Red Sox Prospect Watch: More promotions shake up MiLB scene

Bobby Dalbec was the big name on the move to Portland. The Sea Dogs now have arguably the Red Sox best prospect. Dalbec’s wasted no time getting acclimated to Double-A pitching either. The third baseman is hitting .333 (4-for-12) and unsurprisingly already has two home runs to his credit.

Dalbec’s been unstoppable at the plate lately – it’s great to see him get some Double-A swings before the end of the season.

Michael Chavis is also in Double-A, giving Portland an absolutely lethal power-hitting duo. Chavis is hitting .250 (15-for-60) with three doubles and three home runs. The right-handed hitter also has nine RBI and nine runs scored, to go along with three steals.

It will be interesting to see if Chavis gets some Triple-A swings in this year.

You’ve got to give Jhon Nunez and Austin Rei their credit. They’ve both had solid seasons despite odd and sporadic playing time. It’s tough to get catchers solid playing time when there’s a situation like this, but still.

Nunez is hitting .254 with 11 extra-base hits in 189 Double-A at-bats this year. The switch-hitter also has 20 RBI and 20 runs scored, as well as four steals.

Rei meanwhile is slashing .256/.373/.417 with 12 doubles and two triples, as well as six home runs. He’s driven in 26 runs and scored 21 more in 211 at-bats while drawing a solid 33 walks. Rei’s put a lot together at the plate this year, and it should reignite his prospect status.

I was actually hoping the Red Sox would give Rei a shot in the Majors after the Swihart injury. Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting it to actually happen, but there was a (slim) chance.

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

Danny Mars is hitting .251 but currently riding a three-game hitting streak. He leads the team in doubles (20) and runs scored (55), as well as steals (15). Meanwhile, the switch-hitter has three triples and three homers. His 55 runs scored and 20 doubles are both on-pace to break career-bests for the right fielder.

Speaking of right field, Mars has been spectacular there this season. His defense has always been a plus, but it appears that he’s stepped it up even more with the glove. The instincts are getting better-and-better.

Kyle Hart twirled a gem in his only appearance this week. The 25-year-old went seven innings – allowing just two hits and two walks, without giving up an earned run. His ERA dropped to 3.78 on the year. The left-hander could find his way into a Triple-A appearance before the end of the year.

Teddy Stankiewicz has now pitched at least seven innings in each of his last five starts. His ERA is down to 4.41 because of it. The right-hander has had a few miserable outings this season. Due to that, his numbers still aren’t that great. For the most part, Stankiewicz is exactly what you want from a pitcher. He can go deep into games and always gives the Sea Dogs a chance to win.

Dedgar Jimenez just broke an extended streak of his own. Going just 4 2/3 innings in his last time out, it was his first sub-five-inning outing in his last seven appearances. The 22-year-old has a 5.02 ERA on the year, but there’s plenty to build off of. For example, his lone Triple-A start showed him give up only two runs in six innings. Jimenez had a breakout campaign in 2017 – this is simply a bump-in-the-road.