Red Sox Prospect Watch: Almonte emerges, Moncada explodes

Jose Almonte excelling in Greenville, Yoan Moncada goes on a doubles tear and Henry Owns is still wild as we take a trip around the Red Sox minor league system

Mar 9, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Yoan Moncada (22) waits for the ball as Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte (6) slides into second base in the second inning of the spring training game at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

After the implosion of the pitching staff in Baltimore this week, fans might be wondering more than ever what is down on the farm from the pitching side.  While today’s Watch won’t be all about pitching, there are some guys that are turning heads in terms of performance.  Unfortunately, these guys are years away in most cases.  We will be looking at guys who have had some taste of the majors and other guys who are striving for their first opportunity to show what they can do.

Guys whose names that you have seen in the Watch on a regular basis are struggling some, struggling whether it is in a new level of competition or just the natural ups and downs of the long baseball season.  This is why, absent an incredible level of dominance, it takes weeks or months to advance levels to move up the ladder to the pinnacle of becoming a major leaguer.

As this column has talked about before, prospects can be just as valuable as trade chips as they are for performance at the major league level.  Certainly, the Red Sox and other teams are evaluating their own needs as the pennant races start to heat up, both what they might need and who they might be willing to part with to make a championship run.

Let’s get started.

Next: Triple-A Pawtucket

Triple-A Pawtucket

William Cuevas kept rolling this week with another two solid starts, totaling three earned runs allowed over 10.2 innings of work (2.53 ERA), walking four and striking out eight.  He may have benefited from some good luck, as he allowed 14 hits in those innings, but managed to limit the damage.  For the season Cuevas has a 2.98 ERA in 54 innings, allowing 47 hits, walking 23 and striking out 38.

Kyle Martin is making a case that he should be getting a look at the major league level.  For the week, Martin pitched 3.1 innings over two outings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters.  For the season, his ERA is 3.08 over 26.1 innings, allowing 25 hits and just three walks while striking out 34 batters.  He has notched two saves on the season.

Pat Light is another bullpen option after his major league debut this April.  Light pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless ball this week, allowing three hits, walking one batter without a strikeout.  Over 19.1 Pawtucket innings, Light has allowed 13 hits and 11 walks while striking out 21 with a 2.79 ERA, collecting three saves.

Henry Owens is testing the Red Sox patience with him.  He continues to struggle with his control this season walking 30 batters in 44.1 minor league innings, striking out 42.   He has also hit six batters.  In the majors he has walked 13 in 12.1 innings.  You don’t want to trade a guy whose value is low, but perhaps the team might be willing to part with him in a trade since the potential is definitely there, it’s just a matter of harnessing it.

Next: Double-A Portland

Double-A Portland

Teddy Stankiewicz has had an up and down season.  He had an excellent stretch of a 2.88 ERA over four starts after an eight run meltdown on May 3.  Before that he’d had a 1.13 ERA over four starts.  The eight run game happened to the 2013 second round draft choice again this week, allowing nine hits over 3.2 innings.  The six foot four righty has a 4.31 ERA over 56.1 innings, walking 17 and striking out 35 batters.

Nate Freiman likely thought he would do better than he has at Double-A at age 29.  He has a modest five game hitting streak, but his batting line is .254/.325/.418 with two homers in 67 at-bats.  For a guy who has had major league time over two seasons with the Athletics, the Red Sox might be considering releasing him to clear a spot for a younger guy on his way up.

Aaron Wilkerson has split time between Portland and Pawtucket this season, making 10 starts on the season, allowing more than three earned runs just one time.  This week’s start was 6.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits, striking out nine batters.  Between the two levels, Wilkerson has pitched 55.1 innings, logging a 2.10 ERA allowing just 38 hits and striking out 62 batters.  If he continues this success at Pawtucket, he could be in line for a call-up this season.

Sean Coyle is doing better at Portland than at Pawtucket, but perhaps the Red Sox expected him to post better stats at AA than he has. Coyle’s   .275/383/.490 batting line is similar to the one he had two years ago when he was added to the 40 man roster.  The strikeouts are a concern, piling up 23 whiffs in 51 at-bats at Portland, 53 in 123 at-bats for the entire season.  The Red Sox have to be considering dropping him from the 40-man roster.

Next: High-A Salem

High-A Salem

Rafael Devers managed to reach the .200 mark after a horrendous .138 average in April.  Over his last ten games, the 19-year old is hitting .286 in 35 at-bats, but with only one walk to his credit.  At his age, this is going to be a gradual process to reach the majors.  For the season, Devers batting line is .200/.273/.319.

Yoan Moncada came out of a 2-for-21 slump that dropped his season average to .287 with a doubles explosion.  He has been seven for ten (all doubles) with a three  walks and six RBI over the last three games.  Moncada has just two stolen bases over his last ten games, totaling 32 on the season thus far.  His season  batting line is .309/.434/.495 with 20 doubles, three triples, three homers and 29 RBI in 50 games.

Trey Ball is continuing to learn as you would expect out of a first-round draft choice.  He allowed two runs and seven hits, walking four and striking out none over five innings over his weekly start.  So, despite 11 base runners he allowed only the two runs.  Ball has a 2.31 ERA over 39 innings this season, allowing 28 hits, walking 19 and striking out 24 while allowing just one homer.

Nick Longhi was five for 19 over his last five games, driving in three runs, scoring one.  He still has not homered on the season but has 37 RBI over 48 games with 13 doubles and two triples.  He has a .287/.359/.381 on the season.  Since he has yet to turn 21, there should be more time for the home run power to develop.

Next: Low-A Greenville