Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias stays hot, homers in second straight game

Top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias continued his scorching hot start to the season in Double-A Portland’s 8-6 win over Altoona on Wednesday night.

Arias, starting at shortstop and leading off for the Sea Dogs at Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field, went 2-for-3 with his second home run in as many nights, one RBI, four runs scored, one stolen base, and two walks. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old opened the game with a homer to left-center field, singled and scored a run in the third, walked and stole a base in the fourth, drew a 10-pitch walk and scored again in the sixth, and reached on a throwing error before scoring once more in the eighth.

After not recording an out on Wednesday, Arias is now 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, four walks, and two strikeouts through his first eight games of the young season for Portland. Defensively, the sure-handed 5-foot-11, 180-pound middle infielder has committed just one error in six starts (25 chances) at shortstop. He has also made one start at DH.

Originally signed for $525,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2023, Arias is widely regarded as the top position-playing prospect in Boston’s farm system following last year’s graduations of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Baseball America has the Caracas native ranked as the No. 46 prospect in the sport, while MLB Pipeline is even higher on him, placing him at No. 26 on its top 100 list.

Following a solid professional debut in the 2023 Dominican Summer League, Arias took home MVP, Top Prospect, and All-Star honors in the 2024 Florida Complex League before arriving at Low-A Salem that July. He returned there for the start of the 2025 campaign, was promoted to High-A Greenville after 19 games, and then reached Portland as a teenager for a 10-game cameo in September.

After bulking up over the winter and getting some positive exposure in spring training, Arias — who does not turn 21 until November — opened the season with Portland as the youngest player in the Eastern League. If he continues to develop his power and maintains this level of performance, he could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the not-too-distant future. He previously stated that his goal for 2026 was to “make it to the big leagues,” so a move to Triple-A would represent a logical next step.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera cracks Baseball America’s top 100 rankings

Coming off a dominant outing for High-A Greenville last week, Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has entered Baseball America’s top 100 list for the very first time.

Valera was one of three new additions to Baseball America’s top 100 rankings on Monday, coming in at No. 100. The 19-year-old right-hander now joins fellow Red Sox prospects Payton Tolle (No. 11), Connelly Early (No. 33), Franklin Arias (No. 46), and Kyson Witherspoon (No. 66) on the esteemed list.

Valera’s inclusion in the top 100 should come as little surprise given his strong start to the season. As part of Greenville’s 2-0 shutout victory on the road against Hub City last Thursday, the hard-throwing righty scattered just two hits (both singles) and one walk while striking out a career-high of nine over five scoreless innings. He featured a fastball that topped out at 101.7 mph and threw 56 pitches (39 strikes) in total, generating 15 whiffs.

Through his first two starts of the year for Greenville, Valera has allowed two earned runs on four hits (one home run), three walks, and 16 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. That is a 2.16 ERA. Among 28 qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League entering play Tuesday, Valera ranked first in strikeouts per nine innings (17.28), second in strikeout rate (52%), third in swinging-strike rate (21.2%), fourth in xFIP (1.57), and seventh in batting average against (.143) and FIP (0.32), per FanGraphs.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Valera originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. Following a so-so professional debut in the 2023 Dominican Summer League, he burst onto the scene in 2024 by earning All-Star honors in the Florida Complex League and reaching Low-A Salem. He was rewarded with an aggressive season-opening assignment to Greenville last spring but was limited to just 10 starts (38 innings) due to elbow soreness in 2025.

Now healthy, Valera is evidently getting back on track in 2026. In addition to an upper-90s fastball that regularly reaches triple digits, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound hurler mixes in an 88-92 mph slider, an 86-88 mph sweeper, and a 91-94 mph changeup.

“He’s a monster physically,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Valera when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “He’s done a lot of work on his secondary pitches, but when you’re sitting 96 in your sides, that’s encouraging. And he can run it up.”

If Valera, who turns 20 next month, continues to build on this encouraging start to his season, it would not be surprising to see him climb Baseball America’s top 100 list and receive a promotion to Double-A Portland before long.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Devin Futrell named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Devin Futrell has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 6-12, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Futrell was nearly perfect in his first start (second appearance) of the young season in Low-A Salem’s series finale against Wilson on Sunday. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed just one walk and struck out four over five scoreless, no-hit innings.

