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Physical Description: Tall,
sturdy frame. Long levers, filled out. Minimal remaining
projection. Below-average athleticism.
Mechanics:
Throws from a low three-quarters arm slot starting in the middle
of the rubber. Simple, repeatable delivery. High leg kick.
Longer arm action in which he shows the ball behind. Really
drives off his back leg. Lower release height and elite
extension at more than 7.1 feet. Comes across his body and falls
off to the first base side.
Fastball:
92-95 mph. Tops out at 96 mph. Throws both a four-seam and a
sinker. Advanced command and control profile, able to locate in
all quadrants of the strike zone. Four-seam has more tail than
ride, but can pitch up in the zone with it. Sinker is not a
major whiff pitch, more used to generate weak contact. Pitch
plays above its velocity due to extension. Showed more velocity
early in Spring Training in 2026, but velocity was back to its
2025 levels at the end of camp and into his first start of the
regular season. Potential above-average offering.
Changeup: 83-86 mph. Pitch shows hard, late
fade. Can pull the string on it at times. Primary secondary
offering that he throws very frequently, especially against
right-handed hitters. Advanced feel, comfortable using on
occasion against left-handers. High-whiff offering both in and
out of the zone. Potential plus offering.
Cutter:
86-88 mph. Short, horizontal break. Not a major whiff pitch, but
feel for pitch improved as the 2025 season went on. Potential
average offering.
Slider: 81-84 mph.
10-to-4 shape. More depth than tilt. Able to land in the zone,
but only misses bats at an average rate at best. Can blend with
his cutter at times. Potential fringe-average offering.
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Sweeper: 77-81 mph. 1-to-7 shape. More tilt
than depth. Long, horizontal shape. Potential fringe-average
offering.
Career Notes:
Was drafted twice by the Nationals. Originally selected in the
39th round in 2019 out of high school, but did not sign. Was
selected again in the second round in 2022 after his junior year
at Oklahoma. Did not pitch after signing and then injured his
elbow during the summer of his first full professional season.
Underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023, missing the
entire 2024 season and the first month of 2025. Began a rehab
assignment in May 2025 and reached Double-A by the end of the
season. Pitched in the Arizona Fall League to get more innings
and led the league in strikeouts with 25 in 20 innings. Was
added to the Nationals' 40-man roster in November 2025 to
protect him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Was acquired by
the Red Sox in December 2025 in a straight swap for Luis
Perales, who was the 4th ranked prospect in the Red Sox system
at the time. Started the 2026 Spring Breakout game.
Summation: Potential backend starter. Ceiling
of a mid-rotation starter. Improved as the 2025 season went
along and as he got farther away from his Tommy John surgery.
High-floor prospect. Fastball and changeup are both major league
quality and come with elite extension and an advanced command
and control profile. Checks a lot of boxes the Red Sox look for
with his size, extension and strike throwing, giving him a
profile the Red Sox have been able to elevate in the past. Prime
candidate for their velocity program and pitch design to improve
his breaking pitches. Could have untapped potential that shows
after a healthy offseason working with the Red Sox pitching
development staff.
Links
SoxProspects Podcast: Analysis of Perales-Bennett Trade (12.15.25)
To the Show Baseball Podcast - Jake Bennett joins the show!
(2.14.26) |
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