Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Final prospect watch of the season
The 2023 MiLB season is coming to a close, and we cap it off with the final Boston Red Sox prospect watch of the year.
The final Boston Red Sox prospect watch of the 2023 season
Welp, it's here, the final Boston Red Sox prospect watch of the 2023 season.
Salem's season is officially over in Single-A. Meanwhile, Greenville enters the playoffs in High-A. That's, at most, six more games for them over the next two weeks combined.
Portland still has another week of games but won't be making the playoffs after that. Worcester still has two more weeks in the regular season.
The Red Sox are technically still in the wild-card race but hanging on by a thread. It hurts to see them potentially get eliminated. However, this should open up more playing time for Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu. At the very least, that will keep games exciting.
Triston Casas had a short slump this week but homered on Sunday. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .263/.365/.494 with 20 doubles, two triples, and 25 home runs. He's driven in 64 runs and scored 65 more. Even with that rough first month, Casas has 25 homers and 70 RBI in view.
Wilyer Abreu had a five-hit game this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .342/.405/.526 with four doubles and one home run. He's driven in eight runs, scored six more, and stolen one base.
Ceddanne Rafaela is slashing .381/.409/.476 with two doubles. The right-handed hitting utility has driven in one run, scored five more, and stolen one base. Rafaela will likely see more playing time with the Red Sox starting to lose a grip on any playoff chances.
Connor Wong is slashing .254/.309/.420 with 24 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 36 runs, scored 54 more, and stolen six bases. At the very least, Wong has proven he can be part of Boston's catching rotation until Kyle Teel is ready.
Enmanuel Valdez is slashing .252/.295/.426 with five doubles and five home runs. The left-handed hitting second baseman has driven in 15 runs, scored 14 more, and stolen four bases. Valdez's bat is legit, but he needs to make strides defensively.
Brayan Bello allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings this week. The right-handed pitcher struck out four batters without walking any. Bello has a 3.68 ERA, .262 BAA, and 1.28 WHIP in 142 innings. He's struck out 117 batters and walked 38.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Niko Kavadas had a strong week, picking up a hit in four of the five games he appeared in. The left-handed hitting first baseman popped a double and two home runs in that time. Kavadas is slashing .199/.374/.404 with 15 doubles and 18 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A. He's driven in 58 runs, scored 57 more, and stolen two bases.
David Hamilton is slashing .250/.370/.451 with 15 doubles, four triples, and 17 home runs. The left-handed hitting middle infielder has driven in 52 runs, scored 70 more, and stolen 55 bases. Hamilton's offensive production has been phenomenal this season. He's positioned himself to fight for a spot in Spring Training.
Ronaldo Hernandez is slashing .243/.333/.459 with 15 doubles and 17 home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 67 runs, scored 45 more, and stolen one base. Hernandez's bat has been awesome, but can it carry his rough defense?
Stephen Scott has hit a slump in Triple-A but has really strong numbers overall. The left-handed hitting catcher is slashing .240/.359/.474 with 14 doubles, two triples, and 18 home runs (career-high) between Double-A and Triple-A. He's driven in 63 runs, scored 56 more, and stolen six bases.
Christian Koss is slashing .235/.275/.341 with seven doubles and one triple in Triple-A. The right-handed hitting utility has driven in eight runs, scored 10 more, and stolen one base in 26 games. Koss has had injuries derail his season.
Chris Murphy has been fantastic since going back to Triple-A. He's allowed one run on five hits in 8 1/3 innings over two appearances. Murph has 12 strikeouts compared to four walks in that time. The left-handed pitcher doesn't have the best numbers in Triple-A, but he's looked great since the start of June.
Brain Van Belle allowed two earned runs over four innings this week. The right-handed starter has a 4.37 ERA, .265 BAA, and 1.35 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A. He's struck out 121 batters compared to 44 walks in 131 2/3 innings.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
I went to the Portland Sea Dogs games this week, so forgive me as I talk a lot about some of the things I saw.
Roman Anthony made his Double-A debut this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder went 5-for-19 with three walks (and only two strikeouts). He hit three doubles and a home run. Anthony drove in three runs, scored five more, and stole one base.
Wow, he was impressive. Anthony doesn't look bothered by the higher level of competition at all. I also got a chance to talk to him for a bit (be on the lookout for that article on the website. Anthony comes off as extremely humble but is a clear superstar. He made it known he expects greatness from himself.
Kyle Teel also made his Double-A debut this week. The left-handed hitting catcher went 6-for-17 with one double. He walked five times. Teel has already driven in six runs, scored one more, and stolen one base.
