Red Sox Prospect Watch: Cole Brannen looking dangerous in Lowell

The Lowell Spinners season is now in full swing. This has given Boston Red Sox prospect Cole Brannen a chance to show-off again. Who else is thriving?

The Boston Red Sox had a busy week when it came to roster moves. With the Lowell Spinners’ season now past the double-digit game mark, expect more moves to come.

For now, the biggest changes have been to the Red Sox Major League roster. Robby Scott was given the chance I’ve been begging for him to get finally. Things didn’t go well, however.

The left-hander surrendered a walk and hit a batter while getting one out. Both runs ended up scoring, leading to a 54.00 ERA for Scott. He’s already been sent back down to Triple-A. Don’t give up on him yet though. If the Red Sox gave up on a pitcher based on their first outing of the year, Joe Kelly would be gone as well.

Tzu-Wei Lin was recalled in Scott’s place. This was absolutely deserved as Lin was on a ridiculous tear in Triple-A. With Xander Bogaerts getting hurt, the move was obvious. Bogaerts is already back in the lineup though, so this could be a short-lived stint for Lin.

If he’s sent back to Triple-A, keep an eye on him. Lin’s slash line is all the way up to .299/.350/.445. He was hitting under .200 entering May 23. The shortstop is also showing decent power, with 12 doubles and four home runs on the season. His career-high for homers in a season is seven (set last year). That mark could be in jeopardy.

There are some prime candidates to get the call if Lin is indeed sent back down. Ty Buttrey is right near the top of that list though.

Oh man, did someone say Ty Buttrey? He’s kind of okay at the whole pitching thing.

The right-handed reliever has a 1.91 ERA in 24 outings this season. He’s now thrown 15 1/3 straight innings without allowing an earned run.

On the year, Buttrey has struck out 52 batters (compared to 12 walks) in 33 innings. The 25-year-old has a 1.18 WHIP and opponents are hitting .208 against him.

Basically, the point I’m trying to make is – there are not many stats you’ll find on Buttrey this season that aren’t dominant. A lot of people feel the Red Sox need bullpen help. Why not dip down to Triple-A and scoop up Buttrey? He’s definitely earned a shot.

From dominant pitching to dominant hitting. Rusney Castillo‘s numbers are only getting better. The outfielder’s batting average is now up to .319 as he rides a nine-game hitting streak. That average still leads the team, as do his 19 doubles. He also leads in all types of run production – with his 38 runs scored and 36 runs batted in tops on the team. Castillo’s seven steals are currently tied for the most on the Pawtucket as well.

Sam Travis had dipped below .200 (.194) heading into June 20. A just-snapped five-game hitting-streak boosted his average rather nicely though. After a 0-for-4 on Monday, Travis is back to a .220 average on the year.

While that’s not what you want to see from someone trying to get back to the Red Sox this year, the fast improvement is encouraging. Travis really doesn’t have any numbers that jump out as a positive. Hopefully, the recent surge is a sign of things to come.

Speaking of getting back to the Majors, Jalen Beeks is dominating again in Triple-A. He could earn himself another chance with the Red Sox this season if it keeps up. The left-hander faltered a bit on June 19, when he allowed four runs (three earned) over 4 2/3 innings.

That was quickly rectified, as Beeks threw seven shutout frames on June 24, striking out seven. His ERA for Pawtucket this year now sits at 2.40, while his WHIP is an even 1.00. Opponents are hitting .201 against the 24-year-old, who now has 101 strikeouts over 75 innings.

Say what you will about Robby Scott, but his ERA in Triple-A is 1.42 and opponents are hitting .197 against him. That, coupled with his 3.64 career-ERA (and .192 BAA) in the Majors should tell you he’s still extremely valuable.

Finally, Deiner Lopez is getting his first taste of Triple-A life. With Tzu-Wei Lin being sent to the Majors, Lopez is now with Pawtucket. The shortstop was struggling mightily in Double-A (.137 average over 51 at-bats) but maybe this will get him going. He’s 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

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.

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

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.

If it seems like Santiago Espinal is always on-base recently, that’s probably because he is. The shortstop is currently riding a 13-game hitting streak. A 0-for-4 is the only thing sitting between that and a seven-game hitting streak.

