2024 SoxProspects.com Awards: Pitcher of the Year
This concludes the fifth and final day of 2024 SoxProspects.com Awards Week. Throughout the week, we have recognized All-Star position players and pitchers, the Graduate of the Year, the Homegrown Player of the Year, the Ex-Prospect of the Year, the Rookie of the Year, the Comeback Player of the Year, the Breakout Player of the Year, and the Player of the Year. To wrap things up, we will name the recipient of Pitcher of the Year honors.
Pitcher of the Year
From unranked to a top-25 prospect, Juan Valera (pictured) certainly made his mark in 2024. The 18-year-old right-hander came into the season with little fanfare after signing with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent in April 2023 and posting a 5.93 ERA over 27 1/3 innings as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League.
A native of the Dominican Republic himself, Valera opened the 2024 campaign in the Florida Complex League. Appearing in 11 games (making nine starts) for the FCL Red Sox, the righty posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.25 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks over 40 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .128 against him in that time and he was subsequently promoted to Salem in late July.
In seven starts for Salem, Valera pitched to a 2.35 ERA and 3.54 FIP with 28 strikeouts to 14 walks across 23 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .120 batting average as he did not allow a single hit in three of his seven outings with the Carolina League affiliate.
Altogether, Valera forged a 1.99 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 appearances (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the FCL and Salem this season. That translates to a 27.9 percent strikeout rate and an 11.5 percent walk rate. As far as accolades are concerned, he was named the Red Sox' Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month for July and a Florida Complex League Post-Season All-Star.
Valera, who does not turn 19 until next May, is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 24 prospect in Boston's farm system, which ranks 11th among pitchers in the organization. The projectable 6-foot-3, 225-pound hurler throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph that tops out at 98 mph, an 85-88 mph slider, an 82-85 mph sweeper, and an 89-92 mph changeup.
Though he is still considered raw in several areas, Valera checks a lot of boxes teams look for in a young pitching prospect. To that end, he is expected to return to Salem's starting rotation for the start of the 2025 minor-league season.
Photo Credit: Juan Valera by Kelly O'Connor