Red Sox Lefty Named Boston's 'Most Pleasant' Surprise

There's a lot to like about the Boston Red Sox's farm system right now.

Boston obviously has two of the top overall prospects in the game in outfielder Roman Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer. These two aren't the only guys worth being excited about, though. For example, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra actually called left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke the Red Sox's "most pleasant prospect surprise."

"Red Sox: Brandon Clarke, LHP (No. 29)," Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra said. "The Red Sox knew Clarke could reach the upper 90s with his fastball when they drafted him in the fifth round out of the State JC of Florida (Manatee-Sarasota) last July, but he also had missed most of 2022 and 2023 and didn't have much track record of throwing strikes.

"He has proven more advanced than expected in his pro debut while sitting at 96-97 mph with his heater and unveiling an upper-80s slider and improved control. He has posted a 2.29 ERA with just five hits allowed and 33 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings between two Class A stops."

Clarke hasn't really gotten much buzz throughout the season so far. It's hard to when there are big-name prospects like Anthony and Mayer. But, he has shined. He's Boston's No. 29 prospect right now and has logged a 2.29 ERA this season six starts. He has spent time with the Class-A Salem Red Sox and High-A Greenville Drive already.