Latest news with #DevinPearson
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Meet the Red Sox's 2025 draftees: Breaking down the 21 players selected
The MLB Draft is complete, and for the second year in a row, the Boston Red Sox took a pitcher-heavy approach. Of 21 draftees, the Red Sox selected 15 pitchers, all collegiate arms. They selected only one high school player across the board. Director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said the emphasis on college arms was a strategy the team had set out on. Advertisement 'I think we had targeted a group of college pitchers that we really liked, and I think a lot of the bats that we liked as well went early,' Pearson said Monday. 'We were able to get a couple of bats that we had valued highly throughout the draft, but we're really intentional with what bats we circled, and we're lucky to get a lot of the college pitchers that we like.' The Red Sox farm system has long skewed toward position players in recent years and been light on pitching — so much so that part of hiring chief baseball officer Craig Breslow two years ago was to revamp the organization's pitching infrastructure. Last summer, the Red Sox used 14 of 20 picks on pitchers. This year, drafting Kyson Witherspoon with their first-round pick marked the first time since Tanner Houck in 2017 that the Red Sox have taken a pitcher in the first round. Pearson noted the emphasis on college players versus high schoolers was more about where the team was drafting and which players were available. 'I think it's a result of how the board went,' he said. 'There were certainly a group of high school hitters we really liked, but either didn't have the money to access them or they went earlier and just kind of fell that way.' Because top high school players have leverage to attend top college programs, they sometimes require more of a signing bonus, and the Red Sox's priorities were elsewhere. Sunday, we dug into the drafting of Witherspoon along with right-handers Marcus Phillips and Anthony Eyanson and infielder Henry Godbout, so here's a breakdown of the 17 draftees the Red Sox selected Monday. White hit .327 with a 1.101 OPS, 17 doubles and 20 homers this season for Arizona. The lefty hitter has consistently hit for power, with 10 homers his freshman year and 19 his sophomore year. He cut his strikeout rate this past season to 21 percent from 30 percent last year. White played two seasons in the Cape Cod Baseball League: for Brewster in 2023 and Hyannis in 2024. Advertisement Though he largely played shortstop in college, he has moved around in the infield and also got reps in the outfield while on the Cape. 'I think the defense, he's been really good at shortstop, cut down on whiff rate a lot and has just continued to get better,' Pearson said. 'Gets the ball in the air to the pull side with some power. Just fits, fits what we do here well and, especially at a premium position, was a guy we didn't want to miss on.' Foutch posted a 4.09 ERA in 21 relief appearances for the Razorbacks this season, with a 33 percent strikeout rate and 10 percent walk rate. He led the team with four saves and held opponents to a .182 average. Foutch's fastball can hit 100 mph, along with a splitter, but he has had trouble controlling his secondary pitches. notes that Foutch has an impressive arsenal but has never been able to hold a rotation spot and lost the closer's role early in the season at Arkansas. The Red Sox see potential in his arm, but he will need to work on his command and pitch shapes. Foutch was one of the top high school arms in Colorado in 2022 but opted to pitch at Arkansas. 'He's a big body with big stuff,' Pearson said. 'I think Christian's a guy that his mix has changed at times, and we saw some optimization opportunities there, but definitely the velo, definitely the size and just the chance to get to really good secondaries, and pair that all together — could give him a shot to be pretty interesting.' In 16 games, including 14 starts, for Georgia, Finley had a 4.85 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate and an 8 percent walk rate. Finley had a standout summer in the Cape Cod League in 2023 for Yarmouth-Dennis, earning an All-Star nod and not allowing an earned run in eight appearances. He also closed out seven games and recorded four saves. He struck out 20 and walked five in 17 1/3 innings. Leighton Finley with 7 Ks thru 3 1 hit innings 🔥🔥 Georgia leads Arkansas 3-1 in the rubber — 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) April 13, 2025 Patton was the first left-handed pitcher the Red Sox drafted this year. In 15 starts, he posted a 5.26 ERA with a 25 percent strikeout rate and 5 percent walk rate. Patton spent his first two collegiate seasons at Long Beach State before transferring to the