Meet a Rising Boston Red Sox Prospect Not Named Roman Anthony or Marcelo Mayer

Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.

Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony.

Talk about Boston Red Sox prospects and those are the first two names to roll off the tongue.

But MLB.com this week identified what it called “each club’s most pleasant prospect surprise” and unearthed the name of a promising, under-the-radar left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox: Brandon Clarke.

The 22-year-old Clarke is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 29 prospect in the Red Sox farm system. He joined the team as a fifth-round pick in 2024 out of the Florida junior college ranks.

In high school in Virginia, Clarke had Tommy John surgery and then faced thoracic issues. Slated to pitch in college at Alabama, he was forced to redshirt in 2022, then went to junior college the following season and threw only 3.2 innings. But in 2024, he impressed with 107 strikeouts in 74.1 innings before the draft. The Red Sox got a chance to see him in action at the MLB combine.

Clarke started his first pro season at Single-A Salem, making three appearances before being promoted to High-A Greenville in late April. In all, he’s 0-1 with a 2.29 ERA in six starts. Over 19.2 innings, he has struck out 33 batters and walked eight, giving up just five hits. His flaw? Six hit batters.