Here are 5 Red Sox pitching prospects who could help in the big leagues next season

The Red Sox won 89 games in 2025 and made it to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Red Sox Nation undoubtedly would have loved for it to have lasted beyond the Wild Card round, but Boston might not have had playoff baseball at all if it hadn’t received some serious boosts from its farm system.

Some were expected, like from outfielder Roman Anthony. Others, particularly on the mound, came as more of a surprise. Red Sox No. 2 prospect Payton Tolle was a 2024 second-round pick who began the year in High-A Greenville and ended up making his big league debut at the end of August. He made seven regular season appearances and one in the playoffs while reaching No. 28 on the Top 100.

Fellow lefty Connelly Early, No. 6 on Boston’s Top 30, was a fifth-rounder in 2023 and began the year in Double-A as a high-floor back-end starter type. Not only did he strike out 29 over 19 1/3 innings during the regular season, he started Game 3 of the Wild Card Series.

Who could be next? Here are five pitching prospects who could help with another playoff push in 2026:

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 89): The No. 15 overall pick in the Draft, this Oklahoma product has a very exciting combination of an advanced mix -- four at least plus pitches that miss a ton of bats -- physicality and maturity. Don’t be surprised if he starts the year in Double-A, and then he could be off to the races.

Luis Perales, RHP (No. 9): He had Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, came back at the end of 2025 and then got more work in the Arizona Fall League, where he showed his electric stuff -- he’s up into triple digits with his fastball -- and missed plenty of bats (15.1 K/9) when locating his pitches (8.7 BB/9). Don’t expect him to make the Opening Day roster, but the further he can put elbow surgery in his rearview and then be around the zone more, he could be ready to make an impact, perhaps out of the bullpen.

David Sandlin, RHP (No. 10): He might be the closest to the big leagues, having touched Triple-A, and he did earn a 40-man roster spot last week. He topped 100 IP for the first time in his career in 2025 and has three effective pitches. If he stays healthy, he could be deployed in Boston in a number of ways.

Anthony Eyanson, RHP (No. 13): Like Witherspoon, Eyanson is pretty advanced stuff-wise, and that slider that elicited a 52-percent miss rate at LSU last spring probably can get big league hitters out now. If he throws enough strikes, he could move quickly, too.

Hayden Mullins, LHP (No. 18): The Red Sox probably thought long and hard about protecting Mullins on the 40-man, but in the end, they did not. His stuff doesn’t jump off the page, but thanks to a ton of life, movement and deception, he’s struck out 11.7 per nine in his career. Maybe he’s not a starter long-term, but he could be a very interesting lefty reliever ... if they don’t lose him in the Rule 5 Draft next month.

Others to keep an eye on:

Brandon Clarke, LHP (No. 5) - He has a triple-digits fastball, but command is an issue.

Marcus Phillips, RHP (No. 12) - The 2025 draftee likely needs more time to become more pitcher than thrower.

Juan Valera, RHP (No. 14) - If he can stay healthy, his dominant upper-90s fastball and swing-and-miss slider could play.