Nick John

The Boston Red Sox swept the New York Yankees, got above .500, are on a five-game winning streak, and only sit 0.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. And yet, Red Sox fans are rightfully furious following the trade of Rafael Devers on Sunday night. A trade that never should have happened. This was, unfortunately, a divorce waiting to happen between Devers and the Red Sox, but not due to a lack of production. Devers has been one of the best offensive players in Boston since being called up in 2017, this season being no exception despite starting the campaign in an 0-for-21 slump. Prior to the trade, Devers had a stat line of .272/.401/.905 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 18 doubles and 56 walks in 272 at-bats. He carried the offense in May with 33 RBIs. He’s 10th all time for home runs by a Red Sox, 17th in career RBIs, and is still only 28... yet, he was traded. All because of Breslow. This divide began over the offseason when the Red Sox were linked to Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado, both Gold Glove-caliber defenders. Despite that, Devers was reassured that he would be the third baseman, the idea being that they were looking at these guys to play second or first base. No matter what, Devers was supposedly the team’s third baseman of the present and future. Even Alex Cora said he viewed Bregman as a Gold Glove second baseman, the statement continuing the narrative that they weren't going to move Devers. Then, they managed to sign Bregman, and the truth came out. Breslow had no plans to have Bregman play second. He wanted him at third base, while he envisioned rookie Kristian Campbell breaking camp as the starting second baseman. He wanted to take Devers’ glove out of the field and push him into the designated hitter role, something that wouldn’t have been a bad idea had he and the rest of the organization didn’t tell him he was their third baseman. The sudden change was a shocker; Devers wanted to play third base. His position. The position they promised him would remain his throughout the entire offseason. Devers came around on the idea of being the designated hitter after some pushback and, despite wanting to play the field, did as he was asked and put his glove away. He wasn’t happy, but he was doing what could help the team, joining his bat with Bregman's to give the team a dynamic duo in the lineup while adding a Gold Glove defender. And then, on March 28th, Alex Cora was asked if Devers taking ground balls at third base before the team’s first two games of the season meant they were keeping him ready for potentially filling in at third base if needed. As written by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Alex Cora responded with a “No,” followed with “Raffy is the DH. With Raffy, we had a conversation and we talked about it," Cora said. "He's DHing. He's the DH of the Boston Red Sox." They had no plans for him to touch the field, and they told him as such. Breslow created this problem by his inability to be truthful to his star, his face of the franchise, and instead lied to try and keep him happy. Instead, it created a divide, and members of the media tried to paint Devers as having given up on the team, of him being disgruntled and wanting out. Despite the noise, Devers continued to produce, and was having another All-Star season as a designated hitter when an injury struck the Red Sox. Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, effectively ending his season. The Red Sox didn’t have many options to replace Casas in the field, as Romy González was the backup but the depth was lacking. The team had Nick Sogard in Triple-A Worcester along with possible options in Nathan Hickey and Abraham Toro who could have been added to the 40-man roster. Breslow had a different idea and approached Devers about picking up his glove and learning first base. Keep in mind this was the same man who lied to Devers the entire offseason. Devers stated that he would not play first base for the team, as he wasn’t someone who could just slide into a new position. He needed time to learn it, but at the moment, he did not want to play first base. You couldn’t really blame him after he was jerked around by the very man who asked him to move to first base after saying he wasn’t a good defensive third baseman. On May 8, Devers was quoted as saying “they told me that I was going to be playing this position, DH, and now they’re going back on that. So I just don’t think they stayed true to their word.” The tension rose to the point that on May 9, John Henry flew out to Kansas City, as reported by ESPN, to talk with his star. Henry was joined by Breslow and Sam Kennedy. Cora was there too, where they had “an honest conversation about what we value as an organization and what we believe is important to the Boston Red Sox” according to Breslow. Now, just over five weeks since that conversation, Devers has been traded on the night he hit his 500th career extra-base hit, a home run that gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead against the Yankees in a game they eventually won, 2-0. There’s little doubt that the trade was due to the tension from him being unwilling to play first base. And, even if you think his unwillingness to change positions was selfish, you can’t blame Devers for it. Breslow as the chief baseball officer should have handled the entire situation better. You don’t blindside your face of the franchise during the first week of spring training with a position change without talking about it beforehand. The lack of communication hurts your relationship with the player and will lead to issues down the road like the team saw with Devers’ unwillingness to play first base. Per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Devers never demanded a trade. When he was first caught off guard in spring training, he considered asking for one but never did; he was willing to give the only team he played for in his career a chance. He never wanted out, but grew frustrated from the mixed messages from people within the organization. Ultimately, he felt like a scapegoat for what was becoming an untenable situation. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe stated that his sources said “the team’s feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities. They had enough and they traded him.” Again, none of this should have happened. The Red Sox signed Devers to that extension because of his extremely impactful bat. Breslow should have been honest with him from the beginning of the offseason and told him that they wanted to improve defensively at third base. That, as a team, they couldn’t look to rely on him after he made 12 errors in 2024 and had -9 Defensive Runs Saved. Instead, they gave him the runaround, destroyed the relationship between the franchise and their star player, and shipped him off to a team they’re playing in less than a week, all for a return package that was less than he was worth. The only positive of the trade is that the San Francisco Giants are taking on the entire contract, though, in what is a clear slap in the face to Devers, the Giants are also covered at third base by a premier defender (Matt Chapman). Losing Devers less than two years into his extension is a mistake. It should be a fireable offense, but unfortunately, Breslow will be safe for the time being. The Red Sox will now have to navigate an offense that just lost its best bat while waiting for Wilyer Abreu, Bregman and Masataka Yoshida to return from the injured list. Breslow just sunk all the momentum the team just built for this season. His tenure in Boston doesn't have to be defined by this trade, but if the core he's building doesn't work out, it will be. All I can say now is best of luck with the Giants, Raffy. Hopefully, they treat you right. View full article

