Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Week of the walk-off in the minors
The Red Sox Prospect Watch enjoyed some walk-off wins this week
The Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch had a very fun week. It seemed like all the minor league teams in the system were joining in on the fun of hitting some walk-offs. That includes three straight from the Portland Sea Dogs
Meanwhile in the Majors, the Red Sox are still winning.
Jarren Duran has definitely been fun. The slash line isn’t there just yet (.182/.250/.364) but he’s creating moments. So far, we’ve already seen a Duran home run and a double that would’ve been at least a triple if it didn’t bounce into the stands. The outfielder has also gotten a chance to show off his blazing speed on a number of occasions. He has two RBI and already has six runs scored in seven games.
Bobby Dalbec is slashing .218/.259/.397 on the year. Once again showing how up-and-down of a season he’s having as that’s slightly better than where he was last week. Dalbec has 11 doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs on the year. Every once in a while he’ll have a solid string of games but then follow it up with a cold streak and a bunch of strikeouts. The electric bat is very real though. The first baseman has 36 RBI and 26 runs scored, as well as one steal. Hopefully we get a nice homer barrage soon.
Tanner Houck has absolutely dominated since getting the call back up to the Majors. In his lone appearance this week, Houck went 4 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees. The right-handed pitcher allowed just one run (zero earned) on two hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Houck now has a 2.50 ERA, .246 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP in 18 innings pitched in the Majors. He’s even got one save, and 23 strikeouts compared to just four walks.
What else is there to say about Garrett Whitlock? The righty has a 1.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and .222 BAA. He has a 3-1 record, 10 holds, and one save. In 48 innings he has 53 strikeouts compared to just 11 walks. It also feels like the Red Sox are starting to use him a little bit more often. Whether they decide to keep him in the bullpen or use him as a starter in the future, it’s hard to see Whitlock as anything other than a star.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
The rise of Josh Ockimey continues and I’m absolutely here for it. Two weeks ago, Ockimey was hitting .170. Two straight weeks of absolutely mashing though, and he’s not even close to that anymore. The first baseman is now working with a .224/.350/.449 slash line. He has three doubles and 11 home runs, as well as 25 RBI and 23 runs scored. Ockimey has been striking out less as well, and that’s done wonders for him.
Chad De La Guerra is holding on to a .226/.349/.453 slash line at the moment. DLG has only appeared in 19 games so far but has a solid four doubles, one triple, and tho home runs already. The left-handed hitter has eight RBI and eight runs scored, as well as three steals.
Marcus Wilson has been slumping a little bit but still has a .249/.380/.464 slash line to this point. The outfielder has nine doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs so far. Meanwhile, Wilson has 29 RBI, 33 runs scored, and 10 steals.
Jeter Downs is also in a slump at the moment. The infielder has seen his average drop all the way down to .201. It is nothing to worry about too much. Downs is just 22 and playing in Triple-A, so he has plenty of time to figure out the issue. He has three doubles and seven home runs on the season, as well as 18 RBI and 24 runs scored. One of the big positives has been his base running, picking up 12 steals in 14 attempts.
Connor Wong has been looking better at the plate recently and is up to .188. As I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, his numbers don’t mean much in Triple-A. Yes, it’s obviously better to see him producing. But we’ve already seen that Wong can help in the Majors. So there isn’t as much of a “he needs to prove himself in the minors” feel with him. That being said, it’s definitely a positive to see Wong starting to get back together at the plate. He’s hitting .250 in July.
Grant Williams received a very well-deserved promotion to Triple-A. The infielder was hitting .291 with 10 doubles, two triples, 31 runs scored, and seven steals in Double-A before the call-up. So far, he’s just 1-for-10 with a run and a steal but we all know how Williams can hit in bunches. The left-handed hitter isn’t going to get you much power or much in the RBI department but Williams has a throwback 1-2 hitter vibe to him.
Kutter Crawford also received a promotion, which was past due. He has yet to pitch in Triple-A but his Double-A numbers were insanity. The righty posted a 3.30 ERA, .200 BAA, 0.82 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts compared to five walks in 46 1/3 innings. Definition of untouchable.
Durbin Feltman got a promotion as well. He’s thrown two innings in Triple-A so far. In that time, the righty has allowed three runs on four hits while striking out one. A rough start, but not much to worry about, Feltman’s had a strong year and has great stuff.
Enmanuel De Jesus also got a promotion and made his first Triple-A start this week. The left-hander went five innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three. That’s a really solid outing. De Jesus has been up-and-down this year but a strong Triple-A debut could get him on the right track.
