Red Sox prospect watch: Bobby Dalbec’s surge headlines new week

Boston Red Sox prospects had a busy week. There was an MLB debut as well as a frequent RSPW member’s Triple-A promotion – but Bobby Dalbec stole the show.

That’s right! Jalen Beeks made his Major League debut for the Boston Red Sox this week. If I’m being honest, it didn’t go as planned. The left-hander allowed six earned runs in four innings of work.

This led to a lot of chirping about how he’s not a Major League talent. Basically, the same stuff people claimed after Hector Velazquez‘s first outing. You know, the guy who has a 1.99 ERA for the Red Sox this year.

I can’t stand that kind of stuff. Admittedly, I’m an overly positive observer. I find it much easier to see the good in a player than focus on the bad. That being said, I feel any level-headed person can agree that one start isn’t a good measure for someone. If we’re going off one start, then every pitcher ever is miserable because they’ve all thrown a few stinkers.

Also in Beeks’ defense, some of the damage in the game wasn’t exactly done with force. The lovely Red Sox Stats twitter page gives a perfect description of this.

Now a hit is still a hit so we can’t just pretend like they didn’t happen. It does show that Beeks wasn’t exactly bullied, however.

Following his game, Beeks was sent back down to Triple-A. Meanwhile, Justin Haley was called up for the first time this season. The 26-year-old right-hander spent a number of years in the Red Sox organization before getting a chance with the Minnesota Twins last season. He currently holds a 3.18 ERA in Triple-A.

Rusney Castillo had a week. When I wrote last week’s article, Castillo held a .295 average. That’s up to .315 thanks to a nine-game hitting streak. That leads Pawtucket, which is something you can say a lot for the outfielder. He holds the team lead in doubles (19) and runs scored (28), as well as runs batted in (31). Meanwhile, he’s second in steals (6) and fourth in home runs (3).

Beeks didn’t appear in a Triple-A game this week for obvious reasons. I don’t expect the poor performance in the Majors to mess with his rhythm at all though. I also don’t expect this to change how the Red Sox view him as a part of their future.

Ty Buttrey continues to dominate as of late. The 25-year-old hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last nine innings. Due to that, his ERA has dropped to 2.36 and his batting average against is a clean .215. The right-hander also has a fantastic 43 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings. Buttrey is the Red Sox 28th ranked prospect. If he keeps up the fantastic work that number could change – or even an MLB debut could be in his near future.

Robby Scott isn’t worried about a Major League debut. He’s thrown 41 2/3 innings in the Majors already in his career. He’s clearly working to get back there though. So far this season the left-hander has a 1.61 ERA in Triple-A. Meanwhile, Scott’s struck out 36 compared to just six walks over 22 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .181 against the 28-year-old who has a 0.94 WHIP.

Tzu-Wei Lin continues his tear as well. The shortstop struggled with the bat in the Majors this season (.188 average) but has turned it around in Triple-A. He currently holds a 13-game hitting streak that saw his batting average rise from .212 to .275. The 24-year-old is also showing some uncharacteristic pop, hitting three home runs already.

Teddy Stankiewicz is back in Double-A after making his first career Triple-A appearance. While he got knocked around, that’s not the reason for the demotion, as it’s just a corresponding move to Beeks rejoining the Triple-A rotation. Stankiewicz didn’t appear in a Double-A game this week though and still holds a 5.43 ERA there.

Mike Shawaryn continued his recent trend of lowering his ERA in a start. He’s done so in four straight starts and now holds a 3.41 ERA on the season. The 23-year-old has a 1.06 WHIP and .228 BAA over 63 1/3 innings. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the right-hander making a Triple-A start soon enough.

Kyle Hart‘s also been in the ERA-lowering business lately. He’s dropped it drastically over his last few appearances and is now under 3.00 with a 2.81 ERA. The left-hander has a respectable .232 BAA and has only allowed two home runs over 57 2/3 innings.

Esteban Quiroz is still on the disabled-list because I can’t have nice things. In all seriousness, Quiroz is an extremely intriguing player and hopefully, he’ll be able to return soon.

Deiner Lopez has struggled in the early goings. Through 10 games the 24-year-old has a .158/.175/.237 slash line with one double and one triple. He’s driven in three runs and scored four more while stealing a base as well.

