Boston Red Sox: 5 Worcester Red Sox 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 Triple-A team in Worcester.
Can the pitchers figure things out in Worcester?
Pitching was one of the bigger storylines in Triple-A last season, and it certainly wasn't a good thing.
The Worcester Red Sox couldn't figure things out on the mound. Every pitcher was struggling, both starters and relievers. Players who dominated in Double-A (like Shane Drohan) had a rough time in Triple-A. Even Chris Murphy (who saw success in the Majors) didn't produce in Triple-A.
There's an argument that this had to do with catching. Jorge Alfaro was the primary catcher for a large chunk of the season, and he's next-level bad defensively. Would that hinder some development? Sure. But would it lead to nearly everyone looking like the worst versions of themselves? That seems unlikely.
Kyle Teel (who we'll talk about in a bit) will probably be in Triple-A, at least for a little in 2024. Teel is an incredible defensive talent and will help the pitching staff. He won't be there all year, though. Was it a product of the players? Is it the ballpark (it is hitter-friendly)? Will we see the same issue in 2024?
Grant Gambrell (who we'll also talk about soon) looked good in his short stint at the end of the season. He'll be there to start the year. Wikelman Gonzalez might be in Worcester soon. Isaac Coffey, Hunter Dobbins, and Christopher Troye could be on their way, too.
Will these pitchers suffer the same fate? Or will their talent shine through?
Bad surface numbers don't tell the full story, especially in Triple-A. As mentioned before, Chris Murphy was vital for Boston in 2023 despite struggling in Worcester. Imagine if they didn't give him a look just because his ERA was high.
However, surface numbers are still necessary. They might not tell the full story, but they do tell a story. It won't instill confidence in anyone if all of Boston's top pitching prospects falter in Worcester. So the question is, does history repeat itself?
Can Niko Kavadas find his swing?
Niko Kavadas rose to fame on Red Sox Twitter back in 2022 when the left-handed hitting first baseman mashed his way through Single-A and High-A.
However, the first half of 2023 saw Kavadas struggle to find his footing in Double-A. The second half of 2023 saw more of the same, this time in Triple-A.
Kavadas hit just .206 between the two levels, with 172 strikeouts in 480 plate appearances (35.8% strikeout rate).
Not everything was negative. Kavadas still managed 22 home runs between the two levels. He also walked 98 times, leading to a .377 on-base percentage.
No one is expecting the Notre Dame product to become a .300 hitter. But he doesn't need to, with the power potential and OBP talent that he possesses.
However, a .206 average while striking out 35.8% of the time isn't going to cut it. The .119 average (10-for-84) that Kavadas had against left-handed pitchers especially hurts.
Kavadas can be a great platoon player. He gets on base and can crush right-handed pitching. But there are shortcomings. He isn't a great defender and doesn't have much going on in the speed/athleticism category. So, only being productive against right-handed pitching (and still striking out too much, while not hitting for a high average) won't get Kavadas far.
Can he get back to his mashing ways of 2022? We saw glimpses of it. He doesn't need to be a lefty killer, but if he can hold his own against them while punishing right-handed pitching, that would go a long way. Kavadas should get plenty of PAs in Triple-A in 2024. Can he take advantage of it and prove he can be a nearly everyday bat?
Niko Kavadas might not be the biggest name in the Red Sox system, but he's certainly an imposing presence in the box. When he's got it going at the plate, he's one of the most entertaining prospects to watch as he tries to break scoreboards with mammoth home runs.
When do we see Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel?
Roman Anthony started the 2023 season as an 18-year-old in Single-A without much fanfare surrounding him. Meanwhile, Kyle Teel was in college. Fast forward a few months, and they were the two most talked about prospects in the Boston Red Sox system.
Anthony was promoted to High-A after 42 games in Single-A to start the year. While his surface numbers wouldn't blow you away, the left-handed hitting outfielder impressed with his exit velocity and swing decisions. As always, it feels necessary to remind everyone that Salem's ballpark does hitters no favors.
Anthony went on to terrorize High-A pitching for 54 games. With two weeks left in the season, he was promoted to Double-A. There, Anthony somehow looked even better.
He finished the season slashing .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs between the three levels. Anthony drove in 64 runs, scored 78 more, and stole 16 bases.
Suddenly a top prospect in baseball, Anthony found himself in Double-A as a 19-year-old in 2023. He only had 52 games in Single-A and 54 games in High-A. With 10 games in Double-A, how many more will he get there before moving to Worcester?
