Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: New season, new headline names

The Red Sox Prospect Watch is back!

That’s right, we’re back baby. Another year, another Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch. And it’s Monday. You know what that means.

The MiLB season is in full swing now. We’ve got all four levels of the minors going at it. With it, we’ve seen a lot of familiar names impressing early on. However, there are some new names this year that should take quite a few of the headlines.

Before we get into the minors though, let’s talk about the young players doing their thing in the Major Leagues right now.

We’re not really going to talk about Garrett Whitlock here much, he’s evolved past this stage. But he deserves a shoutout for being one of the best pitchers in baseball. Dude is always game ready.

Tanner Houck is filth. That’s led to a strong start for the right-handed pitcher. He has a 3.21 ERA, .229 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP in three starts so far. The walks have hurt him a bit (seven in 14 innings), but the strikeouts are there as well (11).

Kutter Crawford has struggled early on but put on a hell of a performance on Saturday. The righty threw three shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. He has the stuff to be great, let’s see if he can put it all together properly.

Tyler Danish was put in Triple-A as relief depth. And in his first chance up in the Majors, he’s done nothing but impress. The right-handed pitcher threw three shutout and hitless innings. He’s walked two and struck out five.

Due to COVID issues with Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki, Connor Wong got a chance to play a bit in the Majors already. The catcher has deservedly so received plenty of praise for his abilities behind the plate. Many have been talking about his framing and athleticism, but also how calm he remains throughout the game. Wong is 1-for-6 with an RBI so far.

Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)

Triston Casas got off to a “cold” start. Good thing the internet never overreacts, right? The left-handed hitter has figured it out though. Casas is up to a .262/.395/.508 slash line with three doubles and four home runs. The 22-year-old has 12 RBI and 15 runs scored and has already been walked 13 times. It’s choke-up season baby!

Ryan Fitzgerald rakes. The defensive juggernaut is a tank at the plate too. Fitz is slashing .291/.355/.691 with three doubles, two triples, and five home runs. The left-handed hitter has 15 RBI (in 15 games) and 10 runs scored. He should be up in the Majors at some point this year. Give the 27-year-old the chance he deserves.

Jeter Downs is playing better than he was last year. Still not great, but the improvements are there and it’s early so things could get a lot better still. The 23-year-old right-handed hitter has a .217/.319/.367 with three doubles and two home runs.

He’s driven in three runs and scored 11 more, stealing three bases. Downs isn’t “buried” by the other prospects at his position yet. But he’s AJ Styles and they are the Undertaker. And this might be the Boneyard Match if things don’t change quickly.

Ronaldo Hernandez has had some major issues at the plate to start the season. The right-handed hitter is someone that can get extremely hot and cold though. And it’s mainly due to the fact that the catcher doesn’t draw walks (something he needs to work on).

He had only 12 last year and has yet to take one in 2022. The 24-year-old is slashing .105/.105/.158 with two doubles, four RBI, and three runs scored. He’ll likely be fine. But this is a loaded position for the Red Sox (as you’ll see later on) so a slow start isn’t great.

Jarren Duran is getting back to basics and I love it. He will still hit for power, but it seems like he’s just focusing on getting on base again and I’m here for it. The left-handed hitter is slashing .346/.469/.423 with two doubles, three RBI, and six runs scored. He’s already stolen five bases.

Johan Mieses is going crazy right now. The 26-year-old outfielder has a .348/.423/.913 slash line at the moment. That insane slugging percentage is thanks to the right-handed hitter having one double and four home runs in just 23 at-bats. Insanity. Mieses has already driven in nine runs and scored six more.

Nick Sogard has already spent time in Double-A and Triple-A. Between the two, the second baseman is slashing .278/.381/.333 with two doubles in that time. He’s driven in two runs, scored nine more, and stolen one base. Sogard’s a very good all-around type player that can give you some of everything, and suddenly he’s one step away from the Majors.

Josh Winckowski has to be one of the first in line to get a call-up whenever the Red Sox need a starter. The right-handed pitcher has allowed three earned runs in two starts this season (10 innings). That comes out to a 2.70 WHIP. He pairs that with a .171 BAA and a 1.00 WHIP. The 23-year-old only has six strikeouts so far, but that’s not his game anyway. And it’s working for him right now.

Zack Kelly went into the season with an outside chance to make the team. He didn’t make it but isn’t letting that slow him down in Triple-A. The 27-year-old righty has a 3.18 ERA over 5 2/3 innings pitched. He’s holding on to a 1.59 WHIP due to some walk issues, but has a .111 BAA and has seven strikeouts in that time.

