Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Home runs and Hunter Dobbins
This week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch features home runs and Hunter Dobbins
This week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch saw more promotions and some insane debuts. There's a lot to talk about, so let's not waste any time.
David Hamilton made his Major League debut, and if anyone wasn't aware, he's fast. The left-handed hitting middle infielder is 1-for-9 with one walk with Boston. However, he has stolen two bases and scored two runs. One of those runs came from Hamilton walking, then stealing second, then scoring from second on a failed pickoff attempt. He created a run all by himself.
Triston Casas continues to bump up those numbers. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .218/.328/.400 with 11 doubles, one triple, and nine home runs. He's driven in 27 runs and scored 30 more.
Connor Wong is slashing .234/.299/.421 with 14 doubles and six home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 18 runs, scored 29 more, and stolen one base. He could get even more playing time with Reese McGuire landing on the IL.
Jarren Duran has been one of the most valuable players on the team this season. The left-handed hitting outfielder has a .291/.347/.444 slash line with 21 doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 26 runs, scored 21 more, and stolen 14 bases in 15 attempts.
Brandon Walter made his Major League debut this week as well. The left-handed pitcher put on a really strong performance. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. Walter only struck out two batters but was consistently getting extremely weak contact.
Chris Murphy has found himself a role as a legitimate left-handed bullpen arm. The lefty has appeared in three games for the Red Sox, tossing eight shutout innings. He's allowed just four hits and one walk, while striking out 11 batters.
Brayan Bello is becoming an ace right before our eyes. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.27 ERA, .247 BAA, and 1.27 WHIP in 66 innings. He's struck out 62 batters and walked 21. Bello had a rough first outing of the season, and his second time around wasn't great either. Since then, he's become one of the most consistently dominant pitchers in baseball.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Ceddanne Rafaela was promoted to Triple-A on Sunday. The right-handed hitting centerfielder/shortstop slashed .294/.332/.441 with 18 doubles and six home runs in Double-A. He drove in 37 runs, scored 40 more, and stole 30 bases. Rafaela's a gold glove defender with elite bat-to-ball skills. The only issue has been his pitch selection, but everything else has been so good it's impossible to ignore him. This was a very deserved promotion.
Corey Rosier was also promoted to Triple-A, although the assumption is that it won't be a permanent stay. The left-handed hitting outfielder is 1-for-6 with two walks and two runs scored in three games for Worcester. He's already shown off his arm, and if he sticks around, you'll see some steals. He has 26 in Double-A this year.
Max Ferguson jumped all the way up from High-A to Triple-A. This one definitely won't be permanent, though. The left-handed hitting outfielder/middle infielder was brought up for the depth. He went 0-for-2 in Triple-A in one game this week. Fergie has had a solid year in High-A. This was good exposure for him.
Nick Sogard hit his second home run of the season this week. The switch-hitting utility is slashing .296/.393/.389 with 11 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 35 more, and stolen 11 bases.
Stephen Scott had a big day on Sunday that included a home run and four RBI. The left-handed hitting catcher is slashing .250/.378/.536 with two doubles and two home runs in 10 games for Worcester. He's driven in 12 runs, scored five more, and walked as many times (7) as he's struck out (7).
Wilyer Abreu returned from injury and is still making a difference. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .263/.375/.463 with six doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. He's driven in 28 runs, scored 32 more, and stolen three bases. Abreu also found out he was having a baby boy in a gender reveal at Polar Park. Congrats.
Ronaldo Hernandez has been on a ridiculous tear. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .259/.351/.483 with five doubles and nine home runs. He's driven in 38 runs and scored 22 more. Hernandez is slashing .333/.430/.587 with 22 RBI in June.
Shane Drohan tossed four scoreless innings on Sunday before leaving the game early. Since the panic, it's been revealed that it was cramping. We can all relax. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.31 ERA, .204 BAA, and 1.23 WHIP in 73 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He's struck out 69 batters and walked 36. Drohan's settled down nicely in Triple-A.
Ryan Fernandez continues to sky-rocket his stock. The right-handed reliever was called up to Triple-A last week, and he hasn't skipped a beat. Fernandez has tossed three shutout innings for Worcester, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out four.
