Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Introducing Juan Chacon

Juan Chacon headlines this week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch

The Boston Red Sox prospect watch got a nice boost this week as some of the top prospects in the system enjoyed breakout performances. No one was able to outshine Single-A outfielder Juan Chacon, though.

Chacon's big week featured multiple defensive gems, with plenty of offense. We'll get to him in a later slide, though. We're talking about the prospects at the Major League level right now.

The Red Sox have gotten hot. They're now 12-11 and are getting some serious contributions from a lot of the younger talent.

Masataka Yoshida has been quietly breaking out over the last few days. He entered Sunday working on a three-game hitting streak. Starting the game 0-for-2, Yoshida got two at-bats in the eighth inning. The left-handed hitter smoked two homers (including a grand slam). Yoshida's now slashing .231/.329/.400 with two doubles and three home runs. The outfielder has driven in 15 runs, scored 11 more, and stolen two bases.

Jarren Duran appears to have arrived. The left-handed hitter is slashing .391/.429/.565 with four doubles in the Majors this season. He's driven in six runs, scored four more, and stolen two bases. It's a small sample size (seven games), but it's hard not to be encouraged by what the outfielder has shown this season.

Triston Casas is slashing .129/.276/.274 with three doubles and two home runs. He's driven in seven runs and scored nine more. The left-handed hitter has been known to start slow before. It's understandable if you're discouraged, but he's shown plenty of positives that have you thinking it's just a weak spell.

Connor Wong holds a .191/.255/.277 slash line with four doubles so far. The right-handed hitter has driven in six runs and scored six more. He's been phenomenal defensively behind the plate, adding extra value there.

Josh Winckowski continues to be a stud out of the bullpen. The right-handed pitcher has a 1.65 ERA, .186 BAA, and 0.92 WHIP over 16 1/3 innings of work. Winckowski has 15 strikeouts compared to just four walks and has only allowed one home run. His starting background means he can eat innings out of the bullpen.

Brayan Bello struggled in his first start but looked much better in start number two. There's still plenty for him to work on, but the improvements are there. The righty has allowed eight runs over 7 1/3 innings so far. He's walked three batters but has struck out eight.

Kutter Crawford has been phenomenal since his first start of the year. This week saw the righty make two appearances out of the bullpen. The first was 6 1/3 shutout innings, striking out five while allowing just one hit and no walks. His second outing saw Crawford throw two more shutout innings, walking none and allowing one hit while striking out two. Crawford's down to a 3.98 ERA, .215 BAA, and 0.93 WHIP over 20 1/3 innings this season.

Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)

David Hamilton continues to be unreal in Triple-A. The left-handed hitter is slashing .338/.397/.600 with three doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He's driven in 10 runs, scored 13 more, and stolen 11 bases. Hamilton's a great defensive second baseman who can hold his own at shortstop. He's knocking on the Major League door.

Enmanuel Valdez burst through that door this week for a game. Valdez went 2-for-4 in his first MLB debut with the Red Sox before being sent back to Triple-A. The left-handed hitter is slashing .184/.298/.347 with three doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in seven runs, scored five more, and stolen one base.

Wilyer Abreu is getting a little more comfortable. The left-handed hitter holds a .152/.300/.242 slash line with one home run in nine games. Abreu has three RBI, six runs scored, and one steal on the year. He missed the start of the season due to injury and made the jump from Double-A to Triple-A, so a slow start isn't worrying.

Ryan Fitzgerald is slashing .302/.380/.465 with four doubles and one home run. The left-handed hitter has driven in eight runs, scored five more, and stolen two bases. Fitzy gives you a lot of defensive versatility and has proven to be a dangerous bat.

Chris Murphy had that big start that he desperately needed. The lefty gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings of work, striking out five batters. Murph saw his ERA drop to 10.45, his BAA fall to .383, and his WHIP lower to 2.52. There's still work to do, but this was a massive step in the right direction.

Bryan Mata had an encouraging start and a rough start this week. The right-handed pitcher continues to struggle with his command, leading to issues. He has a 6.91 ERA, .273 BAA, and 2.09 WHIP with 15 strikeouts compared to 15 walks in 14 1/3 innings.