The Red Sox have started to turn their season around following the promotion of all three of their top prospects. As the month of June nears its halfway point, the Red Sox look to continue stacking wins despite still dealing with injuries to several key players. The good news is that the team remains in the thick of the Wild Card hunt, and a number of injured players appear to be making significant progress in their recoveries. Kutter Crawford Crawford has been dealing with a combination of injuries since the beginning of spring training. What was originally right patellar soreness has also expanded to right wrist discomfort. Throughout the season, Crawford has been scheduled to throw either bullpen sessions or game action down at Fort Myers, but has failed to actually get into them. Now, he’s being slowed by soreness in his right wrist, which has limited him to only playing catch. Alex Cora stated they hope to know more in the coming days, though, it seems less and less likely that Crawford will be an important member of the pitching staff this season. Tanner Houck Houck opened the year in the rotation and was rather awful, as he had an 8.04 ERA in nine games. He was nowhere close to the pitcher that was an All-Star in 2024, and after a May 12th start in Detroit that saw him allow 11 runs in only 2 1/3 innings, he was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain. Since then, Houck has been working to get back on the mound, and on June 10th threw his second bullpen session in the span of four days. Should he continue to respond well to an increased workload, don’t be surprised if there will be talk of a potential rehab assignment in the coming days. However, it seems unlikely Houck is back with the Red Sox before the All-Star break. Nick Burdi After having his contract selected by the Red Sox, pitching in two games and being optioned back to Worcester, Burdi was recalled to Boston, where he appeared in two more games and compiled three innings pitched. In his last game against the Los Angeles Angels, Burdi suffered a right foot contusion while covering the bag and handling an off-target toss by Romy González. Burdi seems to be progressing as expected and should be starting a rehab assignment by Father’s Day weekend. Even if the rehab appearance goes well, Burdi will not be eligible to return from the injured list until June 18th at the earliest. Wilyer Abreu Abreu appeared to hurt his oblique during the first June series with the New York Yankees. Due to that, he was placed on the injured list to allow the Red Sox to fill his spot on the roster and give him a chance to properly rest and recover. The severity of the injury doesn’t appear concerning, and the Red Sox themselves expect him to return to the team for when they play the San Francisco Giants starting June 20th. Masataka Yoshida It’s been a long and draining season for Yoshida, who has yet to even be assigned to a rehab assignment yet. Offseason shoulder surgery has left him unable to play, as he and the team look to strengthen his shoulder. Previously, Yoshida had been seen before the game on May 4th tossing the ball a few times, only to stop due to what looked to be pain. Lately, he has told WEEI.com that he’s currently throwing up to 105 feet and is turning a corner when it comes to throwing. During the series with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was shown taking batting practice before one of the games with little issue. Yoshida believes he should be able to begin a rehab assignment by early July the latest, but it seems he still won’t be back with Boston until after the All-Star break. He could prove to be a nice second-half reinforcement. Justin Slaten Slaten went down with right shoulder inflammation at the start of June, and while many hoped it would be a short injured list stint, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, Slaten hasn’t been progressing as everyone hoped as he’s yet to begin throwing again. The hope is that he’ll be back at some point in July to bring help to a tired bullpen. Chris Murphy Murphy missed all of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery and has started a rehab assignment. Murphy has pitched in six games so far, tossing a total of 8 1/3 innings as he works his way back to Boston. Prior to getting hurt in 2024 Murphy was viewed as a key member of the bullpen, and once healthy, could slot in as a multi-inning reliever who could help bridge the middle innings to the late-inning crew. Alex Bregman Bregman appears to be recovering at a faster rate than when he hurt his quad back in 2021, as he’s currently running. Bregman was placed on the injured list after injuring his quad on May 23rd against the Baltimore Orioles. According to Bregman and Cora, the duo have a date in mind for his return, but will not reveal what it is just yet. Assuming there's no setbacks, Bregman should be back at some point in July, missing just over a month. Triston Casas Currently, Casas has yet to get a definitive timeline for when he could return to the field, but after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee and undergoing season-ending surgery, he’s started his rehab to be ready for next year. Casas has stated that despite not having a set timetable, he’s been told it shouldn’t take longer than a year to recover and hopes to play on Opening Day in 2026. Liam Hendriks Hendriks has suffered several injuries and setbacks since signing with the Red Sox, with his right hip inflammation issue being the latest. Hendriks went back on the injured list on May 30th, with the transaction being retroactive to May 28th. Since then, he’s also shown symptoms similar to a sports hernia, but has said that was not why he’s on the injured list. The earliest he could have returned would have been June 13th, but without throwing in any rehab appearances just yet, a July return is much more likely. Patrick Sandoval Sandoval continues to recover from his UCL injury. There hasn’t been much in the way of updates with Sandoval, as the latest information was him throwing off a mound in late May. Sandoval is still expected not to return to action until after the All-Star break and probably won’t throw in a game for Boston until August. That was expected when the team signed him to a two-year deal, with the hope he’d be back to full health for 2026. View full article

“I think he’s a first-rounder,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald told Miami Herald about Roman Anthony leading up to the 2022 MLB draft. “He won’t go past the second round. He can hit, he has power, an above-average arm, he’s athletic, and he has a good work ethic.” Red Sox fans are well aware of those traits, as they’ve watched the number one prospect in all of baseball develop since getting drafted 79th overall in the 2022 MLB draft. He would sign for a $2.5 million signing bonus, the highest given out by the Red Sox in the 2022 draft. Anthony had been considered a top prospect entering the draft, having finished his high school career by hitting .520 with 52 hits, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 36 runs while being named the Broward 7-A Player of the Year while playing for Marjory Stoneman Douglas. That stat line in his senior year position Anthony as the 100th best player in the draft according to Baseball America, due in part to having already committed to playing college baseball for Ole Miss. There were also concerns about swing-and-miss potential that came with his raw power. That didn’t scare the Red Sox from grabbing the highly-talented outfielder with the 79th pick, a compensation pick from the Detroit Tigers for signing Eduardo Rodríguez in the offseason. You couldn’t blame the Red Sox, as in 61 