Boston Red Sox: 5 Greenville Drive storylines to follow in 2024
The minor leagues are always filled with intriguing storylines to follow as prospects try to make their way to the Majors. Here are a few you should follow for the Boston Red Sox High-A team in Greenville.
By Hunter Noll
The Greenville Drive were the most successful team in the Boston Red Sox organization in 2023. And that includes the major league squad (although that's not the highest of bars if we're being honest).
The High-A affiliate held up its end of the bargain, though. A strong start helped them massively because they ended up limping into the playoffs after a rough second half.
Things looked even more bleak for the Drive when star players Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel were promoted to Double-A right before the postseason began.
Throughout the year, they had lost Marcelo Mayer, Blaze Jordan, Wikelman Gonzalez, and more. Now, throw in two of the team's top prospects, and it felt like we'd see Greenville knocked out of the playoffs in short order. Instead, they won the whole thing. The Drive became South Atlantic League champions off the backs of some unsung heroes.
Kristian Campbell looked incredible at the plate and hit a three-run homer in the final game to give Greenville a comfortable lead. Not long before that, Ronald Rosario gave them the lead with a solo shot of his own. Allan Castro continued to thrive, Eddinson Paulino was a spark plug, and Nick Decker and Tyler Miller had big moments. Everyone was contributing, and it was amazing to watch.
On the pitching side, Zach Penrod was elite. Yordanny Monegro brought his swagger and got the other team so upset that someone had to be restrained as they yelled at Greenville's dugout. Dalton Rogers was great, Felix Cepeda shut the door, and Luis Perales was nearly unhittable.
Greenville winning the championship led to a lot of incredible moments. It also gives us a lot to talk about as we see returning stars, new ones building, and a chance at a repeat.