The minor league season is here, and the Boston Red Sox boast arguably the best farm system in all of baseball. They have elite talent at the top but also feature plenty of intriguing names across all levels of the system.
Boston's pitching development program is notoriously lacking, but the tides have changed in recent years. Careful drafting by Chaim Bloom and Craig Breslow has helped the Red Sox bolster their pool of young pitching talent.
One Red Sox pitching prospect to watch at each level of the minor leagues
Triple-A Worcester Red Sox - Shane Drohan
Less than two years ago, Shane Drohan emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in the system. The lefty dominated Double-A hitters to the tune of a 1.32 ERA over six starts. He struck out 36 batters compared to nine walks in 34 innings.
However, following a promotion to Triple-A in 2023, Drohan struggled. He posted a 6.47 ERA, .293 BAA, and 1.87 WHIP in 89 innings. He allowed one home run in his 36 Double-A innings and 19 home runs in his 89 Triple-A innings.
Following the season, Drohan was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft. Drohan struggled mightily in Chicago's system. He was returned to the Red Sox late in the season after Chicago failed to put him on their major league roster.
The 2024 season was rough, but Drohan had a phenomenal spring. His velocity is up, and the pressure should be gone. Worcester features multiple exciting arms, such as Hunter Dobbins and Quinn Preister. It wasn't long ago that Drohan would've been at the top of that list. Can we see him return to form in 2025?
Double-A Portland Sea Dogs - Yordanny Monegro
Putting Yordanny Monegro on this list might feel too obvious, but he belongs here. Portland has a phenomenal pitching staff, potentially the best in Boston's system (the main rival being Greenville's,) including David Sandlin, Connelly Early, Blake Wehunt, and potentially even Jedixson Paez.
Monegro is known for his flashiness, the celebrations, and the excitement. But he's more than just some confidence on the mound. Monegro has one of the filthiest breaking balls you'll see. He has confidence and movement in his fastball, which makes it play faster than the mid-90s it sits in.
Since breaking into Single-A in 2023, Monegro has dominated Salem and Greenville. The 2025 season will offer up a new challenge with Double-A, and it will be interesting to see if he can meet the moment. Spoiler alert: I think he'll be celebrating a lot.
High-A Greenville Drive - Jojo Ingrassia
The Drive's rotation will likely feature Payton Tolle and Brandon Clarke, two draft picks from last season. Don't let them distract you from Jojo Ingrassia, though.
Ingrassia spent his first minor league season in Single-A in 2024. The left-handed pitcher posted a 1.85 ERA, .179 BAA, and 0.99 WHIP in 21 games (12 starts). He struck out 93 batters compared to 20 walks in 58 1/3 innings.
Likely, the only reason we didn't see Ingrassia in High-A last season was an injury. By the time he returned, the year was winding down, and Boston probably felt it was smarter to let him build back up in Salem.
He increased his velocity last year. Could he bump up again and sit more in the mid-90s? Will his plus changeup get even better? Ingrassia was missing bats by the handfuls last season. If he's made some improvements and continues to dominate in High-A, he could jump up prospect lists quickly.
Single-A Salem Red Sox - Blake Aita
Salem's big attraction on the pitching side is Juan Valera. The right-handed starter is hitting 100 MPH as a 19-year-old. That's bananas. Everyone already knows to pay attention to him, though, and with that in mind, let's focus on someone else.
Blake Aita was the sixth-round pick for the Red Sox in the 2024 draft. The right-handed pitcher has yet to appear in a professional game, but he's already improved since being drafted. For example, he's increased his fastball velocity this spring.
The Red Sox have plenty of intriguing pitching prospects throughout all levels of the minor leagues. Aita's impressive pitch mix (the fastball is paired with a fantastic sweeper, good changeup, and good cutter) makes him more than intriguing enough to be added to that list.