Brandon Walter had two solid starts this week. The left-handed pitcher threw 10 innings in those two games. He gave up four earned runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out seven batters. Walter hasn't looked as sharp this year, but he's still very early into his Triple-A career. Don't forget he's coming off an injury. There's a lot to like.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Red Sox fans should be excited. Shane Drohan is now 3-0 as he continues to dominate. The left-handed pitcher gave up one run on five hits and two walks over six innings. He also set a season-high with eight strikeouts. That one run was the first he allowed all year. Drohan now has a 0.53 ERA, .186 BAA, and 0.82 WHIP over 17 innings.

Brian Van Belle allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks over five innings. The righty only picked up two strikeouts, but once again, Van Belle was effectively efficient. BVB has a 0.82 ERA, .167 BAA, and 0.82 WHIP over 11 innings.

Sterling Sharp made two starts this week. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and four walks in 12 innings while striking out six batters. Sharp has a 1.00 ERA, .133 BAA, and 0.67 WHIP over 18 innings this season.

Brendan Nail has yet to allow a run in 7 1/3 innings. The lefty reliever has given up only three hits and three walks while racking up nine strikeouts. He has a save and a win this year.

Luis Guerrero has given up one run in six innings this season. The right-handed reliever is four-for-four when it comes to save opportunities this year. He's walked five batters but has only allowed three hits and has picked up six strikeouts.

Theo Denlinger has a 1.29 ERA, .160 BAA, and 0.71 WHIP over seven innings this year. The righty reliever has been dominating batters all year, racking up 10 strikeouts compared to just one walk.

Jacob Webb has already thrown 8 1/3 innings over five appearances this season. The right-handed reliever has a 2.16 ERA, .194 BAA, and 1.34 WHIP, with 11 strikeouts already.

Nick Yorke's .227 batting average may not excite a lot of people. However, the right-handed hitter has a .414 OBP and a .432 slugging percentage. Yorke's walked as many times (12) as he's struck out. Meanwhile, the second baseman has three doubles and two home runs. Yorke's driven in two runs and scored 13 more.

Matthew Lugo's been an extra-base machine. The right-handed hitter is slashing .267/.283/.489 with seven doubles and one home run. Lugo's driven in 10 runs, scored seven more and stolen two bases. It's great to see him looking comfortable at third base, too.

Ceddanne Rafaela's numbers keep creeping up. The right-handed hitter is slashing .264/.304/.321 with three doubles. He's driven in seven runs, scored eight more, and stolen five bases. Rafaela's getting most of his time in center field but is still appearing at shortstop. Either way, the defense plays.

Phillip Sikes has been a consistent bat for Portland in the leadoff spot. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a .267/.377/.444 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in three runs, scored seven more, and stolen five bases.

Corey Rosier holds a .353/.405/.441 slash line with three doubles. The left-handed hitter has driven in five runs, scored four more, and stolen eight bases in nine attempts. Rosier's also flashed the leather in the outfield quite a few times.

Niko Kavadas doesn't have a home run yet, but he's made some great contact. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .195/.370/.220 with one double. He's driven in three runs, scored three more, stolen one base, and walked 11 times.

Stephen Scott is slashing .205/.326/.308 with two doubles and one triple. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in four runs, scored seven more, and stolen one base. Scott's had slow starts before, so this is nothing to worry about.

Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

There's a clear main attraction in Single-A right now. We're talking about my BOY Juan Chacon. The right-handed hitter is slashing .270/.451/.459 with one double and three triples. He's driven in eight runs, scored eight more, and stolen six bases. Chacon has more walks (11) than strikeouts (10). He's also made countless insane plays in the outfield (I post them all on my Twitter @hunter_noll if you want to see someone geek out over minor league baseball). Chacon has been a stud. He's riding a five-game hitting streak and gives you plenty of electric celebrations. The man is 100% fun.

Miguel Bleis is the actual attraction that will have mainstream fans tuning in. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .279/.318/.344 with two doubles and one triple. He's driven in seven runs, scored 12 more, and stolen five bases. Bleis has shown great patience at the plate. It's led to some strikeouts because he likes to take close pitches in two-strike counts, and the ump doesn't always agree with him. A lot of loud outs have gone against him as well. It's scary to think this is the "unlucky" version of Bleis at the plate.

