Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Debut steals the headlines

Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)

Chris Murphy made his second Triple-A start this week. The left-handed pitcher gave up three runs on four hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out seven batters. Overall, the numbers don’t look phenomenal in Triple-A. But both starts saw him dominant until the end of his outings. He hasn’t had issues with letting people on, it’s just both games featured big innings to end his day. Murph’s been awesome.

Jake Thompson was promoted to Triple-A after running through Double-A for a while. And the righty quickly made a strong impression. In his lone outing, he tossed two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while striking out one batter. Thompson has been lights-out all year and it’s good to see him getting a chance at the next level.

Chase Shugart was having a really strong season in Double-A before getting promoted to Triple-A. Now in three outings at the new level, the right-handed reliever is performing even better. Shugart has allowed just one run over five innings. He’s given up two hits and one walk while striking out three.

Frank German had a really good week. The righty reliever appeared in two games, tossing 2 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed just two walks and no hits while striking out five. German’s having a great year in Triple-A since the call-up. And his overall numbers are even better. Between the two levels, he has a 3.41 ERA, .173 BAA, 1.00 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts over 29 innings.

Devlin Granberg ended the week on a strong note. The right-handed hitting outfielder picked up a hit in each of the last three games and had multi-hit days in his last two. He’s up to a .263/.344/.375 slash line in 20 games in Triple-A. On the year between the two levels, he’s hit 15 doubles, five triples, and two home runs. Granberg’s driven in 20 runs (10 already in Triple-A), scored 34 more and stolen six bases.

Pedro Castellanos is slashing .313/.358/.521 in Triple-A with two doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He’s driven in nine runs and scored eight more in 13 games. The right-handed hitting first baseman (and outfielder) was on an absolute tear over the last two months in Double-A. And he’s taken that act with him to the next level.

Ronaldo Hernandez is slashing .290/.310/.466 with 18 doubles and eight home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 33 runs and scored 30 more. After a really rough start, he got hot and hasn’t slowed down for the last two months. Even this week, when it looked like he might hit a slump – Hernandez ended the week with a four-hit game.

Ryan Fitzgerald is now holding a .245/.314/.460 slash line with 14 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs. The left-handed hitting shortstop (and basically every other position) has driven in 56 runs, scored 37 more, and stolen three bases. He’s just two home runs and nine RBI away from tying his career-highs in those respective categories.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Bryan Mata made another rehab start in Double-A this week. While he did have some command issues (five walks), his four innings were great outside of that. The right-handed pitcher gave up one unearned run on just one hit and struck out seven batters. His stuff has looked fantastic in basically every outing so far this season. Mata’s posted a 2.01 ERA, .141 BAA, 1.16 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings over a few levels this season.

Ryan Fernandez was great in High-A towards the end of his run there. In the month of June, the righty reliever didn’t allow a run in 10 1/3 innings pitched, racking up 19 strikeouts (just eight hits and one walk). Now in July in Double-A, Fernandez hasn’t allowed an earned run in 3 2/3 innings. He’s given up just three hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.

Brian Van Belle had been doing really well since his call-up to Double-A before this week. Now he’s looking like an ace though. The right-handed pitcher made two starts this week. The first saw him give up one run on five hits (no walks) over six innings, striking out six.

BVB topped that in his second start though. He allowed three hits (no walks) and struck out five over seven shutout innings. Van Belle now holds a 3.21 ERA, .221 BAA, 0.89 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts (two walks) in 28 Double-A innings this season.

Jay Groome’s been great this season, but walks have been an issue. So the left-hander’s start this week was extremely encouraging. Groome gave up one run over six innings, allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out seven. He’s posted a 3.52 ERA, .207 BAA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts (compared to 38 walks) over 76 2/3 innings this season. That .207 BAA is easily the best of his career.

Ceddanne Rafaela is still having a season that makes you wonder how he isn’t getting national attention at this point. The gold glove utility-man made some more ridiculous plays, including a home run robbery (his second in a few days) that makes you question if he’s human.

Meanwhile, the right-handed hitter is slashing .314/.354/.587 with seven triples and career-highs in doubles (23) and home runs (16). He’s scored 58 runs, stolen 19 bases,  and driven in a career-high 55 runs. Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela is your favorite baseball player’s favorite baseball player.

David Hamilton is back up to a .232/.306/.390 slash line with seven doubles, seven triples, and seven home runs on the year. The average and OBP could still use an upgrade but the quick rise has been awesome. And there’s been some added pop in his bat lately too. The left-handed hitting second baseman has driven in 26 runs and scored 40 more.

