Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 26-June 1, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Double-A Portland’s doubleheader on the road against the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field last Thursday. The 24-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings. He retired the final eight batters he faced and finished with 83 pitches (56 strikes), inducing eight swings and misses.

The Sea Dogs ultimately defeated the Curve, 3-0, in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader and went on to sweep the twin bill with a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.

Through nine appearances (eight starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Sandlin has posted a 3.77 ERA (3.42 FIP) with 45 strikeouts to 12 walks over a staff-leading 43 innings of work. Opposing hitters have batted .239 against him.

Among 25 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin notably ranks sixth in walks per nine innings (2.51) and xFIP (3.47), seventh in walk rate (6.8 percent) and FIP, and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.42), strikeout rate (25.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent), and WHIP (1.19), per FanGraphs.

Sandlin entered the 2025 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Luis Perales. The former 2022 11th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber last February. He split the 2024 season between High-A Greenville and Portland, compiling a 5.34 ERA (4.78 FIP) across 18 starts spanning 57 1/3 total innings.

Listed at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily featured a five-pitch mix this season. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the athletic hurler regularly averages 94-97 mph with a fastball that has reached 99 mph in-game after touching triple digits last year and over the winter. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-91 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who just turned 24 in February, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. With that, it would not be surprising if the fireballer were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future as the Red Sox continue to assess whether he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.