Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox's Alex Cora Names Prospect To Watch, 'He’s Gonna Help Us Win Games'

Boston has some pitching talent coming down the pipeline
Scott Neville|
Red Sox's Alex Cora Names Prospect To Watch, 'He’s Gonna Help Us Win Games'
Red Sox's Alex Cora Names Prospect To Watch, 'He’s Gonna Help Us Win Games'

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox starting rotation has raised questions all offseason. The group is a mix of oft-injured veterans and inexperienced younger hurlers.

Fortunately, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is confident that help is on the way. 

“At one point, (Bryan Mata) is gonna be part of this and he’s gonna help us to win a few games," Cora told MassLive's Chris Cotillo.

Mata is the No. 6 prospect in the Red Sox organization according to MLB Pipeline. He's the top arm in the farm system and has lofty expectations after a dominant 2022 season in which he made the jump from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester.

The 23-year-old flamethrower returned from a successful Tommy John surgery last June and came out gunning. Mata reached 100 mph his first time facing live hitters since the surgery and proceeded to dominate the minor leagues last season.

The right-hander posted a 1.85 ERA with a 58-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .202 batting average against and 1.19 WHIP last season in 48 2/3 innings with Double-A Portland.

Mata was then promoted to Worcester, where he was still productive but his high walk rate finally caught up to him. He posted a 3.47 ERA with a 30-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .224 batting average against and 1.46 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings.

The top pitching prospect in the system has electric stuff -- featuring a high 90s fastball, slider, curveball and changeup -- and the potential to be elite. 

Mata is on the fast track to the big leagues but he'll first need to get his command under control with Worcester.

More MLB: Reporter Fuels Trade Rumors Regarding Red Sox Fan Favorite After Lackluster Stint In Boston

Published
Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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