career games for Stoneman Douglas, Anthony hit .443 with 20 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 61 RBIs, all while going 46 for 46 in stolen base attempts. His on-base percentage was .556 and his OPS was an astounding 1.376. Despite that, Anthony was not viewed as a top prospect around the league when he first broke in. Several prospect rankings only had him as high as the ninth best prospect in the Red Sox system, and he did not break into MLB’s Top 100 until after the 2023 season started. Anthony’s small sample of a season in 2022 saw him play 20 games between the Florida Complex League and for the Salem Red Sox. His time in Salem did not go too smoothly, as he struggled and only hit .189/.279/.243 with only two doubles and five RBIs. In total he went 7-for-37 in his first taste of pro ball. It was in 2023, however, when he burst onto the scene. Opening the year in Salem, he appeared to struggle, as he only hit .228/.376/.316. However, despite the low batting average, Anthony was showing he was more than capable of a promotion, as his underlying metrics were very impressive especially thanks to his 38 walks and batted ball data. As Brian Abraham said in an article by MassLive’s Christopher Smith, “The way he was hitting the ball pull0side, how hard he was hitting it, the ball coming off the bat and the angles he hit the ball off the bat to the pull side, showed that there was going to be more success, more power coming in the near future”. Upon reaching Greenville. he proved that analysis correct. In 54 games with the Drive, Anthony began to enter the conversation for top prospects in the game. By mid-August, Anthony had risen up to be No. 37 on MLB Pipeline’s top prospect rankings and was the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization. Anthony managed to hit .294/.412/.569 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 40 walks in his stint in Greenville. He would finish the 2023 season in Portland, playing ten games for them where he absolutely crushed everything thrown to him. In 44 plate appearances, he hit .343/.477/.543 with one home run and eight RBIs. After a phenomenal run, Anthony entered 2024 as the 24th ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, and while Pipeline had him ranked as the second overall prospect in the Red Sox organization still, other rankings had him ranked first. 2024 was more of the same for Anthony, as he proved his 2023 was no fluke. Opening the year in Portland, Anthony would go on to play 84 games there, slashing .269/.367/.489 to go along with 15 home runs, 20 doubles and 45 RBIs. He also scored 60 runs and walked 48 times in that span. Anthony had officially cemented himself as one of Boston’s “Big Four” alongside first-round picks Nick Yorke, Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer. As the season went along, however, Anthony only improved and ran away with the designation of Boston’s top prospect. By mid-August, he was promoted once more, this time to Triple-A Worcester, where he immediately knocked on the door for the majors in just 35 games. In that short time with Worcester, Anthony dominated, hitting .344/.463/.519 in 131 at-bats. He also had three home runs, 20 RBIs and 12 doubles to go along with 31 walks despite being over six years younger than the average age of players in Triple-A. As the season came to a close, Anthony was named the number one prospect in all of baseball for a short time, being usurped only by Roki Sasaki after he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The discussion during the offseason leading into the 2025 season was if Anthony would break camp with the Red Sox or if they would keep him in Worcester for a short while. That topic only picked up steam when the Red Sox invited him to spring training as a non-roster invitee and he played exceptionally well. Discussions were had by the fanbase if Anthony would play right field to begin the year, should Wilyer Abreu be unavailable due to an illness that kept him out most of spring training. That wasn’t the case, as Anthony was reassigned to minor league camp and was told he would open the season with Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox continued to say that there were some things Anthony needed to work on, but both the eye test and his stat line proved otherwise. In 58 games with Worcester this season, Anthony dominated the competition despite being one of the youngest players in the league. The young outfielder hit .288/.423/.491 along with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Anthony also walked 51 times in that span, showing a keen eye and an understanding of the strike zone. His final weekend in Worcester included not just a series sweep of the Rochester Red Wings, but also a 497-foot grand slam to right-center field. During his time in Worcester, Anthony only swung at pitches outside of the zone 18.5% of the time while making contact on pitches in the zone at 83.3% of the time. What may be most exciting about the young outfielder was the fact he was in the 100th percentile for walk rate (19.3%), to go along with other categories that saw him in the 100th percentile such as average exit velocity (95 mph), barrel rate (20.3%), and hard-hit rate (58.9%). He did have a few issues, however, as he has only pulled balls in the air at a 5.7% rate, and has only pulled the ball at a 33.5% rate. Though, when you look at the build of Fenway, that may work out well for the 21-year-old, as he can quite often take advantage of the Green Monster. Defensively, he has played all three outfield positions, but this year, he has mainly played left field. Anthony is now up in Boston, the final member of the new Big Three to make it up as he joins Kristian Campbell and Mayer as key pieces for not just the present, but the future of the Red Sox. As he’s shown throughout his entire life playing baseball, Anthony will continue to put in the work to be the best player he absolutely can be. There may be some struggles as he adjusts to a new level of competition, but it will only make Anthony a better player in the long run. The future is now, as Anthony will look to be a potential spark plug for a team that is trying to turn a corner on their inconsistent season. View full article

As the temperature heats up, so too is Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis, as the outfielder has been on a tear lately. Bleis, a former top prospect in the Red Sox system twho originally signed for $1.5 million as an international free agent in 2021 as a 16-year-old, has seen his fair share of struggles in pro ball. Despite that, he’s beginning to put together his best season since being promoted out of the Florida Complex League. As the first week of June has come to an end, Bleis has managed to turn not just his season, but also his chances of being a top prospect, back around. While the right-handed outfielder is unlikely to reach the heights of his former status that saw him enter 2023 as the 88th ranked prospect by Baseball America, there is a good chance he could show the talents that once made him a highly-touted prospect, such as his amazing power, speed and defense that have been hampered by injuries throughout his professional career. Since signing with the Red Sox in 2021, Bleis has dealt with a lower back injury that ended his season early in 2022, a left shoulder subluxation that led to season-ending surgery in June of 2023, and minor injuries in 2024 such as a root canal and finger sprain. Even in 2025, he began the year hurt as he dealt with a quad injury. There’s a good chance that the quad injury he began the year with played an impact on his early-season struggles, as the outfielder only hit .231/.310/.519 in 13 games in April. He did manage to hit four home runs and