No. 12: Pitching prospect David Sandlin
David Sandlin was the return in the trade that sent reliever John Schreiber to the Kansas City Royals. Sandlin immediately became one of the best pitching prospects in Boston's system upon arrival.
Sandlin has legitimate starter potential and a disgusting mix of pitches. Injuries interrupted his first season with the Red Sox, but we saw the positives.
The right-handed pitcher posted a 5.34 ERA, .269 BAA, and 1.38 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He was bit by the home run bug in 2024, allowing 14 homers in 18 starts. Sandlin also struck out 82 batters compared to 18 walks in 57 1/3 innings, though.
The 23-year-old has a four-pitch mix, headlined by a fastball in the upper 90s that can hit 100 MPH. It's his best pitch and has a chance to be plus-plus. The fastball generates plenty of whiffs.
Sandlin has a slider that works in the high 80s. It features a sharp horizontal movement that can run away from hitters. The pitch will get opponents swinging at junk.
His splitter plays in the high-80s to low-90s. It has a devastating late drop when he's on his game. The splitter is probably the pitch with the biggest separation of outcomes. On any given outing, it could be Sandlin's best pitch or one he wants to stay away from. The splitter is also Sandlin's favorite pitch when it's working.
Finally, Sandlin has a sweeper at around 80 MPH. It's good as a fourth pitch that drastically changes in velocity compared to the rest of his repertoire.
The splitter and slider had new grips in 2024, and the sweeper was an entirely new pitch for Sandlin. Given another offseason with the tweaks, we could see an improved version of the righty in 2025.
Even with the home run struggles, we saw the highs of David Sandlin this season. He has multiple plus-potential pitches and elite strikeout ability. If he can stay healthy in 2025, we might see a bump in his ranking.
Fastball: 55
Slider: 55
Splitter: 55
Sweeper: 45
Control: 50
Overall: 50
No. 11: Outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia
Jhostynxon Garcia entered 2024 as an afterthought. He was just the older brother of the much more exciting prospect Johanfran Garcia.
Quick brag. I did have Jhostynxon as the number 30 prospect in the system last year.
Garcia was talented. Anyone who watched him in 2023 could tell you there was something there. However, would he be able to put something together?
Midway through the 2024 season, Ian Cundall and Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects went on the Section 10 podcast and mentioned how Garcia had impressed people in Spring Training. It was obvious that he worked hard in the offseason to improve.
The improvements shined through in multiple ways. First of all, Garcia was noticeably bulkier. Listed at 6'0", 163 lbs, it's clear that he weighs more than that now, and it's mainly muscle.
Garcia's work also came through on the field. The right-handed hitter slashed .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, and 23 home runs between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. He recorded 66 RBI, 78 runs, and 17 steals.
Garcia didn't walk much (just 33 times in 459 plate appearances for a 7.2% walk rate), however, his strikeout numbers weren't bad (especially for someone with swing-and-miss concerns). Garcia struck out 99 times for a 21.6% rate.
He's shown the ability to keep up with Double-A pitching. Meanwhile, the pop in his bat is elite. Garcia's 23 home runs led the Red Sox minor leagues. He consistently punished baseballs and had some of the more impressive home runs of the year. Garcia's added bulk unlocked the power potential I saw last year. Plus-plus potential.
The 21-year-old isn't a burner. However, Garcia has enough speed and good athleticism. That allows him to steal bases. It's most important in the field, though. He is possibly the most underrated defensive outfielder in the system. Garcia makes a lot of great plays, and he makes them look smooth.
Mikey Romero also pointed to him as the best defensive outfielder he's ever played with on the Pesky Report MiLB Talk podcast during the season. Garcia has great defensive instincts and a fantastic arm.
Jhostynxon Garcia isn't in his younger brother's shadow anymore. The Password is a prospect that has captured the hearts and imagination of many Boston fans.
Hit: 40
Power: 60
Run: 40
Arm: 55
Field: 60
Overall: 50