Red Sox Prospect Watch: Marcus Wilson catching fire in Salem
By Hunter Noll
Triple-A (Pawtucket Red Sox)
I’m out of complaints. This isn’t borderline ridiculous anymore, it’s straight ridiculous. Trevor Kelley is still in Triple-A. He has a 1.01 ERA over 35 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .202 against him and he has a 1.07 WHIP. Everything about this season deserves a call-up to the Majors. I might start rioting soon.
Darwinzon Hernandez made his Triple-A debut this week. He’s having a major walk problem in two outings so far. Over eight innings, Hernandez has walked 12 batters. The 22-year-old has a 6.75 ERA in that time.
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Teddy Stankiewicz is down to a 3.45 ERA. The righty has been limiting the baserunners better lately. That’s led to two straight starts without allowing an earned run and four straight allowing less than three. This is his best season in the minors and he’s doing it at the highest level he’s ever been.
Kyle Hart got hit around for the first time in Triple-A. In his first four outings, Hart allowed five-or-fewer hits. However, in his last start, he gave up 11. Despite giving up 11 hits, the lefty only gave up three runs in six innings. Hart’s ability to get out of trouble kept his ERA low – at 3.60 in Triple-A.
Bobby Poyner and Travis Lakins have had their issues in the Majors this year but they’ve been dominant lately in Triple-A. Poyner is down to a 3.26 ERA and Lakins is down to a 3.00 ERA. Poyner hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last nine outings (13 1/3 innings). Lakins, on the other hand, hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last eight outings (7 1/3 innings).
Chad De La Guerra is in a tough spot. The Red Sox actually have solid depth when it comes to their infield despite the belief of many. DLG has Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Brock Holt, and Eduardo Nunez ahead of him. He also has Michael Chavis, Tzu-Wei Lin and Marco Hernandez in line before him. If it wasn’t for all that, he’d have gotten a chance by now. DLG is slashing .306/.386/.581 with 11 doubles and seven home runs.
Josh Tobias is right up there with De La Guerra. He’s hitting .311 between Double-A and Triple-A this year. In that time he’s already ripped 14 doubles to go along with four home runs.
Rusney Castillo‘s hitting .287 now with 13 doubles and eight home runs. He’s been on an absolute tear lately and reminding everyone he’s better than the chance he got in the Majors.
Speaking of players who haven’t gotten a big shot in the Majors, Bryce Brentz is hitting a lot of home runs. The outfielder has 14 homers and three straight games with one.
14 homers is a lot, but Josh Ockimey has 15. The first baseman 11 doubles and two triples as well, driving in 36 runs. Most impressively, Ockimey has walked 50 times. That’s made his .214 average look great OBP wise, as it sits at .368.
The Sam Travis comeback tour is in full effect. He’s slashing .270/.367/.423 with 13 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. Travis has driven in 28 runs and scored 32 more, stealing five bases.