Thaddeus Ward

Ward was one of the more surprising omissions from his team's alternate training site, which suggests the Red Sox don't quite buy into what looked like a mini breakout in 2019. A reliever in college, Ward logged a 1.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 127:45 K:BB in 102.1 innings over his final 20 starts in 2019, split between Low-A and High-A. The 6-foot-3, 193-pound righty's plus slider headlines a five-pitch mix -- he also throws a four-seamer, sinker, cutter and changeup. He spent 2020 working out on his own and specifically worked on refining his changeup, which will be an important pitch for him to neutralize left-handed hitters. His command and control are what will determine whether he makes it as a starter or a reliever. He has a starter's delivery, but currently only displays fringe-average command. Ward should head to Double-A this year and will look to put himself in the big-league rotation mix for 2022.

Ward has one of the best sliders in the minors and logged a 1.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 127:45 K:BB in 102.1 innings over his final 20 starts, split between Low-A and High-A. The 6-foot-3 righty primarily worked as a reliever at Central Florida, so the Red Sox were able to wait until the fifth round of the 2018 draft before selecting him. Since signing, his stuff has ticked up, with his low-90s sinker touching 97 mph for the first time in 2019. Ward throws a plus cutter that is a distinctly different pitch from his slider. He also mixes in a curveball and changeup. It is clearly a starter's pitch mix and a starter's delivery, so as long as Ward's command and control improve slightly over the next couple years, he should have no problem sticking in the rotation. He is a sleeper this offseason, but the hype is building and could reach a crescendo if his stuff holds in his second full pro season.