Three Red Sox minor-leaguers were named 2024 Arizona Fall League All-Stars on Friday.
The trio of catcher Brooks Brannon, infielder/outfielder Max Ferguson, and right-hander Danny Kiriwn will represent the Mesa Solar Sox by suiting up for the American League in Saturday night’s Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. eastern time. The game will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com and the MLB app.
Brannon is the most notable of the Red Sox’ three Fall Stars given his standing as the No. 27 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per MLB Pipeline. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old has not played since last Saturday, but he is batting .333/.375/.500 with four doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, eight runs scored, four walks, and 18 strikeouts in 14 games (64 plate appearances) for Mesa this fall.
Defensively, Brannon has started eight of Mesa’s 26 games at catcher while splitting time at the position with teammates Moises Ballesteros (Cubs), David Avitia (Cubs), and Daniel Susac (Athletics). In the process of logging 68 innings behind the plate, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has thrown out five of 20 possible base stealers without committing an error.
Unlike Brannon, who was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2022 draft out of Randleman High School (N.C.), Ferguson was acquired from the Padres as part of the August 2022 trade that sent veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer and minor-league outfielder Corey Rosier to Boston and pitching prospect Jay Groome back to San Diego.
Ferguson, 25, missed much of this past season after injuring his ankle in mid-April. So far this fall, the left-handed hitting Tennessee product has slashed .246/.368/.361 with four doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 17 games (76 plate appearances) for Mesa. In that time, he has logged 62 innings at second base, 60 innings at shortstop, and 21 2/3 innings in right field.
Kirwin, meanwhile, signed with the Red Sox in late April after garnering attention on social media and having his contract purchased from the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League without pitching in a game for the club. In four appearances (one start) for Mesa this fall, the hard-throwing righty out of Rider University has posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 14 strikeouts to just one walk over 10 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters have batted .283 against him.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Kirwin — who turns 25 next week — throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-96 mph fastball that has reached 98 mph, a mid-80s slider, and a cutter.