Brendan Nail keeps showing how versatile he can be. The lefty has made five starts this year. And this week, he picked up his second save of the season and his first in Triple-A. Nail has a 1.70 ERA, .178 BAA, and 0.97 WHIP in 37 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He's struck out 39 batters and walked 13.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Hunter Dobbins made his Double-A debut this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out five batters and walked three. Dobbins won his Double-A debut to continue a pretty bonkers start to the year he had in High-A. He's one of the pitchers in the system that could fly up rankings.
Isaac Coffey also made his Double-A debut this week, but it didn't go as well as it did for Dobbins. The righty allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over two innings. He did strike out three batters, though. Coffey was on an incredible run in High-A that included 83 strikeouts compared to 10 walks in 60 1/3 innings. He'll be fine. Let him adjust.
Brian Van Belle might be closing in on a promotion of his own. The righty twirled another gem this week, allowing one run on five hits over six innings. BVB struck out eight batters without walking any. He has a 2.61 ERA, .236 BAA, and 1.14 WHIP in 76 innings. Van Belle has 65 strikeouts compared to just 22 walks.
Dylan Spacke has been fantastic over the last eight days. Since last Sunday, the right-handed reliever has tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six batters. Spacke is down to a 2.91 ERA, .218 BAA, and 1.35 WHIP in 34 innings. He's struck out 24 batters and walked 20.
Luis Guerrero has a 1.23 ERA, .152 BAA, and 1.13 WHIP in 29 1/3 innings. He's struck out 27 batters compared to 18 walks. The righty reliever has 12 saves in 14 opportunities this season, to go along with a 3-1 record.
Christopher Troye had some issues after being promoted to Double-A, but he's clearly figured things out. The right-handed reliever has tossed six shutout innings over his last four appearances. He has allowed three hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters in that time. Troye has a 3.29 ERA, .158 BAA, and 1.32 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 52 batters and walked 20.
Marcelo Mayer is showing signs of turning things around in Double-A. The left-handed hitting shortstop hit homers in back-to-back games this week and had another game with two hits and a walk. Mayer is slashing .250/.327/.487 with 15 doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs between High-A and Double-A. He's driven in 47 runs, scored 34 more, and stolen eight bases.
Alex Binelas has been one of the hottest hitters in the system this June. The left-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .219/.274/.444 with 11 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 18 more, and stolen two bases. Binelas is slashing .325/.357/.725 in June.
Nathan Hickey is slashing .285/.375/.533 with nine doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in 29 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen two bases. Hickey not letting Double-A phase him has been a very welcome sign.
Elih Marrero served a one-game suspension for a little disagreement after a game with the other team. The switch-hitting catcher seems to have had a fire lit under him since then. Marrero is slashing .250/.400/.304 with three doubles. He's driven in three runs, scored 10 more, and stolen five bases. Marrero had his first three-hit game of the year this week.
Nick Yorke is slashing .286/.377/.475 with 12 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. The right-handed hitting second baseman has driven in 33 runs, scored 47 more, and stolen six bases. Yorke continues to play fantastic defense at second base.
Chase Meidroth hasn't stopped getting on base. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .309/.453/.445 with eight doubles and six home runs between High-A and Double-A. He's driven in 31 runs, scored 38 more, and stolen eight bases. Meidroth even played shortstop on Sunday.
Phillip Sikes is slashing .241/.320/.361 with 13 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 23 runs, scored 36 more, and stolen 27 bases. He hit his third homer of the season this week, and with Rafaela in Triple-A, we could see more of Sikes at the top of the order again.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
The Roman Anthony hype train isn't slowing down any time soon. Anthony is crushing High-A. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .268/.388/.634 with three doubles and four home runs in 11 games for Greenville. He's driven in nine runs, scored 11 more, and stolen one base.
Blaze Jordan's promotion to Double-A feels like it's right around the corner, especially with Rafaela being promoted to Triple-A. It may have already happened by the time you're reading this. Jordan is slashing .328/.386/.538 with 20 doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs. The right-handed hitting corner infielder has driven in 47 runs, scored 40 more, and stolen one base.
Brainer Bonaci enjoyed a monster game this week that saw him pick up a double and two home runs. The switch-hitting shortstop is slashing .323/.379/.526 with 10 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He's driven in 22 runs, scored 16 more, and stolen five bases.
Eddinson Paulino also had a double and two home runs in that game. The left-handed hitting utility is slashing .235/.306/.391 with 14 doubles, four triples, and five home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 40 more, and stolen 15 bases.
