Red Sox Prospect Watch: Tyler Esplin and Brandon Howlett are on fire

Boston Red Sox prospects Tyler Esplin and Brandon Howlett are torching it up in Greenville – showing the depth of the minor league system.

The Boston Red Sox once again have a number of younger players on the Major League roster. Michael Chavis is the leader of that group. Entering the year as Boston’s top prospect, he hasn’t disappointed.

Sure, he strikes out at a high clip. He’s also looked solid enough on defense at multiple positions and is hitting .255 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. As he gets more comfortable and figures out Major League hitting some more, things will only get better.

Joining him for a while now has been Josh Taylor. The left-handed reliever has a 3.97 ERA in 22 appearances this year. He’s struck out 29 batters in 22 2/3 innings but has a 1.37 WHIP. While he’s been inconsistent, there’s been more positive outings than negative ones.

Darwinzon Hernandez has looked amazing out of the Red Sox bullpen this year. In his lone start, the left-handed pitcher went three innings, giving up four runs (three earned). However, in his four bullpen appearances (5 1/3 innings) he’s yet to allow a run. All that combined comes out to a 3.24 ERA while Hernandez has a ridiculous 18 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings.

Sam Travis was brought back up to the Majors recently for what many expected to be a 25th-man role. However, he’s gotten some chances to swing the bat and he hasn’t disappointed. In his last 12 at-bats, Travis has a double and two home runs.

While his time on the MLB roster may be running out (for all I know, by the time this article is published he’s already back in Triple-A) he’s made his mark. Travis has shown what I’ve believed for a while now – he can swing it in the Majors. Yes, the overall numbers are bad, but that’s what happens when you have terribly inconsistent playing time. If Travis was a more-full-time presence in the lineup I think he’d be a solid addition.

Triple-A (Pawtucket Red Sox)

Okay, I said I’d like Tanner Houck in the bullpen but I think he’d be better as a starter. I might’ve been wrong. Houck looks stupid good as a reliever. His slider looks as nasty as ever and he’s cranking up the heat on his fastball.

Houck’s made three relief appearances in Triple-A so far, spanning four innings. He hasn’t allowed a run yet and has a 1.00 WHIP and 0.83 BAA in that time. Straight lights-out.

Trevor Kelley has a 1.59 ERA. I’m sticking with my strike. Keeping it short and simple on him until he’s back in the Majors.

Bobby Poyner is down to a 2.95 ERA and has been racking up the strikeouts lately. The lefty has 50 over 39 2/3 innings in Triple-A and is definitely making a case to find his way back in the Majors at some point this year.

Ryan Brasier was sent down to Triple-A after struggling in the Majors for some time. In his first appearance, he looked sharp. The righty threw a perfect inning and struck out one batter. Maybe some time in Pawtucket can help him figure things out again.

Teddy Stankiewicz allowed four runs in five innings in his lone appearance this week. I’m giving him a pass though because he didn’t start. The righty came into a game that saw Travis Lakins start for the first inning then Nathan Eovaldi come out for the second inning. Stankiewicz is a starter, so the different routine might have messed with him a little.

Chad De La Guerra is hitting .311 so far this year. In 167 at-bats he has 15 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs. That’s just six fewer homers than the career-best mark he set last year in more than double the number of at-bats. DLG is a stud and should be treated as such.

Josh Ockimey is hitting just .195. I know I often say don’t look too much into the batting average with him because the OBP is solid and he hits bombs. However, he’s going to need to sneak that up over .200, preferably closer to .220 by the end of the year. Still, a .347 OBP and 17 homers are nice.

Chris Owings is hitting .327 with six doubles, five home runs and five steals for Pawtucket. He’s done that in just 27 games. Owings is still just 27 and isn’t that far removed from some extremely production MLB seasons. I’ll say it again, this could end up being a sneaky-good move by the Red Sox.

Double-A (Portland Sea Dogs)

There’s a new power duo in the Boston Red Sox minors. Sorry, I don’t make the rules – well okay, I made this one but just simmer down and obey it.

That duo is Bryan Mata and Dedgar Jimenez. The two seem to get along extremely well – often interacting and posting pictures together on social media.

More importantly, they’re two pitchers I think could be really good for the Boston Red Sox sometime down the line.

Mata made one start this week, not looking completely sharp. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits in four innings. That rose his ERA in Double-A to 5.03 (19 2/3 innings). For the second straight start, he racked up the strikeouts – eight in six innings last time out and six in four innings this time around. The 20-year-old is just getting used to Double-A, give him time – he’ll dominate soon enough.

