Advanced-A (Salem Red Sox)
Bryan Mata is back! The 20-year-old pitcher returned from the IL and wasted no time looking dominant again. In his first start since May 4, the righty threw five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out five. He now has a 1.83 ERA in seven starts. Mata also has a 0.99 WHIP and .175 BAA as well as 36 strikeouts (compared to 12 walks) in 34 1/3 innings.
Eduard Bazardo has a 1.95 ERA to go along with a .190 BAA and 0.95 WHIP this season. He’s struck out 47 batters in 37 innings, walking just nine. The right-hander has been dominant all season long and is clearly waiting for the next challenge.
Kutter Crawford is pretty quietly putting together a fantastic season. The righty has a 3.14 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 63 innings. He doesn’t have the best BAA (.256) or WHIP (1.41) but he tends to get himself out of trouble and keep the ERA low.
Ryan Fitzgerald deserves more credit. Undrafted, he’s hitting .315 in Advanced-A and leads the team with 39 RBI. He’s hit 15 doubles and four triples, as well as stolen eight bases and scored 22 runs.
Marcus Wilson is hitting .313 with six doubles and three homers in 19 games for Salem. He’s stolen one base as well as driven in 13 runs and scored nine more to this point. The Red Sox acquired him in the Blake Swihart trade and the outfielder definitely has potential.
Pedro Castellanos is hitting .279 with 14 doubles and one home run. He’s driven in 37 runs and scored 25 more, as well as stolen a surprising five bases. The 21-year-old first baseman has done nothing but hit since joining the Red Sox organization. He’s done just about everything to make me excited about his future.
Victor Acosta is hitting .299 with eight doubles so far. The outfielder has 20 RBI and 17 runs scored, with four stolen bases. He’s walked almost as many times (16) as he’s struck out (19), leading to a .372 OBP.