Unknown Red Sox Prospect Making Waves In Minor Leagues With 50 Strikeouts

The recently drafted pitcher is off to a hot start out of nowhere

The Boston Red Sox may have an unheralded prospect in their farm system.

Right-hander Isaac Coffey has been posting more-than-impressive numbers in his first full season in the Red Sox organization. 

Coffey has a 3.35 ERA with a whopping 50-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .229 batting average against and a 1.06 WHIP playing for the High-A Greenville Drive this season.

In Coffey's last start, he tossed six scoreless innings with four hits allowed, 11 strikeouts and a walk -- a permanence that garnered attention.

The 22-year-old starting pitcher was drafted during the 10th round in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Red Sox, coming out of Oral Roberts University.   

Coffey’s 50 strikeouts rank No. 18 among all levels of minor-league baseball. What makes the stat so impressive is that his fastball only sits around 88-91 mph but he's able to lean on his four-pitch mix, including a curveball, slider, and changeup. 

Although he hasn’t struggled thus far, his basement-level velocity could be an anchor for his development. If he’s able to find an extra gear, he should be a top name in our organization. 

Fellow farmhand Shane Drohan was sitting in the low 90s last season before adding weight and jumping into league-average range. Since then he's been nearly unstoppable. Coffey could follow a similar path, but he'd have to wait for the offseason to do so. 

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