Top-5 Red Sox prospects signed on the international market
The Boston Red Sox have found success in the international market
The international signing period opened over the weekend and the Boston Red Sox wasted no time in adding three of the top 50 prospects on the amateur international market.
Highlighting the group is shortstop Freili Encarnacion, who’s listed No. 19 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospect list. Catcher Johanfran Garcia (No. 34) and shortstop Fraymi De Leon (No. 50) round out the top trio signed by the Red Sox.
The amateur international market is an often overlooked resource for finding talent to bolster the farm system. Many of these players are teenagers who are even younger than the kids being drafted out of high school. Encarnacion is only 16 years old, putting his timeline for potentially reaching the majors further away than most prospects in the organization.
The Red Sox have a history of success uncovering gems on the international market. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are prime examples. We didn’t know much about them when they were signed at a young age but they are now the centerpieces of Boston’s core.
The Red Sox have continued stockpiling international talent and it shows in the organization’s prospect rankings. Five of the top 18 Red Sox prospects were signed on the international market, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings.
Let’s take a deeper look at the top international prospects in the Red Sox farm system.
Red Sox infield prospect Brainer Bonaci
Brainer Bonaci signed with the Red Sox out of Venezuela on his 16th birthday in 2018 and he made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League the following year.
The 2020 minor league season that was cancelled by the pandemic delayed his debut in the United States. His production was a bit underwhelming last season but transitioning to another country after a year without any game action has to be factored into his evaluation.
Bonaci hit .245 with a .719 OPS, two home runs, two triples and 16 doubles in 49 games split between Rookie ball and Low-A Salem. He has above-average speed, swiping 12 bases without getting caught.
The switch-hitting infielder doesn’t bring much power to the plate but he hits line drives that should lead to some gap power as he grows stronger.
Bonaci is a good defensive shortstop with a strong throwing arm. He has the tools to stick at the position and Bonaci improved his versatility by spending some time at second base last season. He also gained some experience at third base when he was playing in the Dominican.
He may not have a high ceiling but Bonaci has a decent floor. He should at least be able to make it as a utility player who offers strong defense at multiple positions or a defensive-minded shortstop. He’s never going to be a home run hitter but developing enough power to rack up doubles could be enough to earn him an everyday role.
Red Sox pitching prospect Wilkelman Gonzalez
Wilkelman Gonzalez signed with the Red Sox out of Venezuela in 2018. The right-handed pitcher topped out in the mid-80s with his fastball at the time but packing on some muscle over the last few years has helped him ramp up his velocity to the 92-96 mph range.
His mid-80s changeup pairs much better with the fastball now that he’s gained some velocity on the heater. Gonzalez also throws a curve in the upper-70s. He still needs to work on finding consistency with those secondary pitches but they have the potential to be plus pitches.
Gonzalez impressed during his time in the Florida Complex League last season, going 4-2 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.057 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 in eight games (seven starts). He only made four starts following a promotion to Low-A Salem but he dominated in that small sample to the tune of a 1.53 ERA, 1.189 WHIP and 10.2 K/9.
Developing his secondary pitches will be key to sticking in the rotation. Gonzalez won’t be able to get by as a starter without at least three reliable options in his arsenal. He has the upside to be a middle of the rotation starter if he doesn’t transition to the bullpen.
Red Sox outfield prospect Gilberto Jimenez
The Red Sox got a bargain when they signed Gilberto Jimenez for a mere $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2017.
The switch-hitter will produce a high average at the plate. Jimenez hit .306 for Low-A Salem last season and he owns a .324 average across three levels since joining the Red Sox organization.
He bulked up by adding a significant amount of muscle last year but it didn’t translate to the expected uptick in power, finishing the season with only three home runs. Jimenez tallied 16 doubles and six triples though, so he can still rack up extra-base hits even if they aren’t clearing the fence.
