No. 22: Red Sox starting pitching prospect Shane Drohan
Shane Drohan was the talk of the Boston Red Sox system for the first two months of the 2023 season. An untouchable six outings in Double-A led to a fast promotion to Triple-A.
The left-handed pitcher's hype would cool down in Triple-A due to inconsistent play. Walks and home runs seemed to be the two biggest issues.
Even with the struggles in Triple-A, Drohan's stock rose this season. He finished the year with a 5.05 ERA, .260 BAA, and 1.58 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A. Drohan struck out 129 batters compared to 72 walks in 123 innings.
The numbers don't look great, but there were a few factors to consider. First of all, no pitcher looked good at Polar Park this year. Triple-A wasn't doing any favors for pitchers, and Worcester really accentuated that. Drohan was no exception.
This doesn't just mean you can completely throw out the numbers (especially the walks), but it puts things into perspective a bit.
Most importantly, Drohan added some velocity this season. That's the big takeaway.
He appeared to lose it a bit as the season went on, so maybe there was some fatigue. But getting his fastball up a few ticks on the radar gun adds a lot to Drohan's game.
Shane Drohan has a strong command of his fastball, which has some movement. The uptick of velocity means he sits in the low 90s and can reach back for a few extra MPH.
He also threw a cutter, but I didn't see much of it, so we'll skip that here.
Drohan has a curveball that works in the high-70s. It has a hard break to it, and he seems comfortable throwing it in different spots of an at bat. While it isn't a devastating pitch, it gets the job done and can keep hitters off balance.
Finally, there's a changeup, which is his best pitch. The changeup sits in the mid-80s and has arm movement similiar to his fastball. It features a solid late drop and can produce a lot of swings and misses.
Fastball: 45
Curveball: 50
Changeup: 60
Control: 50
Overall: 50