Red Sox send eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League, including catcher Brooks Brannon and pitcher Tyler Uberstine
The Red Sox announced eight players that will participate in the Arizona Fall League beginning in October and they will play for the Mesa Solar Sox.
Boston will send catcher Brooks Brannon, infielder Max Ferguson, outfielder Caden Rose, left-handed pitcher Zach Fogell, and right-handers Cooper Adams, Danny Kirwin, Conor Steinbaugh, and Tyler Uberstine.
Brannon, 20, is ranked as Red Sox No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He hit .251 with a .326 on-base percentage, .396 sluggling percentage, .722 OPS, six homers, eight doubles, two triples, 24 RBI, and 22 runs in 54 games for Low-A Salem.
The Sox drafted Brannon in the ninth round (No. 279 overall) out of high school in North Carolina back in 2022. He signed above the slot limit at $712,500.
According to Baseball America’s scouting report, Brannon “has plenty of pull power when he connects,” but his career 6.5 percent walk rate thus far “points to the need to control his aggressiveness and refine his swing decisions.”
The Tar Heel State native offers “plus arm strength and quick feet behind the plate.” They also praise him for having strong hands and a relentless work ethic, but acknowledge that he is “overly active as a catcher and his framing and blocking skills will have to improve,” per MLB Pipeline, providing if Brannon stays behind the dish for the organization.
Ferguson, who finished the season with the WooSox, playing in three games, also played 25 games for the Portland Sea Dogs. The Jacksonville native spent the majority of the season on the 60-day injured list with an ankle injury.
The former fifth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee was traded to the Red Sox along with Corey Rosier and Eric Hosmer in a deal with the Padres. Ferguson offers speed and athleticism and the ability to play all over the diamond as he navigates through the Sox’ system.
Rose was drafted out of Alabama in the seventh round in 2023. He’s an athletic undersized outfielder with sneaky pop and above-average speed. He offers a solid defensive profile with average arm strength while playing center field. Rose played in 35 games with Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville this season.
Fogell was drafted in the 18th round back in 2023 out of UConn. The Providence, Rhode Island, native posted a 3.32 ERA in 33 outings this season for High-A Greenville.
Following the draft, the left-hander told Beyond the Monster what kind of pitcher the Red Sox and fans should expect to see in the organization.
“They are getting a super determined and hardworking kid from a small town that loves to win.” Fogell said. “Growing up as a Red Sox fan, there is no other organization that I would rather be with, and I’m super excited to get to work!”
Adams signed with the Red Sox back in February out of Mount St. Mary’s. The 23-year-old, who was not selected in the 2023 amateur draft, posted a strong fifth-year senior season for the Mountaineers last season. He went 8-3 and posted a 4.70 ERA with 73 strikeouts to 20 walks in 14 starts (82 1/3 innings).
He appeared in 26 outings this year, making six starts and posting a 5.08 ERA for High-A Greenville.
Kirwin was signed back in April and was assigned to Low-A Salem, recorded a 4-3 record with a 3.63 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 20 games (five starts).
The right-handed hurler trended on social media prior to signing with the Red Sox after an independent league team, the Oakland Ballers’ skipper Micah Franklin posted a video of the righty hitting 98 mph on the radar gun. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound also throws a cutter, a sweeper/slider mix, a sinker, and a changeup to go along with his four-seam heater.
Steinbaugh is an undrafted free agent who the Red Sox signed on March 17. He recorded a 3.74 ERA in 25 outings (67 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville.
He offers a three-pitch mix, 89-91 fastball, but reportedly his velocity was up to 93-94 mph as the season went on. He also throws an 85-86 mph slider and a low-80’s changeup.
Uberstine came off the 60-day injured list on Aug. 23 and was assigned to High-A Greenville. He pitched in three games, with the Drive posting a 1.93 ERA with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Following those three appearances, he was promoted to Double-A Portland but never pitched for the Sea Dogs.
The 25-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery on June 14, 2023. Boston initially acquired the righty in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB draft out of Northwestern.
Uberstine, who stands at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, throws from a three-quarters arm slot and features four-pitches within his repertoire. He offers a 92-94 mph fastball, which is considered to be an above-average pitch. In addition, he throws an 82-84 mph slider, an 86-88 mph changeup, and a 76-80 mph curve, per his SP scouting report.