There’s nothing to scoff at in his stat line either. The right-handed hitter is slashing .313/.363/.480 with 14 doubles and three triples, as well as seven home runs. He’s driven in 32 runs and scored 52 more while stealing eight bases in nine attempts. Seriously, I was being serious – there’s not much to critique about the 23-year-old’s performance at the plate.

Espinal isn’t the only hot-bat in Salem though. Brett Netzer is currently rocking a seven-game hitting streak.

Netzer has just one home run on the year (and in his career) but the second baseman’s 17 doubles and two triples make up for it. As does his .311 average and 32 RBI. Kid’s got a PHD in hitting.

C.J. Chatham got cold for a little bit but is back to that whole “terrorizing pitchers” thing. Chatham is up to .303 in Advanced-A with 18 RBI and 15 runs scored over 122 at-bats. The right-hander is clearly playing his way to Double-A this season.

Bobby Dalbec is on a six-game hitting streak at the moment and has boosted his average to .225 on the year. He has 18 doubles and leads the entire Carolina league in home runs (14) and RBI (53).

Something that will be continuously mentioned in these articles is the age of Bryan Mata. He turned 19 in May and has a 3.00 ERA in Advanced-A. The right-handed pitcher has a problem with walks (47 in 57 innings) but that’s where the criticism ends. He picks up strikeouts at a decent rate (50) and has gone at least five innings in seven straight outings. Meanwhile, he’s holding opponents to a .211 batting average and just one home run on the year.

Darwinzon Hernandez and Tanner Houck are both in the Red Sox top-10 prospect list. Hernandez ranks at number seven and Houck is number three. Both aren’t having the best seasons, but have shown their obvious upside.

Hernandez has a 5.13 ERA in 14 starts this year. The 21-year-old also has 56 strikeouts over 54 1/3 innings though. Meanwhile, opponents are hitting .237 against the left-hander with just one home run.

Houck has a 5.19 ERA over 60 2/3 innings this year. The 21-year-old has had some electric starts this year though. One of those came just this month (June 14) when the right-hander twirled six no-hit innings. It’s obvious he has the stuff to pitch at a high-level, he just needs some time to refine everything. Remember, Houck only has 83 innings under his professional belt.

The entire Greenville Drive outfield is part of my Paul Heyman clientele. Victor Acosta just hits. Meanwhile, Marino Campana absolutely mashes the ball and Lorenzo Cedrola has the speed.

Acosta is slashing .299/.333/.460 with 11 doubles and two triples, as well as seven home runs. He’s driven in 31 runs and scored 28 more while stealing two bases.

Campana’s average isn’t great (.238) but he holds a .475 slugging percentage. The 20-year-old has 12 doubles and four triples, as well as 11 home runs. He’s driven in 40 runs and scored 24 more while stealing one base. His triples and home runs, as well as RBI and slugging percentage, lead the team.

Cedrola is slashing .323/.358/.429 with 14 doubles and three triples. The 20-year-old has 19 RBI and 37 runs, as well as eight steals. His average leads the team, as do his doubles and runs scored.

The outfield isn’t the only impressive part of the team though. Michael Osinski continues to rake, as he’s brought his average up to .309.

The third baseman has six doubles and one triple, as well as two home runs on the year. Meanwhile, the right-handed 22-year-old has 19 runs scored and 25 RBI in just 152 at-bats. He already has 11 more RBI this season compared to last, in 10 fewer at-bats.

Denyi Reyes continues to dominate on the mound. The 21-year-old right-hander has a 2.01 ERA over 15 appearances (12 starts). He’s struck out 86 over 83 1/3 innings, walking just 11 along the way. His 0.93 WHIP and .214 BAA shouldn’t be overlooked either.

Jhonathan Diaz is the Red Sox 28th ranked prospect. His numbers this season for Greenville show why. The 21-year-old left-hander has a 3.84 ERA over 13 starts this year. He’s struck out 73 in 72 2/3 innings, compared to 20 walks. His .230 BAA and 1.13 WHIP are both better than his career-averages.