Teel is going to fly through the Majors. His approach is phenomenal. He takes what the pitcher gives him, and it's led to a .500 OBP in his first week of Double-A. I also got a chance to talk with Teel (again, be on the lookout for that article on the website. He's the exact type of player you want as a franchise catcher.
Nick Yorke continued getting on base this week and stole three bases in the final game of the series. The right-handed hitting second baseman is slashing .275/.356/.450 with 25 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs. He's driven in 61 runs, scored 70 more, and stolen 15 bases. Yorke's consistency at the top of the lineup has been massive for Portland all year.
It felt like Chase Meidroth was always on base this week. The right-handed hitting infielder is such a valuable player. He's slashing .269/.402/.394 with 19 doubles, one triple, and nine home runs between High-A and Double-A. Meidroth has driven in 55 runs, scored 72 more, and stolen 12 bases. Meanwhile, his defense all over the infield has been incredible.
Blaze Jordan didn't hit a home run this week but had some great moments. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .294/.348/.481 with 30 doubles, one triple, and 18 home runs between High-A and Double-A. He's driven in 84 runs, scored 64 more, and stolen two bases. Jordan has shown plenty of power this season and doesn't strike out often.
Nathan Hickey is slashing .265/.362/.496 with 20 doubles, one triple, and 19 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in 58 runs, scored 55 more, and stolen three bases.
Wikelman Gonzalez was dominant in his short outing this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed two hits over three scoreless innings. He walked three batters and struck out six. Sadly, his game was suspended until the next day, ending his outing. Gonzalez has a 2.28 ERA, .150 BAA, and 1.08 WHIP in Double-A. He's struck out 58 batters compared to 25 walks in 43 1/3 innings.
Speaking of weather ruining things, Hunter Dobbins didn't get to pitch because his game was canceled. It would've been great to see Dobby pitch. He's been one of the best stories of the year.
Angel Bastardo allowed two runs on two hits over five innings. He did walk five batters compared to three strikeouts, though. Bastardo was wild, but he wasn't getting hit either. The right-handed pitcher has a 4.68 ERA, .221 BAA, and 1.28 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 159 batters compared to 55 walks in 119 1/3 innings.
CJ Liu allowed four earned runs in 7 2/3 innings over two appearances. The righty allowed eight hits and five walks while striking out 13 batters. He has a 5.42 ERA, .267 BAA, and 1.55 WHIP in 111 1/3 innings. Liu has struck out 142 batters compared to 60 walks.
Christopher Troye is disgusting. I've seen him live a few times this year, and I don't understand how anyone touches him. The right-handed reliever made two separate two-inning appearances this week. He totaled four shutout innings, surrendering zero hits. Troye struck out eight batters compared to one walk. CT has a 3.23, .174 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 84 batters and walked 32 in 47 1/3 innings.
Alex Hoppe looked great. The righty reliever allowed three hits over two shutout innings in his lone appearance. He struck out four batters and didn't walk anyone. Hoppe has a 4.18 ERA, .275 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 64 batters and walked 17 in 47 1/3 innings.
Ryan Miller was literally untouchable this week. The right-handed reliever struck out all six batters he faced in his two innings of work. Miller has a 4.31 ERA, .276 BAA, and 1.38 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings. He's struck out 64 batters compared to 17 walks.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Eddinson Paulino is slashing .257/.338/.420 with 28 doubles, four triples, and 12 home runs. The left-handed hitting utility has driven in 58 runs, scored 68 more, and stolen 26 bases. Paulino is one steal and one home run away from tying his career highs.
Bryan Gonzalez is slashing .252/.317/.404 with 15 doubles, seven triples, and 11 home runs. He's driven in 56 runs, scored 68 more, and stolen 15 bases. Gonzalez possesses plus-raw power but needs to cut back on the strikeouts.
Allan Castro is slashing .283/.355/.446 with 11 doubles, two triples, and four home runs in High-A. The switch-hitting outfielder has driven in 17 runs, scored 23 more, and stolen four bases in 43 games.
Kristian Campbell has a .267/.400/.422 slash line with two doubles, one triple, and one home run in High-A. The right-handed hitting third baseman has driven in three runs, scored five more, and stolen one base in 14 games. Campbell was the 132nd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and is already giving the Red Sox a nice return.
Tyler Miller is slashing .263/.315/.422 with 21 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. The left-handed hitting corner infielder/outfielder has driven in 51 runs, scored 50 more, and stolen 19 bases. Miller has only appeared in 91 games this season but has already set new career bests in doubles and triples.