Aggies for his junior year. Before his sophomore season was cut short by a back injury, he posted a 3.93 ERA over 11 starts. Patton features a low-90s fastball along with a slider and strong command in the zone. Really clean, 3 up 3 down top of the first for Aggie starter Myles Patton who fans a pair in his debut in front of the Blue Bell Park faithful. @MylesPatton5 | @TexAgs — Ryan Brauninger (@R_Brauninger) October 4, 2024 The second lefty taken on the day, Brown posted a 4.06 ERA in 15 starts for ODU this season with a 28 percent strikeout rate and 7 percent walk rate. With a fastball, changeup and slider, Brown started all three of his seasons at Old Dominion and led the staff this past season with 102 strikeouts. M4 | Dylan Brown strikes out the side‼️ LA 0, ODU 0#ODUSports | #Monarchs | #ReignOn — Old Dominion Baseball (@ODUBaseball) April 18, 2025 Mayers pitched two seasons at Nicholls State before transferring to LSU for his junior year. He posted a 4.80 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Tigers. He struck out 26 but walked a whopping 20 batters in 15 innings of work. At Nicholls State, he posted 105 and 106 strikeouts in his first two seasons, leading the conference. But command has always been an issue for him. Mayers' fastball can hit 102 mph, sitting in the upper 90s, but honing his control will be his biggest area of focus if he signs with the Red Sox. Advertisement 'Really exceptional fastball velocity,' Pearson said. 'He went to the Draft League and pitched there, and that's where we kind of tracked him throughout the last month, however long he's been there. I think we just saw some things that we can help him get to better positions and throw more strikes. And just a fun arm with some upside, and we were excited to get him.' Mid 8 | Jacob Mayers takes over on the mound and tallies two K's 📺 SECN+ — LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) February 14, 2025 Martin marks just the third position player taken through the first 10 rounds for the Red Sox. Martin transferred three times in his college career, landing at Kansas State his junior year; he hit .320 with a 1.031 OPS, 18 doubles and 14 homers in 56 games. He split time between shortstop and center field this past season but has also logged time at second base in college. Martin was a top high school prospect his senior year of high school in 2022 but opted to play at Rutgers. He subsequently transferred to Georgia State before his breakout year at Kansas State. highlights his raw power but notes his lack of consistent contact against non-fastballs. As an average-to-below-average defender, he's also projected to shift to second base or a corner outfield spot. Morgan has a fastball that tops out at 95 mph and also throws a curveball. In 21 1/3 innings at Cowley County CC, he posted a 0.42 ERA with 40 strikeouts and four walks. He's committed to Texas A&M if he doesn't sign with the Red Sox. With the 328th Pick, the @RedSox select Barrett Morgan, freshman from Cowley County CC.#MLBDraft — Rapsodo Baseball (@rapsodo) July 14, 2025 Walker, the third lefty pitcher on the day for Boston, posted a 4.08 ERA in 14 games with nine starts for the Wildcats this season. Walker pitched his first two seasons for Longwood University in the Big South Conference, where he made 18 starts in 32 appearances over two seasons. M8 | 4-3, UK Ethan. Thomas. Walker!@WalkerLefty — Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 31, 2025 Just the fourth position player, Winnay, a Newton, Mass., native, hit .296 with a .987 OPS, 13 doubles and 15 homers in 60 games for Wake Forest this season. Winnay played at Belmont Hill High, where he was named Perfect Game First Team All Northeast. Pearson said Winnay will play first, third and left field if he signs. 'We've known him for a long time, and I think he was a guy that even last year we had some draft interest in,' Pearson said. 'Just being able to get him this year, when we did, we're super excited. He wanted to be a Red Sox. We wanted him here, and it worked out that way. So, fit for both sides.' Jack Winnay 2025 College Baseball Highlights! | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | @WinnayJack @WakeBaseball — Baseball is Everything (@ReportOnSports) June 25, 2025 Rasmussen spent two seasons at Brown University before transferring to Wofford for his junior year. He posted a 3.59 ERA in 19 games, 18 out of the bullpen. He tallied four saves and had a 30 percent strikeout rate along with a 7.5 percent walk rate. RHP Carter Rasmussen6'5 | 230 lbs | R/R | 21.1yo• Wofford 47.2 IP – 3.21 ERA/3.77 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, .223 BAA, 30% K/8% BB Rasmussen attended Brown for two years but struggled on the mound, transferred to Wofford, and found his groove. This was by far and away