After issuing a leadoff walk to begin his afternoon, Futrell retired the final 15 batters he faced and needed all of 52 pitches (33 strikes) to get through five efficient frames. He generated eight whiffs and improved to 2-0 as the RidgeYaks routed the Warbirds, 16-3, at Salem’s Carilion Clinic Field.

Through his first two outings of the season for Salem, Futrell has yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 of the 30 batters he has faced over nine innings of work. Among 31 qualified pitchers in the Carolina League, Futrell leads in both batting average against (.036) and WHIP (0.33). He also ranks ninth in swinging-strike rate (16.5%) and 10th in FIP (2.30), per FanGraphs.

A former 10th-round draft pick (297th overall) out of Vanderbilt who signed for an over-slot $250,000 in 2024, Futrell is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects. The Florida native spent most of his first full professional season with Salem before receiving a promotion last August to High-A Greenville, where he posted a 1.09 ERA over five starts spanning 24 2/3 innings.

Despite the strong results there, Futrell did not break camp with Greenville this spring after being knocked down the pitching depth chart by 2025 draftees Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson. Instead, he has returned to Salem and has evidently not skipped a beat. In fact, it is fair to wonder if he is even being challenged at the level he is at right now.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Futrell operates with a four-pitch mix that includes an upper-80s fastball that has reached the lower-90s, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lefty lacks velocity but makes up for it with pitchability.

Futrell, who turns 24 in September, is undoubtedly gunning for a tougher assignment in the form of a return to Greenville. If one of Witherspoon, Phillips, or Eyanson — or perhaps even hard-throwing righty Juan Valera — were to move up to Double-A Portland in the coming weeks, Futrell would be an obvious candidate to take their place in the Drive’s starting rotation.

UPDATE: Futrell has indeed been promoted to Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker.

(Picture of Devin Futrell courtesy of the Salem RidgeYaks)

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Tibbs, now a member of the Dodgers organization, had a monster week for Triple-A Oklahoma City in its series against Las Vegas. Appearing in all six games, the left-handed hitting 23-year-old went 10-for-25 (.400) with one double, five home runs, five RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks, and seven strikeouts. He doubled and homered on Tuesday, recorded two more hits on Wednesday, homered again on Thursday, singled and scored one run on Friday, went deep three times on Saturday, and drew one walk on Sunday.

Even after going hitless in Sunday’s series finale, Tibbs is still slashing a ridiculous .474/.535/1.184 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 13 RBIs, 15 runs scored, five walks, and nine strikeouts through nine games (43 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City to begin the season. That includes a .500/.563/1.357 line against lefties and a .458/.519/1.083 line against righties, albeit in a limited sample.

Among those who have made at least 40 trips to the plate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League early on in 2026, Tibbs ranks first in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.719), isolated power (.711), wOBA (.716), and wRC+ (336), second in on-base percentage, and seventh in line-drive rate (24.1%), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Tibbs has made seven starts in right field and two starts at first base for Oklahoma City thus far. At the former, the 5-foot-11, 201-pounder has recorded one assist and committed one error in 12 chances. At the latter, he has yet to commit an error across 18 defensive innings.

Needless to say, Tibbs is on quite a heater to begin his second full professional season. A lot has happened since the Georgia native was selected by the Giants with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Florida State. Despite his first-round pedigree, Tibbs was traded to the Red Sox as part of last June’s Rafael Devers blockbuster. Then, after just six-plus weeks in Boston’s system, he was dealt again, this time to the Dodgers alongside fellow outfielder Zach Ehrhard for starter Dustin May on July 31.

While the Red Sox did not get much in the way of production from May, who struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 28 1/3 innings before being shut down with right elbow neuritis in September and leaving for the Cardinals via free agency in December, the Dodgers have to be pleased with what they have seen from Tibbs.

After taking part in his first major league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring, Tibbs opened the 2026 season ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 26 prospect by Baseball America. Even if not entirely sustainable, this strong start at Triple-A should help him climb the rankings and has put him firmly in position for a potential big league debut if the need arises for an otherwise loaded Dodgers team.

(Picture of James Tibbs III: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Who did Red Sox send to Cardinals to complete Sonny Gray trade?

In late November, the Red Sox made their first of two significant offseason trades with the Cardinals, acquiring veteran starter Sonny Gray and cash considerations for right-hander Richard Fitts, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

On Monday, Boston completed the deal by sending minor league righty Patrick Galle to St. Louis, per announcements from both clubs. Galle will report to the Cardinals’ Low-A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Galle, who turned 22 on Sunday, gets a belated birthday present in the form of a new organization. The Mississippi native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round (508th overall) of last year’s draft out of Ole Miss. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus.

