May 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove rests on the railing by the dugout prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Red Sox Little-Known Prospect Impresses With Fastball Upgrade

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 11:21 AM ET

One of the best things about Spring Training is the fact that it gives fanbases around the league a chance to hear about guys that you may not during the season.

When the regular season starts up, the vast majority of the chatter will be about the Boston Red Sox's big league club, competition in the standings, trade candidates and all of that jazz. There surely will be some prospect talk, during the regular season that's more reserved for guys at the top of the farm system. For example, last season that was Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell generated headlines. This season, it'll probably be Payton Tolle and Connelly Early as they try to secure consistent roles in the majors.

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But Spring Training is a good time of the year in part because you can see and hear about other guys who one day could make an impact. For example, Andrew Parker of Baseball Now shared that 20-year-old Australian pitching prospect Adam Bates has shown a jump in fastball velocity already in Spring Training.

It's one of the best times of the year

"Another name to watch is Adam Bates," Parker wrote. "Bates is still only 20 years old and he is the only Australian pitching prospect in the system. The right-hander flashed a fastball at 95.5 mph today, which is a career best compared to his season average in Low-A Salem last year of 91 mph. While facing Wilyer Abreu in his live at-bat, he called for the trainers about an issue with his hamstring. He got carted to the locker room but seemed confident afterward that he would not miss much time."

Red Sox Australian pitching prospect Adam Bates throwing a live BP against Wilyer Abreu pic.twitter.com/RMMluaOFUi
— Andrew Parker (@ByAndrewParker) February 12, 2026

This is one of the best things about Spring Training. Bates is just 20 years old and isn't currently on the team's list of their top-30 prospects, per MLB.com. And yet he's someone who has already turned heads a bit. It's unfortunate that he was carted out, but positive that Parker noted that he isn't expected to miss much time.

Bates has pitched in the Red Sox's farm system over the last two seasons. In 2024, he appeared in 11 games, including nine starts, and had a 3.96 ERA in 36 1/3 innings pitched for the FCL Red Sox. In 2025, he appeared in 22 games, including six starts, for Class-A Salem and had a 5.04 ERA in 80 1/3 innings pitched.

Fans may not know much about him now, but that's one of the best parts about Spring Training. You can hear stories about the progression of prospects in the system. A fastball velocity increase like this, as Parker pointed out, is huge. Again, he's just 20 years old. Maybe one day we'll see that fastball at Fenway Park. It all starts in Spring Training and then working your way up.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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