More from Red Sox Prospects

• Predicting top Red Sox outfield prospect Ceddanne Rafaela’s timeline to the majors
• Predicting Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer’s timeline to the majors
• Red Sox risk repeating rookie mistake with Eric Hosmer release
• Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
• Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox

Jimenez has made five relief appearances this year. Two have been iffy but the other three were superb. The left-hander has a 4.08 ERA in 70 2/3 innings for Portland this year. That number’s risen a bit since his turn to the bullpen but it could just be a grace period. I still see him as a starter down the line anyways.

What really matters here is the dynamic duo of El Idolo and Baby Bartolo forming. This is the definition of “here for it”.

Denyi Reyes has been really good over the last month. He has a 4.03 ERA this year, quickly turning his season around. In the last 30 days, the righty has made four starts. Those four starts have seen him allow six earned runs in 28 innings. That’s a 1.93 ERA.

Marcus Wilson‘s back in Double-A and he’s bringing his ridiculously hot bat with him. The outfielder went on a quick four-game hitting streak this week – then saw it end with an 0-for-1. That 0-for-1 featured three walks and three runs scored.

In that four-game hitting streak, Wilson showed off his power (two-homer game) and his run-scoring abilities (seven runs scored). For those keeping track, that means he’s scored 10 runs in his last five games.

Wilson’s up to a .193 average with Portland (.281 combined). The glove always plays. He’s proving to be a very enticing prospect and one that could soften the blow for the fans that hated to see Blake Swihart traded.

C.J. Chatham‘s at .300 on the year, mashing 21 doubles and two home runs along the way. There’s really nothing else to say about the shortstop that hasn’t already been said. He’s going to be a great hitter in the Majors – he just needs a chance.

Bobby Dalbec is hitting .230 with a .374 OBP. He’s raked 13 doubles and one triple, with an impressive 19 home runs. The ball really just flies off his bat.

Jarren Duran is only hitting .213 in Double-A but is coming off a two-hit game in his last outing. He also has a ridiculous 13 steals in 42 games with Portland – 31 steals total between the two leagues he’s played in this year.

Austin Rei is still getting back into the swing of things, as he’s 3-for-14 (.214 average) in five games. The catcher has two walks (has been great in this category in his career) and two RBI as well. In his last two games, Rei is 2-for-5 with two RBI and two walks. Clearly, the bat is waking up.

Jhon Nunez is down to .280 but just had a home run and four RBI in his last game. The catcher now has career-highs in doubles (10) and home runs (5). He’s also driven in 20 runs and scored 23 more. Both he and Rei are very exciting catching prospects.

Full-A (Greenville Drive)

I usually try to stick to one person to headline each week but Tyler Esplin and Brandon Howlett have both been awesome lately – so I went with two cover-athletes.

Esplin has probably officially shut up every doubter. The right fielder just turned 20 this month and a lot of people definitely gave up on him faster than they should have. He’s now up to a .254 batting average and has four multi-hit outings in his last six games. Esplin has two triples and that’s where the stats that aren’t career-highs ends for him. He’s tied his mark in homers with three and has new highs in doubles (20), RBI (34), runs scored (44) and steals (6). Esplin will only continue to get better.

Howlett’s just as hot – rocking a five-game hitting streak at the moment. The third baseman is up to .261 on the season and is now starting to really round out his offensive game. Howlett has 21 doubles, one triple, and six home runs so far. He’s also driven in 28 runs and scored 39 more. The 19-year-old is showing better plate discipline as well, walking nine times in his last 10 games.

Okay if we’re being honest – a lot of players in this Greenville lineup could’ve been the headline name this week.

Triston Casas hit another homer (17) and had a ridiculous game his last time out, going 3-for-3 with three walks. That’s right, he was on-base six times. This is incredibly encouraging because if he starts drawing more walks the Casas train’s going to start kicking into hyper gear. The Red Sox could start moving him up as soon as this year.

Oh, he also has 68 RBI this season.

Everlouis Lozada is one of my favorite prospects to watch. He just seems like the definition of a spark plug. The 20-year-old is also a switch-hitting second baseman that stands at 5’7″, so that’s fun. Lozada joined Casas in the “monster game” category their last time out. He went 4-for-6 with two homers, four RBI and four runs scored.

Lozada is up to a .284 average on the year and has eight doubles, one triple, and five home runs in 35 games. He’s driven in 18 runs and scored 25 more as well. The pop is exciting to see as he really could become an all-around monster. Already a fun glove to watch as well.

Devlin Granberg is hitting .299 (.394 OBP) with 18 doubles, five triples, and seven homers. He’s driven in 41 runs and scored 52 more. He’s also 23 and clearly needs a new challenge. It’s not like he’s ridiculously young and just needs more time. So why is he in Full-A still?

