Changes come in the Red Sox Prospect Watch as season nears the end
The Boston Red Sox are still doing that really annoying thing where they can’t seem to get those much needed wins and they are keeping the Wild Card race much closer than it needs to be.
However, there are plenty of positives. Boston is still in line for a postseason spot. Meanwhile, they are getting really solid contributions from a lot of young players. At the same time, there are a lot of prospects in the minors that seem prepared for a new challenge. With all that in mind, it’s going to be a busy end of the season as the MiLB year winds down.
There was another big debut for the Red Sox this week. In fact, it was another pitching prospect that got the call. This time around, it was Connor Seabold. The right-handed pitcher made his first-career start, so how did it go? Seabold gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over three innings, nothing wild but he got his feet wet. It’s great to see him get a chance and hopefully he can build on that in the future.
Garrett Whitlock is 8-4 with 12 holds and two saves. In 70 1/3 innings pitched he has 78 strikeouts compared to 16 walks. He boasts a 1.92 ERA, .238 BAA, and 1.12 WHIP. Whitlock has been absolutely phenomenal all year. Being a reliever it won’t happen, but he deserves some love when the Rookie of the Year is announced. Whitlock leads the team in ERA and is fourth in wins. He has the most innings pitched out of the bullpen as well.
Tanner Houck now has 53 1/3 innings pitched this year. He still doesn’t have a win but has that one save despite 11 of his 13 appearances being starts. Houck has 63 strikeouts compared to 15 walks. He holds a 3.54 ERA, .243 BAA, and a 1.20 WHIP. Things can get rocky every once in a while but it’s pretty clear that Houck’s stuff is dominant and he could be a dangerous pitcher.
Bobby Dalbec now has a .241/.297/.483 slash line on the season. He’s mashed 18 doubles, five triples, and 21 home runs. Dalbec has driven in 71 runs and scored 44 more, stealing one base. His 71 RBI are fourth on the team. It’s actually a really impressive overall rookie campaign, just imagine if he put it all together a little sooner – he’d be a legitimate ROY candidate.