Which Boston Red Sox prospects could crack the top 100 next season?
Boston Red Sox prospects with outside chances
Which prospects have a slim chance of making the top 100 list? There are a few in the organization that could find their way.
You had to know Brainer Bonaci was going to get mentioned here. The shortstop has displayed elite potential defensively, routinely making eye-popping plays. His .262/.397/.385 slash line in Low-A showed there was some offense in his game too.
The switch-hitter managed 19 doubles and six triples. While he only had six home runs, he hit his first on July 26, so the power improved as the year went on. Bonaci drove in 50 runs, scored 86 more, and stole 28 bases. An incredible eye (89 walks compared to 89 strikeouts) is what truly makes the 20-year-old interesting.
He sports a high OBP, great defense, and good base running. If that power continues to improve, Bonaci could be someone who garners a lot of attention.
Wilkelman Gonzalez was one of the more hyped pitching prospects in the organization heading into 2022. A dominant April was marred by three straight rough months though. Luckily, he bounced back to end the year and was pitching some of his best innings after getting promoted to High-A.
The right-handed pitcher posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.32 WHIP but had some fantastic numbers elsewhere. He struck out 121 batters over 98.1 innings, held a .212 BAA, and only gave up two home runs.
If he can continue trending in the right direction, he could creep up the rankings enough.
Luis Perales is only 19, and the right-handed pitcher had some of the nastiest stuff you’d see in 2022. Splitting time between Rookie Ball and Low-A, Perales posted a 1.77 ERA, .163 BAA, and 1.12 WHIP. He struck out 50 batters over 35.2 innings.
Perales is unproven at this point and needs to show he can work later into games, but the stuff is there. His pitch mix allows him to blow by hitters or throw them off with some disgusting off-speed pitches. He could run through Low-A and fly up prospect rankings if everything clicks.
This is going to seem lazy, but pretty much just copy and paste those last two paragraphs for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. The right-handed pitcher didn’t seem to get as much hype as Perales, but both have unlimited potential.
Between Rookie Ball and Low-A, the 19-year-old posted a 1.88 ERA, .214 BAA, and 1.20 WHIP. He struck out 42 batters over 38.1 innings, not allowing a single home run in that time.
Blaze Jordan quietly had a phenomenal year in 2022. The corner infielder only hit 12 home runs, and with power being his main selling point, it makes sense that some fans might not have noticed what he was doing.
Jordan showed he was more than just a home run hitter, though. The right-handed hitter slashed .289/.363/.445 with 30 doubles, three triples, and 12 homers. He drove in 68 runs and scored 60 more, even stealing five bases.
Over 521 plate appearances, Jordan only struck out 94 times. That’s impressive for anyone, let alone a 19-year-old (at the time, now he’s 20) who is only seen as a power bat. If he can keep the average up but start to hit it over the fence a little more (something he should be able to do in Greenville much easier than in Salem), that hype might come back in full force.
Boston Red Sox prospects with a solid chance
Now that we’ve gone over those players with a slight chance, let’s look at some more realistic ones. That last group might have had a few names that fans felt were weird to see included here. I can’t imagine anyone would argue with one of these though.
Nick Yorke is already extremely close to the top 100. Rafaela is the third-ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization, and he comes in at number 96 overall. Yorke is the fourth-ranked prospect for Boston. So logic would tell you he’s not too far off.
The second baseman has surprised quite a few people with his fantastic defense. He made just one error over 593.1 innings at the position in 2022. However, the offense took a step back last season.
There’s a simple explanation for that. Yorke suffered a wrist injury early on, and it was very clearly bothering him throughout the year. The right-handed hitter slashed just .231/.303/.365 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs in 2022. He drove in 45 runs, scored 48 more, and stole eight bases in 80 games.
There are three main points to remember here, however. First of all, Yorke ended the season strong (slashing .320/.414/.480 in September). Second, he had a frankly absurd 2021, so it’s easier to forgive a down year. Finally, Yorke will be just 21 for all of the 2023 season. Every single one of his plate appearances in 2022 came against pitchers older than him. Think about that for a second.