Following a solid summer (1.04 ERA in 8 2/3 innings) with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, Galle made his professional debut for Low-A Salem last August. He appeared in three games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate to end his 2025 season and then returned to the rebranded RidgeYaks to open the 2026 campaign. Altogether, he owns a 4.91 ERA with seven walks to four strikeouts through the first four relief outings (7 1/3 innings) of his pro career.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Galle operates with a 95-97 mph fastball that has reached 99 mph, an 89-93 mph cutter, and an 85-88 mph slider. SoxProspects.com, which did not have him ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects, describes him as a “pure relief prospect with intriguing fastball velocity” who “needs to throw more strikes to be successful in pro ball.”

While sending Galle to the Cardinals completes the Gray deal, the Red Sox still have unfinished business involving players to be named later. They are due to send two players and receive one from the White Sox to finalize the February trade that sent righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to Chicago.

(Picture of Sonny Gray: Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

Red Sox get Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez back from White Sox

Three days after getting 2024 Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastardo back from the Blue Jays, the Red Sox got 2025 Rule 5 Draft pick Jedixson Paez back from the White Sox on Saturday.

Unlike Bastardo with the Blue Jays, Paez made the White Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training last month despite allowing eight earned runs in 11 1/3 Cactus League innings. As a member of Chicago’s bullpen to open the 2026 season, however, the 22-year-old right-hander surrendered six earned runs on four hits (two of which were homers), three walks, and no strikeouts in his first three big league outings (three innings) before being designated for assignment on Wednesday.

Upon clearing waivers, Paez was offered back to the Red Sox for $50,000 and was officially returned by the White Sox on Saturday. He does not need to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster and is expected to join Double-A Portland, likely as a member of the Sea Dogs’ starting rotation, in the coming days.

That Paez struggled in his first taste of big league action is not necessarily surprising considering his lack of upper-minors experience. Before being selected with the second overall pick in December’s Rule 5 Draft and making his major league debut in Milwaukee on March 26, the young righty had never pitched above the High-A level. That presumably played a role in the Red Sox’ decision to leave him off the 40-man roster after last season ended.

Even with that in mind, the White Sox took a chance on a high-upside arm by paying the Red Sox $100,000 for Paez’s services. It evidently did not work out, as Chicago was unable to keep Paez on its active roster for at least 90 days. As such, Paez is back with the organization he originally signed with for $450,000 as an international free agent in July 2021.

A native of Venezuela, Paez was Boston’s 2021 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year following a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. He spent all of 2022 in the Florida Complex League and parts of the next two seasons with Low-A Salem before first reaching High-A Greenville in May 2024.

Paez returned to Greenville for the start of the 2025 campaign but was sidelined for more than three months (late April until mid-August) due to a severe right calf strain. When on the mound for the Drive, the 6-foot-1 hurler posted a 2.79 ERA with 23 strikeouts to just three walks over seven starts (19 1/3 innings) in which opponents batted .228 against him. He was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 21 prospect before briefly taking his talents to Chicago.

Lauded for his advanced feel of command and control, as evidenced by a career 3.9 walk rate in 307 2/3 minor league innings, Paez featured a five-pitch mix in his first big league stint. He averaged 91.9 mph and reached 93.4 mph with his four-seam fastball while also mixing in a changeup, cutter, sinker, and curveball, per Baseball Savant.

Like Bastardo, Paez — who does not turn 23 until next January — figures to strengthen Boston’s upper-minors pitching depth moving forward.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Red Sox get Rule 5 pick Angel Bastardo back from Blue Jays

The Red Sox got former Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastardo back from the Blue Jays on Wednesday, per announcements from both clubs. The 23-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment last week after failing to make Toronto’s Opening Day roster and was offered back to Boston for $50,000 upon clearing waivers.

Bastardo was left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the conclusion of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery that June. That decision made him available to other clubs in that winter’s Rule 5 Draft, and the Blue Jays plucked him with the sixth overall pick (and paid Boston $100,000), knowing full well that he would be sidelined for the foreseeable future while rehabbing.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his professional career, Bastardo spent all of 2025 on Toronto’s 60-day injured list as he continued to rehab. While he accrued a year’s worth of big league pay and service time, he was still bound by Rule 5 restrictions and therefore needed to spend at least 90 days on the Blue Jays’ active roster heading into 2026.

