Boston Red Sox prospect watch: 2023 season has arrived

The Boston Red Sox prospect watch returns for the 2023 season

The 2023 season is now in full swing, with every level of the minor leagues officially underway. That means only one thing; we're back with another season of the Boston Red Sox prospect watch.

Like in years prior, we'll be going through each level of the minor leagues and highlighting players every week.

As usual, we're going to start with the major leagues. The Red Sox are off to a decent start, holding onto a 5-4 record through nine games. Some of their best performers have been the younger talent.

Triston Casas came into the year as one of the favorites for the American League Rookie of the Year award. He's slashing .185/.233/.481 with two doubles and two home runs in 2023. The left-handed hitter has driven in seven runs, scored three more, and is coming off his best game of the season on Sunday. Casas has also been a great glove at first base.

Masataka Yoshida has gotten flack for hitting the ball on the ground too much. He's still getting used to Major League pitching, though, and overall has been fantastic. The left-handed hitter holds a .233/.378/.367 slash line with one double and one home run. He's driven in six runs, scored eight more, and stolen two bases. The left fielder has looked decent in the field and has more walks (6) than strikeouts (2).

Connor Wong is off to a slow start with a .150/.190/.250 slash line, but he does have two doubles on the year. The right-handed hitter has driven in two runs and scored two more. His athleticism makes him an intriguing name at catcher, but Wong has lost some of the fanbase. It's important to remember he's had just 81 career at-bats in the Majors.

Josh Winckowski made 15 appearances in the big leagues last year and struggled with a high ERA, WHIP, and BAA. The right-handed pitcher made the move to the bullpen, and it's done wonders for him in 2023. Winckowski has a 1.29 ERA, .154 BAA, 0.71 WHIP, and seven strikeouts in seven innings this season.

Zack Kelly earned a shot in Boston's bullpen last year and didn't disappoint. He's off to another hot start in 2023. The right-handed reliever has given up just one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Kelly has five walks compared to five strikeouts, which is an issue. Everything else has been positive, though.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland) prospects

Nick Yorke is the big storyline in Double-A right now. The second baseman had a down year in 2022 due to a nagging wrist injury. Some people might be surprised to see him in Portland after such a weak slash line in High-A the year prior. Yorke's primed to remind everyone just how good he is, and the right-handed hitter is off to a hot start in 2023. He's slashing .300/.500/.400 with one double and three runs scored. Yorke's walked more times (4) than he's struck out (2).

Ceddanne Rafaela is slashing .214/.214/.214 with four RBI and one run scored. The right-handed hitter has not walked yet and has five strikeouts. That's something he needs to improve on. The centerfielder's defense is elite, and the speed is there (two steals). If he can work counts, it will all fall into place. It's important to remember we're only three games into the season.

Christian Koss got the short end of the stick thanks to MLB veterans starting the year in Triple-A. The shortstop had to return to Double-A after a fantastic 2022. He's wasted no time showing he belongs at the next level. The right-handed hitter is slashing .444/.545/.667 with two doubles. He's driven in three runs, scored three more, and stolen three bases.

Alex Binelas hit 25 home runs in 2022, but his first year in the Boston Red Sox organization didn't go great. The corner infielder is trying to flip the script in 2023, though. Binelas is 2-for-6 with two doubles this year. The left-handed hitter has driven in three runs, scored two more, and has more walks (2) than strikeouts (1).

Matthew Lugo is 2-for-9 with one double to this point. The right-handed hitter has driven in two runs and scored two more. Lugo had a breakout year in 2022 and has a chance to prove himself at a higher level in the minor leagues. Another storyline to follow is his transition to third base.

Niko Kavadas started the 2022 season in Low-A and finished the year in Double-A. That fast rise left him a little behind the times in Portland. Now with some experience under his belt, it will be interesting to see what Kavadas can do at the level. The left-handed hitter first baseman is 0-for-6 but does have two walks.

