The Boston Red Sox entered the 2025 season with the “Big Three” of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell taking up nearly all the headlines surrounding the organization’s farm system.
However, one pitcher who was getting a decent amount of attention was Juan Valera. After impressing in just 23 innings in Single-A in 2024, the 18-year-old (now 19) was viewed so highly that he was placed on the Opening Day roster in High-A.
2025 was not a great season for Valera, though. Due to injuries, the right-handed pitcher only appeared in 10 games with Greenville. He posted a 5.45 ERA, .281 BAA, and 1.39 WHIP in 38 innings. Those numbers don’t paint a pretty picture, but it’s important to remember the age factor. His 46 strikeouts compared to 10 walks also helped ease the pain.
The real hero is the raw talent. Valera has a bonkers fastball with plenty of movement. Oh, and it can top out over 100 MPH. One elite pitch at such a young age is already a massive plus, but Valera’s not a one-trick pony. The 6’3”, 205 lb horse has a changeup and a slider that both grade out as plus pitches. His sweeper is a work in progress, but it has potential as well.
Baseball America, former Red Sox director of pitching hype up top pitching prospect Juan Valera
If you’re still not sold, the hype around him certainly hasn’t died down in the media. Valera came in at No. 7 on Baseball America’s updated top 10 prospect list for the Red Sox, behind big names like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early.
Meanwhile, Justin Willard (former Red Sox director of pitching and new pitching coach of the New York Mets) spoke with Rob Bradford on the "Baseball Isn’t Boring" podcast and spoke incredibly highly of Juan Valera.
"[Valera has] a big-time arm. I think he's shown some huge growth this last two years in his ability to command the baseball," Willard said. "...He throws 100, he's got a unique fastball, but from a development standpoint, he's still got a lot of meat left on the bon, which is pretty exciting."
Everyone in the Red Sox organization seems to see Valera's potential. It’s not totally absurd (even if it might sound like it) to wonder if Valera could still find another mile or two on his fastball velocity. We might not even have seen the final form of an already elite pitch. Meanwhile, his secondaries could continue to develop nicely.
2025 was a lost season in terms of only getting to throw 38 innings. However, we got to see some positives, and 2026 is now shaping up to be a massive year for the Dominican Republic native.
The Red Sox love what they have in Valera. The national media sees the hype as well. You should, too.