Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Hot Streaks and Call-ups

Hot streaks and call-ups highlight this week’s Red Sox Prospect Watch

The Boston Red Sox are having a weird time right now. They can’t seem to gain much momentum. Whenever they seem to start getting things swinging in the right direction, they take a step backwards. That’s been a little annoying. And by “a little” I mean “extremely”.

However, they have at least seemed to be playing a little bit better lately. And that’s a major positive. An even bigger, positive? It’s time for the Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch. And we get to talk about all the exciting news coming from the Boston system. As usual, we start with the Majors.

Bobby Dalbec saw all the noise about the Red Sox needing a solution at first base and shut that down. The right-handed hitter has been insane lately, hitting .345 (19-for-55) in August with four doubles, one triple, six homers, 20 RBI, 11 runs scored, and seven walks. This has helped boost Dalbec’s season numbers to a very respectable .237/.292/.462 slash line with 16 doubles, four triples, and 17 homers. He’s driven in 60 runs, scored 38 more, and stolen one base.

Jarren Duran could possibly be on the verge of turning things around as well. The outfielder went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI on Sunday. Most importantly, he stole a base. Boston is in desperate need of some speed, and Duran has a terrifying amount of it. The rookie is hitting just .220 at the moment, but still has just 100 at-bats in his career. Give him time. He’s hit three doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Meanwhile he’s driven in nine runs, scored 17 more, and now stolen two bases.

Tanner Houck was extremely wild on Sunday. That was upsetting because he was basically untouchable. Houck gave up just one hit in 5 1/3 innings. Despite that, he gave up three runs. The reason for his was he walked four batters and hit three more. Still, Houck is having a very strong year with Boston. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and .247 BAA in 44 2/3 innings pitched. He’s struck out 55 batters compared to 12 walks. Houck needs to be careful and not let the wild side start to show though.

Garrett Whitlock was absolutely phenomenal this week. The reliever made three appearances that totaled 5 1/3 innings pitched. In that time, Whitlock gave up zero earned runs on just two hits and no walks, striking out eight batters. This helped lower his already fantastic numbers even more. The righty now has a 1.57 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and .227 BAA. He’s struck out 71 batters in 63 innings and has a 6-2 record to go along with 12 holds and one save.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Triston Casas did not have the best week, but he still had some major positives. That included his first home run at Hadlock Field. Casas is now slashing .269/.371/.414 with eight doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. He’s driven in 37 runs and scored 42 more, stealing six bases. Overall it’s been a great year for the prospect, especially when you add in his Olympic performance.

Ronaldo Hernandez was hitting .239 entering August 17. Since then, he’s 15-for-35 (.429) with seven doubles and two homers. He’s driven in eight runs and scored seven more in that time. The catcher is now up to a .262/.306/.475 slash line on the season. Hernandez has 21 doubles and 13 home runs. He’s driven in 35 runs and scored 33 more. This went from one of his worst seasons to an extremely promising and productive one very quickly.

Cameron Cannon started off his Double-A career slowly but it has picked up fast. The shortstop went 7-for-22 this week with two doubles and two home runs. That helped bring his slash line between High-A and Double-A to .291/.339/.459 with 28 doubles and 11 home runs. Cannon has 46 RBI and 54 runs scored, as well as nine steals. The right-handed hitter has shown a lot of pop and great run production in his first full year in the Red Sox organization.

Roldani Baldwin is 6-for-13 with two doubles and one homer in his last three games. That’s brought the utility-man up to a really solid .258/.336/.422 with seven doubles, one triple, and four homers in just 128 at-bats. He’s driven in 16 runs and scored 16 more as well. What makes Baldwin special is he’s a catcher, but plays a lot of other positions as well, including third base and the outfield.

Kole Cottam has not played much this week, but the catcher is still putting up fantastic numbers in Double-A and in the minors overall this year. Cottam has a .278/.373/.493 with 18 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs on the season. The right-handed hitter has driven in 30 runs and scored 28 more. His offense continues to impress, but the defense and game-calling improving is what really catches your eye.

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• Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox

Tyreque Reed is having his best season in the minors. The right-handed hitter is slashing .277/.382/.516 with 15 doubles, one triple, and 17 home runs between High-A and Double-A. Those 17 home runs are just one off his career-best. He’s also driven in 66 runs (one off a career-high) and scored 54 more (three away from a career-high). Reed even tied his career-best four steals just for fun.

Devlin Granberg is slashing .287/.340/.512 between High-A and Double-A. The outfielder has 19 doubles and two triples, as well as a career-high 15 home runs (old career-high was eight). Granberg also has 52 runs scored and a new career-best 66 RBI, as well as five steals.

Hudson Potts had a solid week and is now slashing .206/.257/.377. Yes, the slash line still isn’t very good but Potts has done a lot of good this year. The third baseman has 11 doubles and nine home runs. Meanwhile, he’s scored 27 runs and driven in a very solid 36 more in just 223 at-bats.