Tyler Dearden has appeared in one game this year and made the most of it. The left-handed hitting outfielder is 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and one run scored.

Corey Rosier came out firing in 2023. The left-handed hitting outfielder is 4-for-6 with two doubles and a walk. He's driven in three runs, scored one more, and stolen one base.

Phillip Sikes spent time in Low-A and High-A last season, putting up solid numbers. In 2023, the outfielder is getting a shot in Double-A and could sneak onto some radars. The right-handed hitter is 1-for-7 with one home run and two walks. He's driven in one run, scored two more, and stolen one base.

Tyler McDonough has also made the jump to Double-A. The outfielder/middle infielder is 2-for-9 with a home run this year. He's driven in two runs, scored three more, and stolen one base.

Shane Drohan has a chance to take a massive jump in 2023. The left-handed starter has added velocity to his fastball and looked fantastic in his first start. He tossed five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five.

Theo Denlinger made his first appearance in the Red Sox system this week. The righty tossed two perfect innings in just 23 pitches, striking out three batters.

Brendan Nail struck out the first four batters he faced this season. The left-handed reliever hit the next two batters but didn't give up a run. That's where his season is right now, 1 1/3 innings pitched with four strikeouts.

Skylar Arias threw two shutout innings in his first appearance for the Boston organization. The lefty allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two batters.

Luis Guerrero is seen as someone who can rise through the system at a rapid rate. The right-handed pitcher allowed no runs on no hits and one walk while striking out one batter in one inning. He picked up the save for his effort.

Jacob Webb tossed two shutout innings in his lone appearance this season. The right-handed hitter gave up one hit and one walk while striking out four, earning the win.

Red Sox High-A (Greenville) prospects

Marcelo Mayer is 1-for-7 to start the year, but the shortstop has regularly put a charge into the ball. The left-handed hitter has a triple, one RBI, and two walks. It's important to note that Greenville has only played two games due to a rainout.

Chase Meidroth is 3-for-5 with one run scored so far. The right-handed hitting second baseman has gotten on base at a high rate. He's struck out just one time but already managed four walks.

Blaze Jordan is off to a rough start. But again, we need to be reminded that it's been just two games. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is 0-for-9 with one RBI.

Eddinson Paulino has moved up to High-A to start the year. The right-handed hitter is 1-for-9 with one run scored. He proved last season that he could get scorching hot, though. So a bad two games isn't a death sentence for the utility player.

Nathan Hickey is 0-for-4 to start the year. However, the left-handed hitter holds a .500 OBP thanks to three walks and one HBP. The catcher has proven in the past that he can hit. There are serious questions about his defense, though. Can Hickey change the narrative in 2023?

There might not be a prospect in the Red Sox system that needs a big 2023 more than Gilberto Jimenez. The outfielder was once a top prospect, but a few down seasons with no improvements to his game have lowered expectations. It may be a make-or-break year. The switch-hitter went 1-for-4 in his first game.

Eduardo Lopez is intriguing. The 20-year-old outfielder didn't put up the best numbers in Low-A last season but showed potential as someone who can do it all. He went 0-for-3 in his first game, but the switch-hitter did draw a walk and steal a base.

Nick Decker showed potential in 2021 with a strong overall season. 2022 saw him put up a dismal .122/.275/.239 slash line. The left-handed hitting outfielder started off 2023 strong, going 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run.

Bryan Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a walk in his first High-A game. The right-handed hitting outfielder had some serious highs and lows between Rookie Ball and Low-A last season. Can he put it together this year?

Max Ferguson drew a lot of walks and stole a lot of bases in 2022, but he hit to the tune of a .214 clip. The left-handed hitter is in the same boat this year, starting 0-for-6 with two walks and two steals.

Wikelman Gonzalez made his first start of 2023 this week. The right-handed pitcher went 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run on one hit. Gonzalez walked four batters but struck out five. The 21-year-old ended last year on a high note, and (minus the walks) begins 2023 the same way.