Then there's Teel. The left-handed hitting catcher was the 14th pick in the 2023 draft. A fantastic defensive talent, he's also shown elite offensive potential. Teel played three games in Rookie Ball before getting promoted all the way up to High-A. He humiliated pitching at the level. After 14 games, he was promoted to Double-A for the final two weeks (with Anthony).
Teel finished the year slashing .363/.482/.495 with six doubles and two home runs between the three levels. Yes, that slash line is correct. He drove in 22 runs, scored 15 more, and stole three bases. Teel walked nearly as often (21) as he struck out (22).
The Red Sox proved they were high on Teel and felt he could hold his own flying up the minor leagues last season. Will that trend continue in 2024?
Boston found lightning in a bottle twice with Anthony and Teel in 2023. With both surprisingly making their way to Portland last year, it's hard to imagine they won't find themselves in Worcester in 2024. The only question is, when do they get there?
Is Grant Gambrell legit?
The whole point of this article is to highlight how many storylines go through the minor leagues throughout a season. Grant Gambrell is the perfect example of this.
A casual fan will have heard about Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel. They were following Marcelo Mayer's season and were excited for Ceddanne Rafaela to make his Major League debut.
But they may not have heard much about Grant Gambrell despite him having one of the best stories of the year.
Gambrell was brought over in 2021 from the Kansas City Royals in the Josh Winckowski trade. He struggled in eight games in High-A after being acquired.
Then Gambrell missed the entire 2022 season due to going through five surgeries on his heel, removing a benign tumor.
The right-handed pitcher started 2023 in High-A. He struggled there in April, which wasn't exactly encouraging for a 25-year-old. Gambrell put together back-to-back great starts at the beginning of May, though. This led to a promotion to Double-A.
Gambrell became the most consistent starter for Portland. He was going six strong innings often and even worked eight innings in a start. By the end of the year, he got a taste of Triple-A.
As mentioned earlier, pitching in Triple-A wasn't great. However, Gambrell was immune to whatever cursed the rest of the team. In two starts, he allowed two runs over 10 2/3 innings. Gambrell racked up 14 strikeouts and only allowed seven hits and five walks.
Gambrell is now 26 but doesn't have a ton of innings on his arm. The fact that he responded so well to the adversity is incredibly encouraging. Gambrell seemed to get better as the year went on, and his competition got stiffer.
While he's not seen as one of the top prospects in the system, there's no denying the production. Gambrell was one of the most consistent and impressive arms for the Red Sox last year. Can he continue that in 2024? Is he legitimate? Could Grant Gambrell work his way into the Major League rotation before the end of the year? He should be fun to keep an eye on.
How close are we to Luis Guerrero ninth innings in Boston?
Something I talk about a lot is my love for having a franchise closer. It's one of the reasons a young Hunter loved Jonathan Papelbon so much.
Having that prospect come up and become a dominant closer is just fun. Suddenly, you have a guy who can shut the door for hypothetically the next decade. You can start fantasy booking the day he breaks Mariano Rivera's record (not likely, but still fun).
Luis Guerrero is exactly what I've been waiting for. The right-handed reliever has an incredible story (go look it up, seriously, it's worth it). He also has a disgusting fastball that can reach triple digits and some intriguing secondary stuff.
The now-23-year-old dominated Double-A in 2023. He had some issues with his control (30 walks in 49 2/3 innings). However, there were some great stretches, and his other numbers were otherwordly.
Guerrero posted a 1.81 ERA, .150 BAA, and 1.13 WHIP with 59 strikeouts in Double-A. He also converted 18 of 22 saves and hit 100 MPH in the Futures Game.
Guerrero was promoted to Triple-A towards the end of the season. He posted a 7.71 ERA, .222 BAA, and 2.36 WHIP in six appearances. Guerrero walked seven batters compared to nine strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. He picked up one more save while with Worcester.
Those numbers aren't great, but you can't use 4 2/3 innings to judge someone. Even the best pitchers have rough outings.
Still, the control is something that needs to be worked on. Guerrero has fantastic stuff and can rack up the strikeouts. However, if he continues to walk batters at a high rate, the Red Sox might find it hard to trust him.
Luis Guerrero is one phone call away from being in the Major Leagues. Can he prove himself as a closer before then? The Red Sox only have Kenley Jansen under contract for one more season. Will Guerrero be able to establish the trust needed to take over in 2025?
No matter what, he'll be a must-watch filth in Worcester in 2024.