Durbin Feltman is off to a strong start. The right-hander has a 4.50 ERA which doesn’t look great, but he’s a reliever. So one bad outing early in the season and your numbers look bad. In reality, he’s given up three earned runs in six innings of work. That can quickly be dropped to a great ERA. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old has a .200 BAA, 1.17 WHIP, and nine strikeouts.

Connor Seabold’s first start of the year wasn’t great. The right-hander gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in just 3 2/3 innings. He struck out two but hit another batter in that time. Not miserable but clearly things weren’t going well that time out.

Well, Seabold made an adjustment. Because in his two starts since then, the 26-year-old combined for 11 shutout innings. He gave up just five hits and three walks in that stretch, striking out seven.

Brian Keller has been pretty solid overall. On the year the former-Yankees prospect has given up five earned runs in 11 1/3 innings of work. That’s good enough for a 3.97 ERA. The 25-year-old righty has a .227 BAA, 1.24 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts so far.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

The Portland offense has been stupid good. David Hamilton taking over the leadoff spot this year has definitely helped. The middle infielder came over in the Hunter Renfroe trade and is utterly dominating so far.

Hamilton is slashing .327/.414/.571 with one double, one triple, and three home runs. The left-handed hitter drove in 13 runs and scored eight more. Oh, and that’s not all – elite speed. The 24-year-old already has 10 steals.

We really need to talk about Kole Cottam more. Okay, not me. I talk about him too much possible. But in general, people need to talk about the catcher more. The right-handed hitter has a hit in all 10 games he’s played in this year. In that time, Cottam is slashing .375/.432/.550 with four doubles and one home run.

That slash line is nuts and I feel like if you asked a good number of Red Sox fans they’d maybe recognize the name, but that’s it. He’s driven in five runs and scored five more. The 24-year-old also improved dramatically defensively last season. And if he takes another step forward this year there’s no reason he can’t make a serious jump as a prospect soon.

Christian Koss is that dude. The shortstop is slashing .321/.357/.472 with two doubles and two home runs. He’s driven in 12 runs, scored eight more, and stolen two bases. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter made some waves in Spring Training, and he’s capitalizing on that to start the year. With the potential he showed in 2021, this is exciting.

Tyreque Reed might be the reason some of you are even reading this right now. That right hook is probably going to go down in history. The first baseman has an impressive swing too though. He hasn’t gotten much time this year (partially due to the suspension). But Reed is slashing a solid .273/.333/.364 with one double and two RBI. And if you watched him last year, you know the home runs can come in bunches.

Elih Marrero is another exciting catching prospect for the Red Sox. Great arm, and fantastic athleticism for the position. The switch-hitting 24-year-old is slashing .300/.481/.450 with three doubles so far. He’s driven in one run and scored five more.

Wil Dalton has done nothing at the plate except mash so far. The right-handed-hitting outfielder is slashing .348/.385/.696 with two doubles and two home runs. He’s driven in six runs and scored six more, stealing one base. The 24-year-old has shown potential at the plate in the past but always stumbles and the numbers end up not looking great. Is this the year he puts it all together?

Cameron Cannon started off slow, but it didn’t take long for him to pick it right back up. The right-handed hitter is up to a .250/.327/.318 slash line with three doubles, two RBI, four runs scored, and one steal. The slugging percentage isn’t great, but Cannon can launch some homers and will pile up the doubles.

Devlin Granberg also started off slow. His current hot streak has been absolutely blazing though. The outfielder is suddenly up to a .308/.419/.462 slash line with two doubles and a triple. Granberg has driven in two runs and scored five more, even stealing a base. The right-handed hitter has drawn as many walks (3) as he has strikeouts (3).

Tyler Dearden is having a good year and the home runs haven’t even started yet. The left-handed-hitting outfield has a .268/.415/.341 slash line with one double and one triple. He’s driven in four runs and scored six more. The 23-year-old had a career-high 24 home runs in a breakout campaign last year, so the homers will likely start piling up soon.

Pedro Castellanos started off icy but he’s starting to thaw out. The right-handed hitter has a .143/.200/.245 slash line with two doubles and one home run. He’s driven in eight runs and scored one more. Usually an extremely consistent hitter, he’ll be fine.

Hudson Potts started the year 0-for-18 and 1-for-22. He’s 5-for-15 since then though. With a double and three homers. The corner infielder is now slashing .171/.293/.486 with two doubles and three home runs. He’s driven in seven runs and scored six more. The right-handed hitter struggled last season and started slow this year. But the recent hot streak is very encouraging.

