2025 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 2 - Pitchers
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For the second and final part of SoxProspects.com's 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we turn our attention to the mound and recognize some of the more well-regarded pitchers in the Red Sox farm system. This group of eight includes five starters who are ranked among the organization's top 25 prospects and three relatively unheralded relievers.
Juan Valera: Starting Pitcher, Salem Red Sox
Valera, who turns 19 in May, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time after earning 2024 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year honors. The Dominican-born right-hander enjoyed a successful stateside debut last season by forging a 1.99 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 outings (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the Florida Complex League and Salem. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 19 prospect and is expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2025 campaign.
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Jedixson Paez: Starting Pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs
Paez, who turned 21 in January, is also a first-time Pre-Season All-Star. The Venezuelan-born righty is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign in which he posted a 3.17 ERA (3.17 FIP) with 113 strikeouts to just 12 walks over 22 outings (12 starts) spanning 96 2/3 innings between Salem and Greenville. His minuscule 3.1 percent walk rate on the year was among the lowest in the minors for those who threw at least 95 innings. He is currently regarded as the organization's No. 23 prospect and is slated to break camp with Portland.
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Connelly Early: Starting Pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs
Early, who turns 23 in early April, is another first-time Pre-Season All-Star after taking home 2024 SoxProspects.com Rookie of the Year honors. Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2023 draft out of Virginia, Early marked his first full season in pro ball by posting a 3.99 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 138 strikeouts to 39 walks in 23 starts (103 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland. The left-hander possesses plenty of upside and currently slots in as the No. 14 prospect in the organization. Like Paez, he is also expected to be part of Portland's starting rotation out of the gate this upcoming season.
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Payton Tolle: Starting Pitcher, Greenville Drive
Tolle, 22, is the lone pitcher on this list who has yet to make his professional debut. The burly 6-foot-6, 250-pound southpaw was selected with the 50th overall pick in last year's draft out of Texas Christian. He received a $2 million signing bonus in late July but did not pitch for an affiliate after forging a 3.21 ERA with 125 strikeouts to 37 walks in 14 starts (81 1/3 innings) for the Horned Frogs as a junior. He is currently regarded as the No. 10 prospect in the organization and is slated to report to Greenville for the start of his first full season in the pro ranks.
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Hunter Dobbins: Starting Pitcher, Worcester Red Sox
Dobbins, 25, is a first-time Pre-Season All-Star after being recognized as the 2024 Red Sox Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. In 25 starts between Portland and Worcester last season, the right-hander pitched to a 3.08 ERA (3.04 FIP) with 120 strikeouts to 40 walks over 125 2/3 total innings. The Texas Tech product was added to Boston's 40-man roster in November for Rule 5 protection purposes and took part in his first major-league camp this spring. Currently ranked as the organization's No. 8 prospect, Dobbins will provide starting rotation depth in Worcester to begin the new campaign.
Max Carlson: Relief Pitcher, Greenville Drive
Carlson, 23, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time after earning SoxProspects.com All-Star honors in his first full professional season last year. In 33 total appearances between Salem and Greenville, the former 2023 12th-round draft selection out of North Carolina posted a 2.73 ERA (2.41 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 23 walks over 69 1/3 innings of relief. A Minnesota native, Carlson is currently regarded as the No. 42 prospect in the organization. The right-hander is in line to return to Greenville for the start of the upcoming season.
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Christopher Troye: Relief Pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs
Troye, who turned 26 in February, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second year in a row. The hard-throwing righty will be looking to rebound in 2025 after an up-and-down 2024 in which he forged a 4.60 ERA (4.87 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 31 walks over 28 relief appearances (45 innings) for Portland. He fared better in the second half and seemingly carried that momentum into camp by allowing just one earned run in seven outings (4 1/3 no-hit innings) this spring. He is not currently ranked among the organization's top 60 prospects but is expected to return to Portland to kick off the new campaign.
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Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Relief Pitcher, Greenville Drive
Wu-Yelland, 25, is the seventh and final first-time Pre-Season All-Star on this list. After dealing with some setbacks related to his April 2022 Tommy John surgery, the left-hander appeared in 23 games for Greenville last season, posting a 5.67 ERA (3.77 FIP) with 42 strikeouts to 23 walks over 33 1/3 innings of relief. He had a healthy offseason and pitched for China in the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Tucson, Ariz., earlier this spring, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless frames in his lone outing. He is not ranked among the organization's top 60 prospects and is slated to break camp with Greenville.
Photo Credit: All by Kelly O'Connor