Red Sox offer 'all you can ask for': Myles Patton talks early impressions with organization

 

The Red Sox seemed to have a "type" when they were selecting players in the 2025 MLB Draft. Out of the 20 players selected by Boston back in June, 10 players were college pitchers from the Southeastern Conference.

Myles Patton was selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M. While he did only spend one year in College Station, he wears his SEC pride on his sleeve.

"There are a lot of SEC pitchers in the class, which we have plenty of stories about playing each other or about guys we have faced before," Patton told SoxProspects.com. "Those were easy things to bond over. It is really a good group of guys. There aren’t really any egos, and they are all very fun to be around."

Drafting players from the SEC wasn’t just a Red Sox strategy, as 107 players were drafted from the conference, including 13 in the first round. The circuit had 46 more total picks than the next closest league, the ACC. Every SEC school had at least one player selected and all 30 MLB teams drafted at least one SEC player.

"There are no breaks in the SEC," Patton added. "No matter who you play against every week, it will be a grind every time out. I think that mentality with everyone is elite competition gets you into the right mindset for pro ball. There will be failures and successes in the conference play, so I am going to keep that same mindset in pro ball that every team and player is the best team you will play the whole season. I think that lesson is valuable for us from the SEC and the play showed you that."

Patton threw 77 innings over 15 games started for Texas A&M this past season after transferring in from Long Beach State. Over his three-year college career between the two schools, the California native made a name for himself with his ability to throw strikes. For a southpaw who only topped out at 93 mph in college, he will need to continue that trend into the start of his professional career.

"The most important thing for me to be successful is to be an elite strike thrower and competing in the zone," Patton said. "I have no fear of contact or what could happen once the ball leaves my hand. I just want to keep hitters off balance with a mix of a lot of different shapes. I throw multiple breaking balls, a sinker, cutter, and a four-seam fastball. I also have a changeup that I like to throw to keep guys off balance."

"Throw nasty stuff in the zone" is a new organizational phrase you hear the pitchers all throughout the system throw around these days. While it might sound easier said than done, the Red Sox have done tremendous jobs with quite a few arms since Craig Breslow took over.

The recent track record is not only good for supplying quality arms to the big league club, but it is helping lure potential arms to the organization.

"The cornerstone of the Red Sox pitching philosophy of just throwing good stuff in the zone is the best way to do it. Simplifying things is always the best way to go in my opinion. There are a few things they judge us on and if we do those things well, you will have a lot of success. The simplicity of the philosophy combined with them having a good track record of improving velocity and usages is all you can ask for from a pitching development standpoint."

The 22-year-old has yet to debut in pro ball since being drafted last July. Like much of his draft class, Patton went straight to Fort Myers where he would spend the next three months getting acquainted with the lifestyle and everything that comes with being a professional baseball player.

"Myles has been phenomenal so far during his time with us," Red Sox Senior Director of Player Development Brian Abraham told SoxProspects. "He has shown consistency on and off the field, as well as when on the mound and in the weight room. He needs to continue focusing on getting stronger and adding velocity this offseason while also continuing to better understand his arsenal and how his pitches can best complement each other. Solidifying pitch shapes and throwing strikes are always areas of focus. He is attentive, a fast learner, and has done well in being able to handle and retain new information within the professional environment very well."

Photo Credit: Myles Patton by 12thman.com

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