Red Sox's Ryan Watson Admits Pressure Is Still on After Successful Debut

Rule 5 status on a team with playoff aspirations is tough

Mar 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Watson (56) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The life of a Rule 5 draftee in Major League Baseball is fascinating, except perhaps if you're living it, like Ryan Watson is.

After the Boston Red Sox picked him up via trade in December's Rule 5 Draft, Watson made the roster despite an up-and-down spring training. He has to remain on either the active roster or the injured list all season, or the Red Sox would have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants.

The job is simple: Keep one of the eight spots in the bullpen or risk being sent back to the Giants and losing a major league roster spot. Watson knows there's added pressure on his outings, especially the early ones.

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Watson says he's up to the challenge

Mar 5, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Watson (56) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

“For sure. I knew (the chance to pitch in the Majors) would come around at some point. But for me, I felt like it needed to feel quicker,” said Watson after his first outing, which came on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds (via Ian Browne of MLB.com). “I’ve got to start producing quickly.”

In that outing, Watson pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, keeping the Red Sox in the game during the late innings for Wilyer Abreu to eventually tie it in the ninth with a solo home run. Boston lost 6-5 in extra innings, but it was the sort of effort that a manager always appreciates.

According to Watson, a new mentality found after a rocky spring training outing seems to be taking hold. Red Sox fans can get a peek behind the curtain at what Watson is thinking to himself on the mound during these outings.

“We took a step back and kind of looked at everything. I was like, ‘Man, just attack the zone’ and that’s what I started doing,” Watson said, per Browne. “And my thinking was, ‘If I'm gonna get beat, I want to get beat because the hitter beat me -- not because I beat myself.”’

We'll likely see Watson on the mound again during the Houston Astros series this week from Monday through Wednesday. He knows he needs to keep the momentum rolling, but he's begun the process of earning himself some job security.