Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: No-hitters and home run streaks
Red Sox Prospect Watch features a no-hitter and a home run streak
We’re only a month into the season. So it feels a little premature to claim the Boston Red Sox season is already over. They’ve given very few positives to this point though.
As always, we don’t focus on that here though. That’s the beauty of the Prospect Watch. Oh, the Red Sox are almost 10 games under .500? Well they had multiple prospects put up monster numbers this week, so that’s fun.
In the Majors, we did have a pretty big shakeup. With the way things are going, don’t be surprised if more come in the coming weeks. We saw Jarren Duran in the bigs again. This is massively deserved as he really seemed to fix his issues from last year and was getting on-base constantly in Triple-A.
He could have infused some much-needed life into the Boston lineup and is currently 1-for-4 with a triple, one HBP, and a run scored in the Majors this year. However, Duran has already been sent back down to the minors.
The left-handed hitter boasts an insane .371/.451/.597 slash line in Triple-A. He has four doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Meanwhile, Duran has 11 RBI and 15 runs to go along with eight steals in just nine attempts.
I get that it’s early and you can’t just blow up the roster after a month. But it feels like they should’ve found a way to keep Duran in Boston a little longer. We’ll see the outfielder again.
We might be seeing more top prospects getting their chance in the Majors at some point this year. It’s still very early into the season, but if Boston doesn’t start to turn things around soon-ish they might want to start evaluating talent and giving younger guys a look. So Duran probably won’t be the last of the call-ups.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Triston Casas has all sorts of buzz around him right now. Okay, as one of the top prospects in Boston’s organization for a few years, he always has buzz around him. But this is a little different. The Red Sox have an absolute albatross at first base right now. They can’t figure it out and no matter who is playing there, they don’t seem to be getting production.
Casas is knocking on the door – violently. The left-handed hitter has a .260 average (which some have used to say he needs more time) in Triple-A this year. However, he also has a fantastic .373 OBP and a strong .500 slugging percentage. The 22-year-old has seven doubles, six home runs, 20 RBI, and 20 runs scored. He’s also looked great with the glove at first base. It’s time for choke-up season to come to Boston.
Ryan Fitzgerald isn’t on the 40-man roster. But they need to get him on there somehow because he could help immediately too. The left-handed hitter is slashing .295/.364/.653 with six doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. He’s driven in 23 runs and scored 15 more. Oh, and he’s done all that in just 95 at-bats.
Jeter Downs was phenomenal last week. He dipped the average but did manage to boost some other numbers this time around. The right-handed hitter now holds a .229/.357/.469 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and six home runs. He’s driven in 10 runs and scored 22 more, stealing four bases. Strikeouts have been an issue (38) but he’s drawn a decent amount of walks (17) and is showing more pop this year compared to last season.
Connor Seabold is having fun in Triple-A. Maybe too much fun. As in, maybe he should get called up. This week, the right-handed pitcher made one start. In that start he went seven innings, giving up just one run on two hits and one walk – striking out eight. He now holds a 1.63 ERA, .173 BAA, and 0.83 WHIP in five starts. Over 27 2/3 innings, Seabold has 23 strikeouts compared to six walks.
Zack Kelly could be bullpen help soon. After a career-year in 2021, the 27-year-old is lighting up Triple-A in 2022. The righty has a 1.86 ERA, .097 BAA, 1.03 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. He just needs to limit the walks (7) a little more and there would be nothing to pick at when it came to Kelly.
Josh Winckowski is good. He had a strong showing in 2021 but has been even better this season. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.06 ERA, .185 BAA, and 0.91 WHIP in four starts. Over 17 2/3 innings he’s racked up 17 strikeouts compared to just four walks.
