Red Sox Prospect Watch: Bobby Dalbec’s stock is still rising
The Boston Red Sox have been labeled as a prospect-deficient team. Bobby Dalbec is destroying that narrative, however, as he’s only getting better.
For a team that isn’t supposed to have a good minor league system, the Boston Red Sox sure do have a lot of intriguing pieces. One of those players just so happens to be Tzu-Wei Lin.
The shortstop has set Triple-A on fire this season but struggled mightily during his stretch in Boston. Following a recent injury to Rafael Devers, Lin was recalled to the Majors on July 12.
No time was wasted for the 24-year-old, going 1-for-3 with a walk in his first game since being called up. That snapped a hitless streak for Lin that stretched over 26 at-bats in the Majors.
His average is still incredibly low at the moment (.175) but that’s over just 40 at-bats. The .308 average in 185 Triple-A at-bats is much more encouraging.
Boston is also currently enlisting the help of two Triple-A arms out of the bullpen.
With Pawtucket, Bobby Poyner has put up a strong stat line. It’s the numbers he’s boasting in the Majors that are truly eye-popping though. Over 10 2/3 innings the left-hander has a 1.69 ERA and 10 strikeouts. He’s back on the MLB roster but has yet to appear in a game during this stint.
Ryan Brasier is enjoying his first stint in the Majors since 2013. Multiple injuries have kept him away, but he’s earned his spot back in the Show.
The 30-year-old is clearly looking to stay for the long-term as well, as he’s yet to allow a run over five innings. Not only has he kept opponents scoreless, they barely touch him. Brasier has allowed just two hits and two walks in that time, making a strong case to keep his spot in the bullpen.
The Pawtucket Red Sox are currently down two big-name players as Tzu-Wei Lin is in the Majors and Rusney Castillo is on the disabled list. Meanwhile, Jalen Beeks hasn’t appeared in a MiLB game since July 4.
Despite all of that, there’s still a lot to talk about when it comes to the Triple-A squad.
Brandon Phillips is with the team now. The 37-year-old is 3-for-10 with a double and two RBI so far. He’s had a fantastic Major League career and could find his way to Boston soon enough.
Tony Renda is fighting to make himself a viable infield option as well. The 27-year-old was tearing it up in Double-A, hitting .371 through 97 at-bats. This led to a recent move to Triple-A and he’s looked even better. Renda is slashing .481/.500/.704 over 27 at-bats. He’s appeared in 32 games in the Majors and is making a strong case to return.
Sam Travis just had a quick stint in the Majors. He’s back with Pawtucket now and appears to be turning things around. Two straight two-hit days have Travis up to a .235 average. No offensive stat of his will exactly impress anyone, but maybe he can ride this hot-streak for a while.
Speaking of hot-streaks, Aneury Tavarez is rocking a 10-game hitting streak at the moment. The outfielder is slashing .242/.302/.372 but has 28 RBI and 35 runs scored, as well as a team-high nine steals.
I know Robby Scott isn’t a fan favorite at the moment. In 2 1/3 innings for the Red Sox, he’s allowed four runs. The left-hander has a 1.08 ERA over 33 1/3 Triple-A innings though. He’s shown in the past he can handle Major League pitching and I don’t think he’s even close to being done in the MLB.
It’s amazing that Ty Buttrey is on the 40-man roster and hasn’t gotten a shot yet. Bullpen arms have been shuffled around all year for Boston. The prospect with a 1.88 ERA and 64 strikeouts over 43 innings hasn’t been included though? I’m getting tired of saying he’ll be in the Majors soon enough, but it’s got to be coming – right?
Trevor Kelley was having a solid year in Double-A, but nothing spectacular. The 24-year-old had a 4.05 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. He’s been lockdown since moving up to Triple-A though. The right-hander has yet to allow an earned run over eight innings, holding opponents to a .091 batting average.
Michael Chavis is back in Double-A. He’s currently hitting .150, but only has 20 at-bats under his belt. The third baseman also already cranked a home run, so there’s definitely a silver lining. Give him some more time before worrying about the average.
