Red Sox two-way prospect potential breakout candidate; has hit 100 mph on fastball in high school
The Red Sox have intriguing prospects in the lower levels of their system, and one of them could be poised for a breakout first professional season.
Boston drafted Conrad Cason in the eighth round during the 2024 MLB Draft and has been identified by MLB.com as a potential breakout candidate within the Red Sox farm system.
“The Red Sox have an interesting decision to make with Cason, their 2024 eighth-rounder who signed for supplemental second-round money ($1.25 million) and was one of the best two-way talents in the Draft,” wrote MLB.com. “The Georgia high school product has a solid three-mix highlighted by a fastball that touches 98 mph, but he's also a strong-armed shortstop with 20-homer potential. He'll make his pro debut in 2025.”
The Sox selected Cason with the 237th pick out of Greater Atlanta Christian School, forgoing his commitment to Mississippi State. The 18-year-old signed for $1.25 million, well over slot for an eighth-rounder.
The two-way player played shortstop when he wasn’t on the mound for Greater Atlanta Christian, earning Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in honors last spring. During his senior year of high school, Cason slashed .364/.519/.545 with three home runs, 28 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases.
While on the mound, he was equally impressive, posting a 0.48 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 43 2/3 innings. Cason offers a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 97-98 mph and has topped out at 100 mph, a low-80s split-grip changeup, and a tight slider with similar velocity, per his MLB.com scouting report.
“There was one game I hit 100,” said Cason on the “To the Show We Go” Baseball Podcast, presented by Beyond the Monster. “I can't remember; I think it was against Cambridge this past year. But yeah, I hit 100 there, but I was kind of mainly living in that 98 range. I know there were a couple of games I was sitting just 94, 96, and would hit 98 a lot, but kind of living in that 94, 96 range, which is a lot of fun in high school for sure.”
Cason knows that when he pitches in professional ball, he will not be able to fully rely on his overpowering fastball but will be incorporating his offspeed pitches more.
“It'll be a little different here in the pros,” said Cason. “Learning how I deal with a couple of things here and there, just change in pitching, delivery, and motions and all that stuff, or facing pro hitters for the first time. Use maybe a little bit more off-speeds than I did in high school because I didn't really have to use it that much.
“Seeing if that affects velo at all, or seeing how long it takes to get back velo if I end up throwing maybe three breaking balls in a row or three off-speed pitches in a row, and seeing how that adjusts because obviously in high school, it was kind of just all fastball, fastball, fastball, throw one changeup, throw one slider, fastball, fastball, fastball. And so you can't really do that here. And so kind of getting used to that and seeing how that changes.”
The Red Sox view Cason as a two-way player and someone who can develop on both sides of the ball.
“I'm kind of the first two-way player Boston has had,” said Cason. “I’m kind of like the guinea pig, which is fun and which also kind of sucks because you're doing everything for the first time. And so, but it's been super cool. Everybody's kind of having to take their own learning curve.
“The coaches, which kind of makes them better. And also it makes me better because we find different ways to compromise on certain things, which is super awesome and super cool. So it's been a lot of fun, to say the least.”
If Cason can’t stick as a pitcher in the minors, he’s still incredibly talented in the field as a shortstop with strong athleticism that will allow him to play other positions.
