playing at second base. Overall in his rehab process, the infielder has gone 2-for-18 with one RBI in six games. He also admitted that his timing is not quite there, but he feels close. He described it as being close to how he felt last season when he played with Toronto during their run in the playoffs. The goal for him is to win a World Series and if it means taking extra time rehabbing to be able to contribute when it matters most, he’s willing to do just that. Injury-wise. Kiner-Falefa stated he felt healthy and that he’s focusing on the baseball side of his progression. The main thing that Kiner-Falefa is looking to work on is his consistency, going as far as to say that his at-bats in Syracuse were terrible and weren’t close to where he wanted to be. However, after Tuesday's game he felt he was heading in the right direction as he saw the ball well. He did admit that he was still late on his swing and wanted to improve his timing. The final member of the rehabbing trio, Story, has had the toughest go of things. In eight games with Worcester, he’s gone 4-for-29 with two RBIs and 10 strikeouts. The shortstop has been out of action since May 14 as he recovered from his sports hernia surgery. While defensively he’s looked fine, it’s his work at the plate that has been questionable. After starting his rehab going 3-for-9, he has since gone 1-for-20 including six strikeouts in his last 12 at-bats. The right-handed hitter has shown a tendency in his latest rehab appearances to chase pitches that are away, especially down and away. On Tuesday, he either struck out or made a groundout on a pitch that would be on the outer portion of the plate, along with being at around his knees or lower. Wednesday’s game was more of the same as he struck out three times, including twice on pitches that were down and away. There was a moment Wednesday night where there might have been some concern, as Story made a diving attempt on a ground ball before coming up slowly. “First dive [since rehabbing] and kind of the belt buckle landed on the scars. It was the first time so it just kind of dug in a little bit.” He would remain in the game after the play, with there being no real concern and the team taking it as an expected reaction from such a landing. Despite the slow start in his rehab process, Story still has his sights set on rejoining the team in New York. “We haven’t decided yet [on the next step], we’re going to talk about it tonight [Wednesday night], all the possibilities are open still. Some point in New York is the goal. Like I said, I gotta reconvene with the boys and talk it out.” As of now, Story isn’t sure if he’ll have a day off on Thursday or play for Worcester. Whatever the decision is, Story feels good and says he's ready to go when the big-league club comes calling. View full article

Not everyone has the same path to professional baseball. While some will end up drafted, others will find out in the wildest of ways that their dream gets to continue. For Boston Red Sox prospect Calvin Bickerstaff, calling his draft experience unique would be an understatement. “I talked to a few teams throughout my senior year and nothing too crazy [came of it], so I was unsure going into the [draft], but had a feeling. I had a workout leading up to it and the day before the first day of the draft my college coach called me and said ‘We’re going to send you out to the Cape [Cape Cod] League to finish out the summer.' So, I was like, when do I need to be there and was told to be there in two days,” Bickerstaff explained. During the hectic travels, he admitted that communication was often bare when it came to the draft. The trip to play in the Cape Cod League was one nobody never would have imagined playing out how it did. “Drove out during the first day [of the draft] and finished the drive on the second day. On the third day my team had an off day so my dad who drove out with me, we were going to watch another Kent State player pitch. “I had never talked to the Boston Red Sox. I didn’t talk to them in high school, didn’t talk to them junior year or senior year. And we’re on the way [to the game] and my agent calls and says the Red Sox might take you. There’s one guy ahead of you, if they don’t take him, they’re going to take you. They ended up taking him and he [the agent] called me back and said they still want to take you.” While it was a 10-hour drive to get to Cape Cod and Bickerstaff never got to pitch even an inning, the drive back was easy. Even going as far as to describe his feelings as “being on cloud nine” during the ride back home. The rest for Bickerstaff was history. After pitching three seasons for Kent State that saw him appear in 56 games and tossing 122 2/3 innings, the right-hander was a professional athlete. Signing as an undrafted free agent, he would eventually make his professional debut for the then Salem Red Sox in 2024. Tossing 6 1/3 innings, the right-hander struck out seven batters. It had been a long journey, one that had helped to shape him into the pitcher he is today. He continued to grow, after his senior year in high school was cut short due to Covid-19; the former high school senior that was thrown off of baseball fields during the spring and summer of 2020 would go on to turn himself into a prospect after his college career. “The main thing was trying to figure out a way to stay in ready. We couldn’t use baseball fields in our community. I got kicked off of two different fields because I couldn’t even access my high school field, it was a college field for Franciscan University of Steubenville,” Bickerstaff reminisced about the end of his high school career. “They had the whole facility locked, but I would hop the fence of local high schools with a catcher. Next thing you know somebody was there to kick me out.” Fortunately, the right-hander had already committed to Kent State during his sophomore season and did not have to worry about the pandemic taking away his chance to pitch in college. But since signing with Boston following the 2024 draft, Bickerstaff quickly learned there was a difference between the college level and professional baseball. “It was everything I expected. It was great. I finished the month in Salem, Single-A, it was great. The days in pro ball were a bit different. It’s like practice every day and if you’re available, then you’re playing. It was a little different but awesome. I’m lifting, running, eating well, and then throwing.” Since signing with the Red Sox, Bickerstaff has spent time at four different levels, pitching in the Florida Complex League briefly in 2025 and making it all the way to Portland for a brief stay in 2026. Most of his time in the system has been spent with High-A Greenville. Overall, he’s appeared in 55 games and tossed 121 innings with a 4.31 ERA and 110 strikeouts. For someone who has bounced between the bullpen and rotation since high school, he admits that there is a difference in mindset if he knows he’s going to start or relieve, but he revels in being a flexible pitcher. “The biggest difficulty was going from high school as a starter to the bullpen in college. I would take my time, as much as I needed—15 minutes throwing a pregame bullpen, looking back I was throwing way more than I should have. That first year in the bullpen, I’d go in the first or second inning due to trouble and it’s like I got to figure this out because I don’t feel prepared. But I eventually figured it out." The right-hander continued to explain how his mindset also shifted depending on his role. If he were starting, Bickerstaff knew he needed to pace himself, planning not just for the current inning, but for what laid ahead for the rest of his outing. Since moving back to the bullpen after getting drafted, he’s viewed throwing each pitch as if “it’s the ninth inning”. In 2026, he’s appeared in 28 games so far, making one appearance for Salem, one for Portland, and 26 for Greenville. He’s given the organization 68 2/3 innings with a 4.33 ERA, striking out 53 and walking 22. The next step for Bickerstaff is to make it back to Portland as a permanent promotion, though even that is just a stepping stone on his unlikely journey all the way to the big leagues. View full article