Red Sox prospect Austin Ehrlicher makes organizational debut, 'feels great to be back on the mound'
After months of anticipation, Austin Ehrlicher finally made his Red Sox organizational debut on April 7. The Red Sox selected the Santa Rose, California native in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but injuries delayed the start of his pro career.
"It felt great to be back on the mound," Ehrlicher told Beyond The Monster. "That was my first real game in almost a year, so I really enjoyed it."
While Ehrlicher kept his opponents off balance, he showed solid control. The 2022 draftee allowed two hits and walked one batter. His success was partly due to his ability to pound the strike zone, which was a focus of his game plan going into Sunday.
"As far as my game plan goes, I really was just trying to be in the zone as much as possible," Ehrlich said. "I think I have good enough stuff to where If I can think middle every pitch and let my stuff work, I'll be in a good spot."
Additionally, Ehrlicher did not seem fazed by the increased competition. He only needed 53 pitches to get through three innings and was able to get out of trouble when batters reached base. After getting a preview of what to expect in spring training, the talented 20-year-old was finally able to see his hard work pay off.
"I got a taste of what competition would be like during spring training, and obviously, everyone is very good," Ehrlicher said. "For me, it's really about how good I can get at the things I'm working towards instead of focusing on what type of competition I'm facing that night because everyone is good. "
With one start under his belt, Ehrlicher will be back in action on Sunday. He put himself on the map prior to the draft by posting a 3.95 ERA in 12 starts during his sophomore season at Santa Rosa Junior College. His stock continued to rise on Sunday, along with excitement for what the future holds. Ehrlicher's main focus is getting back on the mound and building on his success.
"I thought my slider was sharp, I was able to get a few swings and misses on my changeup, and my fastball command improved as the game went on," Ehrlicher said. It was definitely" a good one to build off of, and I'm pumped to do it again on Sunday."
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