Red Sox Prospect Watch: Heading into the All-Star break

The season’s at the halfway mark as most MiLB teams head to the All-Star break. Time to evaluate how the year’s gone for some Boston Red Sox prospects.The Boston Red Sox have to be excited about the play of some of their prospects heading into the MiLB All-Star break. Not everyone is sticking around in the minors though. There’s been a revolving door leading to the bullpen lately, as the Red Sox try to compensate for injuries.

This revolving door has given more Major League innings to William Cuevas and Jalen Beeks. Cuevas threw two innings, allowing one run on one hit. Beeks, on the other hand, struggled once again, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk over 2 1/3 innings.

Beeks now holds a 12.79 ERA in the Majors. That’s been compiled over 6 1/3 innings however, so there’s still plenty of time for the left-hander to figure things out.  He’s coming off a strong 2017 in Triple-A, and his numbers in Pawtucket are even better this year. There are a lot of reasons to believe everything will work out in the long run for the 25-year-old.

Ryan Brasier has also worked his way back to the Majors. The 30-year-old hadn’t pitched in the Majors since 2013, but already has two scoreless innings under his belt for Boston in 2018.

It’s absolutely possible the Red Sox continue to experiment with their bullpen while they wait for Steven Wright and Drew Pomeranz (among others) to return.

Another thing to watch out for are the catchers. Christian Vazquez is expected to be out for the next 6-to-8 weeks. That leaves the depth at the position in the Majors down to Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart. No more backup plan. The position in the minors just got a lot more important for the immediate future.

Tzu-Wei Lin is on the tear of his career. The shortstop now holds an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 27-of-28. His average in Triple-A has sky-rocketed to .308 and he has 13 doubles and five home runs. The 24-year-old has 18 RBI and 22 runs scored, as well as two steals.

Lin is clearly blocked in Boston by a talented infield. His defense and versatility already make him pretty valuable though. Add in that he’s showing true potential with the bat and at some point the Red Sox will be forced to give him another MLB look.

Rusney Castillo is being threatened for the batting average title on the team. At the moment though, he’s still holding onto it. Castillo holds a .312 average to lead Pawtucket. Other categories he leads in include doubles (21) and RBI (39) as well as runs (40) and steals (8).

Castillo’s contract creates too many problems for the Red Sox to call him up in 2018. He’s making an intriguing case for 2019 though.

Oscar Hernandez might be the default emergency catcher. The 25-year-old isn’t impressing with his bat (.211/.313/.333) but has thrown out 10-of-18 would-be base stealers.

Ty Buttrey is back down to a 2.01 ERA after two more shutout innings this week. The right-hander has 61 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings and opponents are hitting .212 against him. If the Red Sox continue shuffling up the bullpen, it’s hard to see the 25-year-old not getting his chance soon.

Bobby Poyner and Robby Scott might have something to say about that though.

Poyner holds a 2.49 ERA in Triple-A this year. More importantly though, the left-hander has a 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 MLB innings this season.

Meanwhile, Scott has a 54.00 ERA in 1/3 of an inning with Boston this year. He holds a 1.15 ERA in 31 1/3 Triple-A innings though. The lefty has been absolutely lights out and should get another shot.

Somebody needs to tell Bobby Dalbec to calm down, this is getting ridiculous. The third baseman has seen his average fly all the way up to .260. No longer is that something someone can point to when looking for a weakness. He also leads the Carolina League in doubles (25) and home runs (21), as well as RBI (75). That’s right, Dalbec is on-pace to obliterate a 100-RBI season.

C.J. Chatham is the furthest thing from an easy-out at the moment. The shortstop is up to a .315 average in Advanced-A, and already has a career-best 25 RBI (that’s not even counting the nine he had in Full-A). Without Santiago Espinal on the team anymore, the Red Sox might not feel pressured to move Chatham up a level. He might push them to do so anyway if he continues to rake.

It seems like Brett Netzer has huddled around the .300 mark all year. His average currently stands at .298 and he’s already roped 19 doubles to go along with two triples and one home run. The second baseman isn’t going to hit for a ton of power, but he’s proving he can still produce runs, with 35 RBI and 30 runs scored.

Roldani Baldwin is yet another catcher in the system. While Nunez and Rei are long shots to work their way into the 2018 mix for the Red Sox, Baldwin isn’t even on the map. That’s simply due to experience though, as he’s still in Advanced-A, and this is his first season even at that level.

The right-handed hitter is still trying to find his footing in Salem, holding a .252/.297/.415 slash line over 38 games. In 147 at-bats the 22-year-old has six doubles and six home runs, as well as 21 RBI and 16 runs scored. Within the next two seasons, his name should crop up a lot more when talking about potential Major League contributors. He’s just not there yet though.