In his return to the mound this spring, Bastardo showed some signs of rust after a long layoff, allowing four earned runs on five hits, seven walks, and five strikeouts over 7 2/3 Grapefruit League innings (all out of the bullpen). Stuff-wise, the 6-foot-1 righty featured a mid-90s fastball that topped out at 97-98 mph and complemented it with a changeup, slider, and curveball.

Despite the intriguing arsenal, the Blue Jays determined they would be unable to carry Bastardo on their roster to open the season and elected to designate him for assignment when finalizing things last Wednesday. Another team could have claimed him off waivers or traded for him, but they would have been subject to the same Rule 5 stipulations and likely decided against it because of that.

With that being said, the Red Sox do not need to commit a 40-man roster spot to Bastardo, who returns to the organization he originally signed with for $35,000 as an international free agent in July 2018. The native Venezuelan reached the upper-minors for the first time in 2023 and returned to Double-A Portland out of camp in 2024. He posted a 5.36 ERA with 53 strikeouts to 21 walks in 10 starts (45 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs before blowing out his elbow and going under the knife that June. At that time, he was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 27 prospect.

Bastardo, who turns 24 in June, will now report to Fort Myers for extended spring training before any next steps are determined, according to a team source. From there, he will presumably join one of Boston’s upper-level affiliates (like Portland or perhaps even Triple-A Worcester) in the weeks ahead.

In related news, fellow Venezuelan right-hander Jedixson Paez, who was selected by the White Sox in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, was designated for assignment on Wednesday. Paez made Chicago’s Opening Day roster out of spring training but — having never pitched above the High-A level — surrendered six earned runs in three relief outings spanning three innings for the South Siders.

Paez could be claimed off waivers or acquired via trade by another team within the next week. If not, like Bastardo, the 22-year-old might soon find himself back within the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean signs minor league deal with Nationals

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, according to The Nats Report.

Dean was released by the Red Sox on March 19 after spending parts of four seasons in the organization. The 25-year-old left-hander was originally selected in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Old Dominion. At that time, Paul Toboni — now the Nationals’ president of baseball operations — served as Boston’s director of amateur scouting, so there is a level of familiarity there.

A New Jersey native, Dean received a $322,500 signing bonus from the Red Sox in July 2022 but did not make his professional debut until the following April. The lefty spent all of 2023 and the first half of 2024 at Low-A Salem before being promoted to High-A Greenville that July. He then returned to Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate for the start of the 2025 campaign.

In 22 appearances (15 starts) for Greenville last year, Dean posted a 5.68 ERA with 81 strikeouts to 48 walks over 63 1/3 innings in which he held opponents to a .219 batting average. He reached Double-A Portland for the first time in September and was solid in his lone outing for the Sea Dogs, scattering one hit and one walk while striking out one across 2 2/3 scoreless frames of relief.

Altogether, Dean owns a lifetime 5.35 ERA with 284 strikeouts to 175 walks across 66 career minor league appearances (47 starts) spanning 208 2/3 innings between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. He has struck out nearly 30% of the batters he faced while limiting opponents to a .198 clip, but his 18.4% walk rate highlights ongoing issues with command and control.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dean features a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 97 mph. The athletic southpaw has also incorporated an 80-83 mph curveball, an 88-92 mph cutter, an 82-83 mph sweep, and a 77-79 mph curveball into his arsenal in the past, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Dean, who just turned 25 on March 10, will presumably report to either Washington’s High-A affiliate in Wilmington or Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg in the coming days. He is the latest notable pitching prospect to go from the Red Sox to the Nationals in recent months, albeit through different means.

In December, Boston traded hard-throwing righty Luis Perales to Washington for 6-foot-6 lefty Jake Bennett, and both made their organizational debuts with their new clubs’ Triple-A affiliates over the weekend.

(Picture of Noah Dean: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox release another top international signing after five seasons

The Red Sox have released another former top international signing in 23-year-old outfielder Juan Chacon, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Chacon originally signed with Boston for $900,000 in July 2019, receiving the largest bonus of the club’s 2019-2020 international free agent class. The native Venezuelan had drawn praise as an amateur for his approach, athleticism, and speed, but he was never able to quite put it all together and climb up the prospect rankings as a member of the Red Sox organization.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor league season, Chacon did not officially make his professional debut until 2021. He played in both the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues before reaching Low-A Salem in August 2022. A left hamate injury that required surgery the following July limited him to just 57 games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate in 2023.

