​Boston’s 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon has weathered a rough start to his season. The 21-year-old right-hander posted a 7.18 ERA in seven early High-A Greenville starts, which caused him to drop out of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects in the June update. But a recent hot stretch has helped his stock rebound. Over his last six starts, he has posted a 2.64 ERA across 30.2 innings, while striking out 10.4 batters per nine frames.
Witherspoon’s best outing to date came Friday night, when he allowed only one run on five hits over a career-high six innings, while recording seven strikeouts and just one walk. Following this strong run, Baseball America bumped him back into the rankings at No. 94. Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham attributed the improvement to the routine and comfort of pro ball, noting a balance between competing and continuing to develop. He said Witherspoon has found a middle ground: competing every pitch, trusting his stuff, and still working on his weaknesses.
That said, there are two clear areas for improvement: walks and home runs. Through midweek play, Witherspoon had walked 4.42 batters per nine innings, placing him 14th among South Atlantic League pitchers with at least 50 innings. His home runs allowed per nine innings stood at 1.11, tied for 22nd in the league. Despite command concerns, he remains among the league’s top strikeout artists, fanning 25.4% of the batters he faces, the 12th-highest rate.
drafted No. 15 overall by the Red Sox in the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, Witherspoon signed for $5 million. He is currently the Red Sox’s No. 3 prospect per SoxProspects.com. In 13 starts for High-A Greenville, he sits at 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA overall. In other Red Sox prospect news, Franklin Arias continues his torrid pace, further cementing his status as one of the organization’s top talents.