Connor Seabold made his first appearance of the season for Triple-A this week and his debut for the Red Sox organization (outside of FCL). Seriously, it was like the show after Wrestlemania vibes for Triple-A this week. We had returns, debuts, I think AJ Styles showed up, we had Sting, CM Punk returned, Booker T came out, Liv Morgan was there. It was wild. Seabold gave up three earned runs on three hits over 3 1/3 innings. The righty struck out one but walked four. It wasn’t great, but it was a start. We shouldn’t look into his stats right now, it’s just important he’s back, pitching, getting reps, and staying healthy.
Jose Adames just keeps dominating. The righty now has six innings of work in Triple-A. In those six innings, Adames has a 0.00 ERA, .150 BAA, and 1.00 WHIP. He has allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out five. Adames is already 1-0 with one hold and his incredible season just keeps getting better.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Tyreque Reed has wasted absolutely no time getting acclimated in Double-A. The first baseman absolutely mashed in High-A and he’s doing more of the same in Portland. I’ve said it plenty of times but what a find by the Red Sox. Reed is hitting .333 with four doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, and six runs scored in eight games with the Sea Dogs. Overall, Reed is slashing .301/.402/.598 with 12 doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs. His career-high is 18. He also has 61 RBI in 56 games. Oh, and he hit a walk-off two run bomb a few days ago.
Speaking of walk-offs, Devlin Granberg is also having an insanely wonderful time in Double-A. He had an RBI-single on Sunday. After slashing .326/.416/.642 in High-A, he’s slashing .345/.363/.564 in Portland. Granberg has 14 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs combined between the two levels. He also has 51 RBI, 42 runs scored, and four steals. Could we see another promotion to Triple-A relatively soon?
Ryan Fitzgerald definitely does not get talked about nearly enough. The infielder is rocking a really really strong .283/.366/.527 slash line. Coming into the season Fitz had a slugging percentage that hovered in the .380s. He’s slugging .527 this year. The left-handed hitter has 24 doubles (one off his career-high), three triples, and nine home runs (a new career-high). He has 32 RBI, 34 runs scored, and three steals.
Pedro Castellanos is having such an incredible season. The right-handed hitter has a .303/.371/.500 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. The 11 homers are already a career-high. Meanwhile, Castellanos has driven in 35 runs and scored 45 more, even stealing one base.
Ronaldo Hernandez is having a strong all-around season. The catcher is slashing .242/.279/.443 with 12 doubles and nine home runs. He’s driven in 22 runs and scored 20 more. Hernandez started the year really slow but has really picked it up lately and could end up putting together a nice first year in the Red Sox organization.
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
Hudson Potts is also getting his first taste of the Red Sox MiLB system this year. After an injury kept him out for an extended time to start the season, Potts is quickly filling up the box scores. The right-handed hitter has a .215/.290/.397 slash line. That might not sound great but in just 121 at-bats he has a solid four doubles, six home runs, 21 RBI, and 17 runs scored.
Nick Sogard got the promotion to Double-A after a solid .265/.335/.464 slash line in High-A. So far, the infielder is 2-for-10 but has a great .429 OBP with two RBI and two runs scored in Portland. Sogard has eight home runs on the year, showing a surprising amount of power.
Jeisson Rosario isn’t having the best year with a .238/.340/.296 slash line. Rosario has seven doubles and two home runs. However the run production is pretty solid. The left-handed hitter has 26 RBI, 34 runs scored, and eight steals.
Alex Scherff has thrown 6 2/3 innings in Double-A. In that time, he has a 1.35 ERA, .192 BAA, and 1.05 WHIP. He has nine strikeouts compared to just two walks. Combined between the two levels (High-A and Double-A) Scherff has a 2.45 ERA, .196 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP. The right-hander has a 3-1 record, two holds, four saves, and 46 strikeouts compared to 13 walks in 29 1/3 innings.
Zack Kelly gave up two runs in one inning in his last appearance. Oh no, his numbers must be terrible now! Oh, what’s that? The right-hander still has a 1.69 ERA, .196 BAA, and 1.16 WHIP? Okay, never mind he’s fine. Kelly has 40 strikeouts compared to 13 walks in 26 2/3 innings, a 3-1 record, four holds, and five saves.
Frank German hasn’t had the best year, but he’s been great lately and his numbers are improving rapidly. The right-hander entered July with a 5.85 ERA. However, allowing just three runs in 14 innings so far will help that drop pretty significantly. German now has a 4.83 ERA, .266 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP. He’s struck out 40 batters compared to 22 walks over 54 innings pitched so far.
Josh Winckowski was struggling for a little bit there but just absolutely dominated in his last start. The righty gave up just two runs (no earned) on two hits and one walk while striking out two, over seven innings. He now has a 3.63 ERA, .242 BAA, and 1.24 WHIP. Winckowski has 57 strikeouts compared to 20 walks in 69 1/3 innings.
