Pitcher Red Sox Traded For Brings Heat With Triple-Digit Fastball

The Boston Red Sox acquired David Sandlin from the Kansas City Royals last month knowing the pitching prospect’s fastball could touch the upper-90s.

But the 23-year-old right-hander went a little further with the pitch this offseason.

Sandlin told MassLive’s Christopher Smith that he threw 100 mph during an offseason workout, which was the first time he saw triple digits on the radar gun.

“That’s the hardest pitch I’ve thrown and then I dialed it back realizing it was the first week of February and I’ve got a little bit still to go until the season,” Sandlin said.

The Red Sox obviously see plenty of potential in Sandlin that they traded productive reliever John Schreiber to obtain him. Sandlin was an 11th round pick by the Royals out of Oklahoma in 2022 and has made a ton of progress with his fastball since his college days.

Sandlin’s heater reached the low-90s with the Sooners but then he sat in the 95-97 mph range, according to Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, when pitching in the Royals farm system. Sandlin split his time last season between Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities, compiling a 4-2 record in 14 starts to go along with a 3.51 ERA, 1.215 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings.

Sandlin credited the added velocity to his fastball to a mechanical adjustment.

“I think really just focusing on moving dynamically down the mound,” Sandlin told Smith. “Getting my hips and shoulders aligned and just having an athletic, sound movement rather than being static in my load and back leg.”

Sandlin also told Smith he throws a slider, curveball and split-finger, but none are as far along as his fastball.

And if Sandlin’s secondary pitches can develop like his fastball, the Red Sox could have a dynamic arm that they can rely on in the future.

“I think my goal is to just go out there and compete every day. Put my team in a position to win no matter where I am, what level I’m at,” Sandlin said. “And then just keep the strikeouts up, walks down, pitch counts down, win at-bats, keep the ball in the yard. Just simple things that make the game a lot easier as a starting pitcher.”