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Red Sox Prospect Watch: Deadly combination mashing in Double-A

By Hunter Noll

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Michael Chavis poses with Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig after being chosen 26th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Michael Chavis poses with Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig after being chosen 26th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – JUNE 28: Third basemen Bobby Dalbec #3 of the Arizona Wildcats hits an RBI single against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the first inning during game two of the College World Series Championship Series on June 28, 2016 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

Let’s start Double-A with that deadly combination (word to Big L and Tupac) I was talking about. Bobby Dalbec has done nothing but mash all season. Portland might be new territory for him, but that doesn’t change the game plan.

In 10 games, Dalbec is hitting .342 for the Sea Dogs. The 23-year-old isn’t just hitting singles either, although that should be a surprise to no one. Of his 13 hits, two are doubles and another five are home runs. Dalbec’s driven in 12 runs and scored six more. In short, when all is said a done Dalbec might not spend much time in Double-A during his career.

Side note, Dalbec now has 97 RBI between Advanced-A and Double-A this year.

Michael Chavis has taken to raking again as well. Also 23, Chavis is hitting .302 in 23 Double-A games. The right-handed bat has five home runs and six doubles while stealing three bases. He’s driven in 15 runs and scored another 16. Triple-A (or even the MLB) is right around the corner.

Austin Rei is brought up a lot by me. That may seem odd to many as he’s not on the Top-30 prospect list and not even the Red Sox top catching prospect (a position many see as a weakness for them). Not long ago, however, Rei was a top-30 prospect for Boston, and he’s playing like he wants to be back in the conversation.

The catcher is slashing .263/.371/.430 with 13 doubles and seven home runs, as well as two triples. His bat is starting to show the lethal potential that it was expected to have when he first joined the organization. A healthy Rei could shoot up the ranks quickly.

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Danny Mars rose his average to .253 this week. He also leads the team in doubles (20) and runs scored (56), as well as steals (15). The strides the right fielder has made defensively are most important in my opinion though. He was always a solid defender, but is really flashing the leather in 2018.

Kyle Hart has been lights-out lately. Five straight strong starts have lowered his ERA to 3.55 on the season. Although that’s higher than his career-average, Double-A is the highest level Hart’s ever been at. It’s definitely been an encouraging year for 25-year-old. Most importantly, the 121 2/3 innings he’s pitched are a career-high.

Teddy Stankiewicz is down to a 4.38 ERA after his last start, allowing three earned runs in seven innings. For those keeping track, he’s now thrown at least seven innings in six straight starts. Although the numbers aren’t great, the improvements throughout the season are fantastic. The right-hander’s clear ability to be a workhorse/innings-eater are making him valuable as well.

Dedgar Jimenez is down to a 4.92 ERA in Double-A after a strong start as well. Baby Bartolo isn’t replicating the success he had last year but isn’t having as bad of a season as it appears either. The ERA is high, but that could be traced back to a few blow-up starts. In the end, I’m still very high on what he can bring to the Red Sox in the future.

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