Shane Drohan’s New Velocity Catches Attention Of Red Sox

When the Red Sox selected lefthander Shane Drohan out of Florida State in the fifth and final round of the bizarre 2020 draft, it was with an eye toward what the pitcher could become.

In college, Drohan generally sat in the low 90s and struggled with control, walking nearly a batter per inning for the Seminoles.

But the Red Sox saw Drohan as a terrific athlete with the room to add strength to his 6-foot-3 frame, and with it the potential to gain both velocity—he flashed 95 mph in college—and a more repeatable delivery.

“He was really athletic. He wasn’t polished as it relates to his body, but he had good, fluid arm action, he had really good extension, and he got down the mound well, which I liked,” Florida area scout Dante Ricciardi said.

“I always said, based on the athlete and how well the arm works, I think if we could get this kid on a strength-and-conditioning program, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be pitching at 92-94 (mph) when it’s all shaken out.”

That vision has come to fruition for the 24-year-old Drohan.

After working in the 89-92 mph range last season, he was working 92-94 and touched 95 in April this year at Double-A Portland. His changeup, already one of the best in the system, has played up even more as a swing-and-miss offering with the uptick in fastball velocity.

Drohan has shown decent shape on a curveball, though his command of it was itinerant, and he has developed a cutter in order to jam righthanded hitters. 

The improved mix produced eye-opening results. In his first five starts for Portland, Drohan went 5-0 with a 0.62 ERA, 30 strikeouts and six walks in 29 innings. He was both beating batters in the strike zone and, with improved control—his walk rate was cut roughly in half—more chases out of the zone. 

“He’s going to keep performing because of the (fastball and changeup), but if he keeps the velo coming and refines the feel to spin, I think he’s a very solid No. 4 starter,” said one scout. 

SOX YARNS

— Righthander C.J. Liu pitched a seven-inning no-hitter for Double-A Portland on May 5, topping out at 98 mph while getting seven swinging strikes on his splitter and four on his slider.

— Triple-A Worcester middle infielder David Hamilton had 20 steals through May 7, resulting in him having 90 steals—most in the minors—between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.