Jojo Ingrassia reflects on his first season in the Red Sox system
During the 2024 campaign, there were a lot of positives to take from the Red Sox farm system. Prospects such as Kyle Teel, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Hunter Dobbins made headlines as they moved closer to the majors. One prospect who also appeared on fans' radars was Jojo Ingrassia. The former 14th-round pick made his professional debut and did not disappoint.
While splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, Ingrassia posted a 1.85 ERA in 58.1 innings. The California native struck out 93 batters and held opponents to a .179 batting average. Due to his play, Ingrassia saw his stock rise as he played a variety of roles which he didn't mind.
“ It’s weird because in high school I hated throwing out of the bullpen and loved starting,” Ingrassia said. “ In college I kind fell in love with being a closer because of the adrenaline and the rush you get. I kind of like the back against the wall scenario. I also loved starting because you are in control of the whole game and everyone has to go off what you do. It’s a different challenged and I love overcoming challenges. “
Although Ingrassia did battle injuries last year, he was stellar for Salem when healthy. In his first year in the minors he made the transition seem easy even though it was full of change.
“ There is a lot more downtime as a minor leaguer,” Ingrassia said. “ In college, you gotta be able to balance school and then go to practice and have weights to mix in with studying for tests. Nobody monitors you as much. It’s kind of like we are here if you need us to help you; we are here to guide you, but we are not here to babysit you and tell you everything to do. A big thing we have here is it’s your career, and they wanna see how much you can achieve on your own.”
As Ingrassia kept hitters off balance, he also showed excellent control. In 21 games, the talented 22-year-old walked 20 batters and only allowed two home runs. His ability to limit hard contact stood out and was a welcome sign in his first season in pro ball. He also drew some comparisons to one of the best pitchers in baseball, Chris Sale.
"I didn't really see it," said Ingrassia. "I don't really try to compare myself to anybody. Just go out there and be who I am, be who the guy I've been my whole life. It's the cross body and the way I come across or the way I drop my arm slot at the very end. And then it's about horizontal approach angles. We have pretty similar numbers in that aspect."
With the start of the 2025 campaign only months away, expectations will be higher than ever for Ingrassia after a stellar season in Low-A. If Ingrassia can replicate his success, he will continue to stand out in a system full of talent.