Estimating MLB arrival for Boston Red Sox pitching prospects
By Rick McNair
The Future
Noah Song impressed on two levels with the first as a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the second as a hard-throwing right-handed and fourth-round draft choice who made seven starts with Lowell (0-0, 1.06).
What Song does have to compliment his fastball is a slider, curve, and a change and the potential to develop into a mid-range starter. The Navy comes first so Song may have to wrestle with DOD athlete policy.
The Red Sox may have caught a draft break in the fifth round (2018) with right-hander Thad Ward. Ward had a two-team split (8-5, 2.14) between Greenville and Salem in 2019. Ward’s best pitch is a biting slider, but he will utilize a mid 90s fastball and a nice change. Ward will be with Salem to start the season and may advance rapidly if he repeats 2019.
Two prospects who may crash the top ten or crash are right-handers Ryan Zeferjahn and Aldo Ramirez. Both were at Lowell in 2019 and both were in the rotation with Ramirez being of great interest based on age – just 18-years-old last season. Ramirez made 13 starts (2-3, 3.94) with the Spinners and showed a mid-90s fastball, a slow curve (77-80), and a change-up. The term “intriguing” is applied to Ramirez.
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Zeferjahn played three seasons at Kansas before being plucked in the third round (2019) by the Red Sox. At Lowell (0-2, 4.50) Zeferjhan got a limited introduction to professional life and will probably be at Greenville in 2020. Zeferjhan is projected as a starter and has a mid-90s fastball to mix with a curve, slider, and change. His system climb will be dictated by the development of his secondary pitches.