Brayan Bello has had some issues in Double-A so far. The 22-year-old has a 4.63 ERA, .244 BAA, and 1.33 WHIP at the level. He’s struck out 32 compared to nine walks in 23 1/3 innings as well. The issue is he keeps getting in trouble early in the games. Still though, Bello’s had great moments with Portland and overall on the year has a 3.27 ERA, .229 BAA, 1.15 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts in 55 innings when you throw in his stats from High-A.
Dominic LoBrutto has had some problems keeping people off the bases this season. The left-handed pitcher has a .296 BAA and 1.52 WHIP. However, it’s been very impressive how he has been able to limit the damage and keep his opponents from scoring too much. LoBrutto is 2-1 with five holds and four saves in five opportunities. He also boasts a 3.67 ERA and has 25 strikeouts compared to nine walks in 27 innings pitched.
Joan Martinez has been phenomenal in July. The right-handed pitcher entered the month with a 5.28 ERA, .273 BAA, and 1.85 WHIP. In the month though, Martinez has thrown 4.2 innings and has a 0.00 ERA, .176 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP. That’s dropped the numbers to a 4.05 ERA, .224 BAA, and 1.70 WHIP. Okay, I need to stop saying those stats now. The 24-year-old has 32 strikeouts but 17 walks in 20 innings. He has some command issues but I’ve always thought he had absolutely electric stuff. If Martinez can limit the walks, he could absolutely dominate (has yet to give up a home run on the season).
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Kole Cottam also had a walk-off this week. The catcher is absolutely murdering the ball at the plate. In July, Cottam is slashing .378/.440/.622. That’s ridiculous and now he’s rocking a .281/.389/.497 slash line on the season. Cottam already has 13 doubles, one triple, and six homers this year. He’s driven in 24 runs and scored 22 more. The defense has improved, the game-calling has improved, and the offense is already plus-plus.
Joe Davis hasn’t stopped hitting since he got promoted to High-A. Actually he hasn’t stopped hitting all year, period. The right-handed hitter is 7-for-20 (.350) with one double, two RBI, and two runs scored in High-A. Overall on the year Davis has a .335/.379/.560 slash line with 17 doubles and 10 home runs. He’s driven in 51 runs in 53 games and has 34 runs scored.
Cameron Cannon is good. Really good. The right-handed hitter is 6-for-11 in his last three games and is now slashing .292/.337/.439 on the year. Cannon has 22 doubles, six homers, 29 RBI, 37 runs scored, and eight steals on the year. He’s been great all year and now it looks like we might be getting an even better version as he’s scalding hot.
Christian Koss is another fantastic pickup from the Red Sox. The shortstop is slashing .281/.341/.417 with 10 doubles, four triples, and five home runs. He has 26 RBI, 35 runs scored, and six steals. There isn’t much to not like about the game of Koss.
Tyler Dearden’s numbers have taken a bit of a slide. Overall though, he’s still having a fantastic year. The outfielder is slashing .265/.397/.503. He already has a career-high 15 doubles and a career-high 10 homers. Dearden hasn’t stopped there though. The 23-year-old also has career-bests in RBI (41) and runs scored (43).
Brandon Howlett is slumping hard in July (.197). Slumps happen though, and Howlett’s 2021 has been a major positive so far. The third baseman has a .260/.357/.500 slash line with 13 doubles, two triples (career-high), and 11 homers (career-high). He has 38 RBI (oh look another career-high), 42 runs scored, and two steals (also a career-best).
Tyler Esplin has a .233/.339/.312 slash line. So far, the power hasn’t really been there for the outfielder. However, he’s such a well-rounded player that he can cover that up. And you can expect the power numbers (and average) to rise at some point. Esplin does has 12 doubles, one triple, and one home run so far. He’s driven in 27 runs, scored 36 more, and stolen four bases. Great defense, good all-around offense, give the 22-year-old time to grow his game.
Dominic D’Alessandro still hasn’t gotten much playing time in 2021. The first baseman has appeared in just 28 games (100 at-bats). In that time he’s put up strong numbers though. D’Alessandro has a .250/.313/.420 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He’s driven in 15 runs and scored nine more.
Jaxx Groshans is only hitting .214 in High-A so far. However, he’s in a tough spot. Greenville has a lot of catchers (including Cottam who needs to be getting a lot of at-bats with how he’s playing). Due to that, Groshans isn’t getting much play. He’s only gotten 28 at-bats in the few weeks he’s appeared in. So it’s understandable that he hasn’t been able to get his legs under him just yet.