Bryan Mata still has a while to go. The 19-year-old is still turning heads, however. Mata has a 3.42 ERA over 71 innings pitched this season. Opponents are hitting just .226 with one home run off the right-hander so far. Walks are still a problem, but a season-low two were issued in his last start, hopefully signifying he’s figured something out.

The Greenville Drive currently hold two players that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.

First, there’s Marino Campana. The 20-year-old outfielder is in his first season of Full-A and showing he can do everything. Camp has a .250/.309/.493 slash line on the season. The right-handed hitter has 14 doubles and 14 homers, as well as five triples. He’s also driven in 53 runs and scored 31 more while going 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts.

On the pitching end, there’s Denyi Reyes. The 21-year-old has a 1.91 ERA over 18 appearances (15 starts) in 2018. In 103 2/3 innings, the right-hander has 105 strikeouts compared to 13 walks. His incredible command also translates to the domination of hitters, as opponents hold a .212 average against him. Reyes is also in his first full season in Full-A, although you would never know by his 0.92 WHIP.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all if either (or both) of these players find their way up to the next level before the end of the year.

Garrett Benge has already gotten a promotion in 2018. The 22-year-old started the season in Short-A with the Lowell Spinners. His dominant .351 average over 10 games led to a quick move up to Full-A though. So far, the third baseman is proving the move to be right with a .333 average in eight games.

Accompanying that .333 average for Benge is two doubles and the first home run of his career. The left-handed hitter has six RBI and four runs scored in a short time with Full-A.

Zach Sterry enjoyed a strong week to boost his numbers in rapid fashion. The first baseman is 6-for-his-last-9 and has boosted his average up to .290. Although his six extra-base hits on the year (one homer) seem low, Sterry’s done so in just 100 at-bats. In that time, he’s driven in 14 runs and scored 10 more. The 24-year-old could use some more massive weeks to improve his status in the system.

Durbin Feltman has yet to pitch for Greenville, but he’s arrived. The reliever made quick work of Short-A, striking out seven batters over four perfect innings. Feltman really could find his way to the Majors by the end of the year.

Let’s start the Red Sox Short-A team with a couple of weird names (at least to be in Short-A). First, there’s Brandon Phillips. The 37-year-old is currently with the Lowell Spinners trying to make his way back to the Majors.

Phillips is hitting .250 (3-for-12) with three RBI and an absolute mammoth of a home run. There’s a (slight) chance this turns into something if Dustin Pedroia can’t return this year.

Then there’s Michael Chavis. This doesn’t seem as weird as he’s still just 22 and has never been to the Majors. Chavis is one of the best prospects in baseball though and mashed 31 home runs in 2017 (for Advanced-A and Double-A). He’s returning from a suspension though and is just trying to get some at-bats.

Right now, the focus should be more on just feeling good for Chavis, and that appears to be the case. Numbers shouldn’t be a major concern for him as he’ll be back in at-least Double-A soon enough, then the numbers will mean more. Still, four doubles and a home run in 16 at-bats looks pretty.

Jarren Duran seems to want the Garrett Benge treatment. He wants a promotion yesterday. The second baseman is hitting .350 with four doubles and one home run, as well as six triples in 80 at-bats. He’s driven in nine runs and scored 17 more while stealing four bases.

Tyler Dearden has seven extra-base hits (six doubles, one triple) in 59 at-bats. The 20-year-old has a .305 average and 10 runs scored as well, showing that he doesn’t just get the flashy hits.

Cole Brannen‘s average has dropped to .242 on the year. The 19-year-old is up to eight steals in 17 games though. Combined with his Full-A numbers, Brannen is 17-for-19 in steal attempts this year. This is speed the Red Sox haven’t seen in years.

Rio Gomez has allowed one earned run in 14 2/3 innings, leading to a 0.61 ERA. Opponents are hitting .120 against the left-hander, and have struck out 14 times. The 23-year-old also holds a 0.55 WHIP and 1-0 record.

Oddanier Mosqueda has a 1.69 ERA over 16 innings this season. The 19-year-old has 21 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .172 batting average with zero home runs.

Eduard Bazardo has already thrown 26 innings for Lowell this season. In that time, the 22-year-old has 31 strikeouts and just four walks. The right-hander has a 2.77 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, while opponents are hitting .184 against him.

Next: Sale among top lefties under 30 in history

Alexander Montero has allowed one earned run in all four starts he’s made this season – no more, no less. In 19 2/3 innings, he has allowed four earned runs (1.86 ERA) while striking out 21 and walking four. The 20-year-old righty has a 0.83 WHIP and opponents are hitting .179 against him.