Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch 9/12/22: Final week of 2022 season
The Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch is coming to a close for the 2022 season
We’ve finally arrived at the last Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch of the year. Low-A and High-A regular seasons ended on Sunday, so while there will still be plenty of content, it will be in different forms.
Luckily, we not only have a lot to talk about this week but there will be a lot going on the rest of the year, as Boston has plenty of young talent in the Majors at the moment.
Triston Casas is just 2-for-21 so far. However, the left-handed hitting first baseman has hit his first Major League home run. He’s also looked solid at the plate. Casas has been working counts and hasn’t let the short struggle press him at the plate. This is exactly why calling him up this year made so much sense though. This gives Casas time to get acclimated to the Majors before next season. Remember how bad Aaron Judge looked for the New York Yankees when he was called up at the end of a year?
Connor Wong has impressed. The right-handed hitting catcher has shown life at the plate. 5-for-22 isn’t great, but one good game and you’d change your tune on that. Meanwhile, he’s drawn a few walks and has a couple of extra-base hits (including his first-career home run). Wong has also shown a great arm behind the plate.
Brayan Bello had a great start spoiled this week. The right-handed pitcher gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. All three runs came in the sixth when he ran into some trouble, and the bullpen couldn’t help him out. Bello did tie a career-high with seven strikeouts though. And it was the second straight encouraging start. It looks like he’s getting more comfortable in the Majors.
Zack Kelly has wasted no time in proving he belongs. The right-handed reliever gave up two runs in one inning of work in his third Major League appearance. He hasn’t allowed a run outside of that though. Kelly has a 2.70 ERA, .217 BAA, 1.20 WHIP, and six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings so far.
The Red Sox aren’t making the playoffs this season (barring some insane miracle). But they get to give fans an exciting product. It’s great to see the team look a little more relaxed, and the infusion of young talent has made a difference.
Let’s look to the minor leagues though, and see who’s ending their season with a bang.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Bryan Mata made his second start in Triple-A and it was a good one. I feel compelled to remind everyone that El Idolo was one of the more talked about pitching prospects in baseball before his injury every time I talk about him. The right-handed starter tossed six innings of four-hit ball, allowing two runs on three walks while striking out five. He’ll be in the Majors at some point next season, and I am pumped.
Chris Murphy had one of his better starts in a while. The left-handed pitcher allowed two earned runs over six innings of work. He gave up six hits and two walks, striking out eight batters. Murph made headlines too, by recording the first immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches) in WooSox history.
Frank German has a 2.77 ERA, .152 BAA, and 0.90 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A this season. The righty reliever has racked up 63 strikeouts compared to 19 walks in 48 2/3 innings and has seven saves in eight opportunities. German will start next season with a role in the Red Sox bullpen.
Andrew Politi will be joining German in the Majors to start next season. It’s wild to think about how improved that group can be in 2023 just thanks to a couple of call-ups. The right-handed reliever has a 2.54 ERA, .193 BAA, and 1.01 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He’s picked up 74 strikeouts compared to 21 walks over 63 2/3 innings and has five saves in five opportunities.
Enmanuel Valdez was such a great value pick-up. The left-handed hitting second baseman hasn’t even seemed to find his groove with Worcester. Despite that, he’s driven in 28 runs in just 30 games. Overall Valdez has a .303/.387/.573 slash line with 32 doubles, two triples, and 28 home runs between three teams this season. He’s driven in a staggering 105 runs, scored 89 more, and stolen three bases.
Kole Cottam is getting much more consistent playing time now, and it’s going pretty well. The numbers don’t look great (3-for-29) but he had such rare and sporadic playing time for the last few weeks, you can’t blame him. The right-handed hitting catcher does have three doubles, and he’s gotten on-base the last few games. Overall he’s slashing .252/.334/.360 with 18 doubles, two triples, and two home runs between two levels. He’s driven in 27 runs and scored 30 more.
For the second year in a row, Johan Mieses hasn’t gotten the playing time you would hope for due to several different reasons. He’s had injuries, missed time due to the Olympics, and personal reasons. The right-handed hitting outfielder can mash though, and he’s shown it during his four-game hitting streak that includes a double, two home runs, and eight RBI. Mieses is slashing .259/.385/.517 with 11 doubles and nine home runs in 47 games this season. He’s driven in 29 runs and scored 24 more, even stealing four bases.
Nick Sogard has looked really good in Triple-A and is showing that he has the potential to be a very solid Major Leaguer. The switch-hitting infielder is slashing .258/.366/.354 with 20 doubles, one triple, and four home runs between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s driven in 39 runs, scored 55 more, and stolen 17 bases. Most impressively, his numbers improved after moving up to Triple-A.
Ryan Fitzgerald is slashing .230/.315/.424 with 23 doubles, four triples, and 16 home runs this season. He’s driven in 71 runs, scored 52 more, and stolen five bases. The home runs and RBI are both career-highs. Fitz struggled for a bit this season after an injury, but he’s found his groove again. Great defense at multiple positions, and good pop. He’s earned a shot in the Majors at some point somewhere.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Ceddanne Rafaela hasn’t really done anything wrong this year. The right-handed hitting centerfielder (and utility-man) is slashing .300/.345/.545 with 32 doubles, 10 triples, and 20 home runs. He’s driven in 79 runs and scored 73 more while stealing 27 bases. Rafaela’s been excellent defensively, and his all-around offensive game is next-level.
