Boston Red Sox prospect watch 8/29/22: Injury scare and lack of call-ups

Injury scare and lack of call-ups bring down the Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch

Welp, the Boston Red Sox are at least making some progress in this category. We’ve been waiting for them to start the process of accepting their fate, and taking a look at some of the prospects in the minors.

Let’s be honest. There is no need for some of the veterans who are playing so poorly to still be taking a roster spot. What are players like Austin Davis, Ryan Brasier, and Kevin Plawecki (legend but let’s be honest) really bringing to the table?

Why not see what Andrew Political, Zack Kelly, Frank German, Connor Wong, Ronaldo Hernandez, Triston Casas, and others can do in the Majors? Especially with some decisions for the 40-man roster needing to be made this offseason.

On Sunday Boston did DFA Davis and Hirokazu Sawamura (that one was a little more shocking). They recalled Kaleb Ort and are finally giving Kelly a look in the Majors.

Kelly has a 2.72 ERA, .191 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP in 49 2/3 innings pitched in Triple-A this season. The right-handed pitcher has racked up an insane 72 strikeouts compared to just 25 walks (and most came in a couple of starts early in the year). Kelly dominated last season as well, and this MLB debut is long overdue.

Brayan Bello made his best appearance in the Majors this week, which was cool. The right-handed starter gave up just two runs on six hits and one walk over five innings. He also struck out a career-high (in the Majors) seven batters. If he can pump out a few good starts to end the year, that would give fans something to really get excited about for next season.

As of this being written though, that’s it. We will likely see more moves over the next week. But the lack of call-ups has been surprising. Throw that in with an injury scare (that we’ll get to later) and this was a rough week for the Prospect Watch. There were still plenty of positives though, and (as I get complaints about it pretty often) everyone knows I love to be positive.

Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)

Look, I get it. You want to make sure he’s fully developed as a player. No need to rush him when it feels like the season is already over, right? And Franchy Cordero’s hitting home runs in the Majors at the moment, so that helps a bit. But to be more realistic, I don’t get it. Triston Casas should be there. And it makes more sense to call him up in a basically dead season. It gives him a month and some change to get used to the level before next season.

Casas is slashing .329/.461/.549 in August and up to a .270/.383/.480 slash line in Triple-A this season. The left-handed hitting first baseman has 20 doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs in that time. He’s driven in 35 runs and scored 44 more, and it couldn’t be more obvious that Triple-A pitchers want nothing to do with him at this point.

Connor Wong has no business being in Triple-A still. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .361/.400/.787 with five doubles and seven home runs since returning from injury on August 13. He now has a .285/.346/.472 with 20 doubles and 13 home runs on the season. Wong’s driven in 40 runs, scored 45 more and stolen seven bases.

Ronaldo Hernandez could be right behind Wong on the flight to Boston. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .279/.316/.454 with 26 doubles and 12 home runs this year. He’s driven in 55 runs and scored 43 more. After a rough first month-and-a-half, Hernandez has been possibly the most consistent hitter in Triple-A this year.

Pedro Castellanos is possibly having his best season in the minor leagues, and he’s done it while playing in Double-A and Triple-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman is slashing .288/.314/.457 with 25 doubles (career-high), two triples, and 12 home runs (one off his career-high) between the two levels. He’s driven in 63 runs, scored 45 more, and stolen one base.

Nick Sogard was putting up solid numbers in Double-A, and has looked even better in Triple-A. The switch-hitting holds a .255/.355/.350 slash line with 17 doubles, one triple, and four home runs between the two levels. He’s driven in 37 runs, scored 48 more, and stolen 16 bases so far.

Bryan Mata is going to be making his Triple-A debut this week. That’s exciting. The right-handed pitcher was putting up just bonkers numbers in Double-A this year. El Idolo has a 1.85 ERA, .202 BAA, 1.19 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts over 48 2/3 innings pitched. His last three outings all saw Mata give up zero earned runs over six innings each time.

Andrew Politi should be in the Red Sox Major League bullpen. The right-handed reliever has a 2.61 ERA, .199 BAA, and 1.01 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A this season. Politi has racked up a ridiculous 71 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks over 58 2/3 innings pitched to this point, and needs a look in Boston.

