There has been another twist in the ongoing saga of Noah Song, the 2019 Naval Academy graduate whose goal is to pitch in the major leagues.
A Boston Red Sox official has confirmed that Song will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2024 season. It is a significant setback for the 26-year-old, who was out of baseball for four years while attending flight school, then serving as a naval aviator.
Red Sox media relations director Abby Murphy told The Capital that Song would have the surgery formally known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction “sometime in the near future.” Murphy said the organization had no further comment at this time. Song did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
Song’s first full season of minor league baseball came in 2023. He posted a 2-2 record in 15 appearances, including six starts, spread across four different teams.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander started 2023 in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Philadelphia plucked Song out of the Boston organization via the Rule 5 Draft in December 2022 even though he had not pitched competitively since 2019. It appeared that gamble might pay off after the United States Navy granted Song’s request to transfer from active duty to the reserves.
Song reported to Philadelphia’s spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida, in late February and was ultimately placed on the injured list with a lower back sprain prior to the start of the regular season. He struggled during a 30-day rehabilitation assignment, posting a 7.06 ERA in eight games with three of the organization’s minor league affiliates.
Song was designated for assignment by the Phillies after his rehab assignment ended on July 28. Per Rule V Draft rules, Song was offered back to the Boston organization for $50,000. Red Sox management accepted and assigned him to High-A Greenville of the South Atlantic League.
Song went 1-2 in six starts for Greenville, posting a 4.15 ERA with 15 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings. He was expected to start the 2024 season with Double-A Portland.
Song was a two-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Year while at Navy. The California native’s professional stock rose during a dominant senior season in which he posted an 11-1 record with a 1.44 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 94 innings.
Some scouts rated Song as a first-round talent, but he fell to the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft due to uncertainty surrounding his military commitment. He was selected by the Red Sox with the 137th overall pick.
While serving on temporary assignment duty at the Naval Academy, Song was given permission to play professional baseball the summer after graduation. He was impressive while pitching for the Lowell Spinners of the short season New York-Penn League, posting a 1.06 ERA, allowing just two runs and notching 19 strikeouts in 17 innings over seven starts.
Brian Abraham, Boston’s director of player development, cited that promising rookie season after reacquiring Song from Philadelphia last August.
“We are excited to get Noah back into the organization and back on the mound in a Red Sox uniform,” Abraham said in a statement. “Despite only spending a short amount of time on the baseball field for us, he left such a positive impression as a hard-working young man with a passion to achieve success in everything he does.”
Song initially submitted a waiver request to the Department of Defense in October 2019 seeking a transfer to the Navy Reserve so he could continue his professional baseball career during the 2020 season. Around the same time, he was granted permission to play for the United States National Team in an Olympic-qualifying tournament. Song was the best pitcher on Team USA during the World Baseball-Softball Confederation Premier 12 Tournament according to several scouts.
After the United States was eliminated by Japan, Song returned to the Naval Academy and was assigned to the Division of Leadership Education and Development.
In April 2020, after waiting six months for the Department of Defense to rule on his waiver request, Song changed his mind and submitted an updated request to pursue flight training after. He made that decision after learning a new Department of Defense policy permitting service academy graduates to pursue professional sports immediately following graduation could not retroactively be applied to his situation.
Song was ordered to report to flight school at Naval Air Station Pensacola in June 2020 and received his wings of gold during a ceremony in April 2022. He was stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville as part of the Fleet Replacement Squadron for the P-8A Poseidon.