Brandon Walter enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 between Low-A and High-A. And now at a new level, the left-handed pitcher has made three starts so far this year. In that time he’s posted a 1.06 ERA, .167 BAA, and 0.59 WHIP. The most ridiculous stat though? Walter has thrown 17 innings so far. In that time, the 25-year-old has 22 strikeouts compared to zero walks. Seriously, zero walks.

Brayan Bello is one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system, and he’s made it pretty clear why. After looking “okay” in Double-A last year after being called-up midseason, he’s dominated early on in 2022. The right-hander has thrown 15 1/3 innings over three starts. In that time, Bello has a 2.35 ERA, .179 BAA, and 0.91 WHIP. The 22-year-old has 24 strikeouts compared to just four walks.

Chris Murphy isn’t far behind Bello on that prospect list. And he’s proving why as well. Seriously, how are teams scoring against this rotation? In three starts Murphy has thrown 14 innings. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.21 ERA, .196 BAA, and 1.14 WHIP. He’s struck out 18 batters compared to six walks.

Importantly, the 23-year-old has only allowed one home run so far (it was actually on the first pitch of the season for Murph). Last season he gave up 21 long balls in 101 1/3 innings. If he’s figured out how to limit those, good luck.

Jay Groome has thrown 9 1/3 innings this season, posting a 4.82 ERA in that time. The lefty has a .200 BAA and 1.29 WHIP. He’s struck out nine batters and those tend to come in packs. Groome had an incredibly strong end to the 2021 season and there are plenty of positives to start this year.

Frank German has been electric since moving to the bullpen midway through last year. The right-handed pitcher has been stupid untouchable in 2022. German has tossed seven innings so far. In that time he’s allowed zero earned runs on just two hits and zero walks. That’s a 0.00 ERA, 0.91 BAA, and 0.29 WHIP. Oh, and the 24-year-old already has 13 strikeouts.

Oddanier Mosqueda has a 0.00 ERA in 6 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old lefty also has a .136 BAA and a 0.75 WHIP. He’s picked up more strikeouts (7) than he’s given up hits and walks combined (5). Mosqueda has shown great stuff every year so far and it looks like 2022 will be more of the same.

Andrew Politi also has a 0.00 ERA, this time in 5 2/3 innings though. The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher has a .056 BAA and 0.18 WHIP to go along with that empty ERA. Politi also has more strikeouts (12) than hits and walks combined (1). Yes, he’s given up one hit and has yet to walk anyone. That’s just dumb.

Victor Santos has tossed 17 innings in three starts this year. The 21-year-old righty has a 2.12 ERA, .194 BAA, and 0.94 WHIP in that time. He’s struck out 12 batters compared to four walks. Santos was phenomenal after joining the organization midway through last year and looks like another amazing pickup by Chaim Bloom.

Jacob Wallace has a 1.50 ERA, .105 BAA, and 0.67 WHIP in six innings this season. The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher has nine strikeouts compared to just two walks so far. He struggled in High-A last season but did rack up an insane 76 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. That shows something special. Despite the higher level in 2022, could Wallace put some things together?

Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

The Greenville Drive might have the most exciting lineup in the minors. Not just in the Boston Red Sox organization, but in the entirety of the minors.

Ceddanne Rafaela is legit. I talked about it all last year, and I’m going to be even more annoying about it this year, so buckle up. Rafaela just snapped a 10-game hitting streak, but don’t worry he’s still slashing .355/.412/.726 on the year. The elite defender had a fun year offensively last year but had clear room for improvement. Well, it’s safe to say he’s improved.

Last season saw him hit 10 home runs as some surprising pop started to show later in the season. This year he already has five doubles and six home runs. The right-handed hitter has driven in 14 runs and scored 17 more, stealing five bases. Elite speed, ridiculously fun to watch in the field (plays everywhere but first and catcher), and now he’s got this bat. Get on board now people.

Matthew Lugo? More like “Ludacris in the in the mid-2000s”, because he just produces hits. Am I right? Oh, that was a good one that definitely didn’t date me at all. The shortstop is slashing .397/.426/.655 with eight doubles, two triples, and one home run. Aside from being a doubles machine, the right-handed hitter has nine RBI, nine runs scored, and two steals. Limiting strikeouts is doing wonders. Oh, and he’s 20.

Nick Yorke had an insane season in 2021. So how is he following it up, you ask? So far pretty phenomenally. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old is slashing .310/.396/.357 with two doubles, six RBI, and 11 runs scored. Yorke has also stolen one base early in the season. Now, the second baseman started last year extremely slow. And so far the power isn’t there. So if this is his “slow start” it’s scary to imagine what could be coming.

