After a dominant professional debut at High-A Greenville, the Red Sox are set to promote one of the 2025 draftees to Double-A.
While the Boston Red Sox have been struggling at the major league level, there has been no hotter pitcher in the entire organization than 2025 third-round pick Anthony Eyanson. After dominating in his first five starts with High-A Greenville, he is reportedly heading to Double-A.
The Red Sox selected Eyanson with their third-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University (LSU), agreeing to a $1.75 million bonus, more than $800,000 over the $902,200 slot value associated with the No. 87 pick.
After spending the rest of the 2025 season in Fort Myers with the remainder of the Red Sox draft class, Eyanson was assigned to High-A Greenville to make his professional debut at the beginning of this season. Across five starts at Eyanson allowed just one earned run on seven hits across 20.1 innings, while striking out 34.
His 47.9% strikeout rate leads the South Atlantic League among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched, 11.2% higher than the next closest pitcher. Most impressively, Eyanson has walked just three batters, all of which came in his last start. After allowing a solo home run in the third inning of his professional debut, Eyanson has yet to allow another run to score, riding a 18 inning scoreless streak.
After the hot start to the season, the Red Sox brass has seen enough, according to Chase Ford, Eyanson will be promoted to Double-A Portland.
Eyanson currently ranks as SoxProspects.com's sixth overall prospect in the Red Sox organization, with stock rapidly rising thanks to a significant jump in velocity. According to SoxProspects, Eyanson is a "Potential mid-rotation starter with ceiling for more if his improved stuff from Spring Training 2026 carries over into the season. Was seen as more of a high-floor, lower-ceiling type coming out of college."
The next big three
Eyanson was one of a trio of SEC pitchers the Red Sox selected in the 2025 draft, using their first round pick on right-hander Kyson Witherspoon out of Tennessee, and the competitive balance pick they received from Milwaukee in the Quinn Priester trade on Tennessee starter Marcus Phillips.
Neither Witherspoon nor Phillips has seen the same success in Greenville as their fellow draftee.
Boston's fourth-rated prospect, Witherspoon, has made five starts for the Drive to start his professional career, allowing 18 runs (14 earned) on 21 hits in just 17.2 innings, allowing opponent batters to hit .308 against him while striking out 20.
After making his first appearance in relief, Phillips has made four starts in Greenville, posting a 5.87 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. While the results may not have been there, the strikeout stuff has still been working. He's posted a 12.66 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Red Sox are 13-21 and in last place in the American League East. They will hit the road for a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers, which gets underway on Monday night at Comerica Park.
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