There was considerable hype surrounding Conrad Cason when the Boston Red Sox used an eighth-round pick on the Mississippi State commit in the 2024 MLB Draft. That hype only grew louder when the Red Sox managed to convince Cason to forgo college to join the organization.
What makes Cason so special that he had so much buzz despite being a mid-round pick? He’s a two-way player. Not a funny “Payton Tolle hit in college for a bit” type of two-way player, either — Cason was legitimate enough that the Red Sox planned on using him as both a pitcher and a shortstop to start his career.
Sadly, we didn’t get to see much of it. Last season, Cason only appeared in two games in the FCL. One as a position player, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. He also started one game as a pitcher, striking out five batters in two scoreless (and hitless) innings.
The right-handed pitcher version of Cason can hit high-90s with his fastball, as well as intriguing off-speed pitches (including a changeup that can be devastating). Meanwhile, the position player version of Cason is an absolute athlete with great speed, fantastic defense at shortstop, a good hit tool, and good-enough power.
But Cason underwent Tommy John surgery in August, prematurely ending his season and ending the thrill of watching him as a two-way player.
Red Sox prospect Conrad Cason will still be eye-catching despite smaller role in 2026
According to Andrew Parker of SoxProspects, Cason will be back in action in 2026, but only as a position player. That doesn’t mean the 19-year-old is done with pitching. Due to the surgery, Cason won’t be ready to pitch this season. With that in mind, expect to see him getting a lot of work with the bat and potentially at shortstop.
As much as it hurts that we don’t get to see the two-way abilities in 2026, this is what makes Cason so special. Even though we don’t get to see Cason pitch this season, there’s still plenty to be excited about. How will his bat progress? Can he swipe a ton of bags? Can he flash gold glove defense at shortstop? Or maybe even pick up some different positions?
If Cason ends up becoming solely a position player (or solely a pitcher), there will still be a lot to love about him as a prospect. The fact that he can do both at such a high level is an obvious reason for fans to be intrigued. Even without Cason on the mound, there’s more than enough to keep you interested in 2026.