Chacon made the jump to High-A Greenville in 2024 but struggled to a .203/.269/.302 line with 18 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 37 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 25 walks, and 109 strikeouts in a career-high 84 games (334 plate appearances). The right-handed hitter returned to the Drive for the start of the 2025 campaign before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland in late April. From there, he batted .229/.311/.298 with seven doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, three stolen bases, 14 walks, and 41 strikeouts in 51 games (151 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs while frequently moving to and from the development list.

Overall, Chacon is a lifetime .233/.330/.318 hitter with 47 doubles, 12 triples, four home runs, 82 RBIs, 147 runs scored, 65 stolen bases, 126 walks, and 299 strikeouts over 290 career minor league games (1,130 plate appearances) across five levels. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 171-pounder (listed height and weight) has experience at all three outfield spots. But between Greenville and Portland last year, he was used exclusively at the corners, making 35 starts in left and eight in right, where he recorded his lone outfield assist.

Chacon, who does not turn 24 until December, was slated to reach minor league free agency at the end of the 2026 season but will now do so sooner than initially anticipated. Given his speed and defensive abilities, it will be worthwhile to see if Chacon draws interest from other teams in need of upper-minors outfield depth in the coming weeks.

In addition to releasing Chacon, Noll noted that the Red Sox also parted ways with 21-year-old infielder Yohander Linarez, who had been in the organization since signing for $10,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2022.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Anthony Eyanson named to All-Spring Breakout Second Team after dazzling performance

It may have just been one inning of relief. Still, Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson was unquestionably one of the standout performers in Friday night’s Spring Breakout showcase against the Orioles.

On Monday, Eyanson was recognized for his efforts, as he was named to the 2026 All-Spring Breakout Second Team by Major League Baseball.

Eyanson was the last pitcher the Red Sox used in Friday’s 3-1 loss to Orioles minor leaguers under the lights at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. The 21-year-old right-hander was both efficient and effective, needing only 14 pitches (10 strikes) to punch out the only three batters he faced (Jose Pena, Cobb Hightower, and Ethan Anderson) in order as part of a scoreless eighth inning.

Of the 14 pitches Eyanson threw, four were whiff-inducing. He mixed in a fastball that averaged 99.1 mph and topped out at 100.2 mph, an 88-90 mph splitter, and an 82-83 mph curveball. All three of his strikeouts were recorded on his wipeout curveball, as he got two looking and one swinging.

“Obviously, I wanted to show off what I’ve been working on as far as the fastball and the splitter, and I feel like I did that tonight,” Eyanson told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “[I] really feel myself expanding as a pitcher, being able to use that splitter when I fall behind, getting that arm-side action, giving me a lot more options, especially with the fastball carrying and being a lot harder now. It’s just a lot different.”

For Eyanson, lighting up the radar gun to this extent has not always been the standard. The California native was selected by the Red Sox with the 87th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State, where he typically sat between 92-94 mph and topped out at 97 mph in his lone season with the Tigers. Since signing for an over-slot $1.75 million and subsequently immersing himself in Boston’s pitching development program, however, Eyanson has experienced a significant uptick in velocity.

“The velo jump is hard to ignore,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Eyanson when speaking with MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. “He was mostly 93-95 in college, I know he touched 97, but he’s been sitting 96-98 this spring with secondaries that are advanced for where he is. He just has a really good feel for the baseball, feel to spin the ball, and can challenge the strike zone.”

As a result of reaching triple digits for the first time in a game setting on Friday, Eyanson is now the proud owner of a “Fuego” t-shirt, which the Red Sox award to all pitchers who throw 100 mph. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound righty is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 10 prospect, while Baseball America has him slightly lower at No. 13.

Alongside fellow 2025 draftees (and SEC products) Kyson Witherspoon and Marcus Phillips, Eyanson has been the talk of minor league spring training for the Red Sox in Fort Myers. Even before officially making his professional debut (which he will likely do for High-A Greenville next month), Eyanson’s stock is already on the rise.

“It’s crazy to see the amount of progress that I’ve made,” Eyanson said. “I’m really excited. I feel almost like a brand new pitcher.”

(Picture of Anthony Eyanson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)