'Can’t ask for much more than what he’s done': Jake Bennett continues to impress with WooSox

WooSox left-hander Jake Bennett gets ready to throw a pitch during his team's game against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park on April 22, 2026.

So far this season, Bennett is 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA in five starts and 21 innings pitched. The Oklahoma native has allowed 12 hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks while striking out 16.

Bennett’s been impressive in his first five starts with the Red Sox organization and has looked encouraging on the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery that held him out for all of 2024.

“I feel like it’s gone well so far,” Bennett said of his time Worcester. “I just try to work hard every day, you know? Really just take the game one pitch at a time, try to execute my pitches and whatever happens happens.”

“He’s a legitimate Major League starter candidate, no question,” Tracy said. “… Knock on wood, like to this point, I don’t think it could have gone any better. Like the (velocity has) climbed where we’re back up in the mid-90s. He’s in the zone, he is landing all of his stuff for strikes. You can’t ask for much more than what he’s done.”

Worcester Red Sox starting pitcher Jake Bennett walks off the field during his team's win over the Syracuse Mets on April 22, 2026 at Polar Park.

As the spotlight shines bright on Tolle, who could be called up to Boston as soon as Thursday to fill in for injured Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray, Bennett continues to put himself “on the map” for a future promotion to the big leagues.

“Anytime you make a trade for a top prospect, he’s already on the map,” Tracy said. “But then to see him perform at this level the way he has, he’s certainly an option for sure.”

While Tolle’s next start (wherever it is) takes center stage at the moment, Bennett has added his name as another left-handed pitching option for the Red Sox in Triple-A Worcester.

It’s difficult not to compare Tolle and Bennett at this point, a pair of 6-foot-6 left-handed pitchers from Oklahoma, but is that where the comparisons stop for the two WooSox southpaws?

“(Bennett) is definitely not anywhere near as eccentric as Tolle is,” Tracy said. “JB’s just more kind of (down to) business and quiet, but if you get engaged in a conversation with him, he is great to talk to.”

Said WooSox pitching coach Dan DeLucia: “They’re both monsters. They stand next to me (and I’m like) ‘Jeez.’ But their personalities are completely different. … Two completely different guys, even though there’s a lot of physically similar components.”

Worcester Red Sox left-hander Jake Bennett tosses a pitch during his team's game against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park on April 22, 2026.

“I don’t throw as hard as him. I wish I did,” said Bennett, who topped out at 94.3 mph on his sinker Wednesday. “But you know, I think everybody’s different in their own way, which is what makes baseball great.”

And the other lefty was great for Triple-A Worcester, again, on Wednesday.

“You’re looking at a legitimate big league starting pitcher candidate,” Tracy said. “So, we’re pumped to have him. We feel pretty blessed that we were able to acquire him, and I really enjoy watching him pitch.”

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox pitching prospect Jake Bennett continues to impress with WooSox