Boston Red Sox top 30 prospect rankings after 2023 season

No. 25: Red Sox relief pitching prospect Christopher Troye

Christopher Troye is becoming a well-loved prospect on Red Sox Twitter thanks to his personality and willingness to interact with fans and be open about his journey.

However, Troye's not just a personality. He's also a dominant right-handed arm out of the bullpen.

The 2021 12th-round pick put up monster numbers in High-A and Double-A this season. He posted a 3.10 ERA, .169 BAA, and 1.34 WHIP between the two levels. Troye struck out 87 batters compared to 36 walks in 49 1/3 innings.

Outside of a rough start to his Double-A journey (six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings), Troye rarely looked anything less than elite on the mound in 2023.

He took a walk on the wild side (as shown by his 36 free passes) at times, but even that was an issue that only cropped up at times.

Troye has an electric fastball that works in the mid-90s and flirts with 100. The pitch has great movement, and he's not afraid to attack hitters with it. Troye said he feels he can throw it anywhere, anytime, and still get whiffs.

He threw a cutter accidentally in Spring Training, and it became part of his mix. It works in the 90s with sharp movement. Troye says he uses it for both weak contact and swing-and-miss. Right now, this is the weakest of the three pitches. But the fact that he's only been throwing it for a season makes it feel like a potential plus pitch.

Then there's a slider that sits in the high 80s. He drops it in for strikes early in counts but also buries it away to create more swings-and-misses. This pitch baffled hitters at times.

Most importantly, CT says he has the confidence to throw all three at any time. He's shown he can get strikeouts with anything at this point.

Christopher Troye doesn't get the respect he deserves as a prospect because he's a non-closing reliever in the minor leagues. Few pitchers in Boston's organization looked as consistently filthy as him in 2023, though. Red Sox fans should love the idea of having him in the bullpen for the foreseeable future.

Fastball: 60

Cutter: 45

Slider: 55

Control: 45

Overall: 50