Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Shaking off the rust
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
The David Hamilton hype train has gained an insane amount of traction recently. While the Red Sox are struggling with their middle infield, Hamilton is thriving in Triple-A. The left-handed hitter holds a .370/.420/.674 slash line with three doubles, one triple, and three home runs this season. He's driven in six runs, scored nine more, and already has seven steals. Hamilton's gaining a lot of traction as the next potential second base/shortstop.
Nick Sogard needs some love too. The switch-hitter is slashing .375/.516/.542 with four doubles this year. He's driven in two runs and scored seven more, while stealing four bases on four attempts. Sogard can play multiple positions around the infield and showed off his arm strength at third base on Sunday.
Enmanuel Valdez's numbers are still rough, but he had a major breakout game on Saturday that can hopefully get things going. The left-handed hitter is slashing .179/.289/.333 with three doubles and one home run. He's driven in six runs, scored three more, and stolen one base. The second baseman picked up three hits on Saturday. That game saw him hit a homer, a double, and a walk-off single.
Wilyer Abreu returned from the IL to make his Triple-A debut this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder is 1-for-14 with three walks and one run scored. Far too early to worry, especially for someone coming off the IL and starting at a new level.
Worcester's pitching staff has to be thrilled to get away from the Columbus Clippers. It was rough. Chris Murphy now has a 20.77 ERA, .542 BAA, and 4.38 WHIP through two starts (4 1/3 innings). The left-handed has had some insanely bad BABIP luck, but the six walks haven't helped either. He'll be fine. It's just not a fun hole to have to climb out of.
Bryan Mata's command continues to be an issue this year. He walked five batters in his first start and three more in his second. Three walks doesn't sound too bad, but Mata somehow managed to plunk four batters in that game as well. The right-handed pitcher has a 6.43 ERA, .240 BAA, and 2.00 WHIP with eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Brandon Walter was one of the few pitchers on the roster to survive Columbus. The lefty allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings, striking out five batters. Walter has a 4.40 ERA, .268 BAA, and 1.47 WHIP in 14 1/3 innings this season.
Chase Shugart gave up a run in his first relief appearance of the season, but has been clean since then. The right-handed pitcher has a 1.93 ERA, .316 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP over 4 2/3 innings this season. As you can tell by the BAA, he's given up some hits (six). Only one has been for extra bases (a double), though, and he's only walked one batter.
Taylor Broadway has already shown some flashes of his nasty stuff. The righty reliever has a 6.75 ERA, .292 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP in 5 1/3 innings. He's allowed two home runs already. Broadway has also walked just one batter and struck out eight, though.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Nick Yorke is quietly having a strong start to the 2023 season. The right-handed hitter is slashing .231/.444/.385 with one double and one home run. He's driven in one run and scored nine more while stealing one base. The second baseman has more walks (9) than strikeouts (8) on the year.
Ceddanne Rafaela took some promising steps after not drawing a walk last week. His stat line improved nicely because of those improvements. The right-handed hitter is now slashing .242/.306/.273 with one double. He's driven in five runs and scored five more while stealing four bases and walking three times. The centerfielder's defense continues to be elite.
Tyler Dearden's coming out of the gates firing. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .438/.438/.500 with one double. In only four games, Dearden has driven in seven runs and scored one more. The RBI production won't keep up this pace, but he could be in for a big year in this Portland lineup.
Phillip Sikes holds a .269/.387/.500 slash line with one double, one triple, and one home run. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in three runs, scored six runs, and stolen four bases this season.
Corey Rosier is slashing a balmy .400/.455/.500 with two doubles this year. The left-handed hitting outfielder has three RBI and two runs scored. He's also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts and has reached base in all six games he's appeared in.
Niko Kavadas is slashing .208/.412/.208 but has shown signs of getting on track. The left-handed hitting first baseman has three RBI and two runs. He's surprisingly even stolen a base. Kavadas has walked nine times and is working on a three-game hitting streak that includes six walks.
Christian Koss has cooled down, but his .250/.344/.321 slash line certainly isn't bad to start the year. The right-handed hitter has two doubles, four RBI, three runs scored, and three steals. Koss adds extra value with his ability to play multiple positions in the field.
Alex Binelas has run into a bit of a strikeout problem. The left-handed hitting third baseman is 3-for-15 on the year. All three hits have been doubles, but he's also struck out in over half of his at-bats. Eight strikeouts compared to two walks isn't a promising ratio for someone who had some K issues last year. He does have four RBI and has flashed the leather, though.
Tyler McDonough is slashing .148/.303/.259 with one home run. The switch-hitter has driven in two runs, scored four more, and stolen four bases. McDonough has brought a lot of value by appearing at multiple positions, and has already provided some defensive highlights in the outfield.
