Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: 2 non-top-30 names making impact at Triple-A

As usual, there's a lot to talk about in this week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch. It's Niko Kavadas who is stealing the show, however. The first baseman isn't so much knocking as he is trying to break down Fenway Park's doors.

The left-handed hitter had another big week. He went 9-for-18 with one double and three home runs and extended his on-base streak to 19 games. Kavadas is slashing .319/.467/.702 in Triple-A. He crushes right-handed pitching and gets on base at a high clip, and the Red Sox could use his help at first base right now.

Chase Meidroth continues to find a way to get on base and produce runs. The right-handed hitting infielder has a .424 OBP. While he's only hit five extra-base hits (three doubles and two home runs, Meidroth's driven in 18 runs, scored 20 more, and stolen six bases. The 22-year-old has walked 28 times compared to 15 strikeouts.

Richard Fitts allowed one run on four hits over 4 1/3 innings in his lone start this week. The right-handed pitcher struck out two batters compared to three walks. There's still some work to be ironed out (.254 BAA isn't great), but Fitts has logged 3.51 ERA and 30 strikeouts compared to 11 walks in 33 1/3 innings.

Grant Gambrell made two starts this week, combining to allow five runs on 11 hits over nine innings. He's struck out six batters and walked five in those two starts. The righty has a 4.50 ERA this year and has gone at least five innings in six of his eight starts, in three of them he went through six frames.

Ryan Zeferjahn was promoted to Triple-A after posting a 0.00 ERA over 13 2/3 innings in Double-A. The right-handed reliever combined to throw four innings over two appearances in Triple-A this week and has kept his ERA at 0.00. Zeferjahn has 27 strikeouts compared to five walks in 17 2/3 innings between the two levels.

Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: 2 non-top-30 names making impact at Triple-A

Double-A (Portland)

Marcelo Mayer finished the 2022 season with 30 doubles, which is still his career high. He entered this week with nine doubles, putting him on pace to break that record. The lefty shortstop smoked four more two-baggers this week. Mayer is hitting .289 with 13 doubles and three home runs this year. He's driven in 20 runs, scored 23 more, and is 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts.

Nick Yorke is 8-for-his-last-20 with three RBI. The right-handed hitting second baseman/left fielder slumped for a bit but is back up to a .269 average. He's driven in 18 runs as well. Yorke's walked 13 times compared to 20 strikeouts and has six steals in seven attempts.

Eddinson Paulino continues to have big games to highlight his talent. The lefty infielder almost hit for the cycle earlier in the week. Pauli is slashing .275/.371/.484 with eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs. He's driven in 16 runs, scored 11, and stolen five bases.

Kyle Teel is holding on to a six-game hitting streak. The left-handed hitting catcher has boosted his average from .225 to .253. He's hit five doubles and three home runs while driving in 14 runs and scoring 17 more. Teel also got the chance to show off his arm a few times this week.

Roman Anthony's .230/.338/.381 slash line might not jump out to you, but we've seen that his underlying data is fantastic. The lefty outfielder hit four doubles this week and is up to nine on the season.

Blaze Jordan is riding a 17-game hitting streak but suffered a finger injury on May 11 and it's uncertain how much time he'll miss. The right-handed hitting corner infielder has been wildly impressive at the plate (.283/.342/.414) and continues to look strong at first and third base.

Phillip Sikes is 5-for-11 over his last three games. The left-handed hitting outfielder is up to a .237 average and hit his first home run of the year on May 12. Sikes has a ton of speed (39 steals last season), and if he can start to get hot, he'll be yet another weapon in a terrifying Portland lineup.

Alex Binelas has been sneaky good this year (.250/.400/.438) and hit his first home run of the season on May 11. He also hit two triples last week. The left-handed hitting corner infielder should get a lot of playing time while Jordan is out.

Matthew Lugo's numbers dipped this week, but he's still hitting the ball well. He's having some bad BABIP luck at the moment. The right-handed hitting left fielder went 2-for-16 this week but still holds a .309/.404/.679 slash line. He's driven in 22 runs, scored 10 more, and stolen four bases. Lugo's starting to draw some walks, too.

Zach Penrod's only five games into his Double-A career, and it already feels like he needs to move up to Triple-A. The lefty pitcher allowed one run on five hits over six innings in his lone start this week. He didn't walk anyone while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Penrod has a 2.25 ERA, .198 BAA, and 1.08 WHIP 24 innings.

Angel Bastardo struck out a season-high 10 batters in his start this week. The righty surrendered one earned run over five innings. Bastardo has a 4.00 ERA, .173 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP. He's struck out 31 batters compared to 14 walks in 27 innings.

Isaac Coffey continues to pump out good starts. He gave up one run on one hit over four innings of work. Walks continue to be an issue for the righty, as he issued five free passes. He did strike out six batters, though. Coffey has a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and has yet to give up a home run.

Hunter Dobbins tossed five innings of two-run ball this week. The righty allowed five hits and one walk while striking out four batters. Dobbins holds a 2.42 ERA over 26 innings this season and has yet to allow more than two runs in a single outing in 2024.

Wikelman Gonzalez allowed four runs on two hits and five walks (three strikeouts) over three innings this week. He didn't start off well, but Gonzalez settled down after allowing all four runs in the first inning. Limiting the damage showed maturity in his game, as the right-handed pitcher didn't let the first inning ruin his day. His 6.75 ERA is ugly, but a .156 BAA is phenomenal.

