When the Red Sox traded for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz on Thursday, Boston fans were hoping top pitching prospect Michael Kopech was not included in the deal.
This should give you an idea as to why.
Kopech threw a pitch during his start at Single-A Salem on Wednesday that hit 105 mph on multiple radar guns. Unlike Aroldis Chapman, who holds the major league record with a 105.1 mph fastball, Kopech is a starter who threw five innings. His fastball regularly hit 100 mph and beyond.
“Your eye is not trained to see 105. You’ve never seen it before unless it’s off some sort of machine,” Salem manager Joe Oliver said, via Baseball America. “I couldn’t say that one pitch was harder than any other he threw. A couple you could tell were quicker. (Was it) 101 or 103? You couldn’t pick out which one was 105.”
Kopech struck out eight batters and allowed just four hits in his five innings of work. As Oliver noted, the 20-year-old is making up for lost time after he broke his hand doing something very dumb. He also missed 50 games last season after he was suspended for taking a banned substance.
If Kopech can keep his affairs in order off the field, he could become a dominant power pitcher in the majors one day.
