Top Red Sox prospect Kyson Witherspoon joins
Kyson Witherspoon has goals.
One of the Red Sox pitching prospect's most immediate targets is to simply break 85 playing golf. It's a focus he hasn't taken lightly, as is evident by the once-a-week lessons in Fort Myers that the 21-year-old is partaking in along with fellow 2025 draftees, Marcus Phillips and Anthony Eyanson.
"Eighty-eight is my best," Witherspoon explained on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast. "We're making strides."
And then there is the one 10 months from now.
Witherspoon isn't shying away from the possibilities of what might lie ahead. He did, after all, witness the ascension made by Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage, who went from 2024 first-rounder to 2025 postseason hero.
"That's the dream," said Witherspoon when it was suggested he could be the next Yesavage, who began last season at Single A. "It's definitely a thought in my mind. I know that if everything goes well, God willing, it could happen. I just have to handle my business where I'm at."
By all accounts, the 15th overall pick in last year's MLB Draft is doing just that.
There is the focus of putting on weight, which has manifested itself in going from 205 pounds to 220. He has learned a split-fingered fastball to replace the changeup used at the University of Oklahoma. And, of course, there is that well-publicized sweeper WItherspoon picked up during a brief visit to Driveline this offseason.
"When I saw it, the ball just went left. It did a left turn," he explained. "I'm like, I have never done anything like that before. When I got to the field the next day, they were like, 'Oh, he learned a sweeper. Thirty seconds, learned a sweeper.' I was like, 'Yeah, I did.'"
All of it is intriguing considering the base WItherspoon was building off of, one which had led him to All-America status with the Sooners. But should truly offer 2026 intrigue when it comes to the righty pitcher is that Yesavage comparison.
Teams are currently doing their best to form pitching staffs that can weather a seven-month championship run, with the Red Sox no different. But, one year ago, few were talking about Payton Tolle playing a key role once he started playing in October last season, considering the second-round pick from the year before hadn't thrown a professional pitch.
The same went for the Blue Jays and Yesavage.
After not pitching in any minor league games during the 2024 season after being drafted, Yesavage broke camp with Single-A Dunedin, pitching in seven games. He then moved up to high-A Vancouver (4 starts) before pitching in eight games for Double-A New Hampshire. It wasn't until Aug. 8 that the East Carolina product made it to Triple-A, where he lasted almost exactly a month before joining the Blue Jays.
And in case anyone needed a reminder, what Yesavage did for the Blue Jays was season-saving. After making three regular-season starts, the rookie started five postseason games, including Game 1 of the World Series, with the Jays winning four of his six appearances (27 2/3 innings).
It will be no knock on Witherspoon if he doesn't take the exact path as Yesavage and Tolle. But considering the pitcher's potential, it's certainly worth keeping tabs on.
"I'm sure I can work hard to get there," Witherspoon said. "Just seeing those guys. They stuck to it. They grinded. Just seeing the progression of Tolle ... Completely different body type. That guy has had a huge transformation. Just seeing that, putting all the work he has put in. He's pitching at the major league level and is definitely making my journey look even more possible."