David Hamilton’s September has been phenomenal. The left-handed hitting second baseman is slashing .412/.524/.735 this month, really boosting his numbers. Hamilton now holds a .240/.332/.397 slash line with 15 doubles, nine triples, and 12 home runs on the season. He’s driven in 40 runs, scored 76 more, and stolen a Portland Sea Dogs’ record 66 bases.
Wilyer Abreu has been an interesting addition. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .245/.398/.426 with 28 doubles and 17 home runs between two teams. He’s driven in 69 runs and scored another 101. Abreu’s also stolen 29 bases, but most impressively has 110 walks. He gets on base at an incredible clip and has a good combination of power and speed.
Christian Koss is slashing .266/.316/.435 with 21 doubles, five triples, and 16 home runs. The right-handed hitting shortstop (and utility-man) has driven in 82 runs, scored 67 more, and stolen 16 bases. Koss is underrated. He possesses a lot of speed, plays great defense, has good pop, and has fantastic run production.
Hudson Potts has a hit in all four games he’s appeared in this month. And three of those were multi-hit contests. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .230/.295/.437 with 16 doubles and 12 home runs. He’s driven in 40 runs, scored 33 more, and stolen one base.
Tyler Dearden has been hot as of late. The left-handed hitting outfielder is up to a .262/.369/.384 slash line with 16 doubles, one triple, and six home runs. He’s driven in 42 runs and scored 35 more. The power from last year hasn’t been there, but Dearden’s quietly put together another strong campaign.
Niko Kavadas has slumped a little bit since moving up to Double-A. That should have been expected though. Remember, he started the year all the way down in Low-A. His jump-up through the ranks has been impressive. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .280/.446/.562 with 25 doubles, one triple, and 26 home runs between three levels. He’s driven in 83 runs, scored 69 more, and stolen one base. Kavadas has also reached the magic number, with 100 walks.
Taylor Broadway has made a great first impression in the Red Sox organization. The right-handed reliever has tossed 3 2/3 innings for Portland so far. He has a 0.00 ERA, .091 BAA, and 0.27 WHIP in that time. Broadway’s already racked up seven strikeouts compared to zero walks.
Ryan Zeferjahn wasn’t having the best year in High-A. However, the right-handed reliever has been lock-down since getting the promotion to Double-A. Zeferjahn has a 0.00 ERA, 0.91 BAA, and 0.68 WHIP over 7 1/3 innings so far. He’s struck out five batters compared to three walks, and only two hits.
Michael Gettys is now up to 16 2/3 innings pitched in Double-A. The righty reliever has a 0.54 ERA, .170 BAA, and 1.02 WHIP in that time. He’s only struck out eight batters compared to eight walks. However, his ability to get outs has been extremely impressive. And he’s doing it in high-leverage situations lately as well, now 6-for-6 in save opportunities at the level.
Shane Drohan hasn’t been getting the strikeout numbers in Double-A, and his walks have gone up as well. However, the left-handed starter actually has a lower ERA at the level than he did in High-A. Overall he has a 3.94 ERA, .227 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP between the two levels. He’s struck out 149 batters compared to 49 walks over 125 2/3 innings pitched.
Brendan Nail had a 1.42 ERA over 12 2/3 innings in August, and now a 2.45 ERA in 3 2/3 innings in September. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.72 ERA, .228 BAA, and 1.37 WHIP over 38 2/3 innings in total this season. Nail has managed 47 strikeouts compared to 20 walks, and has looked great since coming back from injury.
Jacob Wallace has turned his season around thanks to a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 innings in August and a 1.80 ERA in five innings in September. The righty reliever has a 3.95 ERA, .183 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP in 54 2/3 innings this season. He’s struck out 74 batters in that time, walking 45.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Oof is it a shame the High-A season is over because Marcelo Mayer has gotten hot. The right-handed hitting shortstop is slashing .452/.553/.710 in September. He posted a .280/.399/.489 slash line with 30 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs between Low-A and High-A. Mayer drove in 53 runs, scored 61 more, and went 17-for-17 in steal attempts.
Blaze Jordan finished his year with a nice stretch. The right-handed hitting corner infielder holds a .289/.363/.445 slash line with 30 doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. Jordan drove in 68 runs, scored 60 more, and stole five bases. He may not have hit the home runs some were expecting, but the power is clearly there and he’ll only be 20 next season.
Nick Yorke’s year may look like a disappointment, but he did a lot of good things despite dealing with injuries all season. The right-handed hitting second baseman slashed .231/.303/.365 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. He drove in 45 runs and scored 48 more, stealing eight bases. Yorke has things to work on, but the positives are there (like his surprisingly elite defense, committing just one error all season).
