Red Sox Sign 6-Foot-7 Pitcher To Minor League Deal After Velocity Climb
The Boston Red Sox have an intriguing new prospect to monitor this season.
Boston signed Harrison Blum, an undrafted pitcher, to a minor league contract. His former colleges, Luther and Augustana, each confirmed the news earlier this week.
“I am excited for another opportunity to continue to push myself further in this game we all love,” Blum said in a Luther press release. “There is a ton of talent within the Red Sox organization, and I’m looking forward to being a part of this historical franchise.”
Blum took a highly improbable path to a professional deal. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound hurler pitched at Luther, a Division III program, before transferring to a Division II school as a graduate.
The Minnesota native posted modest numbers at Augustana, registering a 4.72 ERA and 1.55 WHIP primarily as a reliever. Teams shunned the sixth-year senior in last year’s draft, but the 24-year-old has since transformed himself.
Chris Langin, a pitching development instructor for Unfiltered, noted that Blum threw his fastball at an average velocity of 91 mph last season. His heater spiked to 96.1 mph at last month’s pro day and 97.5 mph when accounting for extension.
“Harrison is the definition of a late bloomer,” Luther head coach Bryan Nikkel said. “To say I am shocked he is now throwing 97 mph wouldn’t be true. He just had to stay at it long enough to make it happen. His determination wouldn’t let him quit.”
Blum is expected to start the season at Low-A Salem, per Baseball Now’s Andrew Parker.