Good morning! Last night’s starter, Connelly Early, had his first disappointing start as a Major Leaguer, and Payton Tolle didn’t look too sharp, either. The reality might be that the lights may be too bright for a couple of rookies, or that they were hoisted into a playoff race too quickly. But this is but a symptom and an unfortunate consequence of a greater problem. I can talk at length about how I think the Red Sox are going to blow this as a direct result of not acquiring anyone of significance
at the trade deadline, but that, in a way, would be undercutting the efforts of the very guys I’m writing about in this final Minor Lines of 2025. So, for the last time until April, let’s get into it!
Worcester: W, 9-8 (BOX SCORE)
It wouldn’t be a Worcester game if it didn’t have a lot of offense and, unfortunately, some faulty pitching that made all that offense necessary. Shane Drohan pitched fine, though he did allow two runs (one earned) before getting into some trouble in the fourth inning… trouble that David Sandlin could not navigate out of. Luckily, Nathan Hickey had already hit his 17th home run of the season and Tyler McDonough had already scored two on a double; later on that inning, the two would strike again. Hickey would draw a bases-loaded walk and McDonough would score two on a ground out and the score would be 6-2. Noah Song would also run into two earned runs in his two innings, but Tromp would score McDonough, who was 2-for-5 on the night, on a sac grounder to make it a 9-6 ballgame. Good thing, because Isaiah Campbell would almost blow the save; the Red Wings (Nationals AAA) scored two in the top of the ninth, but that was all she wrote.
He didn’t drive in any runs, but Max Ferguson impressed, finishing the season off with a three-hit day. He hit north of .280 in September after originally being called up as a mid-.200’s, fielding versatility guy, so this month has been very promising for the 26-year-old lefty who was acquired in the Eric Hosmer-for-Jay Groome trade.
With the win on the last day of the season, the WooSox finish the season 76-73, and they saw a lot of promising prospects pass through the Polar Park doors and right through into Boston this season: Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Hunter Dobbins, Nate Eaton, and Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia, just to name a few. The trajectory of these guys will all differ, and the mileage will vary. But the farm has been revitalized, and as my third full season of covering Minor Lines is in the books, it gives me great pleasure to give you the Minor Lines on an almost-daily basis. I’ll be kicking around on this site giving you various news bites and speculations until Opening Day 2026, when a new crop of names (Franklin Arias? Kyson Witherspoon? 21-year-old catcher Enderso Lira, who is now healthy after a lengthy injury?) will grace the box scores comments of these articles for the warmer months.
Have a great Monday!
