Boston Red Sox: 5 Salem Red Sox storylines to follow in 2024

Single-A might be the most difficult level of the minor leagues to explain to someone who isn't a baseball fan. Boston Red Sox fans, though? They definitely know.

People are interested in it because it's where most young stars get their first exposure. You might see a recently drafted high school prospect or an international talent getting their first taste of professional baseball.

However, you're also very far away from the Major Leagues. A lot of these guys are teenagers. Due to that, it's not always the most polished product. It's also hard to judge someone based on their actual stats.

Roman Anthony is the perfect example of this. His Single-A slash line in 2023 was pedestrian, but he was promoted due to characteristics and stats you don't see, like his plate discipline, swing choices, and exit velocity.

It's even trickier for pitchers. Good numbers are obviously a positive, but bad numbers don't bury them. The team might have a pitcher working on his velocity, arm angle, step, control, or even adding a new pitch. With all of that to pay attention to, stats come second.

A non-fan might see all that and think there's no point. All of that is too confusing to deal with. However, anyone who watches Single-A understands. It's simply just fun to watch players grow from the very beginning. See what they improve on and if you notice the little things in their game that might make them special.

Luckily for fans of the Red Sox, 2024 shouldn't be short on intrigue. There's plenty of talent coming in from the 2023 draft and the FCL/DSL as well as players returning from injuries.

Who/what will create the biggest storylines of the season, though? The Salem Red Sox roster features some of the team's best unproven young talent. Surely, there will be more than enough to talk about in 2024.

Let's go through that roster, potential additions and promotions, and maybe even something to do with the stadium, to find out.

5 Single-A storylines for Boston Red Sox fans to follow in 2024

Is Yoeilin Cespedes the real deal?

Yoeilin Cespedes is this year's version of Miguel Bleis. Cespedes built up a ton of hype by dominating the DSL in 2023. He showed off all his tools and flew up rankings.

Bleis rose the prospect ladder a bit more, but Cespedes is dealing with a much more stacked system.

The right-handed hitting shortstop slashed .346/.392/.560 with 15 doubles, four triples, and six home runs in 46 games. He drove in 38 runs, scored 37 more, and stole one base. Cespedes struck out 24 times compared to 14 walks in 209 plate appearances.

It's unclear where the 18-year-old will start the 2024 season. The two likely options are the FCL and Single-A. Despite that uncertainty, it's safe to assume Cespedes will make his way to Single-A before the end of the year.

Cespedes grades out as above average in every category. He's a good fielder with a strong arm at shortstop. Solid speed rounds him out nicely.

Meanwhile, Cespedes should be a star with the bat. He hits for average and doesn't strike out too much. While he can draw some walks, he'll also punish any mistake pitches thrown his way.

The Salem Red Sox should have a lot of talent come through in 2024. Bleis will be joined by 2023 draft picks such as Nazzan Zanetello and Antonio Anderson. Catchers Johanfran Garcia and Brooks Brannon will be crushing home runs as well.

Cespedes has a chance to outshine them all. When will we see him, though? Will he be able to live up to the hype? Single-A might be the low level of the minor leagues, but it's still a serious step up from the DSL and FCL. It will be the first true test for Cespedes on his journey to the Major Leagues. Is he the real deal? We'll start to find out in 2024.

Which 2023 Red Sox draft picks shine?

Some of the best Boston Red Sox talent in Single-A this year will be 2023 draft picks. How will they perform?

Some players from last year's draft, such as Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell, are already above Single-A. However, a lot of the younger talent will spend a good amount of time with Salem in 2024.

Nazzan Zanetello, Antonio Anderson, and Stanley Tucker are a few hitters that finished the season in Single-A. Meanwhile, Matt Duffy, Zach Fogell, and Connelly Early are some pitchers who made it to Salem in 2023.

How will this crop of players perform? We got to see a bit of Tucker and Anderson but nearly none of Zanetello.

Zanetello was Boston's second-round pick. We only got to see two Single-A at-bats from the right-handed hitting infielder before an injury shut him down for the remainder of the season, though. Will we get to see his freaky athleticism and speed in 2024? It should be fun.

Will we get the chance to see Nelly Taylor, Caden Rose, or Justin Riemer in Salem this year? All three are college hitters who could make waves. However, they might skip Single-A entirely.

