Hot bats make a jump to the next level the Red Sox minor league system
On Friday, the Boston Red Sox made a bundle of moves in their minor league system that saw some extremely hot bats make a jump to the next level. It is the midseason point in the minors, so a slew of moves makes sense. Still, doesn’t make it any less hectic.
According to SoxProspects on Twitter, we saw two names move up from Low-A to High-A, and two more names move up from High-A to Low-A.
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— SoxProspects.com (@SoxProspects) June 24, 2022
1B/3B Alex Binelas and C Stephen Scott promoted from A+ Greenville to AA Portland
1B Niko Kavadas and C Nathan Hickey promoted from A Salem to A+ Greenville
Catcher Nathan Hickey and first baseman Niko Kavadas were promoted from the Low-A Salem Red Sox to the High-A Greenville Drive. Meanwhile, catcher/first baseman/corner outfielder Stephen Scott and first/third baseman Alex Binelas were promoted from Greenville to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.
Hickey has been one of the most impressive and consistent bats in Low-A. The right-handed hitter is slashing .271/.429/.507 with 39 RBI and 34 runs scored. He’s roped 12 doubles and seven home runs in just 140 at-bats. Most impressively, Hickey has drawn the same amount of walks (39) as strikeouts (39). That type of patience and plate discipline show he is advanced beyond his service time and it was ready for a change of scenery.
Hickey needs to work on his defense behind the plate. But that bat is already absolutely terrifying. One of the best hit-tools out of any catching prospect in baseball.
Out of all the players here, Kavadas is undoubtedly the hottest at the moment. The left-handed hitter has been great all year, and shown he’s too mature for Low-A thanks to an insane amount of walks (54 at the moment). But over the last month it’s all come together and it’s impossible to deny him that promotion now. In June, Kavadas is slashing .377/.524/.951 and boosted his overall slash line to .286/.453/.609 with 18 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He’s driven in 48 runs and scored 35 more.
Kavadas came in as a pretty polished power hitter. The discipline he’s shown is something that really moves him up the prospect boards though. A mature approach can get you far. It will be fun to see how he handles the next level as Low-A looked like little league to him for the last month.
Alex Binelas is having a great first year in the Red Sox system. The left-handed hitter has shown phenomenal power to all sides of the field and seems to love going oppo for a lot of his bombs. Overall he’s slashing a strong .245/.355/.495 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He’s driven in 43 runs and scored 41 more, stealing eight bases in eight attempts. Speed isn’t a big part of his game but it’s nice to see that he knows how to run the bases. With 38 walks, he’s another that has shown great patience.
Binelas is at a loaded position. But don’t forget this was a first-round talent before an injury forced him to fall down draft boards (and he was still taken in the third). Clearly there’s a lot to love about his game and he’s proving himself early in his tenure.
Stephen Scott doesn’t have the best numbers this season after a fantastic breakout campaign in 2021. Slashing .188/.305/.336 with eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs – nothing really jumps out at you. The left-handed hitter has driven in 14 runs, scored 17 more, and stolen two bases.
A few things to remember though. First of all, last season was eye-opening – Scott was fantastic. Second, he plays multiple positions and that includes catcher. That type of versatility is awesome. Third, he’s only had 128 at-bats this year. A strong month puts his number back up nicely. Finally, Scott’s shown some great clutch-genes this year. He’s had a lot of clutch hits, including two walk-off homers. The numbers aren’t great but he has a lot of value.
The Boston Red Sox have had an extremely interesting minor league system this year. And all four of these prospects have played a role in that. It’s great to see them getting a chance at their next level. Now it’s time to see what they do with it, and see whose next – because we’re going to see more promotions this season.