Red Sox Prospect Watch: Cole Brannen looking dangerous in Lowell

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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 05: Members of the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays stand for the national anthem before the Red Sox home opening game at Fenway Park on April 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

By almost any measure, Travis Lakins is having his best season in the minors. He’s also doing it in his first full season in Double-A. The right-handed pitcher boasts career-bests in nearly every category. That includes ERA (3.24) and WHIP (1.24) as well as BAA (.216). His 32 strikeouts over 25 innings also put him on pace for the best K/9 of his career – by a lot.

The 23-year-old was considered one of the better prospects in the Red Sox organization heading into this year. His performance so far can only have bolstered that thought even more.

Matthew Kent‘s also spent 2018 boosting his status in the organization. The 25-year-old left-hander has a 2.69 ERA over 15 appearances (11 starts) this year. He’s struck out 67 batters over 67 innings while holding opponents to a .217 average and posting a 1.12 WHIP.

Kyle Hart‘s last start saw him allow SEVEN earned runs over six innings. Despite that, his ERA still sits at 3.18 on the year – that’s how good he’s been in 2018. The right-hander has a 1.26 WHIP over 70 2/3 innings, allowing just three home runs to this point.

Teddy Stankiewicz dropped his ERA to 5.22 with a five-inning outing that saw him surrender two earned runs. His numbers still aren’t great, but the fact that he’s been lowering them in nearly every start lately is promising.

Danny Mars has stayed scorching-hot. The switch-hitter has brought his slash line up to .252/.327/.335 with another solid week at the plate. Most impressively at the moment, he’s drawn at least one walk in four straight games.

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The 24-year-old is tied for the team-lead in doubles (12) while being second in triples (2) and runs scored (33). He also has 14 RBI and one home run, as well as a team-high 13 steals in 15 attempts (86.7%).

Josh Ockimey has seen his average plummet to .263. He mashed two more home runs though. The 22-year-old is tied for the team-lead with 12 doubles. He’s alone at the top of the list in homers (11) and RBI (37). There’s still a lot to be excited about, even with the drastic drop in average.

Chad De La Guerra saw his numbers drop pretty drastically as well. That was until a three-game hitting-streak that saw three straight two-hit days. That includes a two-homer day on Monday. DLG holds a .269/.366/.467 slash line in Double-A this season and has an impressive eight home runs. Counting the Triple-A blast, he has nine home runs on the year, tied for a career-best.

Jhon Nunez hit home run number one on the year. The catcher is slashing .254/.315/.351 with Portland this season. Between Advanced-A and Double-A he has six steals in seven attempts as well. There’s a fun mix of talent from the 23-year-old catcher.

Austin Rei is still just 24. The catcher has time to blossom and there’s plenty to like about his game. The .214 average isn’t great, but he’s drawn 24 walks in 174 plate appearances (leading to a .351 on-base percentage). He also has 12 extra-base hits a year after roping 30 doubles.

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