Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Monster performances headline
By Hunter Noll
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Brayan Bello made one start this week. The right-handed pitcher went six innings, giving up two runs on just three hits and three walks, striking out eight. He’s looked phenomenal in Triple-A so far, with no real major hiccups. In 11 starts between the two levels, Bello has a 2.47 ERA. He holds a .172 BAA, 1.00 WHIP, and a ridiculous 84 strikeouts in 62 innings.
Brandon Walter stumbled out of the gates in his first Triple-A start last week. This week he looked much more comfortable though. The left-handed pitcher gave up just one run on four hits and three walks, striking out five in six innings of work. Walter dominated for a hefty majority of his run in Double-A this year, and this looked much closer to that version.
Josh Winckowski had one of his best starts of the year this week. The righty went seven innings, giving up zero runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six. This masterclass of a game helped lower his numbers on the year to a 3.38 ERA, .209 BAA, and 0.96 WHIP. Winckowski isn’t really known for his strikeouts but does had 43 in 42 2/3 innings.
Connor Seabold returned this week and made one start. The right-hander threw three shutout innings, giving up two hits and three walks while striking out two. He now has a 2.27 ERA, .181 BAA, 0.98 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings pitched.
Andrew Politi only made one appearance out of the bullpen this week, but it was another strong one. In 10 2/3 Triple-A innings he holds a 1.69 ERA, .211 BAA, 1.13 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts. Combined between Double-A and Triple-A Politi has been absolutely untouchable this year. The move to the bullpen has done him wonders and he has to be a legitimate MLB option sooner, rather than later.
Frank German has been fantastic this season in both Double-A and Triple-A. Another pitcher where the move to the bullpen has made a massive difference in his career. The right-handed pitcher has a 2.95 ERA, .185 BAA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings pitched this season.
Zack Kelly made two appearances this year, equaling 1 1/3 innings pitched. He did not allow a base runner in that time, striking out one. The righty has a 2.78 ERA, .193 BAA, 1.28 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings pitched. He’s walked 13 batters, but hasn’t allowed a free base runner this month.
Ronaldo Hernandez has been unreal lately. The catcher is currently riding a seven-game hitting-streak that includes three doubles and three triples. He’s raised his numbers substantially over the last few weeks and especially over the last few days. Suddenly the right-handed hitter has a .253/.284/.445 slash line with 10 doubles and six home runs. He’s driven in 22 runs and scored 18 more.
Ryan Fitzgerald is slashing .272/.343/.515 with nine doubles, four triples, and 11 home runs. He’s driven in 44 runs, scored 30 more, and stolen two bases. The left-handed hitter has had incredible consistency with his batting average and on-base percentage in his career. The slugging percentage has sky-rocketed the last two years though.
Jarren Duran was slumping a bit so he quickly put an end to that with a big game on Sunday. The left-handed hitter went 3-for-4 with a homer. And he’s back up to a .305/.376/.517 slash line with 12 doubles, five triples, and five home runs. He’s driven in 27 runs and scored 33 more, stealing 11 bases.
Jeter Downs is not having a good year when it comes to batting average (.185). However, his on-base percentage (.315) and slugging percentage (.399) are at least pretty big bumps up from last season. The right-handed hitter has four doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs. He’s driven in 18 runs and scored 34 more, stealing 10 bases.