Keeping a close eye on the players in professional baseball with ties to the

Texas Collegiate League.Clay Buchholz (Weatherford Wranglers ’05) is making a name for himself in the Red Sox Nation’s farm system.  The 22-year-old lefty, who was Boston’s first-round pick in the 2005 draft, is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox organization by Baseball

. Buchholz is currently 1-1 with an impressive 1.84 ERA and 46 strikeouts pitching for the Portland Sea Dogs.  He picked up his first Double-A victory on May 6th against the Binghamton Mets tossing five strong innings and striking out eight as the Sea Dogs beat Mets 8-3.  He was winless in his first four starts for the Sea Dogs despite allowing just four earned runs and 12 hits in 22 1/3 innings including a seven-inning, one-hit outing.Last season, Buchholz was in his element executing masterful performances almost every outing.  The Red Sox awarded him the 2006 Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year as he split time at Wilmington and

Greenville going 11-4 with 2.42 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched.  Buchholz is scouted having a low-to-mid 90s four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a hard 12-to-6 curveball, and a change-up. Over the course of a season his fastball typically sits around 91-94 and tops out at about 97 mph. His curveball is said to be one of the best in the organization, and often his out pitch.  Buchholz is also known for his athletic ability because he was a highly touted wide receiver that turned down offers to play football at

Texas , Notre Dame, Purdue and Texas A&M to pursue a baseball career. In the summer of 2005, Buchholz was signed with the TCL’s Weatherford Wranglers and was on the roster up until MLB draft day.  Due to him being drafted and signing with the Red Sox, he never got the chance to take the mound in a Wranglers uniform.