Red Sox 21-year-old prospect Eduardo Rivera continued to dominate for High-A Greenville in a 5-2 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday. He struck out nine without giving up a hit in 4 ⅔ innings.
Rivera, who is 6-foot-7, has struck out 37 of 81 batters he has faced, leading all Red Sox minor league pitchers with a 45.7% strikeout percentage. He’s one of six pitchers in Boston’s farm system with a strikeout percentage of 40% or higher.
The lefty had 13 swings and misses vs. Bowling Green. He has a 0.83 ERA (21 ⅔ innings, two earned runs), 0.65 WHIP, 37 strikeouts and nine walks in six outings (four starts). He also has allowed just five hits, holding opponents to a .072 batting average.
Rivera throws a fastball in the 93-97 mph range. He also has a slider, split-finger fastball and sweeper.
The Puerto Rican initially was an Athletics’ 11th-round draft pick in 2021. But Oakland released him last May 21 after he struggled with some control issues throughout the minors.
Below is a list of the top strikeout pitchers in the Red Sox system so far.
LEADING RED SOX PROSPECTS IN STRIKEOUT PERCENTAGE
Eduardo Rivera, High-A: 45.7% (37 strikeouts, 81 batters faced)
Yordanny Monegro, Double-A: 43.9% (47 strikeouts, 107 batters faced)
Hayden Mullins, High-A/Double-A: 42.5% (37 strikeouts, 87 batters faced)
Connelly Early, Double-A: 40.4% (38 strikeouts, 94 batters faced)
Brandon Clarke, Low-A/High-A: 40.2% (33 strikeouts, 82 batters faced)
Jeremy Wu-Yelland, High-A/Double-A: 40% (32 strikeouts, 80 batters faced)
Payton Tolle, High-A: 39.2% (40 strikeouts, 102 batters faced)
Nick Burdi, Triple-A: 38.5% (25 strikeouts, 65 batters faced)
Shane Drohan, Triple-A: 35.2% (38 strikeouts, 108 batters faced)
Max Carlson, High-A: 34.8% (31 strikeouts, 89 batters faced)
Cooper Criswell, Triple-A: 34.8% (31 strikeouts, 89 batters faced)
Jojo Ingrassia, High-A: 33.9% (21 strikeouts, 62 batters faced)
Jack Anderson, Double-A/Triple-A: 33.7% (33 strikeouts, 98 batters faced)
Reidis Sena, Double-A: 33.3% (22 strikeouts, 66 batters faced)
Dalton Rogers, High-A/Double-A: 32.5% (40 strikeouts, 123 batters faced)
Isaac Stebens, High-A: 31.8% (27 strikeouts, 85 batters faced)
Noah Dean, High-A: 31.5% (35 strikeouts, 111 batters faced)
Matt McShane, Low-A/High-A: 31.4% (33 strikeouts, 105 batters faced)
Bryan Mata, Triple-A: 30.7% (35 strikeouts, 114 batters faced)
Cooper Adams, High-A: 30.9% (29 strikeouts, 94 batters faced)
Robert Stock, Triple-A: 29.8% (51 strikeouts, 171 batters faced)
Michael Sansone, Low-A: 29.3% (22 strikeouts, 75 batters faced)
Tyler Uberstine, Double-A/Triple-A: 27.9% (40 strikeouts, 143 batters faced)
Shea Sprague, Low-A: 27.4% (31 strikeouts, 113 batters faced)
Adam Smith, High-A: 26.8% (26 strikeouts, 97 batters faced)
Joe Vogatsky, Low-A: 26.7% (32 strikeouts, 120 batters faced)