Ryan Fitzgerald’s strong .265/.349/.498 slash line between Double-A and Triple-A has definitely raised some eyebrows this year. The infielder has three triples to go along with career-highs in doubles (27) and home runs (13). Fitz has driven in 44 runs and scored 47 more, stealing three bases.

Chris Murphy had an interesting game this week. The left-handed pitcher was going strong but then struggled before being pulled after 4 2/3 innings. In the end he gave up five runs on seven hits. However, he did so while striking out a career-high 11 batters. That’s pretty wild. Murph now has a 3.74 ERA, .222 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP in Double-A. He’s struck out 32 batters in 21 2/3 innings in Portland and 113 batters in 90 innings total this year.

Rio Gomez had an incredible week that saw his numbers take another positive dip. The left-handed pitcher made two appearances, throwing 4 1/3 innings. In that time, Gomez allowed no runs on just two hits and three walks, striking out seven. He now has 20 straight scoreless innings since the start of July. On the year Gomez now has a 3.67 ERA, .246 BAA, 1.28 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings pitched in Double-A.

Joan Martinez continues to build on his strong year as well. The right-handed pitcher has not allowed a run in 10 1/3 innings in August. Martinez now has a 2.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and .188 BAA on the year. He has three saves in three opportunities and 46 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings pitched.

Victor Santos had another strong start this week. The righty gave up just one run on five hits and one walk (seven strikeouts) in five innings. Santos now has a 2.61 ERA, .240 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP in 31 innings with Portland. He has 31 strikeouts compared to just four walks, and it has translated nicely to a 3-1 record.

Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

Last week I mentioned that Nick Yorke needed a new challenge and that Low-A was just too easy for him. Of course, he was called up that day. I can’t tell if that made me look really smart or really stupid. Either way, Yorke’s already dominating in High-A. After slashing .323/.413/.500 in Low-A, he’s slashing .435/.458/.826 in High-A. In five games Yorke has three doubles, two homers, seven RBI, and eight runs scored. He’s 19.

Elih Marrero is slashing .319/.413/.440 with 14 doubles and one home run. The catcher has driven in 19 runs and scored 29 more in just 141 at-bats. Marrero’s most impressive stat is his 13 steals. That would be great for anyone in such a short amount of time, let alone a catcher. Marrero’s been on-fire lately (20-for-39 in August), and has seen his stock sky-rocket because of it.

Stephen Scott continues to rake in High-A. The outfielder is now slashing .376/.477/.688 in 26 games. In 87 games between Low-A and High-A, Scott has 26 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He has driven in 66 runs and scored 68 more, stealing three bases. Scott’s incredible performance at the higher level this year has definitely risen some eyebrows.

Tyler Dearden is now on a four-game hitting-streak that has helped raise his slash line up to .259/.377/.425 with 18 doubles and 17 home runs. The outfielder has five RBI in his last three games, and now has 66 on the year, to go along with 58 runs scored. He’s also stolen one base. Dearden now has career-highs double, homers, steals, RBI, and runs scored.

Joe Davis slumped for a little bit, but the big first baseman seems to have broken out of it. He’s combined to go 3-for-5 with two walks and a home run in his last two games. Davis is now slashing .310/.354/.544 between Low-A and High-A this year. He’s ripped 20 doubles and 18 home runs. Meanwhile, the right-handed hitter has 71 runs driven in and 50 more runs scored.

Christian Koss is currently rocking a 14-game hitting-streak. The shortstop has seen his average sky-rocket from .264 to .279 (.336 OBP and .453 slugging percentage) in that time. Koss has 16 doubles, six triples, and 11 home runs. He has driven in 45 runs, scored 57 more, and stolen nine bases.

Brandon Howlett continues his big power year. The third baseman is slashing .246/.342/.453 with 16 doubles, three triples, and 14 home runs. His home runs are a new career-high (previous high was eight). Meanwhile, he has new career-bests in runs scored (53) and runs batted in (50). Even his two steals is a new mark.

Nick Sogard is quietly having one of the more productive seasons in the Red Sox minor league system. The infielder is slashing .280/.347/.455 between High-A and Double-A. Sogard has 11 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs. He has driven in 38 runs and scored 49 more, while stealing eight bases.

Jaxx Groshans is slashing .277/.371/.442 between Low-A and High-A this year. The catcher has shown a lot of offensive potential this year, and some good run production skills. He has 11 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs so far. Meanwhile, Groshans has driven in 33 runs and scored 34 more – even stealing one base.

Casey Cobb has not flinched since getting called up to High-A. The pitcher went from dominating in Low-A to being untouchable at the next level. Cobb has now thrown seven innings for Greenville. In that time, he has allowed zero runs on five hits and one walk – striking out seven. Overall Cobb has a 1.93 ERA, .199 BAA, 0.94 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings this season.

Jay Groome didn’t have his best week. But he did bounce back from a terrible start with a pretty solid one. After giving up seven earned runs in five innings, the lefty allowed just three in six his next time out – striking out eight. Groome now has a 5.29 ERA, .244 BAA, and 1.32 WHIP on the year. He has 108 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings pitched.