Nick Decker has quietly been solid in the second half of the season. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .218/.325/.422 with 14 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 37 more, and stolen eight bases.
Luis Perales allowed three earned runs in five innings in his lone start this week. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.91 ERA, .230 BAA, and 1.42 WHIP between Single-A and High-A. He's struck out 115 batters compared to 50 walks in 89 2/3 innings.
Yordanny Monegro allowed two runs over five innings in his second High-A start. The righty has a 2.06 ERA, .194 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP between the FCL, Single-A, and High-A. He's struck out 93 batters compared to 26 walks in 65 2/3 innings.
Robert Kwiatkowski pitched five innings this week, allowing two runs. He struck out five batters and only walked one. The right-handed reliever has a 4.10 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 50 batters compared to 18 walks in 59 1/3 innings.
Red Sox Single-A (Salem)
The Salem Red Sox had a weird final week of the season. The last two games of their season were canceled due to weather. Despite that, we still got to see some players finish their 2023 campaigns on a strong note.
Johanfran Garcia hit a double in the final game of the season, but the game was rained out before they could get through five innings, so it didn't count. It counts in my heart, though. The right-handed hitting catcher slashed .203/.279/.305 with three doubles (should be four) and a home run. He drove in five runs, scored eight more, and stole three bases. Garcia was coming along nicely and has positioned himself as one of the most exciting prospects for next season.
Jhostynxon Garcia put up some stats that didn't count (including a steal), just like his younger brother. The right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .230/.329/.374 with 14 doubles, six triples, and four home runs. He drove in 24 runs, scored 46 more, and stole nine bases (should be 10). Garcia also possesses a fantastic glove and good arm strength in the outfield.
Albertson Asigen finished the year strong and deserves more credit for what he's been able to do this season. The right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .318/.436/.434 with five doubles, two triples, and two home runs in Single-A. He drove in 12 runs, scored 22 more, and stole 13 bases in 42 games. Salem's ballpark claimed a lot of victims this year, but Asigen wouldn't stop raking.
Natanael Yuten had a big three-hit and two-steal game this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .197/.240/.239 with one double and one triple in Single-A. He drove in five runs, scored 13 more, and stole two bases in 18 games.
Johnfrank Salazar slashed .228/.307/.374 with three doubles and five home runs in Single-A. The right-handed hitting infielder drove in 17 runs and scored 13 more.
Albert Feliz finished the year slashing .242/.315/.407 with 17 doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs. The right-handed hitting first baseman drove in 45 runs and scored 39 more. A fantastic second half pushed Feliz's overall numbers to a solid place.
Yorberto Mejicano was Salem's most consistent hitter all year long. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman slashed .268/.350/.412 with nine doubles, two triples, and five home runs. He drove in 25 runs, scored 34 more, and stole six bases in 61 games.
Marvin Alcantara finished his season with a six-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting shortstop slashed .203/.277/.257 with one double and one home run in Single-A. Alcantara drove in seven runs, scored nine more, and stole six bases in 21 games.
Antonio Anderson picked up at least one hit in each of his last two games. The switch-hitting third baseman slashed .185/.214/.222 with one double in Single-A. He drove in one run and scored two more in seven games.
Luis De La Rosa didn't allow any earned runs over two innings in his lone appearance this week. The right-handed pitcher finished with a 2.94 ERA, .208 BAA, and 1.32 WHIP in 70 1/3 innings. He struck out 88 batters compared to 40 walks.
Elvis Soto looked brilliant this week. The righty allowed no runs on one hit over four innings of work. He struck out six batters compared to one walk. Soto finished with a 4.88 ERA, .264 BAA, and 1.42 WHIP in Single-A. He struck out 25 batters compared to 10 walks in 24 innings.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz tossed a scoreless inning this week. The right-hander posted a 2.60 ERA, .219 BAA, and 1.27 WHIP in 55 1/3 innings. He struck out 51 batters compared to 27 walks.
Garrett Ramsey allowed no runs on two hits and one walk in three innings this week. The righty finished with a 3.00 ERA, .222 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in Single-A. He struck out eight batters compared to five walks in nine innings.
Zach Fogell didn't allow a hit or an earned run in his 1 2/3 innings this week. The left-handed pitcher had a 0.00 ERA, .083 BAA, and 0.55 WHIP in 3 2/3 innings for Single-A. He struck out three batters and walked one.