1 week Ago By Worcester Telegram & Gazette
BOSTON — After Hunter Dobbins met with media members inside the Red Sox clubhouse on Jan. 14 as part of the club’s Rookie Development Program, the right-handed pitcher from Texas went out on the snow-covered outfield grass at Fenway Park and tossed a baseball around with fellow Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin. A day later, Dobbins posted pictures of his catch on Instagram with the caption: See you soon Fenway.
Well, less than three months later, Dobbins was back at Fenway Park — this time making his major league debut Sunday with the Boston Red Sox.“What a whirlwind,” Dobbins told the T&G Tuesday. “It’s what every kid dreams of and it’s hard to put it into words, debuting anywhere, let alone making my (major league) debut on Sunday Night Baseball for the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
“It was just perfect.” In the Red Sox’ 18-7 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals, which was nationally televised on ESPN, Dobbins picked up his first big league win.
The 25-year-old pitched five innings, allowed eight hits, two earned runs and struck out five across 93 pitches. “It went really well. I learned a lot about how my stuff plays up there,” said Dobbins, who was appointed as Boston’s 27th man for the club’s doubleheader with the Cardinals before being sent back to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.
“It was a good first test. ..
. Overall, I was extremely happy with it. I need to pound the zone a little bit more but looking forward to working on it this week and getting back up there when they call me.
” Hunter Dobbins tallies 5 K's in his MLB debut in front of the Fenway faithful!@RedSox | @RedSoxPlayerDev | @TTU_Baseballpic.twitter.com/CFqDmWzItm— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 7, 2025Just three months after tearing the UCL in his right elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021, Dobbins was selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the First-Year Player Draft.
Currently ranked as Boston’s No. 14 prospect by MLB.com, the product of Texas Tech University was named the Red Sox Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2024.
Dobbins went 8-5 last season with a 3.08 ERA and 120 strikeouts over 25 games (all starts) with Double-A Portland (21 games) and Triple-A Worcester (four games). The 6-foot-2 righty with red hair, a fastball that reaches 99 miles per hour and a well-documented penchant for drinking Dr Pepper, owns a 3.
78 ERA with 310 strikeouts in 62 career minor league games (61 starts).Last summer, Dobbins received a promotion to Worcester before making his Triple-A debut on Aug. 30 — his 25th birthday.
“I’m obviously honored to be here,” Dobbins told the T&G at the time. “The front office thinks I’m ready, I know I’m ready, so I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity to show that. .
.. They always tell us when we get to Triple A, we’re one phone call away and to be ready, and so I’m just going to keep honing in on my craft and keep getting better every day.
“And you know, when they need me, I’m looking forward to the call.” That call came Saturday. Before his team’s game in Jacksonville, Florida, WooSox manager Chad Tracy pulled his pitcher aside and told Dobbins to hop on the next plane to Boston to join the Red Sox for their doubleheader the next day.
Dobbins’ first call went to his wife, Lexie, and then he made a few more to his parents, Devra and Lance. “I was at baseball practice, and it was an odd time for him to be calling and so when I picked up the phone he goes ‘Daddy, do you want me to make your day?’ and I said ‘Yes?’ And he goes ‘I’m going to Boston’ and it was so surreal,” his father told baseball reporter Buster Olney during a live interview on ESPN’s broadcast Sunday. “It’s still surreal, it’s just one of those moments I can’t put into words.
” “It’s a lot,” added his mother in the same TV interview. “You go from T-ball to here, and he never ever doubted himself. He always said: ‘I can do it.
’” “I’m going to Boston.”Surreal moment for Hunter Dobbins and his family 🥺 pic.twitter.
com/Kmt9eOGD6A— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2025And on Sunday, Dobbins delivered in his first start in a Red Sox uniform — a team he grew up rooting for along with his father — in front of his family in Boston. The rising Red Sox prospect couldn’t have scripted his MLB debut much better. Dobbins hopes to see Fenway again — soon.
“Obviously, couldn’t be happier. Exhausted would be a good word,” Dobbins said. “Arm feels good and overall I’m happy for the experience.
“Got my first taste and (the Red Sox) told me I will be an option for them going forward and to be ready at any time. So I’m definitely looking forward to getting up there and continue trying to have some success and help the team win as many games as I can.”—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.
com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WooSox pitcher Hunter Dobbins details major league debut with Red Sox.
