Red Sox Selected Pitcher With ‘More Upside Than Anyone,’ Former Exec Says

The Boston Red Sox selected the pitcher with more upside than any other hurler in the 2025 MLB Draft, according to a former general manager.

Boston drafted right-handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick. Witherspoon is a product of the University of Oklahoma.

“This guy has more upside of anyone that’s been taken from a pitching standpoint,” former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said on the MLB Network broadcast Sunday night. “I think this young man is just scratching the surface of how good he can be.”

The 6-foot-2, 207-pound Witherspoon was a consensus First Team All-American by Baseball America in 2025. He recorded a 2.65 ERA in 31 appearances (27 starts) during the campaign.

O’Dowd was not the only one to praise Boston’s selection, though. Countless media members and fans also had enthusiastic reactions to the selection of Witherspoon, who was No. 7 on Baseball America’s big board and No. 10 on MLB Pipeline entering the draft.