Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox’s farm system certainly looks a bit different than it did at this point last year.
At this point in 2025, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer all still had prospect status. Now, all three have graduated from the team’s top prospect list. Boston also had Brandon Clarke and Jhostynxon García high on the club’s prospect list, but both have been traded since. Right now, Boston’s No. 1 prospect is Payton Tolle followed by infielder Franklin Arias at No. 2, Connelly Early at No. 3, Kyson Witherspoon at No. 4, and Juan Valera at No. 5.
Soon enough, Early is going to come off this list. Early made his fourth start of the season on Wednesday afternoon and dazzled once again.
One thing that is true about the Red Sox right now is the fact that they have been able to find and quickly develop intriguing prospects over the last few years. This is especially the case from a pitching standpoint and both Early and Tolle are the prime examples of guys who have moved quickly through the farm system. In just a few months, the Red Sox will have an opportunity to add more prospects to the mix in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.
Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo shared a fresh mock draft and predicted that the club will go pitching and select left-handed hurler Cole Carlon out of Arizona State.
Cole Carlon Would Be An Intriguing Addition
“No. 20. Red Sox — Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State,” Collazo wrote. “Bonus Pool: $8,219,200. Slot Value: $4,373,900. Carlon comes with plenty of reliever risk, but he has some of the best pure stuff in the class and has earned some top 20 whispers in recent weeks.
“Carlon is throwing his upper-80s slider as his primary pitch—and generating a 57 percent miss rate while doing so—but he also sits in the 95-96 mph range with his fastball and has been up to 99. He owns a 4.11 ERA over nine starts and 46 innings, with a 37.7 percent strikeout rate and career-best 9.5 percent walk rate.”
Carlon is a 20-year-old draft prospect with a 4.11 ERA so far this season for Arizona State in nine starts. The stats don’t necessarily matter in this case, it’s the intangibles.
He’s listed at 6’5” and 230 pounds. That certainly fits the mold of hurlers the club has targeted under Craig Breslow. Mix in the fact that he has what Collazo called the potential “best pure stuff” in the class and now all of a sudden we’re talking about a project worth having for Boston. The Red Sox can develop pitching now. They have proven this. If the hurler with the “best pure stuff” is on the board at No. 20, you take him. He fits Boston’s mold and has upside. This would be great if the prediction comes true.
