Red Sox Prospect Watch: Bryan Mata makes triumphant return
Boston Red Sox prospect Bryan Mata returned from a stint on the Injured List and dominated on the mound like nothing happened.
Before we get into anything, just a quick word on David Ortiz. Here’s to hoping Big Papi makes a full recovery – truly one of the first idols I had growing up and a wonderful influence for many.
Now onto the prospects.
Once again Michael Chavis isn’t alone. The infielder is slashing .247/.337/.453 at the moment. Although he’s struggling mightily with the high-fastball, 10 homers and 30 RBI are fantastic numbers.
Chavis is joined by Marco Hernandez. I know he’s far from a prospect, but I’m counting the 26-year-old because he deserves the recognition and has been mentioned here a lot this year.
Hernandez is absolutely killing it for Boston right now, hitting .455 with three doubles and three RBI. I’ve said for a while I think he’ll contribute in the Majors again this year, I just didn’t think it would be this soon. That being said – no complaints in this article about it.
Sam Travis is up as well. Currently, he’s hitting just .182 but that’s in limited ABs (22). Travis is showing a solid glove in the outfield, adding versatility.
Pitching-wise, Mike Shawaryn has shown he can handle the Majors. Through four innings, he’s allowed one run (2.25 ERA) on one hit (.077 BAA and 0.25 WHIP), striking out seven while walking none. There’s really not much to pick at when it comes to his debut so far.
Bobby Poyner is back with the team and hopefully can correct himself from his last stint (two runs in one inning over two outings). Poyner was electric last season and definitely deserves another chance.
Finally, Darwinzon Hernandez has been called up to make his first MLB start on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. His Major League debut came earlier this year, going 2 1/3 shutout innings. One of the most intriguing pitching prospects the Red Sox have, expect big things from him in the future. Right now this is probably just a one-game deal though.
Triple-A (Pawtucket Red Sox)
Chad De La Guerra has been awesome in Triple-A this season. The infielder is slashing .316/.372/.582 in 23 games. Despite that small amount of games, DLG has raked seven doubles and one triple, as well as four home runs. The left-handed hitter has 12 RBI and 12 runs scored, as well as one steal.
Josh Ockimey is down to a .204 average, but the power is absolutely there for the 23-year-old. Ockimey has eight doubles and two triples to go along with a fantastic 14 home runs. He’s driven in 32 runs and scored 36 more – walking 43 times (.358 OBP).
Josh Tobias is putting together a really strong season between Double-A and Triple-A. Combined between the two, he’s hitting .286 with 14 extra base hits and two steals. The 26-year-old has 17 RBI and 18 runs scored.
Jantzen Witte now has 10 doubles and six home runs on the year. The right-handed hitter also has 26 RBI and 19 runs combined between Double-A and Triple-A. He only hit .150 with Portland but has a .281 average with Pawtucket.
Let’s give Trevor Kelley a look in the Major League bullpen already, am I right? The 25-year-old has a 1.20 ERA in 30 innings this year. Opponents are hitting .221 against him and he’s got four wins and is 2-for-2 in save opportunities. A career 2.38 ERA and somehow the righty still hasn’t gotten a shot in the Majors.
Teddy Stankiewicz bounced back nicely from that dreadful start last week. This week, he went six innings, allowing just one earned run. That lowered his ERA to 4.46 as the right-hander continues to have a solid season. Outside of his May 31 start (seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings), Stankiewicz has a 3.08 ERA on the season.
Kyle Hart has a 3.71 ERA in Triple-A and it’s a weird situation. The lefty threw a complete game shutout in his first start. He’s had two appearances since then, giving up seven runs in eight innings. However, neither of those two appearances were starts. That could’ve thrown him off his rhythm as Hart is accustomed to starting games.
Travis Lakins is down to a 3.32 ERA in Triple-A, as he’s looked much better there recently. The 24-year-old will likely be in the Majors again at some point this year.
Dedgar Jimenez got absolutely rocked in his second Triple-A start of the year. The lefty went two innings, allowing nine runs on five hits and six walks. That puts his Triple-A ERA at 14.09. 14.09 is actually a lot lower than the 19.64 ERA he had after two Double-A starts this year. In case you forgot – he has a 3.55 ERA in Portland now, so let’s wait and see how this plays out.
Double-A (Portland Sea Dogs)
C.J. Chatham‘s still hurt and that’s killing me. However, the Portland Sea Dogs have a lot of exciting stuff going on right now.
Of course, Jarren Duran has been the main attraction of the Red Sox minor league system this season. He was promoted to Double-A just in time for last week’s prospect watch and now has a few games under his belt. The outfielder is getting adjusted to the new level, hitting .174 in six games. It’s low, but a big game can turn it around. Another positive is his .345 OBP as he’s drawn five walks.
