WORCESTER — Quinn Priester is set to make his WooSox debut on Sunday afternoon after he was acquired from the Pirates for Nick Yorke earlier this week. In the meantime, he’s jumped right into the fray since arriving in Worcester on Tuesday.
“A lot of emotions, but I’m really excited,” Priester said. “The organization speaks for itself, the history and the city and everything, there’s a lot to be excited about. Being able to wear Red Sox across my chest, it’s really special and something that’s still setting in every single hour I’m here.
A fresh start in a new organization could be huge for the 23-year-old, who already has 94 2/3 MLB innings under his belt. Those 20 appearances (14 starts) haven’t lived up to hype that came with being a 2019 first-round draft pick.
“I still think the sky’s the limit for me and being able to get a fresh start in a new organization, especially one with the reputation that the Red Sox have, is super exciting,” Priester said.
Priester is the type of pitcher to throw everything but the kitchen sink. Currently he throws a four-seamer, sinker, slider, curveball, and changeup, and sayd he “has the ability to do some other thing as we need it.”
“I’m definitely a mixed guy,” Priester added. “I have a lot of pitches that are really, really good and the more I can make that a power mix, the better.”
His favorite pitch to throw, though, is his curve.
“I love when you rip a real good curveball, you just know it as soon as it comes out of your hand,” Priester said. “Same with the changeup too sometimes where as soon as it leaves your hand, you know it’s a good one.”
This week has been somewhat of a whirlwind for Priester. He says he was in line at Potbelly with his girlfriend when he got the call from Pirates GM Ben Cherington with the news.
“I looked at Regan, my girlfriend. I was like, yeah, I’m not hungry anymore,” Priester said.
“Exciting is definitely the emotion that comes to the forefront,” Priester added. “I think ultimately there’s always going to be some nervousness and some uncertainty going to a new place, meeting new people. Being with the Pirates for 4 1/2, five years, I kind of know everybody at every level and form relationships there. That’s probably the hardest part is going to be leaving those relationships and making new ones.”
He’ll get his feet under him in Triple-A before he gets his shot with the Red Sox. Priester had been pitching out of the bullpen lately for Pittsburgh, last making a start in the majors back on June 2. He’s split the season between the Pirates and Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
“The better I can be the, the quicker I can get ready to be back helping in any way,” Priester said. “That’s what I plan to do. I understand how important pitching in is in winning these days.”
Bisons 5, WooSox 3
Despite sitting through a 24-minute rain delay, WooSox starter Richard Fitts turned in a nice outing, going six innings with the only blemish being a solo home run from Will Wagner in the sixth. Fitts scattered five hits and fanned seven,
“His best outings are always when he’s remaining intent and he’s throwing the ball 95-plus [mph], and the changeup’s really good,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said before Friday’s game. “He has to use it versus lefties and righties and be in the zone with it…intensity with him is important.”
The WooSox were a bit short-handed on Friday with Triston Casas and Vaughn Grissom both getting the day off in their rehab assignments and Eddy Alvarez getting the day off (neck stiffness). The WooSox pushed across three runs with nice games from Tyler McDonough (2-for-4), Chase Meidroth (2-for-4, walk) and Mickey Gasper (RBI double).
Things fell apart in the ninth as Luis Guerrero tried to hang onto the one-run lead. Six-time All-Star Joey Votto made a pinch-hitting appearance and laced a single to put two on before Phil Clarke blasted a three-run home run to give the Bisons the lead and the victory.
Notes
– The WooSox had the spotlight on them for Thursday’s doubleheader as Netflix cameras were on hand for both games, getting footage and mic-ing up players.
An 18-person crew set up shop in the dugouts and captured the WooSox’ 9-8 walk-off win in the first game of the doubleheader. Players like Jamie Westbrook, Nathan Hickey, Eddy Alvarez and rehabbers Triston Casas and Vaughn Grissom had on microphones for both games for the documentary Netflix is producing on the 2024 Red Sox.
“There’s a good portion of the guys in here that were in big league camp and already kind of dealt with it,” Tracy said. “[It was] pretty seamless. They threw the mics on, and then our dugouts are bigger than Fenway’s…so they can roam the back part of the dugout, they had space. It was no big deal.”
– The plan for the rehabbers Casas and Grissom this weekend is to have Casas DH on Saturday and play first on Sunday, while Grissom will play second on Saturday and DH on Sunday.
Casas will go on the road with the WooSox next week, and is scheduled to play in five games, though Tracy isn’t sure when his day off will fall yet.
What’s Next
The WooSox fill face off against Aaron Sanchez on Saturday, who has nearly 700 MLB innings on his resume over eight seasons. Brad Keller will get the nod for Worcester with first pitch at 4:05 p.m.
