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

Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

Luis Perales struggled this week. That's okay, though. He had put together a nice string of strong starts. The 20-year-old is allowed to make a bad start every once in a while. He's bounced back nicely from a terrible start, so this shouldn't worry anyone. The right-handed pitcher has a 5.74 ERA, .283 BAA, and 1.88 WHIP. He's struck out 35 batters and walked 20 in 26 2/3 innings.

Noah Dean had his best start of the season this week. The left-handed pitcher tossed five scoreless innings on just three hits. Crucially, he didn't walk anyone for the first time this year. Dean also struck out a career-high seven batters. He has a 5.40 ERA, .222 BAA, and 1.76 WHIP with 34 strikeouts compared to 23 walks in 23 1/3 innings.

Jose Ramirez had three more scoreless innings this week. The right-handed pitcher has a 1.19 ERA, .159 BAA, and 0.93 WHIP in 37 2/3 innings. He's struck out 34 batters compared to 15 walks. Ramirez has been one of the most consistent pitchers in Boston's system.

We saw the best start of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz's career this week. The right-handed pitcher tossed a career-high six innings. He didn't allow a run on three hits and one walk while striking out six batters. ERC has a 2.16 ERA, .231 BAA, and 1.38 WHIP. He's struck out 29 batters and walked 18 in 33 1/3 innings.

Bradley Blalock has made two strong starts to begin his season. The righty has allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over eight innings of work. He's struck out 10 batters over those two starts.

Jedixson Paez set a career-high with five innings this week. The right-handed pitcher has made back-to-back strong starts. Paez has a 5.70 ERA, .245 BAA, and 1.18 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings. He's struck out 22 batters and only walked five.

Felix Cepeda made two appearances this week, combining for two runs (one earned) over four innings. Most importantly, he has now made three straight outings without allowing a walk. Cepeda has a 1.69 ERA, .205 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP over 21 1/3 innings. He's struck out 23 batters and walked 16.

Roman Anthony holds a .239/.398/.341 with nine doubles, one triple, and one home run. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 18 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen 11 bases. Anthony has an impressive 37 walks compared to just 30 strikeouts.

Luis Ravelo is slashing .269/.368/.378 with eight doubles and three home runs. The switch-hitting shortstop has driven in 25 runs, scored 23 more, and stolen six bases.

Allan Castro has gotten back on track in recent weeks. The switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .223/.348/.337 with 11 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Castro's driven in 19 runs, scored 27 more and stolen 12 bases.

Jhostynxon Garcia (pronounced Yos-TIN-son) was promoted to Single-A after Miguel Bleis landed on the IL. The right-handed hitting outfielder is 3-for-13 with one walk in four games. He's driven in two runs and scored one more.

Juan Chacon holds a .282/.421/.397 with five doubles and five triples. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 11 runs, scored 17 more, and stolen 17 bases. Chacon has a four-game hitting streak but hasn't played since June 1.

Ahbram Liendo is slashing .179/.357/.246 with four doubles, one triple, and one home run. The switch-hitting second baseman has driven in 13 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen 24 bases. Liendo's a great defender, and even with the low average, the 19-year-old manages to get on base and steal plenty of bags.

Yorberto Mejicano holds a .293/.368/.427 slash line with five doubles, one triple, and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman has driven in eight runs, scored 12 more, and stolen three bases. Mejicano has slumped a bit but is still managing to produce well.

Cutter Coffey is slashing .191/.343/.257 with seven doubles and one triple. The right-handed hitting shortstop has driven in 14 runs, scored 20 more, and stolen 11 bases. Coffey keeps showing signs of breaking out, including going 1-for-3 with two walks and a triple on Sunday.

Enderso Lira's bat continues to be one of the best surprises this season. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .313/.340/.354 with two doubles. He's driven in eight runs and scored two more. Lira's a defensive-minded catcher, so signs of offensive potential shining through are a major positive.

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