Alex Erro hit his second home run of the season and keeps raising his batting average. The switch-hitting catcher is slashing .293/.378/.388 with five doubles and two home runs. He's driven in 16 runs, scored 21 more, and stolen six bases.
Wikelman Gonzalez allowed one run on four hits in five innings this week. He struck out 10 batters and only walked one. The right-handed starter has a 4.99 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.47 WHIP in 52 1/3 innings. He's struck out 87 batters and walked 37. That's an incredible turnaround from the beginning of his 2023 season.
Bradley Blalock made his High-A debut this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked two batters and struck out six. Blalock dominated in Single-A and has had a long journey back following Tommy John surgery. Give him time to adjust.
Juan Daniel Encarnacion is having a strong month of June. He's allowed three earned runs over 16 innings in three starts. The righty has a 4.92 ERA, .229 BAA, and 1.34 WHIP in 56 2/3 innings. He's struck out 56 batters and walked 27.
Angel Bastardo has a 4.38 ERA, .217 BAA, and 1.30 WHIP in 63 2/3 innings. He's struck out 83 batters and walked 31. Bastardo's struggled at points in his last two starts but always ends up putting together a decent line and giving his team a chance to win.
Red Sox Single-A (Salem)
Yordanny Monegro just had one of the greatest debuts I have ever seen. The right-handed pitcher made his Single-A debut on Sunday and tossed five shutout innings. In that game, he allowed two hits and no walks while striking out 11 batters. Monegro had a changeup and slider that he used rarely. The stars were a fastball (that was reaching 97 MPH) and a curveball that he was consistently burying in the dirt and getting swinging strike threes on.
Luis Perales is starting to have some real fun in Single-A. The righty allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings this week. He struck out six batters and walked one. Perales has a 3.95 ERA, .217 BAA, and 1.32 WHIP in 43 1/3 innings. He's struck out 55 batters and walked 22.
Luis De La Rosa made one appearance this week, and he struck out all three batters he faced in his lone inning. The right-handed reliever has a 3.82 ERA, .215 BAA, and 1.33 WHIP. He's struck out 39 batters and walked 19 in 35 1/3 innings.
Gabriel Jackson hasn't allowed an earned run over his last four outings (nine innings). The righty reliever has a 3.11 ERA, .283 BAA, and 1.38 WHIP in 37 2/3 innings. He's only struck out 21 batters but has walked just 11. Seven of his strikeouts have come over his last two appearances (5 2/3 innings).
Nathanael Cruz tossed two more scoreless innings this week. The right-handed reliever has a 2.08 ERA, .153 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP in 17 1/3 innings. He has struck out 18 batters and walked 11.
Caleb Bolden has a 3.66 ERA, .200 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP in 32 innings. The righty reliever has dominated hitters with 51 strikeouts compared to 16 walks.
Allan Castro has really turned things around again. The switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .243/.366/.381 with 17 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 34 more, and stolen 12 bases. Castro is slashing .281/.397/.453 this June. He hit his first home run since May 14 this week.
Cutter Coffey's bat has arrived. The right-handed hitting shortstop is up to a .222/.351/.343 slash line with 11 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He's driven in 23 runs, scored 31 more, and stolen 12 bases. Coffey hit another home run this week and has all three of his homers in June.
Ahbram Liendo is slashing .191/.348/.262 with eight doubles, one triple, and one home run. The switch-hitting second baseman has driven in 15 runs, scored 35 more, and stolen 28 bases.
Enderso Lira is slashing .270/.286/.360 with five doubles and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 16 runs and scored seven more. Lira's defense continues to be the star, though. He was great for Monegro's debut, as he was able to keep those curveballs in the dirt in front of him and help with some strikeouts.
Yorberto Mejicano is slashing .280/.361/.387 with five doubles, one triple, and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman has driven in nine runs, scored 16 more, and stolen four bases.
Juan Chacon has slumped a little bit but is still having a great season. The right-handed hitting outfielder holds a .244/.358/.332 slash line with five doubles and six triples. He's driven in 14 runs, scored 22 more, and stolen 20 bases.
Alexis Hernandez is slashing .318/.444/.591 with three doubles and one home run. He's driven in six runs, scored five more, and stolen four bases. Hernandez hit his first Single-A home run this week.
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