Eduard Bazardo struggled in April, but he’s been untouchable in May. The right-handed reliever has tossed four shutout innings over three appearances, surrendering just two hits while striking out five. He’s down to a 3.60 ERA, .297 BAA, 1.50 WHIP, and has 12 strikeouts in 10 innings on the year.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Brayan Bello made some history this week. The right-handed pitcher’s lone start saw him toss a no-no. In a seven-inning game (doubleheader), Bello allowed one unearned run on no hits and three walks – striking out five. This start wasn’t some random outlier either. The 22-year-old has a minuscule 1.95 ERA in 27 2/3 innings this season. In that time, Bello also holds a .135 BAA and a 0.87 WHIP. He’s racked up 37 strikeouts and it’s really fun to watch him baffle hitters constantly.
The rest of the pitching staff didn’t take the week off either. Chris Murphy went six innings in his lone start of the week. The left-handed pitcher allowed just two hits and three walks, giving up zero earned runs (three unearned). He also tallied a season-high 10 strikeouts. On the year, Murph now holds a 2.10 ERA, .154 BAA, 1.00 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched.
Brandon Walter also threw six innings this week in his only start. The lefty didn’t allow a run on just three hits and one walk, tying his season-high with 10 strikeouts. That one walk is oddly significant, because it’s the first walk Walter has surrendered all year. He now has 39 strikeouts and just the one walk. Walter also has a 0.93 ERA, .163 BAA, and 0.62 WHIP in 29 innings pitched.
Jay Groome didn’t have his best start of the year this week. In 3 2/3 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks – striking out two. The good news is, it feels like Groome is great at the “bounce back game”. Whenever he really struggles, it always seems like his next time out is a gem. So we’ll have to see what he delivers. The lefty has a 4.82 ERA, .243 BAA, and 1.45 WHIP on the year. He’s churned out 21 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched.
Andrew Politi gave up his first runs this week. In three innings, he allowed two earned runs. And now the right-handed pitcher has a 1.69 ERA, .139 BAA, and 0.66 WHIP in 10 2/3 innings. Politi has also racked up 15 strikeouts compared to just two walks this season.
Chase Shugart has been phenomenal out of the bullpen this year. Spending his first three years as a starter, the righty transitioned to a reliever role this season. In 13 2/3 innings he has a 2.63 ERA, .200 BAA, 1.10 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts so far.
Devlin Granberg looks almost bored in Double-A. The outfielder has a .345/.472/.483 slash line with four doubles and two triples. Yes, he’s seriously getting on-base nearly 50% of the time and has more walks (11) than strikeouts (8). The right-handed hitter has four RBI, 10 runs scored, and three steals.
You probably are getting bored of me talking about how much Kole Cottam improved defensively last season. Well he’s still great in 2022. He had a frame job on a pitch the other night that actually ended up causing an ejection for the opposing team because they were mad it was called a strike. Impressive. Oh, and the right-handed hitter is slashing .302/.380/.429 with five doubles and one home run. He’s driven in seven runs and scored eight more.
David Hamilton has a .273/.363/.443 slash line with two doubles, two triples, and three home runs. The left-handed hitter has 13 RBI and 13 runs scored. He looks like a fantastic traditional type of leadoff hitter. He finds ways to get on-base (11 walks) and already has a ridiculous 15 steals.
Christian Koss picked up at least one hit in four-of-five games this week. And the shortstop now holds a .272/.299/.413 slash line with two doubles, one triple, and three home runs. The right-handed hitter has strong run production too. He’s picked up 17 RBI and 12 runs scored, to go along with three steals.
Overall, the numbers don’t look great for Hudson Potts. He had a strong week though (5-for-14) and could be turning things around. The right-handed hitter has a .190/.282/.476 slash line with six doubles and four home runs. He’s driven in 11 runs and scored seven more. If he can get hot he can start racking up the extra-base hits.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Nicholas Northcut had himself a week. He hit a home run in four-straight games at one point, and in four-of-six games total. The right-handed hitter is slashing .253/.299/.670 with two doubles and 12 home runs. Yes, 12 home runs – leading the organization obviously. Kid Cutty also has 15 runs scored and an insane 26 RBI on the year.
