After a roller coaster of emotions these past several weeks, former top prospect Kyle Harrison is set to finally wear a Boston Red Sox uniform...for real this time.
His much-anticipated debut, repeatedly delayed due to an ankle issue, now appears imminent as the team looks to bolster its rotation down the stretch.
Kyle Harrison's Red Sox Debut Is Finally Here
Before he went to Boston, his career with the Giants was trending in a rather frustrating direction. He wasn't living up to the hype he once had as the third-round pick coming out of high school and as one of baseball's premier left-handed pitching prospects. He never found consistency, posting a combined ERA of 5.00 from 2023 to 2024, struggling with his command. By 2025, there were whispers of him being a potential bust. But the Red Sox were willing to gamble on him, and it paid off at the AAA level.
Harrison was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Rafael Devers trade in mid-June. Since then, he's shown flashes of what he can truly be with a revamped arsenal, adding a cutter and a new grip to his changeup, along with a sweeping slider. His best pitch is his fastball, topping out at 98 mph.
In AAA Worcester, he delivered solid numbers with a 3.75 ERA and a 50:27 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 50.1 innings.
But just as the big leagues were knocking on his door, a low-grade left ankle injury forced a delay. Harrison was prepped to start for Boston on September 3rd, even heading for an MRI in Boston that came back structurally clean, though lingering inflammation caused the team to hold off and wait a little while longer.
Fortunately, Harrison made his return on the mound for Worcester during a recent doubleheader, pitching one inning, striking out two, and giving up just one earned run. With no MRI concerns and now fully cleared to pitch, the Red Sox hesitated no longer.
As of today, Ken Rosenthal reported initially that Harrison is on his way to Sacramento right now to as an option to pitch on Wednesday, the series finale against the A's. He'll be pitching on two days' rest and even in tandem with Payton Tolle.
Now, with the youngster finally healthy and the Red Sox rotation being in constant flux due to injuries and rest needs, Harrison's arrival couldn't come at a better time. His raw stuff and pedigree promise a significant boost just when the team needs it the most.