Tantalizing Red Sox Prospect Joins Baseball America's Top 100 List

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora

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Another top Boston  Red Sox prospect has burst onto the national scene.

Baseball America added the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher to the latest version of its top 100 list, which was updated for April. It's the first appearance on Baseball America's rankings for Valera, who's listed as the 100th best prospect in baseball.

Overall, the Red Sox have five prospects in Baseball America's rankings:

LHP Payton Tolle (No.11)
LHP Connelly Early (No. 33)
SS Franklin Arias (No. 46)
RHP Kyson Witherspoon (No. 66)
RHP Juan Valera (No. 100)

"Valera is one of the hardest throwing right-handed starting pitching prospects in all of baseball, maxing out at 101.7 mph in a recent start," Baseball America wrote in its scouting summary. "He complements his fastball with a trio of secondaries -- slider, sweeper and changeup -- that he has surprisingly good feel for and command of, for a 19-year-old."

Don't be surprised if the Red Sox have more prospects added to Baseball America's rankings in the coming weeks and months. Right-hander Anthony Eyanson is one of the fastest-rising pitching prospects in baseball, and outfielder Justin Gonzales could land on national lists sometime this season if he continues his hot start.

Valera, meanwhile, is coming off the best start of his career. The 19-year-old  struck out a career-high nine batters while allowing zero runs over five innings for Single-A Greenville last Thursday.

The 2023 international free agent signing currently is ranked fifth overall by SoxProspects.com.

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