This week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch features some dazzling debuts.
The Boston Red Sox made some moves in the organization this week. That included promoting some pitching prospects throughout the system. More than just a few promotions happened, though.
There were statements made, including a walk-off hit by a top prospect. But what happened in the Majors?
The Red Sox snapped a four-game winning streak on Sunday and got more contributions from the young players.
Kutter Crawford was activated. He didn't pitch this week, but it's great to have him back in the bullpen. Crawford's been insanely valuable for Boston this season.
Brayan Bello was effectively wild this week. The right-handed starter walked five batters in five innings. However, he only allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven batters. That was Bello's fourth straight solid start. It really feels like he's turned a corner.
Josh Winckowski pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings over two appearances out of the bullpen this week. The righty picked up a save, his second of the season. Winckowski has a 2.15 ERA, .213 BAA, and 0.99 WHIP over 29 1/3 innings this season.
Enmanuel Valdez clobbered a home run this week. The left-handed hitting second baseman is slashing .283/.338/.500 with four doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 10 runs, scored six more, and stolen three bases in 21 games.
Masataka Yoshida continues to hit. The left-handed hitting outfielder is currently riding a five-game hitting streak. Yoshida's slashing .303/.382/.493 with nine doubles, one triple, and six home runs. He's driven in 28 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen three bases. Masa has as many walks (17) as strikeouts (17).
Triston Casas is slashing .180/.311/.361 with four doubles and six home runs. The left-handed hitting first baseman has driven in 15 runs and scored 19 more. His average is rough, but he's hitting the ball hard. Casas has walked 24 times and is tied with Yoshida for the second-most home runs on the team (Rafael Devers has 13).
Jarren Duran is slashing .330/.385/.532 with 13 doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 19 runs, scored 16 more, and stolen seven bases in seven attempts. The left-handed hitting outfielder has always had the talent, and it's clearly shining through.
Connor Wong holds a .224/.276/.418 slash line with seven doubles and four home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 11 runs, scored 14 more, and stolen one base. Wong has offensive flashes that make him intriguing when paired with his defensive talent.