No. 16: Pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz had a fantastic 2024 season. The right-handed pitcher saw an uptick in fastball velocity and responded with a big campaign.
ERC posted a 2.91 ERA, .198 BAA, and 1.20 WHIP in 21 appearances (20 starts) between Single-A and High-A. He struck out 102 batters compared to 43 walks in 89 2/3 innings. The 21-year-old had seven games with at least seven strikeouts but also clocked seven games with at least three walks. ERC lowered his BB/9 from 4.39 last year to 4.32 this year. He also saw his K/9 shoot up from 8.30 to 10.24.
Rodriguez-Cruz has a fastball that works in the mid-90s and can nearly reach 100 MPH. There's not much movement on the pitch, and he doesn't have great command of it. The added velocity certainly helps, though. His slider plays in the mid-to-high 80s with a sweeping (but not very exaggerated) break. At times, the break improves and becomes a great secondary pitch, but it's inconsistent.
Rodriguez-Cruz has a low-80s curveball with a great break to it. I think it's more consistent than the slider. However, the slide is better when ERC has it working properly.
Finally, ERC has a changeup that sits around 90 MPH. It plays better now that his fastball has more velocity. The pitch doesn't dip much, but it can be effective due to the difference in speed.
The recent uptick in velocity adds a lot of intrigue to Rodriguez-Cruz. However, he doesn't have any great pitches, and his control needs work. If he can improve his fastball movement and one of his offspeed pitches, his prospect status will skyrocket.
Fastball: 50
Slider: 45
Curveball: 40
Changeup: 35
Control: 45
Overall: 45
No. 15: Pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins
Hunter Dobbins is the workhorse of the minor league pitchers, and he deserves more respect. The right-handed pitcher was fantastic in 2023 and even better in 2024.
Dobbins posted a 3.08 ERA, .237 BAA, and 1.26 WHIP in 25 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out 120 batters compared to 48 walks in 125 2/3 innings.
Pidgeotto threw at least six innings in 10 different starts this year, with two of those going seven innings. He's consistently shown the ability to eat innings and give his team a chance to win when he leaves the game.
Dobbins made his way to Triple-A by the end of the year and immediately impressed there. Despite the Red Sox not being seen as a team with many pitching prospects, Dobbins doesn't seem to get any recognition. That's wild to think about, considering he rarely disappoints and has proven himself at the highest levels.
Dobbins has a fastball that works from 94-98 and can reach 99 MPH. The pitch has solid movement, and he has a good command of it. Dobby can get whiffs with it and has done a great job improving the velocity over the years.
His slider sits 87-91 MPH, which Dobbins described as having a short, traditional shape. It's a hard cut that misses bats. The pitch works well paired with his fastball.
Dobbins has a sweeper ranging from 78-82 MPH. It has a long break that can escape the strike zone and get hitters flailing. The pitch was new last year, and looked better as 2024 went on.
His curveball sits between 78-81 MPH. It's a classic 12-6 break and can be dropped in for a strike or used to bury into the dirt, attempting to get hitters to chase.
Dobbins has a new pitch in the splinker. It works between 88-93 MPH with sharp changeup movement. This pitch has plenty of potential as he gets more practice with it and improves.
Dobbins will be a Major League starter at some point in his career. He consistently works deep into games and his repertoire of pitches is constantly improving.
The 2024 offseason will be the first offseason with Dobbins not changing his arsenal. That should gives us the best version of Dobby in 2025. It's an exciting time for one of the more underappreciated pitching prospects in the system.
Fastball: 50
Slider: 50
Sweeper: 55
Curveball: 40
Splinker: 45
Control: 50
Overall: 45