drive in 15 RBIs, but also struck out 22 times in just 52 at-bats. The good news is Bleis’ numbers improved the longer the season has gone on, as he started to hit better in May, though at a peculiar expense of his power. Across 23 games last month, Bleis managed to increase his numbers to a stat line of .256/.333/.390 to go along with two home runs and 15 RBIs. He also showed off his speed a bit more, as he swiped six bases in the month. Most importantly, perhaps, was that his strikeout rate dove — he struck out two less times in 30 more at-bats this month. And, as June begins to heat up, so too is Bleis, as he is off to a torrid start. The young outfielder is slashing .350/.409/1.000 to go along with four home runs, eight RBIs and two more stolen bases, while having only struck out four times in 20 at-bats. Overall on the season, Bleis has appeared in 41 games and is hitting .260/.355/.513 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He’s also stolen 11 bases and has tied the number of hits he had with Greenville last season with 40, all of this being done in just 154 at-bats. Due to his high number of strikeouts in April (22 in 52 at-bats), his percentage on the season may be a little skewed, as it sits at 26.6%, a number that is 5.2% higher than last year and 3.5% higher than his percentage in Greenville for 2024. One positive way to look at it, however, is that since the start of May, his strikeout percentage is only 23.5% in his last 102 at-bats. His walk percentage is also another area to look at, as he’s now walking at just under at 9.8%, an improvement over his 7.7% rate in Greenville for 2024. Bleis also has an issue with using the whole field, typically pulling the ball most of his at-bats as the percentage of all his batted balls is currently 65.7%. The young outfielder is very pull happy and might be using the wall in left field of Fluor Field to help his numbers as there’s a vast difference between his home and away splits. So far in 2025 he’s hitting .284/.366/.580 at home and while on the road those numbers drop down to .227/.292/.424. Despite the struggles, Bleis is still young and has showcased flashes of his potential at every stop of his minor league career. There’s a reason the Red Sox gave him the largest bonus in their 2021 international free agent class, and his recent display at the plate is helping to show it. Should Bleis manage to stay healthy, then there’s a good chance he develops into the player everyone thought he could be, but that is a big "if" for a guy who hasn't managed a fully healthy season once since signing. His previous struggles could have been due to recovering from various injuries and being unable to put things together, but now that he’s played close to 100 games in High-A Greenville, Bleis seems to be turning a corner and making a push for a promotion to Double-A Portland. That might sound too aggressive for a young guy with injury issues, but the Red Sox need to see how he fares against more advanced competition, especially seeing as how he will be Rule 5 Draft eligible this coming offseason. Should the Red Sox not protect him, there’s a chance another team will swoop in and take him, especially with his prospect pedigree. If Bleis can stay healthy and continue to improve as the season continues, the decision may become a bit easier for the Red Sox if they want to protect him or even possibly move him in a deal to improve to the major league roster. View full article

The Red Sox organization continues to bring in awards at the minor league level. Last week, it was announced that a pair of prospects had been named Player of The Week for their respective leagues, and now, it’s been announced that a trio of prospects were named Player of The Month for their respective leagues. Blaze Jordan, Franklin Arias and Freili Encarnacion were all named Player of The Month for their respective leagues after each player had unbelievable stats for the month of May. Each player put on a showcase in the month of May, allowing fans to see what talent is still in the minors as Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer get ready to graduate from prospect status and Roman Anthony not much further behind them. Jordan, the former third round pick in the 2020 draft, exploded onto the scene in May after a rather less than ideal April. After struggling to a stat line of .235/.321/.324 through 18 games in April, the right-handed hitter appeared to turn a corner in May. Through 26 games in May, Jordan delivered as he hit .390/.490/.671 to go along with six home runs and 24 RBI. The slugger also added 14 walks while striking out only 11 times. In total, Jordan’s performance reengaged conversation about his presence as a prospect in the organization. The outstanding offensive performance forced a promotion to Triple A where he’s only continued to hit in his first two games. With the Red Sox thin at first and third base, there’s a chance Jordan could continue to force the Red Sox hand when it comes to a future promotion to Boston. In the month of May Jordan led all qualified Eastern League hitters in hits, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. He was also tied for fourth in runs scored, tied for second in home runs and tied for seventh in walks as he put up a well-rounded offensive approach across the month. Arias, the former international free agent, has been putting on quite the show all season. After opening the year in Salem, the 19-year-old infielder forced his way up to Greenville and has only become a better hitter since then. In the month of May alone he created a conversation about whether he was ready for Double-A Portland already as he hit a torrid .404/.438/.576 in 23 games. The infielder who was signed originally for his defense has impressed immensely with the bat since coming over stateside and looks to be a future star in the making. To go along with such a high batting average was nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI while also walking six times and striking out in seven at-bats. Despite being 19 years old there are already people wanting to move him to Portland and see how he handles the advanced competition. Currently he is on a 14-game hitting streak and has shown no signs of slowing down in Greenville. When compared to other South Atlantic League players who appeared in at least 20 games in the month of May, Arias led them in batting average, OPS, hits and doubles. He was also third in slugging, fifth in on-base percentage and tied for third in RBI. Should Arias’ bat continue to develop, he might be the organization’s next number one prospect after Anthony’s graduation. The final player, Encarnacion, was signed as an international free agent in 2022 and was just recently called up to Greenville at the start of June after a monstrous May. Another infielder just like the other two, Encarnacion is 20 years old and has spent most of his time this season split between first and third base while also playing a few games at second base while with Salem. Moving around the infield didn’t affect his bat, however, as he went on a tear in May. Across 23 games the right-hander hit .333/.402/.655 and also hit seven home runs, seven doubles and drove in 15 runs. For the entire month he also had 29 hits and scored 20 times. His best skill is his raw power and that was on display with his seven home runs across the month of May. Should he find consistency with his hit tool, those numbers may climb even higher. For the month of May, Encarnarcion led all players who appeared in at least 20 games in home runs, slugging and OPS. He was also near the top in several other categories for players who appeared in at least 20 games as he finished third in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, tied for second in doubles, second in hits and fourth in runs scored. The Red Sox continue to show an ability to develop hitters, and the month of May showcased the results as three hitters in three different leagues earned Player of The Month honors. It’s unknown whether these three players will have a future with the Boston Red Sox, but their growth is a good sign to trust the minor league process and believe in the prospects that are being developed. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have found a star in the making with Franklin Arias, as the young infielder has been on a tear at the plate this season. And after a hot April, it was hard to expect even more from him yet in May Arias performed even better than expected. At 19 years old Arias is nearly three years younger than the average age in the South Atlantic League where Greenville plays, yet he might be one of the best players in the league. Arias was promoted to Greenville on April 29th after 19 games with Salem that saw him slash .346/.407/.397 with nine RBI, six walks and 12 strikeouts. That is impressive for a 19-year-old to do. Upon being promoted to Greenville he only played better which is why he’s TalkSox’s minor league hitter of the month for May. In 23 games in May, Arias has managed to hit .404/.438/.576 in 99 at-bats. To go along with it, Arias has demonstrated more in-game power in May as he’s hit nine doubles, a triple and two home runs in this span. In Salem he only had four doubles when it came to extra base hits. The young infielder has also driven in more runs with 19 RBI so far and scored 14 times. Though what may be more impressive is that despite playing against older competition, Arias has managed to cut back on his strikeouts, having only done so seven times in the month of May. Arias’ improvement at the plate has been shown throughout the season, lowering his strikeout rate from 14% in Salem down to 7.9% during the month of May with Greenville. The young infielder has a habit of hitting the ball on the ground, as half of all his batted balls are ground balls with his line drive rate sitting at 23.4% and a flyball rate of 26.6% with Greenville. When swinging, Arias does not miss often, having a contact rate of 92% during his month with Greenville, managing to put the ball in play often. And to go with his high contact rate is an approach that includes hitting to all fields. Arias doesn’t rely too much on pulling the ball, managing to do so at a 38.8% rate while going to the opposite field at a 34.7% rate. He tends to go back up the middle only 26.5% of the time, however. To showcase just how dominant Arias has been at the plate, the young infielder appeared in 23 games in May and has only failed to register a hit in three of those games and still got on base twice in one of them. Across the month he has led the South Atlantic League in hits with 40 along with being tied for the lead in doubles and tied for third in RBI. Likewise, his seven strikeouts ranks him as first for least strikeouts out of players who have played at least 15 games this month. Arias’ continued transformation at the plate will only allow his ceiling to grow as the prospect will be knocking at Portland’s door soon especially if this level of play continues. The Red Sox found a special player when they originally signed him for his defensive capabilities. The play from him this month alone showcased that as he took his play to a whole new level. Now it’s up to Arias to take the foundation he built and run with it. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have seen quite the number of awards this season in their organization, as several prospects have impressed across the first two months. As May came to a close, the awards continued to accumulate with two up-and-coming prospects earned Player of the Week honors for their respective leagues Catching prospect Brooks Brannon was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week, while right-handed pitcher David Sandlin was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. These respective awards are a statement to the growth both players have exhibited this year. Brannon, drafted in the ninth round of the 2022 draft, has had a history of being unable to stay on the field. Since being drafted at the age of 18, Brannon has only managed to play 84 games, including a career high of 62 games in 2024. This season has been different, as the young catcher has managed to stay healthy and put together the kind of season the organization expected when they drafted him. In 40 games in 2025, Brannon is hitting .273/.317/.442 with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 46 strikeouts in 154 at-bats. However, Brannon’s offensive output exploded over the last week, as he slashed an astounding .524/.524/1.048 to go along with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs. His outburst at the plate helped the Greenville Drive go 5-1 against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. His best game of the series came on Saturday when he had three hits, two of them being home runs, and drove in four runs. With the Red Sox lack of catching depth after trading Kyle Teel for Garrett Crochet in the offseason, the development of Brannon is greatly welcomed, and he could soon provide depth in the upper minors should he continue to be a quality offensive bat and remain healthy. As for Sandlin, the former 11th-round pick in 2022 was acquired at the start of spring training in 2024 as part of a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Red Sox, seeing an abundance of right-handed pitchers, traded John Schreiber to the Royals in exchange for Sandlin. At the time, Sandlin had yet to pitch above High-A with the Royals and was entering his age-23 season. He was viewed as a developmental prospect who was behind the learning curve. In 2024, he struggled between Greenville and Portland, finishing the season with 18 starts between the two levels. In them, he only pitched 57 1/3 innings, allowing 34 runs on 61 hits, 14 home runs, and 18 walks for a 5.34 ERA. However, Sandlin showcased his upside with 82 strikeouts. The right-hander reported back to Portland this season where he’s pitched in nine games, eight starts, and has appeared much more comfortable. So far, he’s tossed 43 innings in those nine appearances and has only allowed 18 runs on 39 hits, four home runs, and 12 walks. He’s also struck out 45 batters. His latest start may have been his best since joining the Red Sox organization, as it helped earn him Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. On May 29th, Sandlin tossed a seven-inning complete game in game one of a double-header (in minor league baseball, double-headers are only seven innings each). Across those seven innings, he allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out eight. The right-hander only needed 83 pitches for the entire outing. Both players are testaments to the organization’s improving player development system and will only help generate more depth in the case of injuries or trades. While there’s a chance one or both may never play for the Red Sox, one thing they are doing is generating interest in their talents. Should the duo continue to grow, they'll have an important role to play in Boston's future. View full article