his best year of… — G.G. (@ggeiss_mlb) July 14, 2025 The first outfielder, King hits left-handed and posted a .291 average, .an 813 OPS, nine doubles and three homers in 59 games this season. He put up an impressive .415 on-base percentage, walking 29 times compared to 29 strikeouts in 258 plate appearances while collecting 10 stolen bases. notes his calling cards are speed and defense. In 11 games for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League last summer, he hit .294 with a .765 OPS. Home run for Skylar King 💣 King (@WVUBaseball) with his first home run in a Y-D uniform. Y-D: 6Chatham: 0 🎙️: @benstrobermedia — Y-D Red Sox (@YD_RedSox) August 2, 2024 Gilman posted a 4.73 ERA in nine starts this past season with a 30 percent strikeout rate and an 11 percent walk rate, holding opponents to a .195 average. He was named the Division III National Pitcher of the Year. The @abca1945 and @rawlingssg National Pitcher of the Year and @collsportscomm's Division III Academic All-American of the Year, Jason Gilman first summer outing as a Legend! LGL! — Legends Baseball Club (@LegendsBasebal4) July 3, 2025 Galle transferred to Ole Miss in 2024 and made eight appearances this past spring, striking out nine and walking two in seven innings of work. Galle is currently pitching for Wareham in the Cape Cod League, where he has posted a 1.04 ERA over eight relief appearances with two saves. He has struck out eight batters but walked 10 in 8 2/3 innings. Now Pitching at the top of the 10th, Patrick Galle (@OleMissBSB)! — Wareham Gatemen (@WarehamGatemen) July 3, 2025 Fisher spent his first two seasons at Florida before transferring to Auburn, where he posted a 4.68 ERA in 14 games with 10 starts and a 27 percent strikeout rate and 11 percent walk rate. Last summer in the Cape Cod League for Cotuit, he posted a 1.59 ERA in three appearances with six strikeouts and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Kade Anderson in Game 1 of the MCWS Finals 😮💨 🔺 10 strikeouts 🔺 130 pitches 🔺 Complete Game🔺 Shutout INCREDIBLE ‼️ @LSUBaseball — SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 22, 2025 The lone high school draftee, out of Puerto Rico, Bonilla has played outfield, first base and third base. He was the seventh-ranked prospect out of Puerto Rico by Perfect Game and has committed to play at Florida Southwestern State College. Pearson gave credit to area scout Wallace Rios for signing Bonilla. 'He just had established a relationship with Fabian,' Pearson said. 'We've had him at our workout. See a lot of upside with some power potential and the overall athlete. And it was a good fit where he wanted to be with us, and we wanted him to be here.' Fabian Bonilla (25 PR) has been a consistent performer over the few years, with strong hands and the ability to drive the ball to all parts of the yard. #WWBAWorlds @PG_Uncommitted — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 16, 2024 Sumner posted an 8.32 ERA in 14 games with 11 starts and a 20 percent strikeout rate and 8 percent walk rate. With the final pick, Sumner's surface numbers don't stand out, but the Red Sox saw a pitcher with potential who could improve as part of their pitching program. 'Just saw some unique shapes, a guy that kind of we can help get more velo and some better shapes,' Pearson said. 'He has some interesting traits that we liked. That was the reason for that selection.' .@GarrisonSumner 7th K of the game 😮💨 📺 — BYU Baseball (@BYUBaseball) March 22, 2025 (Photo of Mason White: Dylan Widger / Imagn Images)
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Red Sox remain focused on pitching in MLB Draft, select 12 more pitchers on Day 2
'We had targeted a group of college pitchers that we really liked, and I think a lot of the bats that we liked as well went early,' said Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson. 'We were able to get a couple of bats that we had valued highly throughout the draft, but were really intentional with what bats we circled.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Of the eight pitchers the Sox drafted inside the top 300, seven hailed from SEC programs, and all were at least 6 feet, 2 inches. Advertisement 'Big frame, big [velocity], and stuff. That's kind of how we prioritize pitchers as we work throughout the draft,' Pearson said. 'And certainly, we got a lot of those guys. I know there's a lot of SEC players this year. That was, I guess, where all the big guys with stuff and [velocity] are.' The Sox' approach was epitomized by their fifth-round selection, Christian Foutch, a 6-3, 245-pound fireballer from Arkansas who averaged 98 miles per hour on his fastball and touched 101. Advertisement Foutch had a monster sophomore campaign in 2024, posting a 0.81 ERA, 20 strikeouts and one save in 20 appearances, and opened his junior season as the Razorbacks closer before losing the job because of a 4.09 ERA in 21 appearances, struggling with his secondary pitches. 