Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Marcelo Mayer leads pack of promotions

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Marcelo Mayer was promoted to Double-A at the start of the week. The right-handed hitting shortstop went hitless in his first four games, but there were plenty of positives. He was producing good at-bats, missed a home run by a foot, and was making all the plays on defense. Then on the final game of the week, Mayer went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and two stolen bases.

Ceddanne Rafaela's riding a 10-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting centerfielder is slashing .274/.313/.403 with 12 doubles and four home runs. He's driven in 31 runs, scored 31 more, and stolen 22 bases. Rafaela made several fantastic plays in the field this week, including lasering a guy at first base and robbing a home run.

Nick Yorke consistently puts good wood on the baseball. The right-handed hitting second baseman is slashing .292/.408/.476 with seven doubles, three triples, and six home runs. He's driven in 19 runs, scored 38 more, and stolen six bases. Yorke's an underrated defender, and his bat is back to being elite.

Elih Marrero returned after nearly a month off. In his first game back, the catcher threw out three-of-four baserunners. It should've been all four, but the ump made a questionable call (which led to a Yorke ejection). Marrero is slashing .229/.426/.314 with three doubles. He's driven in one run, scored five more, and stolen three bases. Marrero's the best defensive catcher in the system, and his athleticism makes him intriguing.

Nathan Hickey went 3-for-4 in his lone game this week. The catcher was abused by foul balls in that game, and I'm assuming that's what ended up landing him on the IL. Hickey is slashing .293/.380/.553 with nine doubles, one triple, and seven home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitter has driven in 19 runs and scored 20 more.

Niko Kavadas is slashing .230/.406/.453 with four doubles and nine home runs. The left-handed hitting first baseman has driven in 28 runs, scored 20 more, and stolen one base. Kavadas has had strikeout issues, but he draws walks, and when he connects, the ball tends to never land.

Corey Rosier holds a .307/.371/.441 slash line with seven doubles, two triples, and two home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 14 runs, scored 24 more, and stolen 23 bases. Rosier also robbed a home run this week, showcasing his defensive talents.

Phillip Sikes is on a short three-game hitting streak and has a hit in six-of-his-last-seven games. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a .238/.319/.356 slash line with 11 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He's driven in 17 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen 20 bases.

Chase Meidroth continues to get on base. The right-handed hitting third baseman/second baseman is slashing .314/.463/.423 with six doubles and three home runs between High-A and Double-A. Meidroth has driven in 23 runs, scored 27 more, and stolen six bases. He's walked more times (34) than he's struck out (32).

Brian Van Belle gave up four runs on five hits in his lone start this week. He did manage seven innings, though. Van Belle will always give his team a chance to win. This week he did it by only walking one batter while striking out three. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.12 ERA, .229 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP in 52 innings. BVB has 41 strikeouts compared to 17 walks.

CJ Liu gave up two early home runs and labored in his only outing. However, the righty ended up giving up just two runs over four innings of work. Liu has a 3.97 ERA, .238 BAA, and 1.36 WHIP in 47 2/3 innings. He's struck out 54 batters compared to 24 walks.

Sterling Sharp hasn't gotten to pitch much over the last month. He made only his third appearance since the start of May. The right-handed pitcher tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three. Sharp has a 3.12 ERA, .230 BAA, and 1.18 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings. He's only struck out 19 batters but has limited the walks to 12.

Grant Gambrell made two starts this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed three runs (two earned) over 11 innings. He has a 1.66 ERA, .145 BAA, and 0.92 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings in Double-A. Gambrell has struck out 18 batters and walked nine in that time.

Ryan Fernandez sure can throw some disgusting stuff. The righty reliever has a 1.93 ERA, .197 BAA, and 1.02 WHIP in 18 2/3 innings between Single-A and Double-A. Fernandez has struck out 23 batters compared to six walks.

Seeing Luis Guerrero live is a different beast. He struggles with command, but his pitches are MOVING. I'm shocked he doesn't pick up more strikeouts. The right-handed reliever tossed three shutout innings over two appearances, picking up two saves. Guerrero has a 1.19 ERA, .137 BAA, and 1.15 WHIP over 22 2/3 innings. He's struck out 14 batters and walked 16.

Brendan Nail had an incredible performance this week. After a rough stretch that saw Portland's starter get taken out in the first inning, Nail gave them a chance to win. The left-handed pitcher tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one run and no walks while striking out three batters. Nail has a 0.99 ERA, .161 BAA, and 0.91 WHIP over 27 1/3 innings. He's struck out 26 batters compared to 10 walks.

Jacob Webb threw four shutout innings over two appearances this week. The righty reliever has a 3.42 ERA, .183 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP in 26 1/3 innings. He's struck out 25 batters and walked 12. Webb has five holds and an impressive 6-1 record.

Christopher Troye was promoted to Double-A with Mayer. The right-handed reliever allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings over two appearances. He walked five batters, which was the main issue. Troye dominated High-A, and Double-A is a big adjustment. Give him time to figure things out, and he'll be fine.

Joe Jones has allowed one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings in Double-A. the righty reliever has a 3.60 ERA, .250 BAA, and 1.30 WHIP in 20 innings between High-A and Double-A. He's struck out 24 batters and walked seven.