The Boston Red Sox are firmly in a playoff push as we head towards the end of August. However, that doesn’t mean there aren't certain roster spots that could use an upgrade.
We can look to the minor league system to see if there is anyone who could help in positions of need. Luckily, for the Red Sox, they have plenty of intriguing options in Triple-A. Some of those options are prospects who have yet to debut in the majors.
While it’s not incredibly common for a prospect to debut in September to help with a playoff push, it’s certainly not unheard of. Here are four prospects who could make their major league debut in September to help Boston secure a playoff spot.
4 Red Sox prospects who could still debut before 2025 season ends
David Sandlin (RHP)
David Sandlin feels like possibly the safest (maybe second-safest) bet on this list. Sandlin is a fantastic starting pitching prospect, but the Red Sox have converted him to a reliever in Triple-A.
That clearly isn’t a full-time move. It’s a move they made knowing he could help the big league roster in September. Sandlin would give them a right-handed reliever who throws 100 miles per hour and doesn’t walk many batters. They could use that type of weapon out of the bullpen.
Sandlin is also Rule-5 Draft eligible this offseason. The Red Sox will need to place him on the 40-man to protect him. Why not do it a month early and give the bullpen a boost?
Payton Tolle (LHP)
Payton Tolle was promoted to Triple-A recently, and in his first inning, he allowed six runs (five earned). The left-handed pitcher has tossed nine scoreless innings since that moment.
Tolle is a monster lefty who can hit 99 MPH on his fastball with incredible extension. He’s still being used as a starter in Triple-A, but they seem to be lowering his pitch count. At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tolle was used out of the bullpen or as a starter in Boston in September (subscription required).
Tyler Uberstine (RHP)
Tyler Uberstine is one of the most underrated arms in the system. The right-handed pitcher doesn’t walk people, can get up to 96, and has been missing bats recently.
Uberstine has been used mainly as a starter, but Boston’s tested him out of the bullpen a bit over the last month. The Red Sox could use Uberstine as a starter in a pinch or plug him in as a multi-innings reliever.
Something working for Uberstine is his Rule-5 status. Like Sandlin, Uberstine will need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to be protected. If the Red Sox are planning on protecting him, it wouldn’t hurt to add him early and have him as an option for the playoff push.
Alex Hoppe (RHP)
Alex Hoppe is the biggest wild card on this list. The right-handed reliever is Rule-5 eligible this offseason. With that in mind, maybe Boston decides to protect him early. There’s no guarantee it will protect him in the first place, though.
Hoppe throws 100 MPH and has a sharp slider. However, he’s been inconsistent over the last few seasons. He has looked fantastic in Triple-A recently (outside of a blowup outing on August 16. The Red Sox could be intrigued enough to give him a shot, especially with the bullpen issues they’ve had recently.
Tolle and Sandlin are definitely ahead of him on the list. Uberstine feels likely as well. That’s not counting the veterans in Triple-A who could get a look, too. But Hoppe is definitely an intriguing option that Boston could try if things get wild.