Cutter Coffey was a hero this week with a walk-off single. The right-handed hitting shortstop is slashing .250/.412/.300 with two doubles. He's driven in three runs, scored six more, and stolen two bases. Coffey has more walks (10) than strikeouts (9).

Roman Anthony holds a .245/.400/.306 slash line with three doubles. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in five runs and scored eight more, stealing five bases. He's walked more times (13) than he's struck out (12).

Luis Ravelo is slashing .271/.368/.313 with two doubles. He's driven in five runs, scored 10 more, and stolen two bases. Ravelo teasing a good bat has been great to see as he flashes the leather all around the infield.

Yorberto Mejicano is slashing .357/.438/.643 with four doubles in just 14 at-bats. The right-handed hitting catcher and first baseman has driven in three runs and scored three more.

Allan Castro is slashing .236/.333/.364 with four doubles and one home run. The switch-hitting outfielder has driven in 10 runs, scored 10 more, and stolen four bases. Castro has already had both hot and cold streaks. It's important to remember he's 19.

Lyonell James is slashing .244/.333/.293 with two doubles. The right-handed hitter has driven in 10 runs, scored eight more, and stolen two bases. He's played third base and first base this year but looks much better at first.

Ahbram Liendo holds a .217/.377/.238 slash line with one double. The switch-hitting infielder has driven in three runs, scored seven more, and stolen five bases. He's already drawn 11 walks as well.

Albert Feliz is slashing .286/.429/.333 with one double. The right-handed hitting outfielder has six runs driven in and two runs scored in seven games.

Ronald Rosario is slashing .250/.350/.469 with four doubles and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in nine runs and scored five more.

Daniel McElveny is slashing .208/.296/.375 with one double and one home run. He's driven in three runs and scored six more. April 21 was his 20th birthday, and McElveny celebrated by going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.

Luis Perales took a step in the right direction. The right-handed pitcher threw four innings (a career-high), allowing just one earned run on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters. Perales has a 10.29 ERA, .400 BAA, and 2.86 WHIP over seven innings this season. The numbers still look bad, but this was very encouraging.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz also had a career-high in innings pitched by tossing five on Sunday. The right-handed pitcher allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four. ERC has a 1.08 ERA, .257 BAA, and 1.92 WHIP over 8 1/3 innings.

I'm going to keep saying it, Luis De La Rosa is filthy. Every time he pitches, it's entertaining. The righty reliever has a 2.61 ERA, .132 BAA, and 0.77 WHIP over 10 1/3 innings. He's struck out eight batters while only walking three.

Nathan Landry is dominating. The left-handed reliever has allowed no runs on four hits and two walks over 7 1/3 innings. He's struck out nine batters to pair with a .167 BAA and 0.82 WHIP.

Gabriel Jackson has a 2.45 ERA, .231 BAA, and 1.27 WHIP this season. The righty reliever has only struck out three batters in 11 innings of work, but his lack of Ks hasn't hurt his production.

Ryan Fernandez is in Single-A on a rehab assignment at the moment. There doesn't appear to be much rust. The right-handed bullpen arm has a 0.00 ERA, .100 BAA, and 0.30 WHIP in 3 1/3 innings. He's struck out six batters and walked none.

Noah Dean has a 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, and 14 walks in eight innings. The left-handed starter (they're trying to turn him into one) hasn't been all bad, though. He has barely been hit, working a .148 BAA with an impressive 16 strikeouts. Get the command under control, and the pieces are there.

Dalton Rogers has a 5.79 ERA, .167 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP this season. Early numbers can be so deceptive, though. The lefty was phenomenal in his first start but only made it through 2/3 of an inning before being pulled his second time out. He has 10 Ks through 4 2/3 innings, and there's nothing to worry about.

Jose Ramirez has a 1.13 ERA, .160 BAA, and 1.13 WHIP in eight innings. The right-handed starter has walked five batters but struck out eight. He's not the biggest name in the rotation, but he's given Salem two strong starts.

Felix Cepeda has a 1.29 ERA, .259 BAA, and 1.86 WHIP over four appearances. The right-handed reliever has walked six batters in seven innings but has struck out eight. He hasn't given up a run since his first outing of the year.

More Red Sox prospect coverage