Boston Red Sox pitching prospect – Brandon Walter
Brandon Walter (number 11 on my prospect list) would’ve been in the Majors by the end of 2022 if it wasn’t for an injury in early June. That’s a pretty obvious statement, right?
The left-handed pitcher was filthy in Double-A before getting a promotion to Triple-A to start the month of June. His first start there was pretty ugly, but he made significant steps forward in start number two. Of course, that was the last start of his season, because good things can’t ever just keep rolling, can they?
Walter has a strong pitch mix (even if he isn’t much of a Gas Masterson). His big calling card is his control. In 57.2 innings last season, Walter struck out 75 batters. He walked just seven.
Walter was promoted to Triple-A before Brayan Bello. It’s reasonable to assume he would’ve been the one getting most of those MLB innings (if not all of them) if he wasn’t injured. Certainly, Walter would’ve gotten the first shot in the Majors, at the very least.
He could very easily get a chance in the rotation next season. He shot through the minors to this point, not really running into any trouble yet either. Boston has some obvious pitching question marks too. So, keeping an almost MLB-ready talent is a pretty obvious no-brainer.
Out of everyone on this list, Walter is the one I could see getting a chance in the Majors the fastest. As long as he’s healthy, he could make quick work of Triple-A in 2023 and be the first (or at the very least one of the first) arms called up should injuries occur in Boston.