The Red Sox pitching pipeline is strong. From those who have debuted, such as Richard Fitts or Hunter Dobbins, to newer faces like Brandon Clarke and Connelly Early, the organization is full of promising young pitchers.
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One arm that’s flashing some serious potential is David Sandlin’s. Sandlin is a right-hander pitching out of Double-A Portland’s rotation. Following a six-inning, no-hit performance on Sunday, Sandlin was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.
The righty is 6-foot-4 and a very explosive athlete. His fastball has touched 100 mph and has shown swing-and-miss potential with his breaking pitches as well. He has the potential to be a starting pitcher, but his somewhat violent mechanics do present some reliever risk.
Throughout the minors, Sandlin has struck out hitters at a high rate. Across 57 1/3 innings at High-A Greenville and Double-A last season, he struck out 33.2% of the hitters he faced.
He’ll have to find a way to limit damage when hitters do make contact, though. 14 home runs contributed to an ERA of 5.34 in 2024.
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Sandlin threw 95 innings in his final college season at Oklahoma. He hasn’t thrown more than 67 innings in pro ball, and he’s already at 60 this season. He’ll likely push for promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the season ends, but they’ll want to monitor his workload to take care of his arm.
Sandlin was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for relief pitcher John Schreiber before the 2024 season.