If Yorke had a good year in 2022, he’d already be in the top 100. A strong 2023 will get him back there.
Mikey Romero was the Red Sox first-round pick in 2022. The shortstop already has all the tools to be great, and even gave Boston fans a glimpse of that in Low-A to end the season. He managed a .349/.364/.581 slash line with four doubles and three triples in nine games with Salem.
The left-handed hitter drove in 11 runs, scored six more, and stole one base in that time as well. Romero will be 19 for all of 2023. So if he continues to dominate like that, it will impossible for anyone to ignore.
Roman Anthony wasn’t far behind Romero in the 2022 draft, going in the second round. The outfielder also got some time in Low-A to end the season but didn’t put up the same numbers as the shortstop.
Anthony is still a fun prospect, though. The left-handed hitter should hit for contact with solid speed and good defense. But what sets him apart is his power potential. He’s still only 18 until May 13, so the home runs might not show up yet. You can excuse teenagers for not having their full complement of power against professional pitchers.
If Anthony manages to showcase that power, the national media is going to love him.
Eddinson Paulino fits right into that Rafaela mold for me. He had an extremely similar season to Rafaela’s 2021 performance (which is what made him stand out to me so much). Paulino might not be as gifted defensively, but he plays tons of positions (like Rafaela). He also managed a better offensive year than Rafaela did in 2021.
The left-handed hitting utility man slashed .266/.359/.469 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, and 13 home runs. He drove in 66 runs and scored 96 more, stealing 27 bases as well. There was a solid eye too, with Paulino drawing 64 walks.
Rafaela managed to take a massive leap from “not even ranked in the top 30 Red Sox prospects” (although I was trying to tell you all to pay attention to him) to “top 100 in all of baseball in one year.” Paulino’s already 13th in the organization, so it’s a much smaller step for him.
Boston Red Sox prospects that are inevitably going to make the list
There’s one person on this slide. Sorry if that’s anti-climatic, but there are only 100 “top 100 prospects” at one single time. And with 29 other teams in the league, there is plenty of competition. So it stands to reason that no one team is going to take up too many of those spots.
With that in mind, there’s only one person not on the list at this current moment that should absolutely crack it in 2023.
If you didn’t already guess, it’s Miguel Bleis.
The outfielder has somehow captured the imagination of every Boston fan, despite no one really getting to see him play. Bleis spent 2022 in Rookie Ball, where there aren’t broadcasts of those games. The best most people have gotten are some highlights from TikTok.
The right-handed hitter slashed .301/.353/.542 with 14 doubles, four triples, and five home runs last season. He drove in 27 runs, scored 28 more, and stole 18 bases in just 21 attempts.
Bleis is the perfect combination of … everything. He grades out as a great defensive outfielder with a strong arm. Good contact skills, meaning he should hit for a high average. Meanwhile, not only is he going to clock plenty of extra-base hits, but he possesses a lot of speed. Legitimate 30-30 potential.
What’s crazy is Bleis doesn’t turn 19 until March 1. He would’ve made his Low-A debut at the end of last year, but an injury kept that from happening.
Bleis will start 2023 in Salem. And honestly, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he flew through the level and made it to High-A with plenty of time left in the season to do some damage there as well.
MLB already has him ranked as the Red Sox fifth-best prospect. They are just as enamored with him as Boston fans are. So if Bleis even shows glimpses of that insane potential, they could pull the trigger on him relatively early.
It feels like a lock for Bleis to be the next Boston Red Sox prospect in the top 100. Not only that, but would anyone blink an eye if he ended 2023 already in the top 50?
You shouldn’t strap the prospect to a rocket too soon. Hype will make fans excited, but it will also make them turn on prospects quickly if they don’t put up insane numbers (there are a lot of people who love to stat watch without actually watching the games). But Bleis feels like such a sure thing, it would be stupid not to hype him up.
