Red Sox New Pitching Prospect Impresses In Worcester: 'His Stuff Is Really Good'

Boston is monitoring the development of its July acquisition

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The Boston Red Sox made at least one controversial trade before the deadline in July.

When chief baseball officer Craig Breslow dealt second baseman prospect Nick Yorke to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitching prospect Quinn Priester, not everyone was a fan of the move.

Yorke, selected at No. 17 overall by Boston in the 2020 draft, has done nothing but produce since the trade, creating potential regret for Breslow and the Red Sox front office.

On the other hand, Breslow’s return in the Yorke deal — Priester — is beginning to show signs of excellence that might render nil any notions of regret about acquiring him.

Priester turned in a dominant performance on Friday night for Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, as reported by MassLive’s Katie Morrison O’Day.

“Priester, who came over to the Red Sox last month in exchange for Nick Yorke, turned in one of the best five innings of pitching the WooSox have seen all season on Friday night,” O’Day said.

“Priester was incredibly efficient in his five innings of work, using only 42 pitches (29 strikes) and allowing just two baserunners … It was a full return to form for the former first-round draft pick, whose first start at Polar Park last homestand was a clunker … He looked much better in his second outing … Priester pounded the strike zone, averaging less than 8 1/2 pitches per inning.”

Velocity is the main area of focus for Priester right now, according to WooSox manager Chad Tracy.

“Biggest focus with Quinn right now is recapturing and getting him getting some velocity back,” Tracy said, per O’Day. “His stuff is really good. When he was first drafted by the Pirates and was going through their system those initial years, I think there was velo, which I think made him attractive. We know that’s in there.”

Priester himself also spoke about velocity in the aftermath of his first successful outing with the Red Sox.

“I think velocity is a huge component, and that’s something that we’re really honing in on ever since making the move over here,” Priester said. “I’m going to keep doing that and keep getting better.”

Priester will always be inevitably linked to Yorke throughout their respective careers, at least in the eyes of Red Sox fans. Both players are showing signs that they can contribute at the Major League level.

When and how that will happen remains a mystery.

In Priester’s case, pitching is an obvious need for the big league team at present, meaning his opportunities to rise could arrive sooner than most expect.

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