Zach Bryant continues to improve his numbers at a steady pace. The right-handed pitcher has now thrown 40 2/3 innings this season. He has a 3.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and .170 BAA. Talk about untouchable. Bryant has struck out 57 batters, going 2-3 with one hold and four saves in five opportunities.

Jose Espada has had a phenomenal August. In 10 1/3 innings, the right-handed pitcher has a 0.87 ERA, .061 BAA, and 0.58 WHIP. The overall numbers aren’t much worse. Espada has a 2.32 ERA, .171 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP. He’s struck out 38 batters in 31 innings and currently holds a 2-0 record.

Dylan Spacke had another great outing. The righty went three innings, giving up no runs on two hits and two walks – striking out a career-high six batters. Spacke now has a 2.50 ERA, .227 BAA, and 1.16 WHIP. In 57 2/3 innings he has 74 strikeouts compared to 19 walks.

Jacob Wallace has a 6.33 ERA on the season. However, he’s been absolutely phenomenal in August. The right-handed pitcher has thrown 12 innings this month, striking out an impressive 21 batters. In that time he has a 3.00 ERA, .146 BAA, and 0.92 WHIP. He’s also picked up two more saves this month, and now has four on the year.

Red Sox Low-A (Salem)

What a week for Ceddanne Rafaela. The 20-year-old is currently rocking a seven-game hitting-streak. In that time, he’s seen his slash line go from .236/.302/.408 to .249/.308/.436. Rafaela has 16 doubles, seven triples, and 10 home runs on the year. He’s driven in 41 runs and scored 57 more, stealing 21 bases. Rafaela also plays multiple positions and plays them at a Gold Glove level.

Gilberto Jimenez is slashing .306/.346/.402 with 16 doubles, six triples, and two home runs. The outfielder has an impressive 50 RBI and 59 runs scored. Meanwhile, he has 13 steals. Jimenez has had a weird year that probably isn’t getting the love it deserves due to the lack of power. But the potential is through the roof, and Jimenez is doing more than you could ask as a 21-year-old.

Blaze Jordan has looked really solid in Low-A so far. The third baseman is slashing .250/.294/.469 in eight games. Jordan has one double and two home runs. Meanwhile, he has driven in seven runs and scored six more. Jordan is just 18 and has not looked overmatched at all in Low-A. It’s very promising.

Niko Kavadas was just drafted in the 11th round this year, and he’s already contributing in Low-A. The first baseman has played in just four games so far, slashing .214/.313/.571 with two doubles and one home run. Kavadas has driven in four runs and scored three more. There’s a lot of potential here as a major offensive threat and he’s showing good pop already.

Nick Decker continues to improve as the year goes on. The outfielder is now slashing .270/.375/.454 with 14 doubles, one triple, and six home runs in Low-A. He has driven in 26 runs and scored 36 more in 51 games, stealing three bases. Decker has a lot going for him, and the offense is definitely something that will help the 21-year-old rise through the ranks.

Matthew Lugo had a big week. He picked up six hits in 15 at-bats, walking four times. He hit two doubles, drove in two runs, and scored three runs as well. The shortstop is now slashing .256/.320/.324 with 16 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Lugo has 37 runs driven in and 43 more scored, stealing 14 bases.

Wilkelman Gonzalez made his debut in Low-A this week. The 19-year-old went 4 2/3 innings, giving up just one run on three hits and one walk – striking out three. Gonzalez has a ton of potential and such a strong Salem debut definitely bodes well for the right-handed pitcher.

Wyatt Olds now has four innings pitched under his belt in Salem. In that time, the right-handed pitcher has allowed just one run on three hits and two walks. The wild part has been the strikeouts, as he has already racked up 10. Olds was a seventh-round draft pick this year, and he’s already showing just how dominant he can be.

Jeremy Wu-Yelland gave up two runs on four hits, while striking out five batters in five innings this week. It was a really solid outing that continues to build on a strong year. The left-handed pitcher now has a 4.03 ERA, .204 BAA, and 1.28 WHIP on the season. He’s also struck out 77 batters in 67 innings.

Devon Roedahl has thrown 51 innings this year. In that time, the right-hander has a 1.59 ERA. He also has a .197 BAA and absolutely insane 0.88 WHIP. Roedahl has struck out 53 batters compared to eight walks as well. This has led to a 5-2 record, one hold, and 10 saves in 11 opportunities.

Chih-Jung Liu gave up just two runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched this week. The right-hander walked two but also struck out six. This helped lower his numbers a little bit. Liu now has a 5.20 ERA, .281 BAA, and 1.40 WHIP in Low-A. He’s struck out 38 batters in 36 1/3 innings for Low-A this year.

Shane Drohan gave up two earned runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings this week. The left-handed pitcher continues to improve his numbers and now has really solid numbers on the season. Overall, Drohan has a 4.03 ERA in 73 2/3 innings pitched. He has a 1.44 WHIP and .244 BAA. Drohan has had a walk problem, with 40 – but has struck out 66 and most impressively only given up three home runs.