Prospect Wallace chasing dream of pitching for hometown Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The mound that flame-throwing righty Jacob Wallace stood on top of during his high school career was located roughly 30 miles from the one he hopes will one day be his home office at Fenway Park in Boston.

The pride of Methuen, Mass., Wallace further cemented his New England roots when he pitched his collegiate years for the University of Connecticut.

But for just a bit, it seemed like the reliever might make his living in baseball much closer to the Rocky Mountains than the Green Monster.

A third-round pick -- and the 100th overall in the 2019 Draft -- by the Rockies, Wallace utilized his upper 90s fastball to post a 1.29 ERA in his first 22 appearances as a pro for the Boise Hawks, the Rockies Class A Short-Season affiliate.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, Boise would be the only place Wallace pitched for the Rockies.

Due to COVID-19, there was no Minor League season in 2020. On Aug. 31 of that year, the Red Sox traded outfielder Kevin Pillar to the Rockies for a player to be named later.

Eighteen days later, that player was Wallace, who could barely wipe the smile off his face when he heard about it.

“I just kept saying, ‘Wow, thank you.’ I couldn’t really have the words to say anything else. It was pretty shocking,” said Wallace. “That was pretty exciting. It was bittersweet after building relationships with guys over there. But being traded over here and getting to meet a bunch of new guys and kind of being thrown in the mix, it’s been a dream come true. It’s awesome.”

Of course, the real dream for Wallace is climbing the Minor League ladder and arriving in Boston.

“It is, absolutely. That’s spot on,” Wallace said. “That’s the goal, is to be out on that mound, packed house, playing the New York Yankees. That would be the dream. Any game obviously in Fenway would be a dream come true, any time out on that field.”

The 23-year-old Wallace was born on Aug. 13, 1998 -- deep into Pedro Martinez’s first season with the Red Sox. Yet Wallace doesn’t even blink when asked who his favorite Red Sox player was growing up.

“Pedro. That’s the big guy. But that’s anyone’s choice,” said Wallace. “I really enjoyed watching everyone play, honestly. [Jason] Varitek, all those guys. To see them around here, it’s crazy.”

Wallace fell hard and fast for baseball, putting him in position to witness some historic moments as a young fan.

“As long as I can remember,” Wallace said when asked when his love for the Red Sox started. “I think four or five years old -- 2002, 2003, right around there, and obviously 2004.

“I don’t remember too much of it, but I love going back and watching [ESPN’s] 30 for 30, 'Four Days in October.' That’s awesome, that’s cool to watch. As a five-year-old, a six-year-old, I’m not really remembering all those things, the little details. But going back and appreciating it now, it’s awesome. It’s really cool.”

What is Wallace’s biggest strength as a pitcher, aside from that blazing fastball?

“That’s a good question. I’m competitive,” Wallace said. “Every time out there, I bring the intensity and that’s all I do.”

Much of that is ingrained in him from where he is from. Just about any baseball player who grew up in the cold Northeast and winds up making it to the professional level has a fire from within.

“I will say, I’m biased,” said Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham, who hails from Worcester, Mass. “But [Wallace’s] personality, the demeanor, all those things, I appreciate. He’s got that natural, bulldog mentality, which I grew up with, so I appreciate it for sure.”

Last year, Wallace’s first in the Boston organization, was spent with the team’s High A-ball affiliate in Greenville, where he racked up 76 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings and held the opposition to a .223 average.

Double-A Portland could be within Wallace’s sights to start this season.

“He’s certainly battling for those upper level spots, the higher parts of the Minors where there’s more competition, better competition,” Abraham said. “But he has the arm, he has the ability to be able to be a back-end, leverage reliever for us in the future.”