Austin Rei‘s numbers are still climbing. The catcher is up to a .246 average and has 16 extra-base hits. His .365 on-base percentage is the eye-popper, however. Even when his bat is struggling, the 24-year-old gets on-base, and that’s special.
Josh Ockimey is riding a 0-for-18 streak at the moment. That’s dropped his average to .252 on the year. He’s blasted 12 home runs this season and driven in 43 runs. The first baseman isn’t expected to hit at a .300 clip. It’s the raw power that makes him so intriguing as a prospect. So the average isn’t much of an issue if he keeps destroying baseballs.
Danny Mars is also suffering through an extended hitless streak. The outfielder is currently 0-for-his-last-12, dropping his average to .254. There are plenty of positives for the switch-hitter this year though. His 15 doubles are on-pace to break his old record of 21 in a season, while his 42 runs have a chance to best his previous high of 62.
What I love to see though are the steals. Mars showed off some elite base running in 2016, stealing 31 bags. Last season, however, he dipped down to 12 in 22 attempts. This year, he’s already swiped 14 bases, needing just 16 attempts to do so.
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Dedgar Jimenez isn’t having a great statistical year. I’m still 100% on the Baby Bartolo bandwagon though. The 22-year-old validated me on Tuesday, throwing a complete game (seven innings due to it being a doubleheader) shutout.
Jimenez still holds a 5.38 ERA in Double-A this season but has had a number of extremely strong starts as well. The left-hander is also coming off the best season of his minor league career when he posted a 3.00 ERA between Advanced-A and Double-A (2.91 ERA in Portland).
Jimenez isn’t going to blow you away on the mound. He’s not exciting like Chris Sale or anyone even close to him for that matter. However, the Venezuela native has a calm presence on the mound that works for him. He also has a solid repertoire of pitches that includes a decent changeup (the best pitch in baseball don’t argue with me).
Travis Lakins is back to his not-allowing-runs ways. The righty has lowered his ERA to 2.65 and has 36 strikeouts over 34 innings. Opponents can’t figure him out, as they’re hitting .197 with two homers against Lakins this season.
Matthew Gorst won’t fly under the radar much longer. His 1.59 ERA in Advanced-A was superb. The 0.00 ERA he holds over 15 Double-A innings is immaculate.
Bobby Dalbec is starting to reach legendary status, this is just getting ridiculous. The third baseman is up to a .268 average with 26 doubles and 23 home runs. He’s driven in 78 runs and scored 53 more. The doubles and homers, as well as RBI, are all tops in the Carolina League.
It’s gotten to the point where every time he steps up to the plate, you expect Dalbec to hit it a mile. Seriously, do yourself a favor and start watching his at-bats whenever you get the chance.
It’s tough to imagine the Red Sox don’t move Dalbec up to Double-A before the end of the year.
According to a recent tweet, C.J. Chatham appears to have bad taste in pizza.
I mean, were there no Pizza Huts (the King of the chain pizza) in the area? I bring this up because it’s the only negative thing anyone can say about Chatham at the moment. The shortstop is 0-for-his-last-9 and still holds a .312 average in Advanced-A this season.
Combined between Full-A and Advanced-A this season, Chatham has a .310 average and career-highs in doubles (13) and triples (2), as well as RBI (38) and runs scored (40). He also has the first seven steals of his career.
Michael Osinski is back up to a .281 batting average. The corner infielder has 11 RBI in 14 games with Salem this year. He’s also stolen two bases and scored seven more runs. The 22-year-old was drafted in the 31st round of the 2017 draft and is already climbing up the minor league ranks at a pretty fast rate.
Darwinzon Hernandez is showing why he’s the seventh-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system. The 21-year-old left-hander hasn’t allowed an earned run in any of his last three starts (16 2/3 innings) to lower his ERA to 4.04 on the year. He struck out 23 in that time and now has 87 Ks over 75 2/3 innings in 2018. Hernandez has also drastically lowered his batting average against to .226 while opponents have just one home run off him all season.