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Jhon Nunez has been consistently great for Portland this year. The switch-hitting catcher has a .301 average in 113 at-bats this year. He’s already hit seven doubles (two off his career-best) and one triple, as well as three home runs (tied for a career-high). Nunez has nine RBI and 14 runs scored as well. He’s also been able to show off his cannon-for-an-arm behind the plate this year.
Bobby Dalbec is still hovering around .250 with a .251 average. He’s smacked nine doubles and one triple, as well as 13 home runs. The right-handed hitter has 33 RBI and 30 runs scored. It’s exciting to think about the RBI potential as he continues to swing a good bat. Think about what could happen if Duran gets hot and Nunez stays hot. That’s a lot of runs.
Tanner Houck is down to a 4.24 ERA after a second straight fantastic start. The right-hander struck out 11 over seven innings – both of those are career-bests. He allowed just two runs in the start, and has lowered his ERA in three straight outings.
Denyi Reyes didn’t dominate in his start this week as he had in the previous few. Still, it wasn’t dreadful as he allowed four runs in six innings. With a 4.42 ERA so far, it’s hard not to feel positive about where that’s trending, as it was over 7.00 a little over a month ago.
Daniel McGrath sits at a 3.06 ERA after a string of strong outings. The left-handed pitcher has a .220 BAA and one save as well on the year.Boston
Durbin Feltman‘s back. The reliever has only allowed two earned runs over his last 10 outings (13 2/3 innings). His ERA is down to a manageable 5.24 and opponents are hitting just .194 against him.
Matthew Gorst has a 2.70 ERA in Triple-A and an even more impressive 1.72 ERA in Double-A. The right-handed pitcher is a combined 1-for-1 in save opportunities with a .194 BAA.
Jake Cosart has yet to give up a run in Double-A this year. The right-handed pitcher had a 1.83 ERA and five saves in Advanced-A (19 2/3 innings) and now has seven clean innings in Double-A. Opponents are hitting just .091 against him in Portland, as he has a 0.71 WHIP.
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.
Full-A (Greenville Drive)
Thad Ward continues to shine as his streak of innings without allowing an earned run is reach preposterous levels. It’s getting kind of ridiculous. In his last five starts, the right-hander has combined to go 32 1/3 innings. In that time, he’s allowed ZERO earned runs on 17 hits and four walks, striking out 36 batters.
Overall, Ward has a 1.84 ERA in 12 starts. The 22-year-old has a .187 BAA and 0.98 WHIP. He’s struck out 80 batters in 68 1/3 innings, walking just 21.
Alex Scherff has a 4.66 ERA in 56 innings. He’s been up-and-down lately but his start on Monday saw him give up just one run on two hits in six innings – definitely a positive sign for the 21-year-old. The righty has some of the best stuff in the Red Sox system, so it’s important to let him grow.
Speaking of electric stuff, Yoan Aybar has been trending up lately. The 21-year-old has always had fun stuff to watch on the mound, it’s just a question of if he has control. Lately, he’s done a great job of that though and the lefty is down to a 5.73 ERA. While that seems high, it’s a far cry better than the 8.78 ERA he held less than three weeks ago.
Triston Casas is right up there with Duran as the most must-watch player in the Red Sox minor league system. The 19-year-old is absolutely crushing the ball. He’s hitting .275 with 15 doubles and one triple. Casas also has 11 home runs and 35 runs scored, as well as an organization-high 48 RBI.
He had a career night on Monday, going 4-for-5 with a double and a home run, driving in four.
Kole Cottam is getting hot fast. The catcher is on a six-game hitting streak and has his average up to .242. He’s hit nine doubles and two home runs and has 14 RBI on the season. The 22-year-old might be the most offensively-gifted catcher the Red Sox have and should only get better.
Alan Marrero is in the running for the best offensive catcher as well. The 21-year-old is hitting .265 with seven doubles and five home runs. He’s brought in 15 runs and scored 11 more – setting highs in nearly every category this year.
Tyler Esplin has at least one hit in eight-of-his-last-nine games. The 19-year-old is hitting .232 with 15 doubles (career-high) and two triples, as well as two home runs. He’s driven in 20 runs and scored 32 more (another career-best).
Brandon Howlett is on a hot streak again. The 19-year-old third baseman has eight RBI in his last 10 games. He’s hitting .241 with 11 doubles and three homers and has 18 RBI and 20 runs scored so far this year.
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Tyler Dearden returned from the IL but has only played in three games all season. The 20-year-old is 2-for-11 with one RBI. He’s an exciting prospect with a great bat though, so pay attention to the outfielder when he’s given a chance.