No. 24: Pitching prospect Blake Wehunt
Blake Wehunt pitched well enough to go from Single-A to High-A to Double-A all in one season. He was the 2023 ninth-round selection's first season in the minor leagues, and he immediately established himself as one of Boston's better starting pitching prospects.
Wehunt posted a 3.88 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.11 WHIP across the three levels. The right-handed pitcher recorded 110 strikeouts compared to 34 walks in 97 1/3 innings. Wehunt had several of the more dominant outings in the Red Sox system this season. He recorded six separate outings of seven or more strikeouts, including a career-high 10 punchouts on May 11.
Wehunt is a mountain of a man, standing at 6'7". Unsurprisingly, this gives him a long stride off the mound. That extension adds to his pitching presence.
The righty has a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s (can get over 95) but looks faster due to his extension. It has plenty of movement and can get whiffs. Wehunt's slider works in the low-to-mid 80, but there are some inconsistencies. The pitch sometimes shows a sharper break. It can almost look like a curveball (sweeper) at times.
His splitter plays in the mid-80s with a nice sharp drop. However, this is another pitch with inconsistencies. A lack of control on the pitch has it staying flat sometimes, creating problems.
Wehunt had a phenomenal first season in the Boston system. The Red Sox need more starting pitching prospects higher up in the farm, and the righty made it to Double-A in one year.
The next step will see him finding more consistency with his secondary pitches. He's already done a great job limiting home runs (7) and racking up strikeouts.
The Red Sox being so aggressive with his promotions tells me they see something in the chicken farmer — really, he's also a chicken farmer.
Fastball: 50
Slider: 45
Splitter: 40
Control: 40
Overall: 40
No. 23: Pitching prospect Hayden Mullins
Hayden Mullins spent his first full season in the Red Sox system by dominating High-A hitters. The left-handed pitcher posted a 3.94 ERA, .223 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP in 22 appearances (17 starts). He struck out 118 batters compared to 42 walks in just 89 innings. Those strikeout numbers were the most for Greenville this season by a mile.
Mullins struck out at least seven batters on seven different occasions. That included a career-high 10 strikeouts during a June 13 start. It was an impressive season for anyone, let alone someone in their first year in professional baseball. And the Auburn product turned 24 on September 14. He still has plenty of time to continue to grow his game.
Mullins has a fastball that sits in the low 90s and can flirt with 95 MPH. His long stride off the mound helps the ball appear faster to the plate. The lefty has a slider in the low-to-mid 80s. It features a long break to it, and Mullins appears to have good command over the pitch. He can use it to freeze righties and get lefties chasing.
Mullins has an inconsistent changeup in the mid-80s. It looks like his fastball as it leaves his hand and has a late dip to it. However, some outings saw the changeup go flat. That led to some issues. If he can find consistency, this pitch will be much higher-graded.
Mullins has a deceptive delivery, which makes his pitch repertoire look even better. It's part of what helped him rack up so many strikeouts in 2024.
The fastball and slider combination will lead to more success down the road. If Mullins can find consistency with the changeup, things will get interesting. Throwing 89 innings in his first full season of professional baseball and still being effective at the end bodes well for his potential to grow as a starter.
Mullins had nine appearances with at least three walks, and four of those saw him walk over four batters. He needs to remedy some of his command issues for that starter potential to be allowed to shine.
Fastball: 45
Slider: 50
Changeup: 40
Control: 40
Overall: 40