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Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera undergoes Tommy John surgery
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- Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera undergoes Tommy John surgery
Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera underwent Tommy John surgery, according to an industry source.
Baseball America ranked the 19-year-old Valera Boston ’s No. 5 overall prospect entering 2026.
Valera, a Dominican Republic native who stands at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, began this season with High-A Greenville where he allowed two runs in 9 ⅓ innings (1.93 ERA) across three starts before getting injured. He limited opponents to four hits and a .125 batting average. He struck out 17 and walked four.
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He was limited to 10 starts in 2025 due to elbow inflammation.
The righty is one of the hardest throwers in the minor leagues. He topped out at 100.5 mph and averaged 99.3 mph with his four-seam fastball in Boston’s Spring Breakout game March 20. He hit triple-digits three times and threw 12 of his 16 four-seamers at 99.4 mph or harder during that showcase game between the Red Sox prospects and Orioles prospects.
He has a 3.72 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and .200 opponents’ batting average in 46 minor league outings (30 starts).
Baseball America ranked pitching prospects Payton Tolle , Connelly Early and Kyson Witherspoon ahead of Valera entering 2026.
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Valera was ranked No. 100 on Baseball America’s Top 100 list but dropped out in the publication’s latest rankings that were released Wednesday.
The latest list includes Red Sox pitching prospects Tolle (No. 8), Anthony Eyanson (No. 48) and Witherspoon (No. 73) and shortstop Franklin Arias (No. 16). Early graduated from prospect status.
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