IP | 14.1 |
---|---|
ERA | 2.51 |
WHIP | 0.840 |
BB/9 | 4.4 |
SO/9 | 13.2 |
- Full name Brandon Christopher Clarke
- Born 04/10/2003 in Leesburg, VA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School State College Of Florida
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Drafted in the 5th round (148th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2024 (signed for $400,000).
View Draft Report
School: State JC of Florida
Commit/Drafted: South Carolina
Age at Draft: 21.3
Clarke is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound lefthander who has flashed impact stuff from the left side dating back to his prep days but has been held back because of injuries and control. He ranked as the No. 233 prospect in the 2021 class but went undrafted and went to Alabama where he didn’t pitch before heading to State JC of Florida. Clarke throws a fastball that is routinely in the 93-95 mph range and has been up to 99. He will also mix in an upper-70s curveball with solid depth and an upper-80s changeup though his feel for both secondaries is extremely limited. Clarke’s pure arm talent and athleticism make him an intriguing pro prospect, but his injury history—he had Tommy John surgery in high school—and shaky control could lead him to campus at South Carolina.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Track Record: Clarke was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 draft by the Red Sox out of State JC of Florida and signed for $400,000. Despite elite stuff, Clarke dropped in the draft due to a checkered injury history and a lack of strike-throwing. He did not debut following the draft and instead announced his presence in the Red Sox 2025 Spring Breakout game where he showed a triple-digit fastball and a devastating slider. Clarke made his professional debut with Low-A Salem before seeing promotion to High-A Greenville after three starts.
Scouting Report: Clarke is a physical lefthander standing 6-foot-4 with broad shoulders and a prototypical starter’s build. Clarke burst onto the scene early in 2025 with a powerful four-pitch mix led by a devastating sweeper and a pair of fastball shapes in the upper 90s that can touch triple digits. Of the two fastballs, Clarke has leaned primarily on the two-seamer, generating a high level of armside run from his lower three-quarters arm slot. Clarke’s four-seam fastball features plus velocity but a lack of movement, making it a very hittable pitch. His best pitch is his mid-to-high-80s slider that moves like a sweeper with outlier velocity. The pitch so far has been devastating against lower-level hitters and projects to be a plus pitch at peak. Clarke also blends in a curveball variation that will flash average and a below-average changeup. Despite major concerns around his command as an amateur, Clarke has shown fringe-average strike-throwing in his pro debut.
The Future: Clarke is a high-upside arm with a heavy amount of relief risk due to his injury history and questionable strike-throwing.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45.
Draft Prospects
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School: State JC of Florida Commit/Drafted: South Carolina
Age At Draft: 21.3
Clarke is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound lefthander who has flashed impact stuff from the left side dating back to his prep days but has been held back because of injuries and control. He ranked as the No. 233 prospect in the 2021 class but went undrafted and went to Alabama where he didn’t pitch before heading to State JC of Florida. Clarke throws a fastball that is routinely in the 93-95 mph range and has been up to 99. He will also mix in an upper-70s curveball with solid depth and an upper-80s changeup though his feel for both secondaries is extremely limited. Clarke’s pure arm talent and athleticism make him an intriguing pro prospect, but his injury history—he had Tommy John surgery in high school—and shaky control could lead him to campus at South Carolina.