Rafael Devers is currently on a rehab assignment and in Short-A. In his first game with the Lowell Spinners, the 21-year-old (seriously, he’s younger than players actually on this roster) went 1-for-4. That “1” was a home run though – a great sign for the Red Sox third baseman.
One of my favorite storylines to follow at the moment is Korby Batesole. He’s having a strong season with a .284 average and seven of both RBI and runs scored. Those are all nice, but the extra-base hit still eludes him – as all 23 of his hits are singles.
That hasn’t been a problem for Tyler Esplin though. Almost half of his 25 hits (11) have been for extra-bases. While the .212 average leaves some to be desired, there’s clear power in the 19-year-old’s bat. Age is on his side as well, as there’s plenty of time for things to clear up for the left-handed bat.
Tyler Dearden‘s coming off a four-hit performance to bring his average back up to .297. The 20-year-old has 19 RBI and 25 runs scored while smacking 14 extra-base hits in 138 at-bats.
Dearden has plenty of potential and could turn into an above-average power bat while maintaining a high average.
Devlin Granberg is slashing .301/.392/.427 with 12 doubles and two home runs in 143 at-bats. The 22-year-old outfielder has 17 RBI and 29 runs scored on the year while stealing three bases in four attempts.
Eduard Bazardo would usually headline the pitching portion of this slide. That will be tough now though, as he’s been promoted to Full-A – but has yet to make an appearance there.
Brian Brown is 0-2 on the season, but you wouldn’t guess it when looking at his numbers. The left-hander has a 2.35 ERA on the year to pair with a strong 1.27 WHIP. He’s struck out 24 in 30 2/3 innings and has yet to give up a home run.
Yorvin Pantoja has struggled for the most part so far. The 20-year-old lefty has a 4.32 ERA while opponents are hitting .261 against him. He’s struck out 26 in 41 2/3 innings and has walked 16. Despite all that though, Pantoja has a 3-1 record. He’s helped his own cause by limiting the damage – as he’s yet to give up a home run either.