'We saw some optimization opportunities there,' Pearson said. 'Definitely the velo, definitely the size and just the chance to get to really good secondaries and pairs that all together could give him a shot to be pretty interesting.' Similarly, in the ninth round, the Sox selected another of the SEC's hardest-throwing relievers in LSU flamethrower Jacob Mayers. The 6-5, 220-pound righthander has a sinker that sits at 96-97 miles per hour and has touched 102, with nearly 23 inches of induced vertical break — one of the best marks in the country. But in his junior season at LSU, Mayers posted a 4.80 ERA over 15 innings with a concerning 27.8 percent walk rate. 'Just a fun arm with some upside,' Pearson said. 'And we were excited to get him.' The Sox opened Monday with the fourth-round selection of Mason White, a power-hitting infielder from Arizona. White hit .327 with 20 home runs and 73 RBIs in 65 games as a junior, and cut down on his strikeout rate from 35.6 percent as a sophomore to 25.3 percent as a junior — albeit still a high number 'He cut down his lift rate a lot, and has just continued to get better. Gets the ball near the pull side with some power,' Pearson said. 'He fits what we do here, well, and especially at a premium position, with a guy we didn't want to miss on.' Advertisement In the 13th round, the Sox selected Jack Winnay, a Newton product who played at Belmont Hill. Winnay played the infield and the outfield over his three seasons at Wake Forest, mashing 20 home runs as a sophomore and 15 as a junior. The Sox also spent only one draft pick on a high school prospect, coming with the selection of Fabian Bonilla out of Christian Military Academy (Puerto Rico) in the 19th round. 'It's a result of how the board went,' Pearson said of the lack of high school selections. 'We've had a lot of success with high school hitters recently. And if there were ones we could access that we really like, we certainly would have taken them.' Matty Wasserman can be reached at
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Sox select 3 college pitchers with first 4 picks on Day 1 of MLB Draft
For the second year in a row, pitching remained a focus for the Boston Red Sox on Day 1 of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, as three of their first four picks were pitchers. In each of the past seven years, the Red Sox took position players with their top overall picks. Not since Tanner Houck in 2017 had the team selected a first-round pitcher, but it bucked that trend by taking right-hander Kyson Witherspoon out of the University of Oklahoma at No. 15 on Sunday night. Advertisement The pitcher-heavy approach on the first day of the draft mimicked Boston's draft last year, when it took pitchers with 14 of its 20 picks, as the Red Sox continue to build out their pitching infrastructure at the minor-league level. 'I think we're being intentional in terms of having the pitchers (available that) we really like in better spots,' director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said Sunday night. 'We're well aware of what has been said,' he added, regarding the team's dearth of pitchers at the top of the draft in recent years. 'I think the best college pitchers go at the top of the board, and we were lucky to access one this year. It's more of just a result of where we've been picking, I think, over the last however many years.' In addition to Witherspoon, the Red Sox took Tennessee right-hander Marcus Phillips at No. 33, a Competitive Balance Round pick acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Quinn Priester trade earlier this season. With their third pick, compensation for the departure of Nick Pivetta in free agency, the Red Sox shifted back to a position player with University of Virginia shortstop Henry Godbout. But with their third-round pick Sunday, Boston continued to bolster pitching with Louisiana State University right-hander Anthony Eyanson. Witherspoon, 20, was considered one of the top college arms in this year's draft and was ranked the No. 9 prospect by The Athletic's Keith Law. Featuring a five-pitch mix and an upper-90s fastball, Witherspoon has been pegged as a potential No. 2 starter. 'With Kyson, it's big velocity, and he's held it over a lot of innings with some really good breaking pitches. Whether it's his cutter, slider, a lot of upside there to continue to maximize his mix,' Pearson said. 