For years, Red Sox scouting directors faced the same perennial question: Why wasn’t the team taking pitchers at the top of the draft?
That question no longer hovers.
The Red Sox drafted Oklahoma righthander Kyson Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick, making him Boston’s highest selected college righthander ever. Boston’s last first-round pitcher selection was Tanner Houck in 2017.
“For us, (Witherspoon) was the top college righthanded pitcher in the draft,” Red Sox scouting director Devin Pearson said. “For us to get him at 15 was something we were really excited about.”
The Red Sox were drawn both to Witherspoon’s athleticism and current arsenal—he features a five-pitch mix, anchored by a 95-99 mph fastball and including a curveball, slider, changeup and cutter—as well as his demonstrated ability to improve rapidly.
When he transferred to Oklahoma from Northwest Florida State JC, Witherspoon was a two-way player who chiefly threw a fastball while also spinning sliders. But he had the feel to develop a broad arsenal of distinct pitches that allowed him to dominate as a college junior.
Witherspoon went 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 32% strikeout rate this year.
After drafting Witherspoon, the Red Sox kept adding arms.
They took massive, 6-foot-4 Tennessee righthander Marcus Phillips in the supplemental first round. He has a low arm slot and touches triple digits. They added righthander Anthony Eyanson, the No. 2 starter for national champion LSU, in the third round.
The Red Sox ultimately drafted 15 pitchers and signed all but one. Ten of them came out of the Southeastern Conference.
“Big frame, big velo and stuff,” Pearson said. “That’s kind of how we prioritize pitchers as we worked throughout the draft. And certainly got a lot of those guys.
“I know there’s a lot of SEC players this year. That was I guess where all the big guys with stuff and velo were, so that was the group we got.”
SOX YARNS
— Prior to taking Kyson Witherspoon this year, Boston’s previous mark for highest-drafted college righthander belonged to Roger Clemens and Matt Barnes, both taken with the No. 19 overall pick.
—The Red Sox promoted lefthander Payton Tolle to Triple-A Worcester at the beginning of August. Tolle is the first Red Sox starting pitcher draft pick to reach Triple-A or higher in his first full pro season since 2003 second-rounder Abe Alvarez.