October 9, 2026 at 12:05 PM
2026 SoxProspects.com Awards: Pitcher of the Year
Pitcher of the Year
Despite being traded to the Orioles in early August, Anthony Eyanson (pictured, right) takes home SoxProspects.com's Pitcher of the Year award for a stellar first full professional season. The 22-year-old right-hander entered 2026 as the organization's No. 6 prospect after being selected with the 87th overall pick in the 2025 draft out of Louisiana State and signing for $1.75 million. He further elevated his stock with a standout spring training that included touching triple digits in the Spring Breakout showcase.
Eyanson broke camp with Greenville and did not issue a walk in his first four starts, earning South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month honors for April. The California native ended up making five starts for the Drive, posting a 0.44 ERA with 34 strikeouts to three walks over 20 1/3 innings before receiving a promotion to Portland in early May.
In Portland, Eyanson picked up where he left off, pitching to a 1.69 ERA with 60 strikeouts to 23 walks over 11 outings (10 starts) and 48 innings for the Sea Dogs through the end of July. Alongside infielder Franklin Arias, the young righty represented the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game. Not long after that, however, he was dealt to the Orioles with four other players as part of the Adley Rutschman blockbuster on August 3.
Switching organizations for the first time just over a year after being drafted, Eyanson remained at the same level in the Eastern League by reporting to Chesapeake. He then closed out an eventful debut season by forging a 2.03 ERA with 47 strikeouts to nine walks in six starts (31 innings) for the Baysox. Across his two Double-A stops, he put up a 1.82 ERA with 107 strikeouts to 32 walks across 17 outings (16 starts) and 79 innings.
Overall, Eyanson posted a sterling 1.54 ERA with 141 strikeouts to 35 walks in 22 total appearances (21 starts) spanning 99 1/3 innings between Greenville, Portland, and Bowie this season. Opposing hitters slashed just .175/.255/.277 against him. For his work at Double-A, he was named the Eastern League's Pitcher of the Year and selected as an All-Star.
Eyanson is now viewed as Baltimore's top pitching prospect, with Baseball America ranking him 34th in its Top 100 and MLB Pipeline ranking him 45th. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound hurler features a four-pitch mix consisting of a mid-90s fastball whose velocity tapered off as the season progressed, a mid-to-upper-80s slider, a low-80s curveball, and an upper-80s changeup.
Like Arias, Eyanson, who is celebrating his 22nd birthday on Friday, should have an opportunity to make his major-league debut in 2027.
Photo Credit: Anthony Eyanson by Kelly O'Connor