Blaze Jordan has been a member of the Red Sox organization since being drafted in the third round of the 2020 draft. In that time, he has shown a natural ability to hit, though he has had to persevere through some adversity and struggles. Not quite viewed as a top prospect in the organization, Jordan still has skills that could be of interest to the Red Sox especially with their current offensive woes. Jordan has been playing in Portland for nearly two seasons now, as he was promoted to Double-A during the 2023 season and put up rather pedestrian numbers in his first taste of the upper levels of minor league baseball. In 49 games to close out that season, Jordan would hit .254/.296/.402 while striking out 28 times in 189 at-bats. What may have been most impressive for him were his ten doubles, six home runs and 31 RBIs in that span. Entering 2024, Jordan slimmed down with the hope of playing third base along with his usual first base. He came into spring training looking better than he had previously with the Red Sox, and showed a better ability to move in the field. Unfortunately, 2024 would not be his season, as the right-handed hitter would get hurt and miss a significant amount of time. In only 89 games, Jordan posted solid offensive stats, hitting .261/.305/.388 with seven home runs, 22 doubles and 61s RBI in 353 at-bats. After the season, Jordan was left off the Red Sox’s 40-man roster, leaving him eligible for the Rule 5 draft that offseason. Fortunately for the Red Sox, he was not selected by another team. That turned out to be fortuitous for Boston. In his third go-around at Double-A this year, he's finally figuring things out. Through 39 games so far in 2025, Jordan is hitting .306/.401/.485 with five home runs, nine doubles and 30 RBI in 134 at-bats. What may be the biggest sign of improvement for the 22-year-old is the fact that he’s walking more in Portland. This season alone, he’s walked 19 times, a personal best for him while in Portland, while also cutting back on strikeouts (only 17 so far on the season). Thus far, Jordan is walking 12.1% of the time while striking out in only 10.8% of his at-bats, both numbers representing career bests for the slugger since joining the organization. Likewise, his wRC+ is the second highest of his career at 156, only beat by a 158 wRC+ he had in 19 games back in 2021. When put in comparison to the rest of the Eastern League, Jordan ranks tied for sixth in batting average, tied for 14th in home runs, eighth in runs scored with 25, fourth in RBIs with 30, tied for 15th in doubles, and tied for 12th in hits with 41. He’s shown he’s more than capable of handling Double-A pitching over the past two months. Another reason the Red Sox should feel lucky that Jordan wasn’t taken this offseason is due to recent issues with the major league club. Triston Casas is out for the season, and now Alex Bregman is expected to miss significant time. Prior to Bregman’s injury, the team was already thin at the corner infield spots, but now they’re really being pushed to the limit. Enter Jordan, who can play both first and third base. This is the perfect time to get Jordan up to Worcester and see how he handles the final level before the majors. Allow him a chance to get ample playing time at first base, third base and designated hitter so that the organization can see if they have anything to work with in the immediate term. They would be foolish to not call Jordan up to Worcester and get him plenty of at-bats, especially since the only true first baseman on the roster is Ryan Noda, as Nathan Hickey is a catcher who is learning first base and playing it consistently for the first time this season. Currently at third base is Nate Eaton, following the promotions of Abraham Toro, Nick Sogard and Marcelo Mayer. This could be the perfect opportunity for Jordan if he’s promoted. Either he plays well enough to force his way onto the Boston Red Sox, or he has a middling summer that could make him intriguing for another team that sees more potential in his profile. Either way, Jordan has created a conversation around his prospect status that will only help his career. View full article

Drew and Zach Ehrhard are making history for the Portland Sea Dogs, as they became just the fourth set of brothers to play for Portland and only second pair to be on the team at the same time. On May 21, they got to play together in the same game. The brothers join the likes of Edinson (1994) and Edgar (1995) Renteria, Derek (2000-2001) and Dusty (2001) Wathan, and Jonathan (2005) and Joshua (2009) Papelbon. Zach Ehrhard had started the season in High-A Greenville, where he tore the cover off the ball. Hitting .342/.471/.459 with one home run and 22 RBI, Zach showcased the batting skills that made the Red Sox interested in him to the point they drafted him not once, but twice, both times under different heads of the baseball operations department. Chaim Bloom was the first to try and draft the outfielder, taking him in the 13th round back in 2021 out of high school, only for Ehrhard to not sign and instead play college baseball at Oklahoma St. After a junior year that saw him slash .330/.458/.627 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI, Ehrhard saw himself drafted by the Red Sox once again, this time in the fourth round in 2024 by an organization that was now being run by Craig Breslow. This time, he would sign, being assigned to High-A Greenville where he would get into 22 games and struggle to the tune of a .156/.264/.195 batting line with only five RBIs and 25 strikeouts. And Drew wasn’t doing much better than his brother. After playing in college for the University of Tampa for six years, the older Ehrhard brother went undrafted in 2023 before signing with the Red Sox as a 24-year-old, something that usually didn’t happen without a stop in Independent ball. Drew would only play in five games in the Florida Complex League. In 2024, he didn’t play much either, getting into a combined 27 games between Greenville and Portland where he hit .273/.364/.532 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. He would also fight through multiple stints on the Development List in 2024, spending three distinct periods on it between May and June, and then missing two weeks in July due to an injury. He still hasn’t played much in 2025. In 13 games on the season, the older Ehrhard is hitting .175/.267/.300 with one home run and four RBIs to go along with four walks and seven strikeouts in 40 at-bats. When looking at the brothers, Zach appears to be the better player thanks to his better hit tool, faster speed, and his above-average arm. Drew does have better power than his younger brother, though. Zach currently profiles as the best of the two, having spent time in all three outfield positions to begin the season without making an error. Should he continue to develop, the younger Ehrhard is projected to have a ceiling of a backup outfielder based on his contact skills and defense. The older Ehrhard, despite being a catcher who can play first, second and has played third in college, has mostly been the designated hitter when he’s played this season. That is in part due to there being two other catchers on the active roster — Mark Kolozsvary and Ronald Rosario. Should the older Ehrhard develop at a more rapid pace, he’s been viewed as a high-minors contributor, most likely bouncing between Portland and Worcester as he’s needed between the two teams. The grind of being a professional baseball player can be hard on many players, especially the wear and tear that the daily routine can do to one’s mind and body. However, having family on the same team might make it a little easier for the Ehrhard brothers, and if the duo is a little superstitious, they might want to believe that the trend of brothers who have both played for Portland continues with them. With each of the previous three pairs of brothers who played with Portland, one brother would go on to play in the major leagues. Whether that comes true or not will depend on how the Ehrhard brothers continue to play now that they have each other to rely on. View full article

If anything Cora was forced on Bloom rather than Dombrowski. Most heads of baseball operations hire their own guy, not the manager previously fired.