This could be the breakout Hernandez needed to elevate him to the next level.
Denyi Reyes should get Cy Young votes this season. The funny thing is, I’m only 98% joking – that’s how good the right-hander has been for the Greenville Drive.
Reyes tossed seven scoreless innings in his last start, striking out six more while once again walking none. The 21-year-old has 111 strikeouts in 110 2/3 innings this year while allowing just 13 base-on-balls. He boasts a 9-3 record and 1.79 ERA, holding opponents to a .205 average against him (0.88 WHIP).
Reyes has yet to give up more than three earned runs in a start this year, and he’s only done that twice. Meanwhile, he’s allowed zero earned runs in seven outings, including a nine-inning complete game shutout.
Victor Acosta was slumping hard for a while, but a five-game hitting-streak has gotten him back on track. The highlight performance was a 4-for-4 game in which he hit a homer and drove in two runs.
Acosta is back up to a .284 average with 36 RBI and 33 runs scored on the year (even stealing four bases). The right-handed hitter has 20 doubles and three triples, to go along with his eight home runs.
Marino Campana is in a slight slump himself and could use a breakout performance. The 20-year-old is down to .244 on the year, but his combination of power and not-great-but-underrated speed is deadly. He has 14 homers and 15 doubles, as well as five triple on the season and has driven in 53 runs.
Pedro Castellanos is absolutely mashing. The first baseman has a seven-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 9-of-10. His average has jumped to .276 this year and his 22 runs are six away from tying a career-high. Castellanos also has 17 RBI and nine extra-base hits, but the 20-year-old right-handed hitter has yet to take a pitch deep this season.
Garrett Benge has seen his average drop to .283 in Full-A over the last week. The corner infielder only has 46 at-bats at this level though. Things could change drastically (in either direction) rather quickly.
Durbin Feltman has only thrown three innings in Full-A so far, so there isn’t much to tell. He’s allowed one earned one while striking out six.
Jarren Duran already has seven triples for the Lowell Spinners this season. The 21-year-old is hitting .337 on the year with four doubles and one homer, but it’s the triples stealing the show. Duran also has 11 RBI and 22 runs scored, as well as six steals in 24 games.
Tyler Esplin is slashing just .202/.302/.393 this season, however, there’s plenty to love. There’s a reason the left-handed hitting outfielder is ranked 20th in the Red Sox organization – raw power.
Esplin currently has 17 hits in 84 at-bats, but nine of them are for extra bases. The 19-year-old has also already driven in 12 runs and stolen two bases in two attempts.
Speaking of steals, Cole Brannen is 10-for-11 in Lowell and 19-for-21 overall this season. The 19-year-old is hitting .235 with just one extra-base hit (a triple) and seven RBI, but the steals are more-than-enough to get excited about. His age should hamper some of the concerns about his low average to this point in his career. There’s plenty of time for Brannen to figure things out at the plate.
Tyler Dearden was drafted in the 29th round last season. The 20-year-old is trying to prove he was a steal, as he’s slashing .319/.405/.431 in Short-A this year. He’s only had 72 at-bats, but the left-handed hitter already has six doubles and one triple. Meanwhile, he’s driven in seven runs and scored 13 more.
Eduard Bazardo has a 2.53 ERA in six starts this year. The right-handed pitcher has 37 strikeouts in 32 innings and has walked only four. Opponents are hitting .176 against the 22-year-old, who holds a 0.76 WHIP. This is his first season in Short-A, and Bazardo looks more than ready for the competition.
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Oddanier Mosqueda has appeared in nine games and threw exactly two innings in every one. Over those 18 innings, the 19-year-old has allowed four earned runs (2.00 ERA). Walks have been a problem for the lefty (14) but his 23 strikeouts help keep him out of too much trouble. Opponents are hitting .154 against Mosqueda and have yet to hit a home run.