Reacquired Red Sox Prospect Considered ‘Greatest Pitcher’ Seen In Single-A

The Red Sox added to their farm system by reacquiring right-handed prospect Noah Song on Friday, who previously impressed during his initial stint with Boston, in 2019.

Song, who ended up with the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft in December, was designated for assignment by Philadelphia after recording a 7.36 ERA in eight minor league starts this season and returning from the 60-day injured list.

Meanwhile, Boston wasted no time, attacking right at the opportunity for a second stint after the 26-year-old originally was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. But even though Song made just seven starts on the mound four years ago, that was enough to raise the eyebrows of current Red Sox relief pitcher and former Lowell Spinners teammate Chris Murphy.

“He was easily the greatest pitcher I saw in short-season,” Murphy said, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “He was 95-97 (miles per hour), touching 99, everything for strikes, four plus pitcher, knew where everything was going. I was like, ‘That’s a pitcher.’ That guy had it. I’d never seen a big leaguer throw live up close and in person, but I was like, ‘That’s what they look like.'”

During his brief run with Boston’s Single-A affiliate, Song recorded a 1.06 ERA, allowing just two earned runs through 17 innings pitched while 19 hitters and walking five. Song’s first five consecutive trips to the mound were also scoreless.

Shortly after, the Navy denied Song’s application to waive his service time, taking a three-year hiatus (2019-22) from baseball to attend flight school.

“We are excited to get Noah back into the organization and back on the mound in a Red Sox uniform,” Boston’s director of player development Brian Abraham said, per Ian Browne and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “Despite only spending a short amount of time on the baseball field for us, he left such a positive impression as a hard-working young man with a passion to achieve success in everything he does.”

The Red Sox assigned Song to High-A Greenville.