The Worcester Red Sox dropped a rough one, 9-6, to the Buffalo Bisons in their series finale, and while offense was flying for the WooSox, the pitching was straight up lackluster. This isn’t just a casual “ah, minor league baseball” moment, either. For one specific arm, that performance might have actually derailed what looked like a clear path to the bigs.
The Six-Run Nightmare That Rocked a Prospect’s Trajectory
John Holobetz, a 24-year-old right-hander, has been grinding hard. He worked his way up the organization in 2025 and has been serviceable across two levels this season. His bread and butter is a 94 MPH heater that he commands well, especially at the top of the strike zone. There’s definitely room for that pitch to develop, but Holobetz was pitching well enough that we were all thinking he could be a call-up option to help the big league club down the stretch. He could develop that pitch while in the Majors, right? Especially with Patrick Sandoval struggling at the big league level, it felt like Holobetz was a real possibility to step up.
Then came Sunday. Holobetz got absolutely shelled, giving up six runs on six hits in just eight outs. EIGHT. OUTS. His ERA in Worcester now sits at almost 6, even though it’s a super limited sample size. But look, we’ve seen this flick before. You don’t want to see a guy making his big league debut when he’s struggling that hard to keep runners off the basepaths in Triple-A. Even against a tough Buffalo lineup, that’s not what you want to see. You gotta wonder if Anthony Eyansson, who got dealt at the trade deadline in that Adley Rutschman deal, would be getting a shot in Worcester by now. Craig Breslow has been a wizard scouting pitchers, so here’s hoping he’s got another Eyansson up his sleeve. But it’s not Holobetz; they’re not the same caliber. The Sox need an arm if Sandoval keeps struggling, and Holobetz made that much harder.
Story’s Double Offers a Glimmer of Hope
But hey, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the WooSox. Shortstop Trevor Story, who we haven’t seen in action since May, made his return! And talk about a return: he went 1-2 with a double. For a floundering big league lineup that desperately needs some pop, Story, at his best, can definitely provide that. A lot of us were scratching our heads why the club didn’t snag a shortstop at the busy trade deadline, and this comeback is probably the biggest answer to that question.
Now, we all know Story can be streaky. So, fingers crossed that the September 2026 version of Story looks more like the end-of-2025 Story: a guy you could count on for a clutch hit or at least some rock-solid defense. They’re going to need that. While the WooSox were busy drumming up offense against Spencer Arrighetti, who the Blue Jays got for Daulton Varsho, Mikey Romero launched a homer. The kid has been raking lately, and that’s always good to see.
So, there you have it. A really mixed bag for the WooSox. Story’s return is definitely a boost, a reason for some optimism for the big club. But that pitching? That’s the real gut punch. If Sandoval continues to struggle, the Red Sox are going to have to find an answer for the stretch run. And right now, their most likely internal candidate just had a nightmare outing. What do they do now?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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