Pitcher Blake Wehunt 'grateful for the chance' to join AAA Worcester

WORCESTER — The Chicken Farmer has made his way to the Canal District.

>On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox promoted pitcher Blake Wehunt to Triple-A Worcester.

>The 25-year-old righty, who was given the nickname of the "Chicken Farmer" since his family owns a chicken farm in Georgia, made his Triple-A debut a day later when the WooSox played the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Polar Park.

>"It's kind of a cool perspective to be here," Wehunt told the T&G. The right-hander, with a slight southern drawl, was originally scheduled to pitch Tuesday before the WooSox game was postponed due to rain.

>"Obviously, I'm grateful for the chance to be here and just ready to get to work."

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>Growing up on a farm in Carnesville, Georgia, Wehunt worked long days tending to chickens — around his school and sports schedule — when he was a kid.

>"It was nice growing up that way because I feel like I know the value of hard work," Wehunt told the T&G last year.

>Between grabbing eggs and cutting grass on his family's farm, Wehunt would practice pitching with his dad, Keith, in the front yard.

>Wehunt's father would place a dollar bill on the ground in front of his son and told Wehunt to throw a strike and then pick the money up with his right hand. Dirty knuckles and all.

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Here’s recently promoted pitcher Blake Wehunt talking to me last year about his upbringing — including modeling his delivery after former Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

Wehunt will join Triple-A Worcester this week. pic.twitter.com/58PVXr9Ea0

— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) July 20, 2026"People call it the Tim Lincecum drill," said Wehunt, referencing the former San Francisco Giants pitcher and two-time Cy Young Award winner. "But if it was not a strike, then I didn't get to keep it. Don't get it twisted, he wasn't out there just giving me hundreds of dollars at a time. It was only $4 or $5 I could get here and there growing up."

>The drill helped Wehunt develop a bit of a funky delivery where his head yanks down to his left side. A little Wehunt whiplash — batters beware.

>"The ball jumps on you," WooSox pitching coach Dan DeLucia said. "But we talk about there's elbows and there's shoulders and there's knees coming at you in different directions and I think that can add to his unique deceptiveness."

>"It adds a little uniqueness," said Wehunt, who spent three years at the University of Southern Mississippi and then one year at Kennesaw State.

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>Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round (pick No. 268) of the 2023 MLB Draft, Wehunt rifled through the minor league ranks in 2024 and landed in AA for one start at the end of that season.

>"It's always good to get your feet wet and know what you expect for the next year," Wehunt said. "I kind of got roughed up in my one outing (in Portland 2024), but it was late in the season and I think it helped motivate me and get me ready for what was to come."

>After spending all of 2025 with Double-A Portland, where he went 2-8 with a 5.68 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 63.1 innings while dealing with some injuries, Wehunt experienced more consistency and success on the mound with the Sea Dogs this season.

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>The 6-foot-7, 240-pound righty — who has a seven-pitch mix and throws in the mid 90s with a live fastball and "good extension" according to DeLucia — was 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA and 72 strikeouts across 53.2 innings before earning his call up to AAA this week.

>"He's just the epitome of a blue-collar guy," Portland acting manager Kyle Sasala told the T&G over the phone Tuesday. "He works hard and he's a great teammate, but a different guy on game day. He turns into a different man. He's all business.

>"I'm really happy for him to put a good stretch together and earn himself a promotion to Triple A."

>Following the Sea Dogs' 2-1 win at home this past Sunday, Sasala called Wehunt out of the showers and into the clubhouse to share some good news. Wearing just a towel, Wehunt was told in front of his Portland teammates that he was going to Worcester.

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Blake Wehunt will make his AAA debut today for the Worcester Red Sox in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Polar Park.

Here is the recently promoted 6-foot-7 righty pitcher telling me about his call up and what he can expect from the “Chicken Farmer” during yesterday’s WooSox rain out. pic.twitter.com/9WCEios7L0

— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) July 22, 2026"I had no idea it was coming," said Wehunt, who texted his fiancée first before calling his parents over the phone. "The whole locker room erupted."

>"The last thing I said to him, after I hugged him and said good luck, was that he owes me one of those Wehunt Farm T-shirts," Sasala said.

>On Wednesday, WooSox fans got to see the Chicken Farmer — whose family sells some Wehunt Farm merchandise online — in person as he made his AAA debut at Polar Park.

>After allowing a home run on his first pitch and a single on his third, Wehunt settled down on the mound. The tall right-hander wrapped up his first WooSox start with a stat line of: 3.2 innings pitched, 6 hits, 2 earned runs and 4 strikeouts.

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>Wehunt threw 72 pitches, 40 for strikes, and topped out at 95.7 miles per hour on his sinker.

>"It's cool to be here," Wehunt said.

>From the chicken coop to the Canal District, Blake Wehunt is now one call away from the big leagues with the Worcester Red Sox.

>"It's kind of come full circle," Wehunt said. "It's just an exciting time to work your way up through the minors and to be able to be here and be even on the team that does get those calls. It's a lot of movement going on here, but it's fun to see. But I'm very grateful."

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

>This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Pitcher Blake Wehunt 'grateful for the chance' to join AAA Worcester