Frank German has been so insanely dominant this season. The right-handed reliever has a 3.02 ERA, .159 BAA, and 0.96 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A this season. German has struck out 60 batters compared to 19 walks in 44 2/3 innings so far. And he’s had some of the more untouchable relief performances I’ve seen this year.

Victor Santos gave up 17 runs in 10 2/3 innings pitched over his first three Triple-A appearances. Things weren’t looking great for the right-handed pitcher. However, Santos looked elite his last time out. He gave up just three hits and one walk over six scoreless innings, striking out a career-high 11 batters.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Ceddanne Rafaela gave us a big scare this week. He was hit on the wrist by a pitch and ended up coming out of the game. This has kept him out of the last handful of games. The good news is, that it appears the injury isn’t as severe as it could have been. So let’s keep our fingers crossed that he’s healthy and can come back soon. The right-handed hitting centerfielder (and utility-man) is slashing .303/.352/.551 with 32 doubles, eight triples, and 19 home runs between High-A and Double-A this season. He’s driven in 68 runs, scored 75 more, and stolen 26 bases.

Niko Kavadas hit his first home run in Double-A this week! The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .289/.456/.587 with 24 doubles, one triple, and 25 home runs between three levels (wild that he’s been promoted twice). Kavadas has driven in 79 runs, scored 65 more, and stolen one base. He’s also closing in on 100 walks, with 92 now on the season.

Christian Koss really deserves to play the last month of the season in Triple-A. The right-handed hitting shortstop holds a .274/.321/.440 slash line with 21 doubles, three triples, and 13 home runs in Double-A. He’s driven in 71 runs, scored 59 more, and stolen 13 bases as well. Koss gives you everything offensively and has a very underrated glove.

David Hamilton had a big day on Sunday to end the week. The left-handed hitting second baseman went 2-for-3 with a walk, a steal, and a home run. He also made an incredible diving play to take away a hit at second base. Hamilton is slashing .224/.308/.369 with 12 doubles, eight triples, and 10 home runs this season. He’s driven in 32 runs, scored 64 more, and stolen 58 bases in just 64 attempts.

Wilyer Abreu has struggled since joining the Red Sox organization (.205/.341/.288) but he did hit his first home run in the system on Sunday. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .241/.388/.428 with 27 doubles and 16 home runs on the year. He’s driven in 61 runs, scored 92 more, and stolen 25 bases.

Nick Northcut is slashing .222/.279/.504 with 17 doubles and 29 home runs between High-A and Double-A this season. The right-handed hitting corner infielder has driven in 69 runs, scored 49 more, and stolen one base. Kid Cutty hits absolute tank jobs, which makes him intriguing at the very least. His low walk rates and high strikeouts hurts a bit though. If he can show improvements in those areas next year, he could shoot up the rankings with that insane power.

Shane Drohan got the promotion to Double-A and looked pretty solid his first time out there, but had a few hiccups. This week, the left-handed starter made his second appearance and fixed those problems. Drohan tossed five innings, giving up just one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters.

Sterling Sharp joined the Red Sox organization a couple of weeks ago, and has made a strong first impression. Not only does dude have an incredible name, but he can apparently PUMP on the mound. The left-handed starter has a 2.12 ERA, .258 BAA, 1.18 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts (compared to four walks) over 17 innings (three starts) with Portland.

Michael Gettys finally gave up an earned run in Double-A. The right-handed reliever has a 0.73 ERA, .195 BAA, and 1.14 WHIP in 12 1/3 innings at the level. He doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts and his overall .292 BAA might not look great. But Gettys was untouchable his last few weeks in High-A and has only gotten better in Double-A. The former outfielder may have had something click. He’s even being put in high-leverage situations consistently.

Thad Ward had a hiccup a week ago, but his start this week was pure dominance. Ward allowed one run on three hits and one walk, while striking out 10 batters over five innings of work. The left-handed starter is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and he’s looked great so far. Ward has a 2.63 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP over 41 innings. He’s picked up 51 strikeouts compared to 16 walks between three levels in that time.

Brendan Nail has been really strong out of the bullpen this year. The lefty reliever had a few rough outings after coming back from an injury, but he’s been incredible outside of those few turns. Nail has a 3.97 ERA, .228 BAA, 1.41 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts over 34 innings of work in Double-A this season.