Aaron Perry is finally healthy and I'm absolutely here for it. The right-handed pitcher only tossed three innings last season, so some rust out of the gate wouldn't be surprising. Instead, Perry struck out two batters in one hitless inning.

Jaret Godman was a 19th-round pick in 2022. The right-handed pitcher threw two innings in Rookie Ball last year, that's it. Now starting in High-A, he's thrown one scoreless inning. Godman struck out two batters while giving up just one hit in that inning.

Joey Stock needed just 13 pitches to get through his lone inning so far this year. That may not seem that crazy, but it makes it more impressive when you learn about the inning. The righty didn't allow a baserunner while racking up three punchouts.

Casey Cobb threw 2 1/3 innings in his lone appearance this season. The right-handed reliever walked three batters but only allowed one hit and no runs in that time. He struck out three hitters as well, which helped keep the damage at bay.

Red Sox Single-A (Salem) prospects

Miguel Bleis is the obvious attraction of Salem. The 19-year-old outfielder is one of the top prospects in baseball and is only projected to rise up the ranks more. His Single-A start has to be encouraging. The right-handed hitter is slashing .357/.471/.429 with one double. He's driven in three runs, scored four more, and stolen one base.

Allan Castro is raking out of the gate. The switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .462/.563/.615 with two doubles. He's driven in three runs, scored three more, and stolen one base.

Roman Anthony is slashing .231/.353/.231. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in two runs, scored two more, and stolen one base. Anthony has plenty of raw power so don't expect that slugging percentage to stay low for long.

Ahbram Liendo gave us a small glimpse of his talent in Single-A last year, and he continues that trend in 2023. The switch-hitter holds a .167/.500/.167 slash line with three runs scored. Yes, the average is low, but Liendo does have four walks compared to no strikeouts. He's also stolen two bases and made some great defensive plays at second base.

Cutter Coffey is slashing .200/.467/.300 with one double this year. The right-handed hitting shortstop has driven in one run and scored one more. He's also walked more times (5) than he's struck out (3).

Lyonell James already has a big game under his belt. Thanks to it, the right-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .429/.500/.571 with one double. He's driven in three runs, scored two more, and stolen one base.

Luis Ravelo is 3-for-12 with one double and three walks this season. The 19-year-old switch-hitting shortstop has driven in two runs and scored four more.

Daniel McElveny has played just one game but already made an impact. The right-handed hitter is 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. McElveny has only appeared in games at catcher in Single-A, but he's also made appearances at second base and left field in Rookie Ball.

Yorberto Mejicano is 1-for-4 with a double, two runs driven in, and one run scored this season. The right-handed hitter had a strong 2022 campaign while spending time at catcher and first base.

Juan Chacon is 1-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored this season. The right-handed hitting outfielder has walked twice and stolen one base as well.

Luis Perales was the most anticipated pitching prospect for Boston this offseason. Naturally, his first start lasts 2/3 of an inning. The right-handed pitcher struggled mightily. He allowed four runs on four hits and a walk. The 19-year-old has minimal Low-A experience, so a rough start isn't crazy. Perales also managed to record both outs via strikeout, so that's something.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz walked five batters in three innings in his first start of the year. That sounds bad, but everything else was great. The righty struck out two batters and allowed no runs on zero hits. Obviously, the command needs work, but everything is there.

Luis De La Rosa is another piece in that Andrew Benintendi trade. The right-handed pitcher tossed three innings in his first appearance. He gave up two runs but only allowed three hits and walked none. De La Rosa struck out four batters and forced a lot of swing-and-misses.

Nathan Landry has already made two appearances in just three games. The lefty reliever has allowed no runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings in that time. He's struck out two batters compared to zero walks so far.

Luis Talavera tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings in his lone appearance this season. The right-handed reliever walked three batters compared to no strikeouts but only allowed one hit.

Gabriel Jackson allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings pitched. The right-handed pitcher gave up one hit and two walks while striking out one batter. Jackson had some command issues in 2022. Can he correct that in 2023?