Ceddanne Rafaela was named the Minor League hitter of the month for April. And he’s looking to put up some big numbers in May too. The right-handed hitter has a .292/.333/.558 slash line with nine doubles and seven home runs. He’s driven in 21 runs and scored 21 more, stealing nine bases as well. Rafaela’s also been flashing the leather a lot. This week alone he had multiple diving plays in the outfield and at shortstop. I want to give him a nickname because he deserves one, but I don’t know if you can beat “Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela” that’s a tough name.
Matthew Lugo was cooling off. Then the 20-year-old went on a four-game hitting streak and went 7-for-17 with two home runs this week. On the year, the right-handed hitter has a .337/.385/.558 slash line with eight doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He’s driven in 17 runs, scored 15 more, and stolen five bases. Everything at the plate has been an improvement this year, but so far it’s the added pop that has seen the biggest jump forward.
Tyler Esplin is slashing .340/.404/.574 in High-A this season. The left-handed hitter has five doubles and three triples, to go along with one RBI and 10 runs scored. Esplin already had a short-stint in Double-A this year due to injuries at that level. If he keeps playing like this he could be back up there sooner, rather than later.
Alex Binelas has shown so far this year that he has a lot of power, but that he’s more than just a typical power bat. The right-handed hitter has a .280/.423/.573 slash line with three doubles and seven home runs. He’s driven in 16 runs and scored 19 more, even stealing four bases. Binelas has been getting on-base tons (thanks to 20 walks) and has shown some sneaky speed.
There is nothing “sneaky” about the speed of Gilberto Jimenez though. That’s just elite. The switch-hitter is slashing .256/.282/.463 with five doubles and four home runs (already a career-high). He’s driven in 12 runs and scored 13 more as well. Most importantly though, Jimenez has eight steals. The outfielder has always had insane speed. But didn’t seem to run too much last year and finished with just 13 steals. Clearly he’s making it a point to swipe some bags in 2022.
Nick Yorke hasn’t had the best start to 2022. But maybe Sunday was the start of a turnaround for the 20-year-old. In that game, he went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer. The right-handed hitter actually had his first two homers of the year this week. Overall, he’s slashing .238/.319/.345 with three doubles and two home runs this season. Yorke’s driven in 11 runs and scored 15 more, stealing four bases.
Tyler McDonough holds a .224/.303/.388 slash line with five doubles, one triple, and three home runs this season. He’s driven in 13 runs and scored 15 more, stealing seven bases in seven attempts. Not the best start, but he’s done a little bit of everything.
Jaxx Groshans went into May 6 having a bad year. It was hard to deny that at the time. He turned things around quickly with a 3-for-4 day. That included a double, two home runs, four RBI, and two runs scored. Now on the year, the catcher has a .211/.348/.474 slash line with one double and three home runs. He’s driven in six runs and scored five more.
Shane Drohan had himself a week. Coming in with a 6.52 ERA, he started two games. In those two games, the left-handed pitcher threw a combined 11 innings. Drohan gave up just one run on six hits and two walks in those two games, striking out 13 batters. Thanks to that, he’s down to a 4.45 ERA on the year. Drohan also has a .241 BAA and a 1.29 BAA, striking out 34 batters in 30 1/3 innings.
Jordan DiValerio’s shutdown year continues in High-A. The right-handed pitcher has tossed 10 2/3 innings at the level this season. In that time he has a 0.84 ERA, .200 BAA, and 0.84 WHIP. DiValerio has also struck out 12 batters while only walking one.
Ryan Zeferjahn had a strong week. In two appearances out of the bullpen, the righty gave up zero earned runs in four innings – striking out eight batters. On the year, Zeferhan has a 3.46 ERA to go along with a .174 BAA and a 1.08 WHIP. He’s struck out 13 batters in 13 innings.
Cody Scroggins came out of the bullpen three times this week. The right-handed pitcher tossed three scoreless innings, picking up two saves and striking out five batters in that time. Scroggins has a 3.60 ERA, .231 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP in 10 innings this year. He’s struck out 15 batters and is 3-for-3 in save opportunities.