Alex Binelas was brought over in the same trade as David Hamilton. Wow, talk about a return. Binelas is just smoking the ball. The left-handed hitting third baseman is slashing .306/.435/.714 with two doubles and six home runs so far. He’s driven in 14 runs and scored 14 more, stealing two bases. The 21-year-old has great power potential and in his first year in the Red Sox organization is showing that off.

Tyler Esplin had a breakout year in 2019. But 2021 saw him regress at the plate. However, it looks like the 22-year-old outfielder is back with a vengeance in 2022. The left-handed hitter is slashing .323/.400/.581 with four doubles and two triples. He hasn’t brought in any runs yet, but he’s crossed the plate himself seven times already. Esplin can rack up the doubles and draw walks and if he’s finding himself at the plate again, can be seriously dangerous.

Gilberto Jimenez is fun and it’s wild to me how overlooked he gets despite being a highly-touted prospect. The switch-hitting outfielder is a good defender with a strong arm. He’s also hit over .300 every year in the minors so far.

Right now, the 21-year-old is slashing .273/.289/.477 with three doubles and two home runs. Okay, so the average needs to get boosted if he wants to keep the run going. It’s early though, one big game and he’s back over .300. He’s also showing some extra power and has 9 RBI, five runs scored, and three steals already.

Tyler McDonough started the year slow but is finding his swing pretty quickly. The switch-hitting 23-year-old can play multiple positions. And a .237/.286/.475 line that is climbing fast is nice. He’s smacked five doubles and three home runs already. Meanwhile, McDonough has 12 RBI and eight runs scored, as well as three steals.

Nicholas Northcut also started the season on a cold streak. He’s worked out of that fast though. The right-handed hitter has two doubles and four home runs already. Northcut has done that while slashing at a .245/.315/.531 clip. He’s scored five runs and driven in 10 more.

Antoni Flores is a great defender who has flashed some potential at the plate. This year, the right-handed hitter is hitting just .222 but has a strong .440 OBP thanks to six walks in just 25 plate appearances. The shortstop has just one double and one RBI, scoring four runs. If he can get some production at the plate though, that glove could take him places.

Joe Davis has only appeared in five games this year, and one of them was as a pitcher. In that time, he’s hit two home runs and driven in four runs in just 12 at-bats though. Oh, and he has a 0.00 ERA in 2/3 of an inning.

Chih-Jung Liu has shown some of his electric stuff this year. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.65 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched this year. In that time, he’s racked up 18 strikeouts. Meanwhile, his 1.22 WHIP is solid but it’s his .191 BAA that shows how dominant Liu can be.

Michael Gettys is insanely interesting. The 26-year-old joined the Red Sox organization last year and was in Triple-A. “Oh wow why was he in Triple-A last year but in High-A this year, Hunter?” I hear you asking. Well, he joined the organization as an outfielder. One that hit .256 with 31 homers in Triple-A in 2019.

However, he struggled hard last year. And by the end of the year was in Rookie Ball working on pitching. And now he’s in High-A, pitching. It’s going well too. The righty has a 3.38 ERA, .273 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP in 5 1/3 innings. He’s also struck out six batters so far.

Ryan Fernandez looked phenomenal last year, and it’s good to see he’s starting off 2022 strong. The right-handed reliever has thrown 7 2/3 innings so far this season. He’s posted a 3.52 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and .214 BAA in that time. The 23-year-old has six strikeouts but the five walks aren’t great, especially considering he had 14 in 52 2/3 innings all of last year. At the same time though, that should tell you that it’s probably not going to be a major issue.

Devon Roedahl wasn’t letting people on-base last year (0.99 WHIP). This year is more of the same. In eight innings the 25-year-old righty has a 1.13 ERA, .161 BAA, and 0.88 WHIP. He’s struck out 10 batters compared to just five hits and two walks.

Jacinto Arredondo has tossed 8 1/3 innings so far in the 2022 season. The 24-year-old right-hander has just three strikeouts in that time. However, he also holds a 2.16 ERA to go with a 1.32 WHIP and .219 BAA.

Shane Drohan would get hot-and-cold last year. It all led to a really strong season though. So far, he’s been more “hot” than anything. The 23-year-old lefty has a 3.77 ERA in 14 1/3 innings. He’s posted a 1.40 WHIP and .222 BAA with that. While he has already walked eight batters, he’s also struck out 19.