Honestly, if you looked at the Red Sox farm system over the last three years, you’d see a lot of "Big Three" or "Big Four" talk involving guys like Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel. It was all bats. All the time. But the Boston Red Sox draft picks 2025 signaled a massive, almost aggressive pivot. Craig Breslow and Devin Pearson basically decided that if they were going to fix the organizational pitching drought, they were going to do it all at once.
They took 15 pitchers out of 21 total selections. That is not a typo.
It’s the kind of draft that makes you realize the front office knows exactly where the hole in the bucket is. By focusing almost exclusively on college arms—specifically from the SEC—they’ve drafted a group that could, in theory, be pitching at Fenway Park by the time you've finished reading this article. Okay, maybe not that fast. But the "college-heavy" approach is a clear signal that they want contributors, not projects.
The Big Catch: Kyson Witherspoon at No. 15
How Kyson Witherspoon fell to 15 is still a bit of a mystery to most scouts. Both Baseball America and MLB.com had him ranked significantly higher (some as high as No. 7).
He’s a right-hander out of Oklahoma with a fastball that lives in the high 90s and has touched 99 mph. But it’s not just the heat. The kid has a five-pitch mix. That’s rare for a college starter. Usually, you’re looking at a guy with a "good heater and a developing slider." Witherspoon is more polished than that.
The Red Sox signed him for $5 million, which was slightly below the slot value for the 15th pick. It’s a steal. Honestly, he has the "stuff" of a frontline starter. If he maintains the 2.65 ERA and high strikeout rate he showed with the Sooners, he’s going to move through Portland and Worcester like a freight train.
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Marcus Phillips and the 101 MPH Dream
Then there’s Marcus Phillips. Boston grabbed him at pick 33 in the Competitive Balance Round A (a pick they got from the Brewers in the Quinn Priester trade).
Phillips is the "wild card" of the 2025 class. He’s a mountain of a man from Tennessee who can crank it up to 101 mph.
- The Pros: Incredible velocity, a "terrifying" slider, and a body built for 200 innings.
- The Cons: He walks too many people. 34 walks in 83 innings isn't great.
- The Reality: Even if he never finds the command to be an ace, his floor is a high-leverage reliever who makes hitters' lives miserable in the 8th inning.
Breaking the Pitching Trend: Henry Godbout
The Red Sox didn't only take pitchers. They used their compensatory second-round pick (No. 75) on Henry Godbout, a middle infielder from Virginia.
Godbout is a "Breslow-type" player. He doesn't strike out. In college, he actually walked more than he whiffed (26 walks to 19 strikeouts). In a world where everyone is swinging for the fences and missing, a guy who puts the ball in play and can play multiple infield spots is a massive asset. He isn't going to hit 30 homers, but he’s the kind of "glue guy" every winning roster needs.
The Anthony Eyanson "Steal"
If Witherspoon was a bargain, Anthony Eyanson at pick 87 was a robbery. He’s a righty from LSU (because apparently the Red Sox only scouted the SEC this year) who many expected to go in the first or second round.
He posted a 3.00 ERA and struck out 152 batters in 108 innings. That strikeout-to-walk ratio is elite. One scout mentioned that the Red Sox actually considered taking him at 33. Getting him at 87 is the kind of draft-day maneuvering that helps a GM sleep at night.
Strategy: Why All the Pitching?
It’s easy to look at the list of Boston Red Sox draft picks 2025 and wonder if they forgot that baseball involves hitting. But you’ve got to look at the context of the current roster.
- The Young Core is Set: With Rafaela, Anthony, and Mayer, the "hitting" side of the future is actually pretty crowded.
- Pitching is Expensive: Buying an ace in free agency costs $300 million. Drafting one costs a signing bonus and some development time.
- Trade Bait: Even if all these pitchers don't make the Red Sox rotation, college arms are the most valuable currency in the trade market.
The Rest of the 2025 Draft Class
The Red Sox rounded out the draft with a heavy emphasis on SEC talent and high-ceiling college performers.
- Jacob Mayers (RHP, LSU): Another triple-digit arm from the Tigers. High effort, high reward.
- Mason White (SS, Arizona): A Day 2 pick who can absolutely mash. He hit over .300 in a tough Pac-12 (at the time) environment.
- Dylan Brown (LHP, Old Dominion): A massive 6'5" lefty who gives the system some much-needed variety.
- Maximus Martin (SS, Kansas State): A high-IQ infielder who played for three different colleges. He’s lived a lot of baseball.
What Happens Next for These Picks?
Most of these guys will report to Fort Myers for a brief period before being assigned to the Low-A Salem Red Sox or High-A Greenville Drive. Because they are mostly college juniors, don't be surprised if Witherspoon or Eyanson finish the year in Double-A Portland.
The goal for the Red Sox is simple: find three legitimate starters out of this group. If they do that, the 2025 draft will be remembered as the moment the franchise finally fixed its pitching problem.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Follow the Portland Sea Dogs: This is where the 2025 class will likely congregate by mid-2026. Keep an eye on the Friday night starter slots.
- Watch the K-rate: When checking box scores, look at the walks for Marcus Phillips. If those go down, his value triples.
- Sign up for SoxProspects: It’s the gold standard for tracking these guys through the minor league weeds.
The Red Sox took a gamble on volume. By flooding the system with high-velocity college arms, they’re playing a numbers game. Some will get hurt. Some will move to the bullpen. But if even a fraction of these Boston Red Sox draft picks 2025 hit their ceiling, the rotation in Boston is going to be very fun to watch very soon.