Brian Van Belle is insane. He entered July with a 5.56 ERA, .311 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP. The right-handed pitcher has thrown 17 innings this month though. In those 17 innings pitched he hasn’t given up a run. That’s right, he has a 0.00 ERA, .177 BAA, and 0.76 WHIP this month. Obviously, that’s helped to correct his numbers. Suddenly Van Belle has a 4.01 ERA, .276 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP. The 24-year-old has 60 strikeouts compared to just 10 walks in 60 2/3 innings pitched.
Chris Murphy didn’t have his best start of the year this week, but his overall numbers are still really good. The lefty has a 63 1/3 innings pitched, in that time he has a 4.12 ERA, .234 BAA, and 1.23 WHIP. Murph has already racked up 74 strikeouts and has shown that he can absolutely dominant for long stretches of time. Don’t be surprised if he can get going once again.
Oddanier Mosqueda has had a phenomenal season. The 22-year-old lefty has a 3.86 ERA and 1.21 WHIP to this point. Those are pretty solid, but it’s his .161 BAA that really sticks out. Yes, you read that correctly, .161 BAA. That’s insanity. Mosqueda has had some walk issues (17 in 25 2/3 innings) but has stayed out of trouble thanks to being untouchable (he also has 34 strikeouts).
Red Sox Low-A (Salem)
I’ve said this so many times, but I’ll say it as many times as I feel necessary. Nick Yorke continues to prove that the Red Sox scouting department knows what it was doing. The 19-year-old is slashing .295/.386/.405 with 10 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He has driven in 25 runs, scored 32 more, and stolen 10 bases. There’s a legitimate chance Yorke hits .300 in his first year in the minors. That’s amazing for anyone let alone someone that many questioned as the 17th overall pick.
Gilberto Jimenez is slashing .294/.332/.379 with 11 doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Admittedly, the power is not there like some expected. Jimenez bulked up quite a bit this offseason and it was thought that he would boost the power numbers. It hasn’t happened yet but it’s hard to complain about his season so far. The switch-hitter has 35 RBI, 40 runs scored, and 11 steals.
If you follow me on Twitter you know that I love two things. Liv Morgan and Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela is a 20-year-old listed shortstop. I say listed because he plays shortstop, second base, third base, and the outfield. He plays them all extremely well too. Oh, and he has elite speed (16-for-16 on steal attempts this season). Rafaela had a fantastic week that saw solid number boosts (including two triple and two doubles. On the year, he is slashing .230/.296/.373 with eight doubles, five triples, and four homers. He’s driven in 20 runs and scored 40 more. Electric factory.
Matthew Lugo’s numbers continue to rise rapidly. The shortstop is up to a .251/.313/.310 slash line with seven doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He has 23 RBI and 35 runs scored. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old already has 13 steals in just 15 attempts. Lugo’s really hitting his stride. A .307 average in July shows he’s improving fast.
Nicholas Northcut had a nice numbers boost this week. His average went up to .230 (.341 OBP and .432 slugging percentage). Meanwhile, he has 17 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs on the year. The third baseman has driven in 42 runs and scored 39 more. Northcut’s average is the only thing keeping this from being an elite-level production year, and that’s starting to climb,.
Jeremy Wu-Yelland did something special this week. He threw four perfect innings, striking out seven. This is the third time this season that the left-hander has thrown four no-hit innings. He has a 3.32 ERA, .172 BAA, and 1.18 WHIP. Wu-Yelland has 53 strikeouts compared to 24 walks in 43 1/3 innings pitched.
Ryan Fernandez is special. I don’t really know why he’s still in Salem. The right-hander has thrown 29 1/3 innings so far. To this point, he has a 0.31 ERA, .194 BAA, and 0.95 WHIP. Yes, you heard those numbers right. Fernandez has a 3-1 record, three holds, is 2-for-2 in saves, and has 33 strikeouts compared to seven walks.
Devon Roedahl has thrown 36 2/3 innings so far. The right-hander is rocking a 1.72 ERA, .187 BAA, and 0.85 WHIP. Insane numbers. Roedahl has 33 strikeouts compared to just six walks. Meanwhile, he holds a 2-1 record and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities.
Jorge Rodriguez has a 4.94 ERA in 51 innings so far. Nothing to really go crazy over. His .330 BAA and 1.65 WHIP aren’t great either. However, the 20-year-old had an extremely promising start this week. On Sunday, the left-hander threw five shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and one HBP while striking out eight. Could this be a start of a turnaround for Rodriguez?
Next. Trio of pitchers take the next step toward recovery. dark
Jacinto Arredondo continues to have a really strong season. The 23-year-old righty has thrown 29 1/3 innings so far in this, his debut season. Arredondo has a 3.07 ERA, .232 BAA, and 1.43 WHIP. He has 24 strikeouts compared to 16 walks, which has been a bit of a problem. However, he has done a fantastic job of limiting the damage and has one hold and three saves in four opportunities this season.