The Boston Red Sox’s farm system is going to get a lot of attention in 2025. Not only are Boston’s top prospects — Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell — expected to debut this coming season, but Craig Breslow had a solid first draft at the helm of the organization.
The Red Sox have a deep pool of position player talent at all levels of the farm, but the organization’s pitching depth has been a well-documented deficiency for quite some time. Breslow has already increased Boston’s young pitching depth with the acquisitions of Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester and his 2024 draft picks.
One of Breslow’s first draft picks is projected to be Boston’s breakout prospect of 2025 by Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com. Conrad Cason, the Sox’s eighth-round pick out of Greater Atlanta Christian School, is expected to have quite a first year in the pros.
Cason is an 18-year-old two-way player. Most teams that scouted Cason preferred him as a pitcher, but the Red Sox have expressed interest in continuing to use him as a two-way player. However, their plans with the young righty aren’t solid yet.
Conrad Cason projected to be Red Sox’s breakout prospect of 2025 according to MLB Pipeline
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) April 9, 2024
Cason carries a three-pitch mix that comprises a fastball, breaking ball and changeup. His fastball velocity tops out at 98 miles per hour and, according to Sox Prospects, he posted a “substantial uptick” in velocity in 2024. Cason must refine his breaking ball, as it can be inconsistent in terms of movement and spin. He was one of the youngest players in the draft, though, and still has plenty of time to grow before his fate as a pitcher must be decided.
If he doesn’t pan out as a hurler, Cason is also a shortstop. The 2024 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year has impressed with his athleticism, strong arm and plate presence. He batted .364/.519/.545 with a 1.064 OPS in his age-17 season at Greater Atlanta Christian.
Cason’s future as a two-way player is up in the air, but the Red Sox seem more willing to give him a try than many of the other teams interested in drafting him. If he can stick it out as a two-way player, he could join Shohei Ohtani as one of the few practitioners of a dying art in MLB.
