David Sandlin shines in Futures Game
Since joining the Red Sox as part of the John Schreiber trade, David Sandlin has been one of the organization's most intriguing prospects. On Friday, he continued to showcase his potential as he overpowered some of the best hitters in the Twins system.
In the Red Sox-Twins Futures game, Sandlin was a human highlight reel. He struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced. While it was Sandlin's first outing of the spring, he didn't look like he missed a beat. It was encouraging for the former eleventh-round pick, who has been adding to his arsenal.
During the 2024 campaign, Sandlin worked on different grips on his slider and splitter. While the Oklahoma native has shown he has no problem missing bats, he did struggle throwing strikes at times last year. To reach his full potential, Sandlin will need to improve his control as he perfects his pitch mix.
“Living in all parts of the zone,” Sandlin told Christopher Smith of MassLive following his outing on Friday. “Kind of executing offspeeds with two strikes at the edges of the zone. And of course just maintaining fastball velocity longer throughout outings and so building velo there.”
With Opening Day less than two weeks away, Sandlin is ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the organization by MassLive. His arsenal includes a fastball that tops out at 97 miles per hour. He can also fool batters with a sweeping slider and splitter that has the potential to be an above-average pitch. The key is putting it all together.
Although Sandlin finished the 2024 campaign in Double-A, he did get hit around last year. The 2022 draftee posted a 5.34 ERA in 18 games. While those numbers may not create a lot of optimism, Sandlin set career highs in starts and had stretches of dominance.
Once the minor league season gets underway, the 24-year-old will be a prospect to watch. The Red Sox have had some success with pitching prospects since Andrew Bailey joined the organization, and Sandlin has the potential to be the next success story.