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Anthony Eyanson was ready to make his Double-A debut Saturday afternoon. Then he got his first taste of the old Maine weather adage: Wait a few minutes. A pleasant Saturday morning turned into a wet Saturday afternoon, causing the Portland Sea Dogs to cancel a scheduled game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats — and Eyanson’s first start as a Sea Dog — 15 minutes before it was supposed to begin.

What can you do? Nothing but stay locked in.

“I just try to do my best to control what I can. I’ll get ready for (Sunday). If I’m starting, great. Moving past this and getting my mind focused on the next outing,” Eyanson said.

According to Sea Dogs pitching coach Juan Rivera, Eyanson will get the start Sunday. Sea Dogs fans, and Red Sox fans, have reason to be excited. Eyanson, 21, is the No. 8 ranked player in Boston’s system according to MLB Pipeline, and soxprospects.com ranks him No. 3, behind Payton Tolle, who is now pitching in Boston, and Portland shortstop Franklin Arias.

Eyanson, in his first professional season, dominated hitters in High-A Greenville. In five starts, he struck out 34 in 20 1/3 innings. He gave up one run in his first start of the season on April 4, then didn’t surrender another. His earned-run average in Greenville was 0.44. His WHIP (walks and hits divided by innings pitched) was 0.49. His batting average against was a measly .104.

It was obvious the Red Sox made the right call in having Eyanson bypass Low-A Salem. When he walked three hitters in his final Greenville start on May 1 — the only three walks he has allowed so far — it did not discourage the Red Sox from giving Eyanson a new challenge in Portland.

Brian Abraham, the team’s director of player development, has said the organization likes to push prospects out of their comfort zone. The only people uncomfortable with Eyanson in Greenville were the hitters across the South Atlantic League.

“I think he’s proven himself. It’s how much can he handle, and I think he’s handled every challenge so far,” said Isaiah Page, Portland’s assistant pitching coach who worked extensively with Eyanson in spring training and the offseason. “He’s very dedicated in what he does. He comes with a plan.”

The Red Sox selected Eyanson in the third round of last summer’s draft with the 87th overall pick. After starting his college career at UC San Diego, he transferred to LSU for his junior year and helped the Tigers win the College World Series. Eyanson started and earned the win in the title-clinching victory over Coastal Carolina.

What can fans expect to see from Eyanson? For starters, a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and can touch 100 miles per hour, which he did for the first time in Boston’s Spring Breakout game, a spring training game against the top prospects in Baltimore’s system. He also throws a 12-to-6 curveball and a tight slider. Eyanson said he’s been working on a splitter.

And fans will see a guy who pitches with a chip on his shoulder. On the inside of the bill of his hat, Eyanson has affirmations written in black magic marker. “100%!! Be You!! Bring out the best!” They’re notes to himself he can see throughout the game.

“This is my job, and I treat it as that. I’m away from family who sacrificed so much for me to be in this position. It’s easy to play with fire and leave everything I can on the mound,” Eyanson said.

Entering this week, Eyanson’s time in New England consisted of less than a week in the Cape Cod League in 2024 before he left to join Team USA for the summer. Portland is as far as he can be in U.S. professional baseball from his home in Long Beach, California.

“I’m just proud of all the work I’ve put in, and grateful for all the coaching and mentoring I’ve gotten from everybody in Greenville, everyone in the system,” he said.

The plan is to continue optimizing what Eyanson has in his pitching arsenal. Get bigger and stronger and throw harder while working in the strike zone more. That will come with repetition and time, he said.

It’s written on his hat, bring out the best.