Helcris Olivarez has 24 walks in 19 1/3 innings. Despite that, the lefty has a 1.40 ERA and .100 BAA. He's allowed just seven hits in 19 1/3 innings. Olivarez walked five and struck out five over four innings of hitless baseball this week, allowing one unearned run.

Felix Cepeda allowed one walk and struck out three batters in 2 1/3 innings over two appearances this week. He didn't allow any runs — or even hits. The right-handed reliever has a 4.76 ERA, but most of his earned runs came from a single outing. He's been a steady hand most of the campaign.

High-A (Greenville)

Tyler Miller is riding a six-game hitting streak and has gotten his batting average back up to .304. The left-handed hitting corner infielder and outfielder has hit eight doubles, one triple, and four home runs this season. He's driven in 14 runs and scored 14 more. Miller's doing all that while impressing on defense, too.

Kristian Campbell hit another home run and two more doubles this week. The righty second baseman/centerfielder is slashing .272/.398/.556 with eight doubles and five home runs. He's driven in 14 runs, scored 15, and stolen one base.

Bryan Gonzalez is on a four-game hitting streak and has a double, a triple, and a home run in that span. The right-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder is only hitting .227 but has four doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He's driven in 17 runs, scored 14 more, and stolen three bases.

Ahbram Liendo holds a low .202 batting average. However, the switch-hitting infielder continues to be an offensive threat. He hit his second home run of the year this week and is 13-for-15 on stolen base attempts.

Juan Daniel Encarnacion found out he was starting 10 minutes before the game on May 11. The right-handed pitcher tossed five no-hit innings. He walked and hit one batter while striking out six without allowing a run. JDE is down to a 3.27 ERA with 31 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 22 innings.

Luis Perales allowed two runs in four innings this week. However, the righty only allowed four hits and one walk while setting a season-high with eight strikeouts. Perales has 29 strikeouts compared to just six walks in 17 innings this season.

Connelly Early gave up one run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. The left-handed pitcher walked two batters and struck out five. Early is down to a 4.10 ERA, .210 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP in 26 1/3 innings.

Cooper Adams made one of his best starts of the year this week. The righty walked two batters and only managed one strikeout. However, he only allowed one run on four hits over five innings. Adams is down to a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings this season.

Zach Fogell made two appearances out of the bullpen this week. The left-handed reliever didn't give up a run over 2 1/3 innings. Fogell has a 2.50 ERA, .161 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP in 18 innings between Single-A and High-A.

Single-A (Salem)

Noah Dean was nearly part of something awesome this week. The left-handed pitcher tossed five hitless innings in his lone start. He walked two batters (and hit one) while striking out five. Sadly, he wasn't part of a no-hitter as Salem's offense couldn't score, and Columbia ended up getting a hit in the 11th inning.

Trennor O'Donnell was the other big component of that big game for Salem. The righty reliever didn't allow a hit over four scoreless innings. He walked two batters, hit one and fanned another.

Matt Duffy tossed five scoreless innings on May 12. The right-handed pitcher allowed two hits and no walks while striking out three batters. Duffy has a 3.16 ERA, .235 BAA, and 1.09 WHIP in 25 2/3 innings.

Blake Wehunt gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits in four innings. The righty walked two batters while striking out a career-high 10. Wehunt has a 1.37 ERA, .157 BAA, and 1.07 WHIP in five starts. The chicken farmer has 30 strikeouts compared to 10 walks in 19 2/3 innings.

Jedixson Paez allowed three hits over five innings of two-run baseball this week. The right-handed pitcher walked one batter and struck out six. Paez has a 2.63 ERA in five starts this year. He's only walked three batters compared to 30 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz surrendered one run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings in his start this week. The righty fanned eight batters and walked three. ERC has a 2.96 ERA and .217 BAA. He's struck out 40 batters compared to 14 walks in 24 1/3 innings.

Jojo Ingrassia had a hilariously dominant outing this week. The left-handed reliever struck out eight batters (one walk) over three hitless innings. He's down to a 2.00 ERA with 35 strikeouts and five walks in 18 innings.

Natanael Yuten is on a five-game hitting streak. The lefty outfielder had two doubles and a home run this week. Yuten is slashing .252/.339/.417 with four doubles, two triples, and three home runs this season. He's driven in 18 runs, scored 11, and stolen two bases.

Jhostyxnon Garcia went 3-for-14 this week but had a double and a home run. The right-handed outfielder is hitting .296 with a .397 OBP. He's driven in 12 runs, scored 12 more, and is a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts.

Freili Encarnacion is on a five-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting shortstop is up to a .286 average. He's only hit one double so far, but Encarnacion is starting to heat up.

Miguel Bleis hit his first home run of the year this week. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .221/.325/.337 with seven doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in 11 runs, scored 14, and stolen 10 bags.

Andy Lugo has a hit in each of his last three games. The righty utility player is slashing .272/.404/.383 with nine doubles. He's also stolen seven bases in eight attempts.

Marvin Alcantara continues to slowly build up his numbers. The right-handed hitting infielder is on a six-game hitting streak. His average has increased from .148 to .191 over those six games. Alcantara has four doubles, one triple, and one homer this season.

Juan Montero is only hitting .200 but has a .379 on-base percentage. It's not the offense that we're here to talk about, though. The right-handed hitter made one of the most impressive plays you'll see from a catcher.

Antonio Anderson is hitting .107 with 34 strikeouts this year. There are a few things to note, however. The switch-hitting infielder is still only 18. He's also showing some positives at the plate — he's drawn 23 walks, nine more than the next most (Bleis, 14) on the team.

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