Red Sox Prospect Watch: Two call-ups could create system changes
The Boston Red Sox minor leagues saw some shuffling as both Sam Travis and Bobby Poyner were sent to the Majors. This could change plenty in the system.
Injuries to Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia sent the duo to the disabled list. Due to that, the Red Sox called up reliever Bobby Poyner once again. Joining him was first baseman Sam Travis for the first time this season.
While neither move changes much immediately, it does get their prospect clocks moving once again. Both are getting closer and closer to losing prospect status, meaning two spots could be open on the Top-30 prospect list soon.
Of course, the amateur draft is in full swing. So those spots could be inhabited by new prospects. In fact, a few players could be bumped from the bottom of that list to make room for new names as well.
Nevertheless, two names could be taken off due to status soon enough. While Travis hasn’t performed that well in Triple-A this season, he looks ready to make the most of his chance in the Majors. The first baseman has a .220/.290/.358 slash line in Pawtucket
In one Major League at-bat though, he produced – smacking a two-run single.
If Travis can figure it out at the plate again while in the Majors he might force changes. Not only to the prospect list but to the Major League roster.
Poyner, on the other hand, has already made MLB waves in 2018. There are a few too many cooks in the kitchen in the bullpen though. So he might find himself in Triple-A again soon enough despite his fantastic play.
The Pawtucket Red Sox are enjoying the ridiculously hot bat of Tzu-Wei Lin at the moment. A seven-game hitting streak has brought the shortstop’s average up to .266. Meanwhile, he’s hit two home runs in the streak, bringing his season total up to three.
Although he’s technically not a prospect anymore, Lin is still extremely intriguing. The defense has always been there. The offense that he found last year leapt him into the conversation though. It appears he’s finding that stroke at the plate once again.
Then there’s Rusney Castillo. He still leads the team in most offensive categories. Those include batting average (.295), doubles (16), and RBI (26). He’s second in runs scored with 25, and his five steals are now in second (Aneury Tavarez leads Pawtucket with seven). The outfielder’s also found his home run swing, hitting his first two of the season over the last week.
Cole Sturgeon‘s numbers in Triple-A still aren’t great after a scalding-hot start in Double-A. He did just record a two-home run game, however. Hopefully, that’s the pick-me-up he needs to turn his game around.
Jalen Beeks twirled an absolute gem in his only start this week. The left-hander went seven innings allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out seven. He now has a 2.56 ERA and 0.98 WHIP on the season. Opponents are hitting .197 against the 24-year-old, and he has 80 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings pitched.
At this point, it seems criminal that Beeks might not get a shot in the Majors until September. The Red Sox have so much rotational depth that calling him up probably won’t be necessary though.
Robby Scott and Ty Buttrey have been the other standout pitchers in Triple-A. Scott has a 1.86 ERA and opponents are hitting .183 against him. He’s also struck out 29 batters over 19 1/3 innings. Buttrey meanwhile has a 2.86 ERA and has been steadily lowering that number in most of his outings.
Deiner Lopez made his season debut this week. The 24-year-old shortstop started the year with a three-game hitting streak. Through four games the switch-hitter’s batting .250 with a double and an RBI. He’s already scored three times and stolen one base as well. Although he’s not on the top-30 prospect list, Lopez is exciting in all facets of the game and should be watched closely.
Tate Matheny is scorching-hot at the moment. The outfielder is riding a five-game hitting streak. In the last four, he’s had at least two hits (three of the games he’s driven in two runs as well). His last game may have been the best of his season. The 24-year-old went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. He also scored two runs and stole two bases as well.
On the year, Matheny has a .287/.376/.381 slash line with 11 doubles and three triples. He’s driven in 24 runs and scored 28 more while stealing five bases.
Jantzen Witte is also having a fantastic time in Double-A. The 28-year-old struggled to open the year in Triple-A but has loved Portland. With the Sea Dogs, he’s mashing to the tune of a .367/.427/.644 clip in 23 games. He’s hit 10 doubles and five home runs while driving in 27 runs. Again, that’s in just 23 games.
Josh Ockimey‘s strong season is continuing as well. The first baseman holds a .272/.380/.470 slash line on the year. Over 43 games he’s hit seven home runs and driven in 27 runs. There’s a reason the 22-year-old is Boston’s 11th ranked prospect. The raw-power potential is showing out so far in 2018.
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Jhon Nunez is building towards his third straight solid season in the minors. The 23-year-old catcher has a .264 average in Double-A after posting a .286 average over 13 Triple-A games this year. He’s part of the reason Red Sox fans shouldn’t take that “zero organizational depth” stuff serious when people talk about the position. Sure, at the moment he’s not MLB-ready, but Nunez is a solid prospect at the position.
Danny Mars hit home run number one of the season over the last week. He also had two separate games with three runs scored in that span. The .230 average is slowly improving. Meanwhile, he still holds the team lead in steals (5) and is quickly making up ground in runs scored with 26.
Kyle Hart‘s ERA is now down to 3.02. The 25-year-old has turned out five straight incredibly strong performances. He went at least five innings in all five and allowed two earned runs in just one of them. Every other start saw Hart go six-or-more innings and allow one earned run. His stock hasn’t just risen over the last month – it’s sky-rocketed.
Teddy Stankiewicz actually raised his ERA this week. It went from 4.99 to 5.43. That’s due to one outing that saw Stankiewicz allow seven earned runs over five innings. He made another start this week, however, and gave up just two earned runs (on three hits) over six innings.