'A strike-thrower with high velo and interesting secondary shapes.' Advertisement A shortstop in high school, Witherspoon went undrafted, unlike his twin brother, Malachi, who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 but did not sign. The brothers spent a year at Northwest Florida State College, where Kyson converted to a full-time pitcher before they transferred to Oklahoma and entered the Sooners' rotation. In 2024, Witherspoon posted a 3.71 ERA over 17 games with 11 starts, 40 walks and 90 strikeouts in 80 innings, but he cut those numbers dramatically in his junior season at Oklahoma while working with legendary head coach Skip Johnson. He finished with a 2.65 ERA with 124 strikeouts and 23 walks over 95 innings (accounting for a 32 percent strikeout rate and 6 percent walk rate). He'd been on Boston's radar for a while and was impressed with its presentation at the MLB Draft Combine this spring. 'I think our conversation during the combine was really good,' Witherspoon said via video call after he was drafted. 'I liked the people that were in the room, the plan they kind of had set out for me. I think it's a program that will fit me really well.' Witherspoon noted how a regimented plyometric ball routine to build arm strength the summer before his junior season — a time when he also pitched briefly in the Cape Cod Baseball League for Chatham, making two starts — was key to his success. 'Doing that routine over and over, it kind of made (my delivery) what it is today and wasn't something I really thought of,' he said. 'My delivery got a lot more repeatable. Got five pitches now, which is pretty cool. Hopefully I can keep adding some or just make what I have better.' Malachi was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. With their second pick, the Red Sox stuck with college pitchers. Phillips, similar to Witherspoon, was a two-way player in high school before transitioning to a pitcher in college. At 6 feet 4, Phillips is a physical presence who can hit 100 mph with his fastball. That physicality and velocity were two things the Red Sox prioritized in last year's draft as well. Advertisement Drafting athletic pitchers who have played in the field wasn't necessarily a priority but something Pearson said the Red Sox think will benefit the pitchers in the long run. 'I think it's an added bonus,' Pearson said. 'You see that athleticism translate into their deliveries. I think that's really where the payoff is, and they're able to get into unique positions, which allows them to be really good.' In 17 starts at Tennessee, Phillips posted a 3.90 ERA with 98 strikeouts and 34 walks in 83 innings. This past season was his first year as a starter, and though erratic at times with a 10.5 percent walk rate, the Red Sox saw too much potential in him to pass. 'An elite athlete up to 101 mph with some really interesting east-to-west characteristics (on his pitches) from a unique (arm) slot,' Pearson said. Law, who ranked Phillips the No. 98 prospect in the draft, noted Phillips' potential to be a mid-rotation starter if he can develop a pitch to get lefties out. Boston's third pitcher selection on the day, Eyanson, pitched two seasons at the University of California San Diego before transferring to powerhouse program LSU for his junior year. The right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA in 20 games, including 18 starts, with 152 strikeouts and 36 walks in 108 innings, good for a 34 percent strikeout rate and 8 percent walk rate. Law ranked Eyanson as his No. 38 draft prospect, noting his back-end starter potential with mid-rotation upside. Eyanson's slider is his best pitch. 'A guy that throws a ton of strikes, has really good secondaries and has dominated from a performance standpoint this year,' Pearson said. The only position player taken on the first day was Godbout, a middle infielder whom the Red Sox have had their eye on for quite some time, dating back to high school. Having played at Virginia, Pearson noted the Red Sox also saw a lot of Godbout while scouting catcher Kyle Teel, their first-round pick in 2023. Advertisement 'Even in high school, we really liked (Godbout),' Pearson said. 'In high school, we worked him out at Fenway. He played (summer ball) in Vermont for the Lake Monsters. So we saw him there, too. He was just a guy we've always kind of liked. And then, obviously, with Teel, we'd seen him a lot in college. He trains with Teel. Teel has told him what it's like here (in Boston). So, there definitely is a Teel connection there, for sure.' Godbout, Law's No. 57 draft prospect, hit .309 with an .895 OPS, 10 doubles and eight homers in 50 games this season for Virginia. 'Godbout is a guy that makes a ton of contact, super athletic,' Pearson said. 'I think he fits our development strengths in terms of being able to tap into some more power.' The draft will finish Tuesday with Rounds 4 through 20, and if Day 2 is anything like Day 1, pitching will be the main focus. (Photo of Kyson Witherspoon: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
