Red Sox 2010 second-round pick Anthony Ranaudo may not be pitching in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game at Fenway Park on Wednesday, but the tall right-hander certainly left an impression on the rest of the league.
The LSU pitcher is still deciding whether or not to sign a contract with Boston or return to school, but his performance for Brewster in the Cape Cod League certainly makes him a hot commodity.
Ranaudo went 3-0 in five starts for the Whitecaps, striking out 31 in 29 and 2/3 innings, before calling it quits for the year.
Ranaudo has a blazing fastball that tops out in the mid-90s, but there's more to the right-hander that makes him great.
"A lot of guys throw hard in the Cape, but Ranaudo has an amazing curveball," said Wareham third baseman and Cape Cod League All-Star Tyler Bream. "That really separates him from the rest of the good pitchers in the league."
Bream's manager, Cooper Farris thinks that Ranaudo has the repertoire — and the build — to make it in the big leagues.
"You have to think that he's going to turn out to be a starter in the majors just because of his legs," Farris said. "His legs are massive."
At six-foot-seven, 227 pounds, Ranaudo strikes fear in the eyes of every hitter he faces, even if they won't admit it.
"Ranaudo lives with his fastball," Farris said. "Sometimes he gets it up in the zone, but he throws so hard that it's tough for college kids to hit it."
So what does Farris predict for Ranaudo's career with the Red Sox?
"I think he will start out as a No. 4 or 5 starter, but will eventually become a No. 1 guy. He's that good."
