5 Boston Red Sox prospects to watch in Worcester

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Chase Shugart

Chase Shugart joined the Boston Red Sox organization via the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. At the time, he was considered an interesting starting pitching prospect who had the potential to fly through the minor leagues.

There have been some ups and downs over the last few years, but Shugart made his way to Triple-A last season.

The right-handed pitcher actually made the switch to the bullpen in 2022. And starting the year in Double-A (the highest level he had ever been at), Shugart posted phenomenal numbers. It seemed the move to reliever made a difference.

Things didn't go as well for him after the move to Triple-A midway through the year. Before 2022 though, Shugart had never pitched past High-A. So struggles at this level should have been expected.

Entering 2023, Shugart now has 31 2/3 innings of work in Triple-A. Not all that much, but it's a start. It will be interesting to see if he can build off 2022 and continue improving as a reliever.

Shugart possesses a good fastball and curveball combination with an okay slider and changeup. The move to the bullpen means Shugart doesn't need such a deep mix of pitches. This allows him to focus more on his fastball and curveball, which should give him more success against hitters.

The numbers aren't going to jump out at you, but Shugart made improvements in 2022. He might not rack up the strikeouts, but he keeps the walks to a minimum and doesn't get bit by too many home runs. The transition to reliever went smoothly and could help him find his way. 2023 will be an important year for Shugart, though.