Grant Williams is hitting .280 with 14 doubles, five triples, and one home run. The outfielder has 39 RBI and 35 runs scored to add onto those already solid numbers. Most importantly though, he’s been nutty-hot lately. Williams has a .447 average over his last 10 games and is seeing his numbers (and stock) rise quickly.

Kole Cottam is at a .254 average after a quick flurry of great games. The 22-year-old might be the most offensively-inclined catcher the Red Sox have in their system. He’s hit 17 doubles and five home runs this year, driving in 30 runs and scoring 34 more.

Tyler Dearden is hitting .239 at the moment but definitely brings major excitement factor. The 21-year-old outfielder has all the tools to be a great all-around hitter and has the athleticism to make a strong defender.

Cole Brannen is only at .206 when it comes to batting average. That speed is hard to find though. The outfielder has 23 steals in 28 attempts so far.

Chase Shugart isn’t human. He might be some robot-human hybrid but he’s not 100% human. The 22-year-old pitcher went five innings in his last outing, giving up no earned runs. In 11 starts this season, the righty has a 1.59 ERA. He’s struck out 52 batters over 62 1/3 innings, walking just 15.

Okay, so Alex Scherff has a 5.14 ERA on the year. Chalk a lot of that damage to two recent starts though. On July 3, Scherff went just 2/3 of an inning, allowing seven earned runs. Then in his next start went 5 2/3 innings, allowing another seven earned runs. The 21-year-old looked great in his last outing though, allowing just one earned run over six innings. In his last two starts, he’s struck out 12 batters and walked just two.

There’s a lot to like about Brayan Bello‘s game. You can look at the 6.42 ERA the 20-year-old has and quickly be turned off – but don’t let it distract you too much. Bello gives up a lot of hits, but also Ks at a high rate (79 in 75 2/3 innings). Most important, he’s looked fantastic recently. The righty went six shutout innings two starts ago, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out 13. Then he followed it up with another six-inning outing, allowing one run on six hits and no walks – striking out six. He could develop into a front-end starter given time.

Logan Browning has a 1.86 ERA over 31 outings this year. The lefty has 68 strikeouts and just nine walks in 53 1/3 innings. He’s 8-for-9 in save opportunities and has a .191 BAA and 0.84 WHIP. It’s time to start talking about the 23-year-old more.

Obligatory Yoan Aybar paragraph anyone? The lefty’s looked great recently and I love it. He made two appearances this week. In that time he threw three innings without allowing a hit or walk, striking out five. I’m telling you this guy’s stuff is stupid electric. He has a 5.40 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. However, he has a .147 BAA and 51 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.

Short-A (Lowell Spinners)

Gilberto Jimenez had a bad week and is still hitting .352. The 19-year-old has four doubles, one triple and one home run on the year. He’s also driven in 10 runs and scored 18 more, stealing five bases. Oh, and he’s done all this in 105 at-bats. His athleticism will play well in the outfield and his bat looks legit so far.

Nick Decker got hot last week and stayed hot this week. The outfielder is riding a six-game hitting streak and is now up to .269 on the season. He’s mashed five homers (as well as three doubles and two triples) and has 19 RBI and 14 runs scored so far. The 19-year-old is one of the Red Sox top prospects for a reason.

Stephen Scott cooled off a little bit but his .385 batting average is still ridiculous. The 22-year-old outfielder was drafted this year so he only has seven games under his belt. However, he’s looking like a great addition to the minor league system.

Jonathan Diaz is yet another exciting catcher in the Red Sox system. The 20-year-old is hitting .302 in 14 games and has six doubles and one triple on the year. He’s driven in three runs and scored nine more, stealing one base.

My support for Marino Campana isn’t going anywhere. He’s struggled mightily this year but is slowly turning things around with a restart in Short-A. The outfielder is on a three-game hitting streak and is now at .225 in Lowell. He’s hit three homers there and has five total on the season. This is clearly not the year he or anyone was hoping for but he’s still 21.

Antoni Flores will be a great prospect for the Red Sox. Right now, he’s struggling a little bit with a .181 average in 26 games. However, Flores has a solid bat that should grow as he gets older (still 18). He’s also got a glove that already looks great and will only get better. The shortstop has plus-potential in every category. Let’s give him time.

Chris Murphy seems to be having fun in Lowell. The left-handed pitcher has a 0.00 ERA over three appearances (six innings) so far. He’s allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out 10. That all adds up to a .150 BAA and 0.83 WHIP. The Red Sox drafted him in the sixth round of the 2019 Draft – and could move up quickly.

Ryan Fernandez already has 21 2/3 innings pitched over seven relief appearances this season. In that time he’s 2-0 and 2-for-3 in save opportunities. The 21-year-old righty has a 1.25 ERA, .128 BAA, and 0.74 WHIP. He’s also struck out 17 batters while walking six.