The Boston Red Sox have called-up two pitching prospects in Darwinzon Hernandez and Travis Lakins for the second game of a doubleheader.
Whew. My Prospect Watch is taking a lot of hits lately – in the best possible way. Boston Red Sox number one prospect Michael Chavis has been with the team for about a week at this point. Now he’s being joined by two more of the team’s top prospects, Darwinzon Hernandez and Travis Lakins.
Hernandez is being added as the 26th man on the roster due to the doubleheader Boston has today (they already lost Game One to the Detroit Tigers this afternoon). That means he’ll be sent down immediately following the game.
Lakins, on the other hand, has been called up as a corresponding move to the Red Sox sending Bobby Poyner back to Triple-A. That means he could be with the Big League club for longer.
Hernandez is the Red Sox top-ranked pitching prospect (fourth overall in the organization). The left-hander was absolutely fantastic last season. I got the pleasure of seeing him first-hand and he has an excellent mixture of power and precision.
Hernandez has been dominant in Double-A so far this year, striking out 15 batters over 10 innings. In that time he’s allowed just two earned runs (1.80 ERA) but has walked seven.
The 22-year-old is a starter, and will more-than-likely be a starter in his MLB career. However, he’ll be an extra bullpen arm tonight.
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Look out for his fastball, which sits in the high-90s. He also has a great curveball that will create a lot of bad looking swings. His slider and changeup are inconsistent but have promise.
Lakins is the 17th overall prospect in the Red Sox system (sixth overall pitching prospect). He had a major breakout season in 2018. The right-handed reliever had a 2.32 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A (1.65 in Triple-A) in 54 1/3 innings last season. He racked up 57 strikeouts while opponents hit just .190 against him.
This year, the 24-year-old hasn’t been as lights-out. He’s still been strong though, with a 3.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts of eight innings of work for Pawtucket.
Lakins has long been considered a potential major piece to the bullpen. This could be the start to a very long and successful career for him.
Lakins has a solid fastball that sits in the low-to-mid-90s but he can beef it up sometimes. His cutter is the pitch you’ll want to watch out for the most – it’s absolutely dangerous.
Both prospects could have a chance to showcase themselves to Red Sox Nation tonight. Don’t expect them to disappoint.