His elite speed is being shown off more too now that he’s back to getting on-base, with 31 steals. Hamilton’s in the middle of a six-game hitting streak that includes a double, two homers, four walks (only two Ks), and two steals.

This trend of Stephen Scott playing better after getting promoted is pretty wild. The catcher/utility-man did it last season, and he’s doing it again. After struggling in High-A, Scott’s slashing .260/.373/.360 with two doubles and one homer in Double-A. That’s miles better than his High-A slash line.

Scott’s been extremely clutch this year and between the two levels has 10 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He’s driven in 21 runs, scored 27 more, stolen two bases, and has nearly as many walks (32) and strikeouts (39).

Christian Koss had a great week that included three multi-hit games. The right-handed hitting shortstop is slashing .271/.312/.432 with 10 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs this season. He’s driven in 49 runs, scored 35 more, and stolen seven bases. Koss gives you everything out there.

Kole Cottam clearly wants me to go to weddings more often. I couldn’t post highlights on Twitter (shameless plug, give me a follow @hunter_noll) for the weekend because I was at all the wedding festivities (I’m a nerd so I still watched as much as I could on my phone but I didn’t have my laptop to do all the work).

So what did he do? Launched his second homer of the year. The right-handed hitting catcher is now slashing .257/.346/.350 with 11 doubles and two home runs. He’s driven in 18 runs and scored 22 more. The power numbers are coming.

Alex Binelas had a really slow start in Double-A. But he stayed above water by drawing walks. Now he’s broken out completely. The left-handed hitting third baseman had two multi-hit games this week and hit two homers. He’s slashing .226/.345/.470 with 10 doubles, two triples, and 17 home runs between two levels. Binelas has also driven in 53 runs, scored 47 more, walked 50 times, and stolen eight bases in eight attempts.

Elih Marrero’s been great defensively all year. Now he’s turning it up with the bat too. The switch-hitting catcher is on a six-game hitting streak that has seen his average jump up .022 points. He’s added three doubles and six walks in that time as well. Marrero’s slashing .211/.337/.286 with eight doubles and one home run on the year. He’s driven in seven runs, scored 19 more, and stolen nine bases.

Nick Sogard was flexing the extra-base hit power this week – roping three doubles, one triple, and one home run. The switch-hitting second baseman is slashing .256/.358/.361 with nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He’s driven in 23 runs, scored 35 more, and stolen nine bases.

Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

Niko Kavadas hit another home run this week. He also drove in four runs and walked five times in four games. So you know, a bad week for him I guess? The left-handed hitting first baseman has been on another plate the last few months at the plate. He’s slashing .333/.500/.769 in 13 games for High-A.

On the season between two levels, he’s slashing .294/.461/.636 with 20 doubles, one triple, and 19 home runs. Kavadas has driven in 60 runs, scored 45 more, stolen one base, and drawn 65 walks. SIXTY-FIVE WALKS.

Phillip Sikes got the promotion to High-A after a really strong surge in Low-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder has responded by slashing .316/.333/.579 with one triple and one homer already in just five games at the level. Total on the year – Sikes has 18 doubles, five triples, and six homers. He’s driven in 32 runs, scored 39 more, and stolen 13 bases in 14 attempts.

Matthew Lugo’s average has dipped a bit this month. The last two games of this week saw the right-handed hitting shortstop add some more extra-base hits though. Lugo is now slashing .273/.328/.500 with 18 doubles and career-highs in triples (8) and homers (10). He’s driven in 45 runs and scored 44 more, stealing seven bases. I’ve said it a lot but it warrants repeat, Lugo’s power production this season has been a great development in his game.

Big news on the Big Joe Davis front this week. The right-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .255/.313/.562 with 15 home runs in just 153 at-bats this season. That’s not the news though. He hit a double. It was just the second of the season for the absolute unit. Not exactly speedy, when he doesn’t hit it out of the park it needs to be a legitimate gap shot for Davis to get the extra bases. A tank though, he blasts tons of homers and has 29 RBI and 28 runs scored in just 44 games.

Nathan Hickey hasn’t been the menace that Kavadas has been since they were both promoted. The left-handed hitting catcher has still impressed though and overall he’s having a great year. Between Low-A and High-A Hickey is slashing .267/.414/.503 with 15 doubles and eight home runs. He’s driven in 43 runs, scored 33 more, and walked 42 times (compared to 46 strikeouts).

Nicholas Northcut hit another nuke this week (of course). The right-handed hitting third baseman is slashing .217/.282/.513 with 10 doubles and 23 home runs. He’s driven in 51 runs, scored 38 more, and has drawn 19 walks (a low number but one he’s improved on a bit since the start of the year). Northcut already has six more homers than last season, when he set a career-high with 17.