His plus-plus speed is the tool that stands out most with Jimenez. He only stole 13 bases in 21 attempts but he has the wheels to pile up much more once he learns to pick his spots more efficiently.
Jimenez could be a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. His speed helps him cover plenty of ground in the outfield, he has good instincts plus a strong throwing arm.
It wasn’t long ago that Jimenez was viewed as one of the top position players in the Red Sox farm system but he has fallen to No. 10 on MLB Pipeline’s list. This is partially due to the emergence of other prospects in the system but the lack of power may have caused his stock to drop a bit and he still hasn’t played above Low-A.
The Red Sox didn’t add Jimenez to their 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft. It’s unlikely that a team would select him since he’s far from major league ready but there’s some risk in leaving him unprotected if a rebuilding team wants to gamble on his upside by stashing him on their bench as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement.
Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata
Bryan Mata was initially expected to land in Milwaukee but the Brewers backed out due to a groin injury that the right-hander was dealing with at the time. Their loss was Boston’s gain, as the Red Sox signed him in January of 2016.
Mata had been viewed as the top pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system but he’s a bit more difficult to rate after missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since the previous season was cancelled by the pandemic, we haven’t seen Mata on the mound since 2019.
If his recovery goes well and he returns to form next season, Mata still has plenty of upside. His fastball can reach triple-digits with good movement. He posted a 9.5 K/9 in time split between two levels in 2019 and he could blow hitters away at an elite rate with that blazing fastball.
Mata throws a two-seam fastball with great sinking action. It’s not the strikeout pitch that his four-seam fastball can be but he generates weak contact for inducing ground balls. His nasty slider is going to make plenty of hitters look foolish with its late break and his fading changeup provides another potentially plus pitch. He also has a curveball in his repertoire that can be devastating when he has a feel for it.
Aside from staying healthy, the biggest concern with Mata is his control. He owned a staggering 7.3 BB/9 in 17 starts at the High-A level in 2018. He improved his command the following year but his 3.6 BB/9 remained uncomfortably high. Mata also walked 11 batters in 10 1/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League that year.
The hype on Mata has cooled off during his recovery from surgery but he still has the upside to be an ace.
Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello
Not only is Brayan Bello the top Red Sox international prospect in MLB Pipeline’s rankings, he’s the highest rated of any pitcher in the organization and No. 6 overall. The Red Sox signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 when he was 18 years old, which made him relatively advanced by the standards of international signings.
After dominating in Rookie ball, Bello struggled during his first taste of Low-A in 2019. He went 5-10 with a 5.43 ERA in 25 starts. He showed flashes of brilliance but wasn’t able to maintain it consistently.
Bello impressed at the Red Sox instructional program in 2020 and that carried over into last season when he moved up to High-A. Bello went 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in six starts to earn himself a promotion to Double-A. The results in Portland were shaky with Bello posting a 4.66 ERA in 15 starts. He allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his final five starts though, showing some progress down the stretch. Bello might take time to adapt to the challenge of moving up in the system but he’s capable of dominating once he settles in.
Bello throws a mid-90s fastball that he can crank up to the upper-90s to blow hitters away and a two-seam sinking fastball with great movement. His slider has some late snap to it that gets hitters to chase. Bello’s best pitch might be his chaneup, which looks like a fastball out of his hand but drops sharply as it reaches the plate.
He’s done a decent job of limiting free passes at most levels but an increase in walk rate to a 3.4 BB/9 in Double-A is a concern to monitor heading into next season. Control doesn’t necessary mean limiting walks. Bello can get hit hard when he doesn’t command his pitches in the strike zone. He can be dominant when he has a feel for all of his pitches but he needs to work on his consistency.
If he can put it all together, Bello has the upside to be a top of the rotation starter. His ceiling might not be quite as high as Mata’s but Bello took a big leap forward in 2021 while his fellow Red Sox pitching prospect was sidelined by surgery. For now, that bumps Bello to the top of this list.
Next. Red Sox top-30 prospect rankings. dark