Mike Shawaryn lowered his ERA once again though. The number nine prospect in the organization now has a 3.67 ERA on the season. Most impressively in his last start, the right-hander struck out seven in six two-run innings, while walking none. Unsurprisingly, when Shawaryn keeps the walks down, he tends to be lights-out.
The last time we spoke, I mentioned Bobby Dalbec had a bit of a strikeout problem. I also said he went 1-for-2 with two walks and zero strikeouts in his last game before the article. That broke an eight-game stretch of at least one strikeout for the third baseman.
He’s built off that wonderfully. Counting that 1-for-2 game, Dalbec is in the midst of a six-game stretch that’s seen him strike out a grand total of two times.
He’s not just not striking out either. Dalbec has risen his average from .204 to .216 in that time. He’s also hit two more doubles and two more home runs while driving in nine more runs and scoring three more as well. The 22-year-old has also walked five times and stolen one base.
His numbers are quickly looking fantastic. He holds a not great .216 average, but the improvements are obvious. He also has 13 doubles and 11 home runs to go with a superb 38 RBI and 27 runs scored, even going 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts.
The right-handed hitter deserves much more attention in the media.
C.J. Chatham is nuts. There’s a chance he flies through the minors at breakneck speed with the way he’s playing. I mean, he clearly can’t stay in Advanced-A much longer. After killing it in Full-A, he’s looked even better for the Salem Red Sox.
Chatham is hitting .345 in 21 Advanced-A games. He has two home runs and 15 RBI in just 84 at-bats. Currently on an eight-game hitting streak, it seems like he’s only now hitting his stride, and that’s like Michael Myers Halloween level-scary for any pitcher that has to face him.
Santiago Espinal briefly dipped under .300. He clearly didn’t like that as a four-game hitting-streak has brought the shortstop back up to .309. The 23-year-old has 18 extra-base hits and 25 RBI this season to go along with 36 runs scored and five steals. Somethings got to give between him and Chatham. No reason having both of them in Advanced-A. I fully expect one of the two (or both) in Double-A by the middle of the month.
I’ll say it again – Brett Netzer may not have much power, but he’s the definition of a professional hitter. The second baseman has a .295 average on the season to go along with 23 RBI. He only has one home run (and one triple) on the year, but his 11 doubles and timely hitting more than make up for that.
Roldani Baldwin is the total package at catcher. He has power (six home runs) and enough speed (two steals) to be extremely dangerous. His .250 average at the moment isn’t spectacular, but he’s still getting used to Advanced-A.
Bryan Mata is 19 and an outing that consists of 5 1/3 innings and three earned runs is considered bad. That’s special. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.75 ERA on the season. His 30 walks in 36 innings is a problem, but opponents are hitting just .221 against him. That, combined with his ERA, shows he can work out of jams and has the stuff to get anyone out.
Daniel Gonzalez hasn’t had the same issues when it comes to walks. In 39 1/3 innings this season, the 22-year-old has issued only nine base-on-balls. That’s one of the main reasons the right-hander holds a 6-0 record and a 2.97 ERA.
Roniel Raudes has faced some adversity this season as well. For him, it’s his batting average against. Opponents are hitting .286 against the 20-year-old. The right-hander still holds a solid 3.96 ERA over 50 innings though. One of the main reasons for that is his ability to limit the damage – only allowing two home runs on the season to this point.
Victor Acosta is getting hot again. The outfielder is back up to a .308/.337/.484 on the season. He’s hit eight doubles and one triple, as well as six home runs. His current career-high for homers in a season is eight – that number’s clearly in jeopardy. Acosta also has 20 RBI and 20 runs scored to this point.
Lorenzo Cedrola is hitting .324 with three triples and four steals on the season. He has 12 RBI and 18 runs scored as well. The 20-year-old isn’t in the top-30 prospect list, but if he keeps this up there’s no reason he won’t crack it soon.
Michael Osinski has used a four-game hitting-streak to drastically raise his average. Going into the streak, his average sat at .259 but is now up to .276. The third baseman has four doubles and one home run, as well as 16 RBI over 98 at-bats this season.
Denyi Reyes continues to have the most ridiculous strikeout-per-walk ratio in the world. In 64 2/3 innings, Reyes has recorded eight walks. At the same time, he’s struck out 67 batters. So for every walk the 21-year-old right-hander allows, he strikes out 8.4 batters in return. That’s absurd for anyone, let alone a 21-year-old.
Those aren’t the only strong numbers for Reyes either. He has a 2.23 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, while opponents are hitting .220 against him. Everything’s gone right for the prospect so far this year, and it could catapult his standings in the organization. At the very least he could find his way on the top-30 prospect list or get a promotion soon.
Kutter Crawford allowed four earned runs over five innings in his last start. His ERA was 1.70 but now it’s at 2.22. I mean, imagine having a “bad” start this early in the year and still holding onto a 2.22 ERA. That’s how fantastic the 22-year-old has been. In 52 2/3 innings, the right-hander has struck out 64 compared to 15 walks.
Also, a friendly reminder that before this season, Crawford had just one inning under his professional belt. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be a fast-riser through the minor league ranks.
Next: Streaking players take the weekly spotlight
Marcos Lantigua is 0-5 this year. Don’t let that fool you though. The 22-year-old right-hander is having a superb season. He’s walked just seven batters in 33 innings and has a 3.27 ERA. The Boston native is having a hit problem (opponents are batting .293 against him), but the low walks and ERA tell you he isn’t getting bothered by it too much.