Thad Ward

Ward was one of the more surprising omissions from his team's alternate training site, which suggests the Red Sox don't quite buy into what looked like a mini breakout in 2019. A reliever in college, Ward logged a 1.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 127:45 K:BB in 102.1 innings over his final 20 starts in 2019, split between Low-A and High-A. The 6-foot-3, 193-pound righty's plus slider headlines a five-pitch mix -- he also throws a four-seamer, sinker, cutter and changeup. He spent 2020 working out on his own and specifically worked on refining his changeup, which will be an important pitch for him to neutralize left-handed hitters. His command and control are what will determine whether he makes it as a starter or a reliever. He has a starter's delivery, but currently only displays fringe-average command. Ward should head to Double-A this year and will look to put himself in the big-league rotation mix for 2022.