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New Red Sox prospect breaks into Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings
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- New Red Sox prospect breaks into Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings
A new Red Sox prospect broke into Baseball America’s latest Top 100 rankings.
Juan Valera came in at No. 100. It’s the right-handed pitcher’s first appearance on BA’s list.
“Valera is one of the hardest throwing right-handed starting pitching prospects in all of baseball, maxing out at 101.7 mph in a recent start,” the outlet wrote . “He complements his fastball with a trio of secondaries — slider, sweeper and changeup — that he has surprisingly good feel for and command of, for a 19-year-old.”
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Valera has a 2.16 ERA and 16 strikeouts in two starts for High-A Greenville. In his first start of the season, the 19-year-old struck out seven of the 14 batters he faced and induced 13 swings and misses.
Valera also consistently hits 100mph on the radar.
“He’s a monster physically,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told MassLive’s Christopher Smith . “He’s done a lot of work on his secondary pitches, but when you’re sitting 96 in your sides, that’s encouraging. And he can run it up.”
All told, the Red Sox have five prospects on Baseball America’s Top 100.
| Rank |
Player |
Level |
|---|---|---|
| 11 |
AAA |
|
| 33 |
MLB |
|
| 46 |
Franklin Arias |
AA |
| 66 |
Kyson Witherspoon |
High A |
| 100 |
Juan Valera |
High A |
Tolle began the season in Triple-A Worcester. He’s coming off a second straight strong start for the WooSox in which he struck out six batters in five scoreless innings in the 8-2 win over the Columbus Clippers.
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Early, meanwhile, made Boston’s Opening Day roster and will make his fourth start of the 2026 season Wednesday afternoon in the Red Sox’ series finale against the Minnesota Twins .
In three starts in 2026, Early is 0-0 with a 2.63 ERA, 15 strikeouts and a 1.537 WHIP.
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