New Red Sox prospect throws the kitchen sink, including changeup that ‘flummoxes’ hitters

BOSTON — New Red Sox starting pitching prospect Jake Bennett throws the kitchen sink at hitters.

He has a six-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, changeup, cutter, sweeper and curveball.

Boston acquired the 25-year-old lefty from the Nationals for pitching prospect Luis Perales on Dec. 15. The 2022 Washington second-round pick out of Oklahoma missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned strongly in 2025, recording a 2.27 ERA in 19 outings (18 starts) across Low A, High A and Double A. He posted a 2.56 ERA over his final 10 outings (nine starts) at Double-A Harrisburg.

The 6-foot-6, 234-pounder said his changeup has been his go-to secondary “from as long as I can remember.”

Baseball America, which ranks him Boston’s No. 6 prospect, wrote, “Bennett’s carrying secondary pitch is his mid-80s changeup that fades to his arm side and flummoxes minor league righthanded batters, who hit .210 with no home runs against him in 2025.”

Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline grade his changeup 60 (plus) on the 20-80 grading scale.

“I just feel like I tunnel it very well with my fastball,” Bennett said at Boston’s Rookie Development Camp earlier this month. “The pitch kind of comes natural to me. So I just have a lot of confidence in it. I can throw it in any count and to either side, right or left.”

He can reach the upper-90s with his fastball and he mixes in the two other variations in the two-seamer and cutter.

“(The cutter is) not really like an out pitch, per se,” Bennett said. “Just something to add to the mix. Keep the hitters honest. Looking for a little bit of lift and trying to keep it around that zero line.”

The sweeper is relatively new.

“The sweeper is something I added kind of towards like the middle of last season,” he said. “It’s been something that I’ve been working on, developing.

“The curveball is something that I’m going to be adding as well,” Bennett added. “That’s just something that I’ve discussed in my player plan with the Red Sox guys since I’ve gotten here.”

Bennett likely will begin 2026 in Double-A Portland’s starting rotation.

Worcester’s rotations

The Red Sox have 14 starting pitchers on their 40-man roster. With such depth, it wouldn’t be surprising if a couple of young starters end up in the bullpen this season.

As mentioned in last week’s minor league story, lefty Shane Drohan is far down on the starting pitching depth list, but Boston is thin in terms of left-handed relief depth and experience. Maybe Drohan will get a shot as a left-handed reliever in the Red Sox bullpen.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said no discussions have been had yet on young starters who might fill bullpen roles this season. He said everyone will come to spring training camp stretched out and then they will go from there (likely based on need).

Without factoring in potential switches to the bullpen, here’s how Worcester’s Opening Day rotation might look like:

Payton Tolle
Connelly Early
Kyle Harrison
Tyler Uberstine
David Sandlin
Shane Drohan

Harrison, a lefty who Boston acquired for Rafael Devers, still has two options remaining. Everyone else above has all three minor league options left.

Latest Top 100 lists

MLB Pipeline released its latest Top 100 list and it includes four Red Sox prospects.

Lefty starter Payton Tolle came in at No. 19, shortstop prospect Franklin Arias is No. 31, left-handed starter Connelly Early is No. 56 and right-handed pitching prospect Kyson Witherspoon is No. 84.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also released his Top 100 list. Tolle comes in at No. 22, Arias No. 36, Early No. 48, Witherspoon No. 67 and Juan Valera No. 90.

Witherspoon, Boston’s 2025 first round selection out of Oklahoma, trained at Driveline Baseball this offseason and added a sweeper. Driveline posted a video on X about how he learned a “mind-bending sweeper” in 30 seconds.