Tyler Uberstine made his High-A debut this week and wow did he impress. The right-handed pitcher tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings. In that time, he allowed just two hits and one walk. Oh, and he struck out 10 batters. Those 10 strikeouts are a new career-high for Uberstine, who certainly opened some eyes with that outing.

Did anyone have “former outfielder Michael Gettys being Greenville’s most reliable pitcher over the last month” on their BINGO card? No? Of course not. The right-handed pitcher gave up just one earned run over 10 1/3 innings in June though.

And now in July, he’s thrown 2 1/3 shutout innings (just one hit) over two appearances so far. Gettys has a 3.45 ERA, .319 BAA,1.50 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts (compared to six walks) in 28 2/3 innings this season.

Shane Drohan’s lone start this week saw him allow two earned runs over five innings. The left-handed pitcher gave up five hits and one walk while adding eight more strikeouts to his high total. Drohan has a 4.14 ERA, .236 BAA, 1.32 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts over 76 innings pitched so far this season.

Red Sox Low-A (Salem)

Not an ideal ending to the week for Marcelo Mayer. The left-handed hitting shortstop was 0-for-3 on Sunday before being pulled from the game for lower back soreness. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and he’s back out there on Tuesday (or at least soon) and healthy. Mayer is slashing .286/.379/.510 with 22 doubles and seven home runs on the season. He’s driven in 31 runs, scored 35 more, and is 12-for-12 on steal attempts.

Blaze Jordan is slashing .299/.372/.474 with 23 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. The right-handed hitting third baseman has driven in 45 runs, scored 45 more, and stolen three bases (on three attempts. He’s also drawn a good amount of walks, with 32 on the season. Jordan’s ability to get on-base is great to see with that insane power.

Yorberto Mejicano continues to shine in his bigger role as the primary catcher. The right-handed hitter is up to a really strong .293/.338/.436 slash line with eight doubles and four home runs. In 37 games so far, he’s driven in 23 runs and scored 24 more – Mejicano has even managed to pick up three steals this season.

Bryan Gonzalez has looked great in Low-A so far. The right-handed-hitting outfielder is slashing .263/.300/.421 with one home run in 19 at-bats. He’s driven in four runs and scored three more, stealing one base. Gonzalez is just 20 and getting his first taste of Low-A, so this is an encouraging start.

Eddinson Paulino is slashing .242/.336/.434 with some insane numbers. The left-handed hitting utility-man has racked up 24 doubles, eight triples, and six home runs. He’s had phenomenal run production as well. Paulino’s driven in 39 runs, scored 54 more and stolen 17 bases. A combination of a lot of great tools.

Brainer Bonaci continues to have a really strong (but under-appreciated and under-acknowledged) season in Low-A. The switch-hitting shortstop is slashing .245/.380/.314 with 11 doubles and three triples. It’s the “not great” average and the zero home runs that are probably doing it. But Bonaci’s driven in 24 runs and scored 49 more. He’s also racked up 14 steals and has walked as many times (55) as he has struck out (55). Add in great defense and the 20-year-old has definitely been impressive.

Luis De La Rosa made his Low-A debut this week. The right-handed pitcher tossed two shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. He also managed to pick up four strikeouts. That’s a great start to his Low-A career. It’s also important to note that De La Rosa just turned 20 on July 6 (the day before his debut with Salem). So the future is bright.

Hunter Dobbins has been awesome lately. Again, nothing to do with the name – I’m not being biased. He’s just dominating on the mound. The right-handed pitcher made two starts this week. His first saw him go five innings, allowing one run on five hits (no walks) and striking out 10. The second saw him go five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits (no walks) and striking out six. On the year Dobbins has a 2.60 ERA, .243 BAA, 1.08 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts (compared to seven walks) over 27 2/3 innings.

Reidis Sena walked three batters over 1 2/3 innings in his lone outing this week. He also didn’t allow a hit or a run and managed to strike out four people though. The right-handed pitcher now holds a 1.76 ERA, .200 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP over 15 1/3 innings on the season. Despite the walks in that game, Sena only has seven on the year – and he pairs that with 19 strikeouts.

Angel Bastardo gave up one earned run on four hits and three walks (three strikeouts) over 4 2/3 innings in his one start this week. The righty controls some really strong numbers on the year. He has a 3.48 ERA, .259 BAA, 1.47 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts (compared to 27 walks) over 54 1/3 innings so far season.

Adenys Bautista only made one appearance this week, but he used it to lower his ERA. The right-handed reliever allowed two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings but didn’t give up a run. He is down to a 3.31 ERA, .182 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP on the year. Bautista’s walked 20 batters in 32 2/3 innings but has 32 strikeouts to go along with it.