Nathan Hickey slashed .263/.415/.522 with 18 doubles and 16 home runs between Low-A and High-A this season. The right-handed hitting catcher drove in 62 runs and scored 50 more. He has some work to do on the defensive side of things, but that bat is legit. Hickey could make noise next season as he climbs up the levels.
Matthew Lugo posted a .288/.344/.500 slash line with 25 doubles, 10 triples, and 18 home runs this season. The right-handed hitting shortstop drove in 78 runs, scored 76 more, and stole 20 bases. Lugo’s massive step forward offensively (mainly in the power department) shouldn’t be overlooked, he’ll turn just 22 on May 9 of next year.
Gilberto Jimenez slashed .268/.306/.366 with 18 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He drove in 34 runs, scored 49 more, and stole 20 bases. The average dipped heavily and he struck out 100 times for the first time in his career. The switch-hitting outfielder set career-highs in doubles, home runs, and steals though. Elite speed, he needs to work on his base running though.
Tyler McDonough managed a .230/.311/.357 slash line with 23 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs this season. The switch-hitting second baseman/outfielder drove in 48 runs, scored 60 more, and stole 21 bases. He had a very up-and-down season, but there’s good versatility in his game with decent pop and good speed.
Wikelman Gonzalez was so impressive in his short time in High-A to end the season. The right-handed starter’s lone outing this week saw him give up just one run on three hits and a walk over five innings, striking out four batters. Gonzalez posted a 4.21 ERA, .212 BAA, 1.32 BAA, and 121 strikeouts over 98 1/3 innings pitched between Low-A and High-A.
Juan Daniel Encarnacion made the most of his short time in High-A as well. The righty starter finished the season with a 4.05 ERA, .239 BAA, and 1.27 WHIP between Low-A and High-A. Encarnacion racked up 129 strikeouts compared to 42 walks in 113 1/3 innings this season.
Luis Guerrero put together a great end of the season. The right-handed reliever tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in September, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out eight batters. Guerrero finished with a 3.23 ERA, .181 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP between three levels. He struck out 59 batters compared to 17 walks in 39 innings.
Aaron Perry missed most of the year, but he managed to return for a couple of innings at the end of the year. The right-handed reliever gave up zero runs on one hit and one walk while striking out three, over three innings. It wasn’t a big sample size, but it was great to see Perry out there again and looking strong.
Red Sox Low-A (Salem)
Mikey Romero wasted no time making a fantastic first impression in the Red Sox system. The left-handed hitting shortstop slashed .349/.364/.581 with four doubles and three triples. He drove in 11 runs, scored six more, and stole one base. Romero looked comfortable at the level and is even learning second base.
Brainer Bonaci was one of the more impressive prospects this season in my opinion. The switch-hitting shortstop is an elite defender, and he proved he can be an offensive talent as well. Bones posted a .262/.397/.385 slash line with 19 doubles, six triples, and six home runs. He drove in 50 runs, scored 86 more, and stole 28 bases. Crazy stat of the day, he finished with as many walks (89) as he had strikeouts (89) this season.
Eddinson Paulino is right up there with Bones when it comes to being one of the most impressive prospects in the Red Sox system in 2022. The left-handed hitting utility-man slashed .266/.359/.469 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, and 13 home runs. He drove in 66 runs, scored 96 more, and stole 27 bases.
Chase Meidroth didn’t take long to start dominating Low-A after being drafted this year. The right-handed hitting second baseman slashed .309/.424/.559 with five doubles and four home runs at the level. He drove in 12 runs, scored 15 more, and stole four bases. It was a small sample size, but everything was impressive. Meidroth even walked more times (12) than he struck out (9).
Roman Anthony crushed Rookie Ball, but he struggled a bit in his very short stint in Low-A to finish the season. It’s nothing to worry about though, a 10-game (37 at-bats) sample is nothing. The left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .189/.279/.243 with two doubles at the level. He drove in five runs and scored two more. Anthony also walked more times (5) than he struck out (4).
Luis Ravelo was extremely impressive in his late-season call-up. The 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop slashed .240/.321/.400 with one double and one home run in seven games in Low-A. He drove in six runs and scored four more. Ravelo showed good potential at the plate and made a couple of great plays in the field.
Yorberto Mejicano spent most of the first half of the year as a backup, not seeing the field all that much. After Nathan Hickey’s promotion, playing time opened up for Meji. He took advantage of it. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman slashed .262/.325/.373 with 11 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He drove in 37 runs, scored 38 more, and stole seven bases.
Luis Perales was able to make a couple of appearances at Low-A before the year ended, and boy is he fun to watch. The 19-year-old right-handed pitcher has some electric stuff, including a devastating curveball. He posted a 3.38 ERA, .250 BAA, and 1.97 WHIP at the level. In 10 2/3 innings, he did walk 11 batters but struck out 16. The walks aren’t very concerning, remember he was only 19.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz was in the same boat as Perales, getting a few appearances in Low-A right at the buzzer. The 19-year-old right-handed pitcher posted a 1.50 ERA, .143 BAA, and 1.00 WHIP at the level. He struck out six batters compared to three walks over six innings. Rodriguez-Cruz has a curveball and changeup with the potential to both be killer secondary pitches.
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