Ryan Fernandez also made three appearances out of the arm barn over the last seven days. The righty gave up just one hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five and picking up one save. Fernandez has a 3.97 ERA, .220 BAA, 1.24 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings this season.
Chih-Jung Liu looked really sharp as he tossed two shutout innings this week. The right-handed pitcher now has a 4.58 ERA, .200 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP on the season. He’s struck out hefty 23 batters in just 17 2/3 innings.
Red Sox Low-A (Salem)
Niko Kavadas has been phenomenal all year long. The 11th-round pick in 2021 is slashing .301/.490/.521 with 10 doubles and two home runs. He’s driven in 10 runs and scored 13 more, stealing one base. The left-handed hitter’s near .500 OBP is thanks to an absolutely ridiculous 25 walks.
Eduardo Lopez is having himself a month. Coming into May, the switch-hitter had a .083 batting average with zero home runs. He’s 13-for-25 this month with two doubles and three home runs. The 20-year-old outfielder suddenly has a .306/.364/.531 slash line with two doubles and three homers. He’s driven in seven runs and scored four more, stealing three bases.
Nathan Hickey has a hit in all three games he’s played in this month. The left-handed hitting catcher has a .269/.418/.442 slash line on the year. He’s collected three doubles and two home runs, to go along with 12 RBI and nine runs scored.
Brainer Bonaci holds a .279/.418/.377 slash line on the year. The switch-hitting 19-year-old has two doubles and two triples, but no home runs yet. However, power isn’t expected to be a big part of his game. The OBP is fantastic and he’s been a good run producer with 12 RBI and 12 runs scored, as well as two steals.
Miguel Ugueto has been great all year long. The right-handed hitting 19-year-old has a .333/.349/.436 slash line with six doubles and one triple. He’s driven in 10 runs and scored 10 more, stealing two bases.
Eddinson Paulino’s odd season continues once again. The 19-year-old left-handed hitter has just a .235/.304/.433 slash line. However he has a solid eight doubles, four triples, and one home run. He’s also driven in 13 runs and scored 17 more, stealing one base.
Blaze Jordan got off to a slow start. The 19-year-old looks to be figuring it out though. Jordan is up to a .211/.269/.284 slash line with four doubles and one home run. He’s driven in 11 runs and scored 12 more. He’s picked up at least one hit in all seven games this month, slashing .333/.367/.370 in May.
Adenys Bautista has tossed 13 innings in eight appearances out of the bullpen this year. In that time, the right-handed pitcher has a 2.08 ERA. He also has a .152 BAA and 0.92 WHIP, to go along with 17 strikeouts compared to five walks.
Wikelman Gonzalez suffered his first bump in the road this week, giving up four runs on two hits and three walks in just 2/3 of an inning. Despite that, he still has great overall numbers. The 20-year-old righty has a 2.76 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.41 WHIP in five starts. He does have 11 walks in 16 1/3 innings, but also boasts 21 strikeouts.
Tyler Uberstine has made five appearances (four starts) this season. The right-handed pitcher has a 2.45 ERA, .232 BAA, and 1.18 WHIP in that time. Over 22 innings he’s struck out 19 batters compared to seven walks, giving up just one home run.
Angel Bastardo has 19 2/3 innings over five starts this year. The 19-year-old righty has a 3.20 ERA, .284 BAA, and 1.53 WHIP in that time. He’s walked nine batters, while striking out an impressive 20. His start this week was the most promising of all, going five scoreless innings. In that game, he allowed just three hits and walked one batter while striking out three.
Joey Stock has already made nine appearances this year, one being a start. In that time, the right-handed pitcher has tossed 19 innings. He has a 2.84 ERA, .191 BAA, and 1.11 WHIP on the season. Stock has walked eight batters while striking out 23.
Michael Wacha scratched, Tanner Houck to start. dark. Next