January 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Following National Championship, Anthony Eyanson "hungry for more" in pro career with Red Sox
While many outlets had Eyanson ranked among the top 50 draft prospects, the Red Sox were able to draft and sign him after selecting him with the 87th overall pick. It was a fall in the draft that not many expected, including Eyanson himself.
"I heard a bunch of different landing spots for where I was going to get drafted, so I was not sure what to believe," Eyanson said. "The competitor in me wanted to go earlier than I did. That is for sure going to be motivating for me going forward. I am satisfied with how it ended up. I am in a great spot with great people and that is what really matters to me. I watched the Red Sox Netflix documentary a couple of months before the draft. The family feeling right away when I got out to Fort Myers was very similar to what I felt at LSU. They seem like they make the environment very easy to thrive in. When you are surrounded by people that portray that they care about your future and your success on and off the field, it is very easy to give them your all."
The LSU product finished third in strikeouts in Division 1 in 2025, only trailing top five picks Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle. After transferring in from UC San Diego, Eyanson was slotted in as the Saturday starter in route to helping LSU dominate SEC conference play and win a National Championship. That performance got himself on the radar of Boston and plenty of other teams.
"The body stood out as he looked strong, physical, athletic, and was a good mover," Red Sox area scout Lee Bryant said of Eyanson. "The pitch mix all had power, movement, and distinct shapes. His north/south profile allows him to stretch the zone. It felt like there was room for growth within mix to develop present mix but also add pitches. He competed in the zone and threw a lot of strikes. He ultimately dominated the SEC. It also didn’t hurt that I liked the person off the field too."
It is no secret about how hard it is to pitch in the SEC, and Eyanson mentioned it gave him "a ton of confidence" finding success in that league that will ultimately help him succeed in pro ball. That is something he has had plenty of time to think about after being drafted in July and gearing up for the pro debut in Fort Myers.
"I am a guy that sees success in my path and my career," Eyanson noted. "It only makes me hungry for more. Ending on such a high with winning a national championship at LSU makes me want to take a step back to square one and train again to build back up and do the same thing. I think it has been a good opportunity for me to refresh and take in everything from college to get my mind right before I make my pro debut."
With the noted time off at the complex, the Red Sox pitching development group has gotten to work with Eyanson developing his pitch mix and mechanics. His indoor bullpens so far this year have seen an uptick in velocity as well.
"I am somebody that is going to attack the hitter with all my pitches no matter what the count is," Eyanson said. "I want to make the batter earn whatever they get. I am not looking to walk anybody. I am going to go out there and compete no matter who is in the box. As of right now, I am throwing a four-seam fastball, a 12-6 curveball, a gyro slider, and a split finger. In bullpens last year I was sitting 80-92 mph and I did touch 93 at times during last season. Now, I am sitting 94-96 in indoor bullpens, which I believe I can get a little more of when I am outdoors. I think I am in a really good spot building velocity. I am trying to be patient with it knowing that I still have a lot to come before the season starts."
The countdown to the official report date for pitchers and catchers is nearing zero, and that means the beginning of Eyanson’s first professional spring training that he has been looking forward to is finally approaching.
"I am looking forward to taking it all in," Eyanson said of Spring Training. "It is hard to put it into words but it feels like I will be a freshman again and you are trying to enjoy the environment but learn from the older guys as much as I can. I want to do my best at being myself in those moments and enjoy them. That is going to set me up to get to Fenway, win at Fenway, and stay at Fenway. Just being myself in Spring Training and putting in the work will get me to the place where I need to be."
Photo Credit: Anthony Eyanson by lsusports.net