Kyson Witherspoon

In a draft loaded with high-end college starting pitchers, Witherspoon slipped to the Red Sox with the 15th overall pick in 2025 and didn't pitch after signing for $5 million. Witherspoon is arguably the best college righty in the class, boasting several plus pitches while logging a 5.9 percent walk rate in a career-high 95 innings as a junior for Oklahoma. He has a starter's delivery and has impressed with his ability to hold mid-90s fastball velocity (touches 99 mph) deep into starts. In addition to his plus fastball, Witherspoon's cutter and slider each show plus potential while his curveball and changeup lag behind. He took a big step forward with his control last spring after impressing in 2024 in two Cape Cod League starts (1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 10:0 K:BB in nine innings). Witherspoon has good size at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds and didn't turn 21 until a month after the draft. The Red Sox have an impressive stockpile of starting pitching depth, so Witherspoon may be further away from joining the big-league rotation than the other top college starters in this class, but that's the only knock on him. Read Past Outlooks