Oddanier Mosqueda is an intriguing depth piece for the Red Sox
Over the last few weeks, the Red Sox have gotten a preview of the future during spring training. While prospects from every level such as Brandon Walter and Marcelo Mayer shined, one reliever who stood out was Oddainer Mosqueda. The Venezuelan native got his second taste of big-league camp and showed impressive stuff.
In eight appearances, Mosqueda posted a 2.25 ERA while striking out ten batters. He only allowed two earned runs and held opponents to a .207 batting average. While the 23-year-old showed that he can work out of trouble, he did struggle to prevent baserunners.
Additionally, the Red Sox prospect allowed six hits and walked seven batters. In his last spring appearance on March 24th against the Braves, Mosqueda walked four batters, and only two of his 18 pitches were strikes. While that is one outing he would like to forget, he has otherwise been a reliable arm.
With the start of the minor league season only days away, Mosqueda will be a pitcher to watch. He projects to be an organizational depth piece but has shown improvement at every level. Mosqueda has also thrived against lefthanded hitters due to his arm angle. When he executes his pitches, he is hard to square up.
Through 148 appearances in the minors, Mosqueda has posted a 3.96 ERA and struck out 396 batters. He is also 9-19 in save opportunities and got his first taste of Double-A action in 2022, appearing in 45 games for Portland. To take the next step in his development, Mosqueda must improve his control. Last season, he allowed 20 walks and nine home runs.
During time in the Red Sox farm system, Mosqueda has proven that he has swing-and-miss stuff. His arsenal includes a curveball that has the potential to be an above-average pitch and a fastball that tops out at 94 miles per hour. If he can build on his strong spring, Mosqueda could be an intriguing arm for the Red Sox in the future.
Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamieGatlin17
For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.
Nice article. But can we please stop referring to ballplayers as “pieces?”
Not only is that industry jargon, it’s insulting. These guys are human beings.