Red Sox’s Slutsky shares his story with Thayer students

As director of professional scouting for the Boston Red Sox, Harrison Slutsky ‘08 works hard every day to bring yet another championship to Fenway Park. 

But the BoSox executive knew exactly why he took time out of his busy schedule Dec. 16 to visit his alma mater and answer a few questions about his career path, his experiences, and his work with the hometown team. 

“I’m Thayer through and through,” Slutsky told Head of School Chris Fortunato P ‘26, ‘28 as part of “10 Minutes With …,” an occasional feature of Upper School assemblies this year where a guest answers a series of questions within a strict time allotment of 10 minutes. In the course of the interview, Slutsky explained that he attended Thayer for both Middle School and Upper School, married a fellow Thayer alum, and considers many of his former schoolmates to be among his best friends. 

“My closest friends to this day are my Thayer crew,” he told the Upper School student audience. 

During his Thayer days, Slutsky played varsity basketball and baseball and captained both teams his senior year. In the spring of 2008, the Canton native went 5-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 46 strikeouts; that effort earned him All-ISL honors and helped the Tigers win the ISL championship. The right-hander later pitched for Columbia in the Ivy League while earning a degree in economics and political science. His Red Sox career began in 2012 as an intern and has seen him excel in numerous roles within the organization. During the interview, he recalled serving as the team’s advance scouting coordinator in 2016 — the final season of David Ortiz — and getting to travel with the team. 

“That was an incredible year,” Slutsky said. 

Slutsky urged students to become as well-rounded as possible by stepping outside their comfort zones, especially during the school day. 

“Go the extra mile in terms of taking advantage of what this incredible place has to offer,” said Slutsky, adding that students should maximize their Thayer network and have the confidence to reach out for help or advice.