Brian Van Belle continues to be a reliable arm. In his last start, the righty didn’t allow an earned run over five innings of work. Van Belle gave up just three hits and two walks, while picking up five strikeouts. He’s down to a 4.15 ERA, .262 BAA, and 1.20 WHIP in Double-A. Van Belle has 67 strikeouts compared to just 11 walks in 65 innings in that time.

Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

Blaze Jordan playing out of his mind in High-A has been fun. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .361/.466/.525 in his 17 games since the promotion. That’s boosted his season slash line to .297/.373/.457 with 30 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. The inferno’d one has driven in 67 runs, scored 59 more, and stolen five bases so far.

Nathan Hickey has four home runs over his last six games, and hit three this week. The right-handed hitting catcher seems to have had something click in High-A. He’s now slashing .269/.428/.520 with 17 doubles and 13 home runs between Low-A and High-A this season. Hickey’s driven in 57 runs and scored 46 more. Meanwhile, he’s walked almost as many times (61) as he’s struck out (65).

Matthew Lugo had a monster performance last week, and he kept it rolling this week as well. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .283/.335/.508 with 24 doubles, nine triples, and 18 home runs. He’s driven in 72 runs, scored 71 more, and stolen 15 bases so far. The improvements have been noticeable in every facet of his game this season.

Gilberto Jimenez had a really strong week, and the switch-hitting outfielder is up to a .271/.310/.377 slash line with 18 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He’s driven in 34 runs, scored 46 more, and stolen 18 bases. A few of those are career-highs, but the most important is the steals category. Jimenez has elite speed, an absolute burner. But his base running isn’t the best yet. So seeing him get steals is always a major plus.

Phillip Sikes is a dude. The outfielder is constantly making plays. Sometimes it’s a diving catch, other times it’s showing off the cannon. And on offense, the right-handed hitter is slashing .253/.370/.498 with 27 doubles, five triples, and 11 home runs between Low-A and High-A this year. He’s driven in 47 runs, scored 53 more, and stolen 15 bases in 16 attempts.

Tyler McDonough is slashing .242/.324/.379 with 23 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs. The switch-hitting outfielder/second baseman has driven in 48 runs, scored 59 more, and is now up to 20 steals on the year. He’s prone to some hot-and-cold streaks, but when he puts it all together for stretches it’s showtime.

Marcelo Mayer has one of the prettier swings I’ve seen. When he connects on a ball it’s just a thing of beauty. The left-handed hitting shortstop has struggled in High-A so far. But he’s actually produced a lot of hard-hit outs, so it’s not really a concern. Oh, and he’s 19. Mayer is slashing .267/.387/.473 with 27 doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs between Low-A and High-A. He’s driven in 47 runs, scored 56 more, and stolen 16 bases in 16 attempts. Smooth defense too.

Nick Yorke continues to hit the ball hard with little to show for it too. And there’s a little more frustration sprinkled on here as he’s dealt with injuries most of the season. The right-handed hitting second baseman is slashing .223/.291/.356 with nine doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs so far. He’s driven in 42 runs, scored 42 more, and stolen five bases. Yorke’s defense has been flawless though.

Wikelman Gonzalez put out a gem in his second outing in High-A. The 20-year-old right-handed starter tossed four shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk in that time. Meanwhile, he picked up five strikeouts. Gonzalez had an “eh” season in Low-A but looked phenomenal in his last few turns there. Now he’s giving us glimpses of greatness in High-A as well.

Tyler Uberstine made his first appearance in two weeks this week, and looked sharp. The right-handed pitcher gave up one run on four hits and two walks over four innings, mixing in six strikeouts. Uberstine has been fantastic in High-A, to the tune of a 2.43 ERA, .203 BAA, 1.17 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings at the level.

Luis Guerrero has now appeared in three games at the High-A level. The right-handed has allowed just two earned runs on six hits and two walks over six innings in that time. He’s picked up nine strikeouts as well. Guerrero spent almost no time in Rookie Ball (2 1/3 innings), and barely more time in Low-A (23 2/3 innings). And now he’s already impressing in High-A.