Noah Song will have to wait at least a year to begin playing for the Red Sox.
Boston’s prospect has been ordered to Naval Air Station Pensacola “no later than June 26,” via the Capital Gazette’s Bill Wagner. Song won’t pitch now for at least a year while he completes his Navy commitments.
The 23-year-old pitcher was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, and was named as Boston’s prospect of the future by MLB.com’s Ian Browne. He posted an eye-catching 1.06 ERA in short-season Lowell.
According to Wagner, Song sent a waiver request to the Department of Defense last year, but sent an updated one in April in hopes to pursue flight training.
“In October, Song submitted a waiver request to the Department of Defense seeking a transfer to the Navy Reserve so he could continue his professional baseball career during the 2020 season,” Wagner wrote.
“… In April, after waiting six months for the Department of Defense to rule on his waiver request, Song changed his mind. The Claremont, California native submitted an updated request to pursue flight training after all.
“Song made that decision after learning a new Department of Defense policy permitting service academy graduates to pursue professional sports immediately following graduation could not retroactively be applied to his situation.”
Naval Academy superintendent vice admiral Sean Buck released a statement on Song:
“Ensign Noah Song is an incredibly talented baseball player and promising naval officer,” he said, via Wagner. “The Navy has made great efforts to support his baseball goals within the constraints imposed by law and policy … The Naval Academy is proud of what Ensign Song has accomplished and is hopeful he will achieve his goals as a naval officer and professional baseball player.”
It sounds like Song has a bright future ahead of him regardless.
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