Since being hired before the 2018 season, Alex Cora has led the Boston Red Sox as manager, excluding his suspension during the 2020 season, but now it may be time for a different voice. Everyone remembers Cora positively for how 2018 ended with the greatest Red Sox team of all time winning the World Series; unfortunately, things have not been as positive since. 2019 saw the Red Sox under Cora attempt to repeat, but it’s never easy, and the team struggled with injuries and inconsistencies. The team saw injuries to the rotation as Chris Sale, David Price, and Nathan Eovaldi pitched in 25 or fewer games, with Eovaldi bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. Offensively, the team received only six games out of Dustin Pedroia, 29 games from Steve Pearce, and 91 games from Mitch Moreland. And yet they still had career years from Christian Vázquez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Brandon Workman. There were great seasons from Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, while also getting a quality rookie season from Michael Chavis. And still, the team only won 84 games that season. 2020 was a lost season. Cora was suspended and fired before the season even began due to the 2017 Astros’ cheating scandal. Then, the season was shortened due to COVID-19, limiting it to 60 games plus an expanded playoff. The Sox would stumble through that season before Chaim Bloom rehired Cora in 2021. Cora seemed to turn the team around, leading a team that had no reason to be only two games away from the World Series. The roster differed from his 2018 championship team as Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Moreland, Price, and Jackie Bradley Jr. were all gone. Chris Sale was returning from Tommy John surgery and made nine starts for the team. And yet Cora managed to keep the team over-performing as they were in contention for the division until the last few weeks of the season. They got into the playoffs as a wild card team and knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs in the Wild Card Game before taking the Tampa Bay Rays out in the Division Series. Eventually, their magic ran out, and they lost in six games during the Championship Series to the Houston Astros. Since then, the team has struggled. The Red Sox under Cora have not been above .500 since 2021, the closest being when they went 81-81 in 2024. The usual complaints were that the Red Sox dealt with injuries and didn’t have the depth or the players to make a playoff run. There was no debate as the pitching failed to hold up in 2022 and 2023, as both seasons ended with the same record of 78-84. However, the story couldn’t be different. In 2022, the Red Sox had 52 wins heading into the trade deadline and were indecisive on what to do. They sold off Vázquez to the Houston Astros, getting back two prospects in Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez. They also brought in Eric Hosmer, Reese McGuire, and Tommy Pham to try and strengthen the team for a playoff run. They collapsed down the season, winning only 27 games across August, September, and October as the pitching failed to hold up. 2023 was much of the same. Gone was veteran Bogaerts, who Red Sox ownership let sign with San Diego for an 11-year, $280 million contract. He was replaced at shortstop by Kiké Hernández, who was awful defensively. Things were still a struggle on the pitching side as not a single starter had an ERA under 4.00. And despite that, the Red Sox were still in contention. With 56 wins entering the trade deadline, the Red Sox were only 2 ½ games out of a playoff spot and, unlike previous seasons, had a farm system with prospects that could either help at the major league level or be packaged in a trade. Cora made it known which way he wanted the team to head in as he said to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, “We’re in a good place. But at the end of the day, the place that we would like to play is in October. It’s not about how many prospects you have or where your farm system is. It might be No. 1 or 30th or whatever. The one that counts is how many games you win in October and how many games you play in October. That’s what we’re shooting for.” At the time, Cora had every right to say that, especially as his team was fighting for a playoff spot after missing the postseason the prior season. They needed help, and they wanted it. They wanted the organization to say they believed the 2023 team could make the playoffs and compete for the World Series. Instead, Bloom failed to address the issues on the team, mostly surrounding the pitching, and the Red Sox collapsed down the stretch once more, winning only 22 games from August 1st until the end of the season. Bloom would be relieved of his position before the end of the season, and a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal didn’t come as a surprise when he wrote that “on the surface, the two seemed to co-exist professionally. But friends of Bloom, who spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, believe Cora was not as supportive of Bloom as he could have been”. It isn’t a surprise that Cora wanted to win, and while Bloom did too, he didn’t make the moves Cora wanted to improve the roster. Instead, he wanted to build it up from within and support the next core with free agent signings. Bloom would not see his vision through, and Craig Breslow was hired as the President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. While Breslow made moves by replacing Dave Bush as pitching coach with Andrew Bailey, 2024 turned into more of the same. While the team finished with an 81-81 record, the second-half collapse was the same as the past three seasons. At the end of July, the team had 57 wins, yet they finished down the stretch poorly, only winning 24 games, as once again the pitching collapsed. Unlike Bloom, Breslow did make moves. He brought in James Paxton, Luis Garcia, and Lucas Sims to try and bolster the pitching staff while also trading for Danny Jansen to be the backup catcher. After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the team finally got aggressive in the offseason. They traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Aroldis Chapman, Alex Bregman, and Walker Buehler. They got the big names they hadn’t signed in previous years, and now the roster was ready to compete. And yet on May 25th, the Red Sox now sit 27-28 after splitting a four-game series with the 18-34 Baltimore Orioles. In a 10-game homestand against the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles, the team only went 5-5, and something has to give. While the team has dealt with injuries, this consistent inconsistency has been a staple of the 2025 season and even longer, dating back to 2022. The pitching fails to go deep into games, the bullpen is overtaxed and mismanaged at times, and the offense can completely vanish at times when needed. In this homestand alone, the Red Sox scored two or fewer runs in five games. In May, they’ve scored two or fewer runs in nine games so far. And the one constant since 2022 is the manager, Alex Cora. I’m not calling for him to be fired, but you must start discussing it. The Red Sox have not played very well, and many of their mistakes (fielding, baserunning, starters failing to go deep into games) fall on the coaching staff. The team has changed its pitching coach and defense coaches, yet the same mistakes are happening. It’s a sign of the culture within the team, one that the manager sets. One thing that Cora cannot change is that it might be time for a change in managers. Cora can be a skilled manager; there’s no debating that. Sometimes he’s shown it by getting the most out of his players and winning games he had no business winning. But then there are times when you can’t help but question what he’s doing by pulling a pitcher early or handling the bullpen poorly in different situations. A key example being when he brought Sean Newcomb, a guy who pitches when the Sox are up or down by a lot, into a close game with runners on the corners. Or having exhausted his bullpen so much that he needs to rely on Brennan Bernardino and Luis Guerrero for high-leverage innings. But ever since winning the World Series in 2018, he’s had numbers that would have fired other managers. A manager who has better numbers than he did gets fired. Let’s look at Cora’s numbers since they won in 2018. Since that season, Cora has a .509 winning percentage, one postseason appearance, two last-place finishes, and three losing seasons. John Farrell's predecessor also won it in his first season in Boston in 2013. After that, he managed four more seasons before being replaced by Cora after 2017. In those four seasons, Farrell had a .517 winning percentage, two division titles, two last-place finishes, and three losing seasons. If that could get Farrell fired, why hasn’t there been a discussion about Cora being on the hot seat? There is too much talent on this team for them to struggle this consistently through not just 2025 but since 2022. The Red Sox have had three different people run the baseball operations under Cora, with Dave Dombrowski and Bloom being seen as the problems. Should the team keep losing, will Breslow be viewed as the issue? Coaching-wise, Cora has had three bench coaches, two third base coaches, five first base coaches, two hitting coaches, and three pitching coaches, which shows that the team will replace the coaches around Cora should they fail to produce the desired results. On the defensive side, José David Flores and Kyle Hudson handle the infield and outfield defense, respectively, the former taking over for Andy Fox, who had been in that position since 2022. Pitching-wise, the team viewed a need to change it up and bring in Bailey, who had done a magnificent job with San Francisco’s pitchers. That hasn’t been replicated in Boston. So, who’s to blame this time around? They got Cora the players he wanted, and last year, they changed the coaching staff. Now, the team is still mediocre. Something has to give; either the team starts winning, or John Henry and Breslow must start discussing what to do with Cora and his staff. The Red Sox have too much talent in their organization to let this continue. View full article