Lopez is still an interesting prospect though. He’s played every outfield spot and shortstop as well as second and third base.  The switch-hitter doesn’t have much pop but has plenty of stolen base potential. That mixed with his defensive production and versatility can mask some issues at the plate.

More from Red Sox Prospects

• Predicting top Red Sox outfield prospect Ceddanne Rafaela’s timeline to the majors
• Predicting Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer’s timeline to the majors
• Red Sox risk repeating rookie mistake with Eric Hosmer release
• Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
• Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox

Josh Ockimey is still raking. The first baseman now boasts a .278/.386/.488 slash line with 10 doubles and eight home runs. He’s also driven in 28 runs and scored 22 more. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter is on-pace for his best season in the minors. While he’s always had plenty of raw power, it’s truly shining this season. He’s currently on track to set new career-highs in doubles (old high is 27) and home runs (old high is 18). If the hot swinging continues, his old record of 74 RBI could be in jeopardy as well.

Danny Mars raised his average slightly again this week. His slash line now sits at .238/.306/.323 with 11 doubles and one triple, as well as one home run. Those aren’t the best numbers, but they’re improving. Mars has been a solid run producer. The switch-hitting outfielder has driven in 13 runs and scored 28 more. He also leads the team with seven steals.

At first glance, Jeremy Rivera‘s slash line isn’t spectacular. It’s not bad, but a .254/.303/.366 line isn’t creating the highest of expectations. The switch-hitting 23-year-old has been superb for the Sea Dogs though. He’s driven in a team-high 33 runs and scored a team-high 35. This has a lot to do with clutch-hitting as he’s batting a solid .292 with runners in scoring position and is 5-for-10 with the bases loaded.

Jhon Nunez is still adjusting to Double-A life. The 23-year-old catcher isn’t doing bad by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s had his ups-and-downs while with Portland. Nunez has a .256 average in Double-A with four doubles and one triple. The switch-hitter has nine RBI and 13 runs scored to go along with one steal (five-for-five between Advanced-A and Double-A).

At a position many consider the Red Sox to be devoid of when it comes to future stars, Nunez is one of the bright spots.

Speaking of catchers, Roldani Baldwin is another bright spot at the position. The 22-year-old ranks as the Red Sox 30th overall prospect but has had some bumps along the way. His numbers aren’t bad (.259/.304/.457) but the constant fluctuating of his average shows Baldwin hasn’t hit his stride yet. The stat that sticks out is home runs (6) while the two steals are nice as well. Defensively, Baldwin has caught 13-of-30 would-be stealers.

Santiago Espinal‘s dominance continues. The shortstop has a .309/.368/.498 slash line with 12 doubles and three triples, to go along with seven home runs. His run production has been absolutely insane as well. The 23-year-old has 45 runs scored and 31 more runs driven in. He’s also stolen five bases.

C.J. Chatham‘s tear has been temporarily halted as he’s landed on the disabled-list. The shortstop possesses a .327/.370/.446 slash line in Advanced-A this season as his offensive potential is shining through. If it’s a short stay on the disabled-list there’s still a pretty strong chance either he and/or Espinal find themselves in Portland by the end of the month.

Bobby Dalbec just mashes. There’s nothing else to say. The third baseman has 14 doubles and 13 home runs on the year now. His .217 average is low but 45 RBI and 31 runs scored will play anywhere.

Brett Netzer doesn’t have the home run swing like Dalbec, but the numbers are still there. Despite just one homer on the year, Netzer’s driven in 29 runs and scored 21 more. This could have to do with the fact that the second baseman’s hitting .299 with 13 doubles.

Tyler Hill‘s average currently sits at .219. He has seven doubles and one triple, as well as one home run to go with that. Meanwhile, the right-handed hitter has 15 RBI and 31 runs scored. None of that’s spectacular (expect the runs scored). So what makes the 22-year-old outfielder so interesting? Speed. He’s already stolen 13 bases this season, following a 42-steal campaign last year. The bat has potential to improve, and that makes Hill dangerous.

Bryan Mata‘s walked 34 batters in 41 innings. The 19-year-old holds a 3.73 ERA at the same time though. He’s able to limit the damage thanks to a strong .229 BAA and allowing only one home run to this point.

Roniel Raudes looked strong his last time out, not allowing a run on two hits over four innings. Most importantly, the 20-year-old didn’t walk anyone for the second time this season. Raudes has a 3.67 ERA over 54 innings pitched, allowing two home runs in that time.