Introducing Red Sox 1st Round Pick: Kyson Witherspoon

Zak Drapeau
Jul 14, 2025
3 min read

by Zak Drapeau 7/14/2025 FansOnlySportz

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP

Oklahoma University

20 years old

6'2" 206 lbs.

MLB Draft Class Rank: #10

With the #15 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft the Boston Red Sox draft Kyson Witherspoon, a right-handed Pitcher from Oklahoma University. Ranked as the #10 Prospect in the class by MLB.com, Witherspoon was my "watch for him to fall" in my 7 Players the Red Sox Should Target article earlier this week.

And fall he did; Witherspoon was a Top-5 pitcher in the class and the best RHP in college last season. Posting a 10-4 record in 16 starts, Witherspoon's K/BB was an outstanding 124/33 in 95 innings. The separating factor between him and others in the class is Witherspoon's 5-pitch arsenal. His fastball, slider and cutter are money pitches he already generates a lot of swing-and-miss stuff with. His newer pitches are a curveball he tosses low in the zone to cause whiffs and a changeup he's yet to perfect but will pair nicely with his94-96 MPH fastball that reaches 99.

The righty has focused on his command this past spring and it's showed, cutting his BB/9 in half from his sophomore season. His athleticism and short-arm mechanics have given him the ability to make adjustments with the Oklahoma pitching staff and it turned Witherspoon from a very good prospect to the elite pitcher he is today.

Witherspoon's brother Malachi is actually his twin and was drafted 47 picks after Kyson to the Detroit Tigers. Both prospects are pitchers but Kyson was able to really separate himself at Oklahoma as the more dominant player.

Witherspoon made headlines earlier this season when he was touted as 'one of the closest to MLB ready' and "could reach the Majors by 2026' by Baseball America. At only 20 years old, Witherspoon's smooth mechanics, good frame and 5-pitch arsenal have him well ahead of his age group. With his command and strikeouts well above average, it's not hard to see the youngster making the Majors next season in a relief role before being added to the rotation by 2027.

Before the draft started I said, "The Red Sox need pitching in the draft, but will likely take a slugging-infielder if the Top-5 pitchers are gone by 15," and lucky for us one of them fell to 15. With prospects like OF Ike Irish, 3B Gavin Fien and 3B Xavier Neyens still on the board, the Red Sox decided to buck their trend and draft a First Round pitcher for the first time since Tanner Houck in 2017.

As a diehard Red Sox fan I am over the moon with this pick. Not only did we get a steal at #15 but it was the pitcher I wanted in the first place. The Red Sox currently have 3 pitchers in their Top-10 prospects in the farm system and Witherspoon may be better than all of them. Current top-pitcher Luis Perales has similar stuff as Kyson but has a much slighter frame and has actually pitched less innings in the Minors than Witherspoon has in 2 college seasons.

The Red Sox current starting pitchers are not deep at all, with only 2-3 expected to be there next season. The next generation of pitchers is firmly in Boston with Crochet, Bello, Dobbins and Fitts making major contributions this year. With several players on 1-year deals, it's easy to see how quickly the Red Sox might want to make Witherspoon an everyday guy.

Will we see him as early as next season? Analytics say they should keep in in the Minors to further progress his stuff and round out his 4th and 5th best pitch especially on a (hopefully) contending team next season.

Either way, the future looks even brighter in Boston.

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