When the Boston Red Sox signed Nate Eaton to a minor league deal over the offseason, no one thought anything of it. As is the usual standard for all 30 major league clubs, the Red Sox brought in players who they felt could be good depth pieces should injuries occur. Eaton had previously played in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and was defensively versatile thanks to his ability to play all three outfield positions, along with third base and a little bit of second base. Projected to open the season with Triple-A Worcester, Eaton put together a spring training that had him in conversation as possibly making the Opening Day roster due to the thought that Wilyer Abreu may not have been ready in time after recovering from his illness. That wasn’t the case, and as expected, Eaton opened the season with Worcester, where he has played well, though success at the Triple-A level has been common for him. In 301 games as of this writing, Eaton is hitting .263/.327/.452 with 44 home runs and 153 RBI in 1131 at-bats. For Worcester alone, he’s hitting .276/.362/.435 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 46 games. Eaton has worked hard with Worcester, climbing his way up the batting order. On Opening Day, he was hitting ninth in the order for Chad Tracy and Worcester, but since May 11th, he has routinely been hitting fourth. And while he hasn’t been hitting the ball extremely hard (a hard-hit rate of only 42.7%), he’s still managing to barrel the ball up at 8.9%, putting him slightly above the Triple-A average of 6.6%. There are other offensive issues with his game, as he chases 26% of the pitches thrown to him outside of the zone while whiffing on 28.3% of all pitches thrown to him, which has led to a 24.1% strikeout rate. Something relatively high for a 28-year-old in Triple-A, especially when his walk rate is only 9.7%. Eaton, however, has shown hustle and grit while with Worcester as he is third on the team in RBI with 22, tied for second in walks with 20, tied for third in runs with 29, is second out of qualified hitters in batting average, and leads the team in doubles with 15. He may not have the power to impact the game, but should he put the ball in play, there’s a good chance he can use his speed to stretch hits or take extra bases when a teammate hits. Defensively, he has been good in the outfield, having played 29 games there. He has yet to commit an error in 70 chances and has five outfield assists in that span. Since moving to third base in early May, Eaton has struggled a little with three errors in his first 15 games. For Worcester, he has seemed to be at his best defensively while in the outfield thanks to his strong arm, excellent speed, and a showcase of solid range. Eaton will probably never see playing time in Boston, barring a huge injury, but the right-handed hitter is precisely the kind of player you’re looking for to round out a Triple-A roster. A veteran leader who can continue to develop himself and be a voice for the younger guys, thanks to his experience at the major league level and from his previous time in Triple-A. Should Eaton continue to play at this level leading up to the trade deadline, it should not be surprising to see another team needing outfield help call the Red Sox for the versatile player. With many players from Worcester being called up to Boston the past couple of weeks, Eaton will likely be leaned on to help carry the team both offensively and defensively. View full article

Despite their 20-25 record, the Greenville Drive is an exciting and fun team to watch. Led by incredible talent on both the pitching and hitting sides, it’s likely you’ll see something exciting while watching them. The team currently has several names on their roster that should excite Red Sox fans as they wait for them to develop. Jojo Ingrassia, Jedixson Paez, Brandon Clarke, and Payton Tolle are just some of the exciting young pitchers on the team who will constantly pitch excellent outings. On the offensive side, the team is led by 19-year-old top prospect Franklin Arias, fellow infielders Andy Lugo and Antonio Anderson, and outfielders Miguel Bleis, Yophery Rodriguez, and Nelly Taylor. So far in 2025, the team has been filled with success as players have been promoted from Greenville after successful starts to the season, such as Zach Ehrhard and Hayden Mullins. And despite that, the Drive continues to roster several players who fans hope will develop into future stars. Leading the Drive offensively is Arias, someone who we’ve talked about previously on the site. Arias, a top prospect for the Red Sox, is hitting .360/.406/.517 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 21 games with the Drive. A spark plug in the lineup, Arias is joined by Taylor and Lugo when it comes to getting on base, as the two hitters have on-base percentages of .366 and .348, respectively. Not only does Taylor get on base, but once there, he becomes a threat on the basepaths with his speed. Currently, he leads the Drive with 13 stolen bases. Despite a slow start to the season, Miguel Bleis, who is trying to put together a complete season since playing in the Florida Complex League in 2022 leads the Drive in home runs with five and in RBI with 28 showing that the talent that once had him projected to be a top prospect is still there. Though he is still striking out at a high rate, having 41 strikeouts in just 32 games played. Although for the 21-year-old, it may be his defense that has been fun to watch, as he has been an excellent defender thanks to his instincts and reads. And yet it’s the pitching side of things that makes this team so interesting and a desire to watch. With a rotation that has the likes of Tolle, Clarke, Noah Dean, and others in it, there’s a good chance you’re in store for a pitching performance from whoever is starting that night for the Drive. Their pitching is filled with so much talent that Juan Valera, a 19-year-old who only made seven starts in Salem before starting 2025 with the Drive, isn’t one of the players talked about the most. That honor is split between Tolle and Clarke, the two left-handers drafted by Craig Breslow in the 2024 draft. Tolle, drafted in the second round, was known for his fastball in college, which helped him rack up strikeouts, and that hasn’t changed since pitching in Greenville. Despite a fastball that sits between 93-95 mph, Tolle has been able to make it appear much faster, thanks in part to a combination of an elite extension and a low release height. In his first display of professional baseball, Tolle is 1-2 in seven starts, tossing 28 1/3 innings. In that span, he struck out 49 batters and only walked five. What may be most impressive are his 89 whiffs so far this season. Clarke, on the other hand, was a fifth-round pick in 2024, but has showcased talent that has led some evaluators to believe he might have been selected in the first round if the draft were to be conducted again. Unlike Tolle, who uses extension to make his fastball appear faster, Clarke relies on a fastball that tops out at 100 mph regularly. Opening the season in Salem, Clarke dominated in three starts before being promoted to the Drive and continuing his dominance. In four games with the Drive, Clarke has tossed 14 1/3 innings, allowing only five runs on five hits and seven walks while striking out 21. Much like Tolle, Clarke can generate swings and misses, having caused 40 in his four appearances with the Drive. The duo creates an interesting combination of strikeout pitchers for the Drive, a pair of left-handers that may not be out of place in High A should they continue to handle the competition as they have. And it shouldn’t be a surprise, should one of them be promoted to Portland once Connelly Early gets promoted from there to Worcester. Greenville has had no shortage of star prospects make their way through the team, with players such as Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer all having played there at various points. With the current core that is being developed, it feels like Drive games will continue to be exciting for the time to come. It should go without saying that if you want to see what the future of the Red Sox might look like, it would make sense to tune in to a few Drive games. View full article