Oklahoma head baseball coach Skip Johnson has no doubt that Kyson Witherspoon will be a difference-maker for the Boston Red Sox, both on and off the field.
The Red Sox selected Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, making him the first pitcher Boston has taken in the first round since Tanner Houck in 2017. The Oklahoma right-hander was ranked No. 7 on Baseball America’s draft board and No. 10 by MLB Pipeline, so the Red Sox were fortunate to have him fall into their lap at No. 15.
Johnson believes Boston was an ideal landing spot for his former ace.
“I was excited for him,” Johnson told NBC Sports Boston. “I thought he would go earlier, and that’s OK. He’s in a great place. Boston’s always good. I mean, the organization’s always been good.
“I had (Brandon) Workman (at Texas), he was a (Minor League) Pitcher of the Year, two World Series rings with them. So I mean, nothing but good things to say about that organization and how they go about their business, how they develop pitchers for sure.”
Draft experts loved the Red Sox’ selection of Witherspoon, and it’s easy to see why. The 20-year-old boasts a fastball that touches 99 mph and a handful of 60-grade secondary pitches that made college hitters look silly last season. Some believe he could be ready to pitch in the majors as soon as next year.
But scouting reports don’t capture what makes Witherspoon just as impactful off the field. Johnson, who coached him during his two seasons with the Sooners, raved about his leadership and clubhouse presence.
“I think he’s a culture changer,” Johnson said of Witherspoon. “He’s really professional in what he does. He’s a good teammate.
“An example I can use, I had a young kid, a freshman that I was working with, kind of shortening up his arm stroke in the bullpen. He throws his bullpen, the kid goes over there. We have a wall that they work out on, it’s a big cement wall next to our player development area. Kyson goes over there on his own and kind of started working with him. He didn’t have to do that. It was just, that’s who he is. He’s willing to help, he’s willing to do those things. It shows you what kind of character he’s made of.”
The Red Sox’ farm system has been loaded with high-upside position player prospects in recent years. Homegrown pitching talent has been harder to come by, though Houck, Brayan Bello, and Hunter Dobbins stand out as recent exceptions who have shown promise at the big-league level.
Why should fans believe Witherspoon can develop into a frontline starter? According to Johnson, he’s a “true professional” who fits the Boston mold.
“Well, one thing is he’s a good person,” Johnson said. “And whatever organization he’s with, he’s got a lot of pride in that, and he cares extremely a lot. I think that’s one thing that they can rest assured he’s gonna give them everything he’s got every time he walks out there. Sometimes it’s not perfect, but a lot of times it is.
“He’s a professional, a true professional. He’s gonna take care of his business. He’s really good off the field. I mean, he’s got that kind of pride. He’s got that Boston pride that people talk about. Like, I can remember the (aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings) and David Ortiz, he’s like that. He’s about that, and he’s cut from that cloth. I think that’s what’s really unique about Kyson, more so than anything. Not only is he a good person and a good player and really good at what he does, but he cares a lot and he’s gonna give you everything he’s got.”
Witherspoon posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 124 strikeouts and just 23 walks over 16 starts (95 innings) for the Sooners last season to solidify himself as arguably the best right-hander in his draft class. There are many words to describe a prospect of Witherspoon’s caliber, but we asked Johnson to narrow it down to one.
“Warrior,” Johnson answered. “I would have said rattlesnake, too.”
Why rattlesnake?
“Because if you get bit by him, you’re gonna get hurt. If you get bit by Kyson, it ain’t fun.”
It’ll be fun to watch Witherspoon’s rise through the Red Sox organization over the next year, along with their many other pitchers selected in the 2025 draft. A whopping 15 of Boston’s 21 draft picks were pitchers.
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