There's a lot of college pitching in the class. How will they adjust to professional hitting? Can any of them hit the ground running and fly through the lower levels of the minor leagues this season?

Boston's farm system is often criticized for not having a lot of pitching. Will any of these pitchers emerge to help break that narrative?

The Red Sox already have one of the most entertaining and loaded farm systems in baseball. A strong start to 2024 in Single-A from their 2023 class could catapult Boston even higher in the rankings.

Is there another Yordanny Monegro in 2024?

The path of Yordanny Monegro is not a story of continued dominance or anything. That's what makes it so intriguing.

In 2023, Monegro caught the attention of fans by dominating the FCL, Single-A, and High-A. He did so with a flair for swagger, often celebrating after strikeouts.

What you might not know, though, is that Monegro struggled in the FCL in 2022. The right-handed pitcher posted a 7.36 ERA, .321 BAA, and 1.87 WHIP in 25 2/3 innings that season.

The 2023 season saw Monegro post a 2.06 ERA, .194 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP between the three levels. He struck out 93 batters compared to just 26 walks in 65 2/3 innings.

Yes, fans loved Mongero for his electricity. He was fun to watch with all the strikeouts and celebrations. But he wouldn't have gotten any attention if he wasn't dominating while having that fun. The fact that he was barely on the radar before the season adds to the excitement.

With that in mind, will there be another Yordanny Mongero in 2024? Do the Red Sox have another electric arm waiting in the FCL or DSL that hasn't tapped into his potential yet and could start to show signs this season?

Mongero was far from Boston's top-30 prospects heading into last season. Now, he's widely considered not just one of the best pitchers in their farm system but one of the best talents full stop.

For a team that many consider to be light on starting pitching prospects, the Red Sox have a lot of exciting names. Mongero is joined by Luis Perales, Wikelman Gonzalez, Hunter Dobbins, Grant Gambrell, Jedixson Paez, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and more.

Scout Eddie Romero and company certainly have a knack for finding unheralded prospects who shine. Will we see another pitcher emerge to bolster the ranks in 2024?

How good is the catching duo for Salem Red Sox?

If you asked me what the weakest position in the Boston Red Sox system was at this time last year, I probably would've said catcher. Now, if you'd ask me what the strongest position in the Boston system is, I might say catcher.

It's incredible what adding a star like Kyle Teel will do. Teel isn't the only one who turned the tides, though.

Elih Marrero continues to be the best defensive catcher in the system and one pitchers have raved about. However, Enderso Lira arrived in Single-A last year and is making a run for that title.

Ronald Rosario broke out last season and showed good potential with his bat. Meanwhile, Stephen Scott mashed in Triple-A, and Nathan Hickey continued to prove that his bat could carry him to the Majors.

Look no further than the projected Single-A duo for the best proof of this thought.

Johanfran Garcia and Brooks Brannon are the two catchers in question.

As I've talked about plenty in this article, Salem's ballpark is not hitter-friendly. The team leader in home runs was Albert Feliz, a massive power bat who spent the entire season in Single-A (333 plate appearances). Even he only hit 10 home runs.

Brooks Brannon appeared in six games for Salem. The right-handed hitter mashed three home runs and drove in nine runs over 25 plate appearances.

While his defense is a question mark, there are no worries about his offense. The 19-year-old catcher has all the tools to hit for power. His short sample size in Single-A proved he's ready to mash. Will we see continued success at the plate? How will his defense improve?

Then there's Johanfran Garcia. Teel is alone at the top of the Red Sox catcher prospects rankings. I'd put Garcia alone in a tier barely below him, though.

The right-handed hitter hit .203/.279/.305 with three doubles and one home run in Single-A. He drove in five runs, scored eight more, and stole three bases in 15 games (68 plate appearances). Garcia opened a lot of eyes with his stellar play in the FCL. Despite the slashline not looking great in Single-A, the positives outweighed the negatives.

The 19-year-old has all the tools in his arsenal. He is solid defensively with a good arm, has decent athleticism for the position, and produces big-time with the bat. Does his game take the next natural progression in each area? Maybe he can cut back on the strikeouts (24) and pump up the walks (5).

With both being just 19, we should see Brannon and Garcia spend a good chunk of their seasons in Single-A. Will they prove to be the real deal? Can one separate from the other? Imagine watching them take turns mashing in the middle of the lineup. And those nights when they both play? That's fireworks waiting to happen.