Projected PawSox 2009- Hunter Jones
Effective left-handed relievers can have a long, lucrative pro baseball career. The way Hunter Jones has progressed through the Red Sox system, there is no reason to believe he will not succeed.
The 25 year-old southpaw from Palm Beach Gardens, FL will more than likely stake a claim in the PawSox bullpen for the second consecutive season. In 2008 Jones posted a 7-2 record with a 3.02 ERA in 35 relief appearances for Pawtucket. He started the season in Double A Portland where he pitched in 13 games going 0-1 record with a 1.19 ERA.
Signed as an non-drafted free agent by the Sox in 2005, Jones pitched at Florida State University, where a broken arm resulted in him going undrafted.
Jones is not your typical lefthander in that he has historically pitched better against right handed batters. His fastball is consistently in the high 80′s to low 90 MPH range. He also posseses an improving slider. He has shown decent control, with a better than 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio in 2008.
Jones’ success in 2008 earned him a spot on Boston’s 40 man roster. But with Javier Lopez and Hideki Okajima as the lefties with expereince with Boston, don’t expect Jones to be called up to Boston unless there is an injury.