Matthew Lugo is slashing .194/.194/.290 with three doubles this season. The right-handed hitting third baseman hasn't had any issues with run production despite the low average. He's driven in eight runs, scored five more, and stolen one base.
Shane Drohan followed his great first start with another phenomenal outing this week. The left-handed pitcher tossed six shutout innings, striking out six batters. Drohan now has a 0.00 ERA, .158 BAA, 0.64 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts compared to one walk in 11 innings.
Brian Van Belle made his first start of the year and absolutely dominated. The righty gave up zero runs on three hits in six innings. He struck out four batters and walked none, needing 59 pitches to do the job.
Chih-Jung Liu bounced back this week. The right-handed pitcher tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. He's down to a 3.00 ERA, .353 BAA, and 1.89 WHIP.
Sterling Sharp allowed one run on three hits and no walks in his first start of the year. The righty went six strong innings, striking out four batters along the way.
Theo Denlinger's strong start to the year continues. The right-handed reliever has not thrown four innings out of the bullpen. He's allowed no runs on one hit and one walk, picking up six strikeouts.
Brendan Nail has thrown 3 2/3 scoreless innings so far. In fact, he's yet to even allow a hit. Nail has walked two batters but struck out seven. The lefty even has a save early on.
Luis Guerrero has made three appearances this year. The right-hander has a save in all three. He holds a 3.00 ERA, .182 BAA, and 1.67 WHIP with three strikeouts.
Rio Gomez is absolutely dominating to start the season. The left-handed pitcher has a 1.80 ERA, .063 BAA, and 0.40 WHIP over five innings. Gomez has a save to go along with eight strikeouts compared to just one walk on the year.
Skylar Arias has a 3.38 ERA, .167 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP this year. The left-handed pitcher has walked five batters compared to four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings on the season.
Ryan Miller has a 2.08 ERA in 4 1/3 innings pitched this season. The right-handed pitcher has dominated with a .071 BAA and 0.23 WHIP. He's allowed just one hit and zero walks while striking out six batters.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Marcelo Mayer's 2023 has been off to a rough start. He had a breakout game on Saturday, though. The left-handed hitter went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. While his numbers still don't look great, it was a positive sign. The shortstop is slashing .179/.303/.357 with six RBI and four runs scored.
Gilberto Jimenez needed a big season, and he's delivering early on. The switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .300/.300/.600 with three doubles and one home run. He's driven in two runs and scored four more, stealing one base. Jimenez has always had elite speed, and now he's hitting the ball hard with more consistency.
Chase Meidroth is slashing .364/.588/.545 with one double and one home run. The right-handed hitter has driven in four runs, scored six more, and stolen one base. You did read that right, by the way. Meidroth has a .588 OBP thanks to 11 walks in 34 plate appearances. The second baseman already looks too advanced for High-A.
Max Ferguson holds a .292/.414/.333 slash line with one double. The left-handed hitter has driven in two runs and scored three more. Ferguson has looked more comfortable at the plate, and the high OBP is great for someone with his speed. The second baseman/outfielder has six steals in six attempts.
Kier Meredith has only appeared in two games this year, but he's made a massive impact. The left-handed hitter is 2-for-7 with a walk, three RBI, and one run scored. He's also shown off his great baserunning with four steals in those two games.
Nick Decker is 3-for-15, but it's been a lot better than that. The left-handed hitter has one double, one triple, and one home run. He's hit the ball with power consistently. Decker has driven in one run, scored four more, and stolen one base. He's also made countless defensive plays already.
We saw the first Eddinson Paulino pimp job of the year on Sunday, so that was fun. The left-handed hitter is slashing .125/.176/.281 with a triple and a home run. He's driven in two runs, scored four more, and stole two bases. Despite the numbers, Paulino's had some great at-bats. His home run on Sunday is a good sign.
Blaze Jordan is slashing .148/.233/.185 with one double this year. He's driven in five runs and scored two more. The right-handed hitter's numbers look bad, but he's trending up. Jordan entered the week 0-for-12. The corner infielder went 4-for-15 over the last few days.
Nathan Hickey is just 4-for-17 with one double and one run this year. The left-handed hitting catcher has a .500 OBP, though, thanks to eight walks (compared to only four strikeouts).
Alex Erro has a .278/.350/.389 slash line with two doubles. The switch-hitting catcher (and utility man) has driven in two runs, scored two more, and one stolen base. He's not known as a power bat, but Erro has been hitting the ball hard all year.
Juan Daniel Encarnacion made two starts this week. Outside of one inning, he looked great the entire time. The right-handed pitcher has a 5.79 ERA over 9 1/3 innings, but the rest of his numbers are impressive. Encarnacion has a .182 BAA, 1.18 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts this season.
Wikelman Gonzalez is having some major command issues. The righty has allowed seven free passes in 5 1/3 innings this season. That led to a high ERA (4.76) and WHIP (1.76). However, Gonzalez does have a phenomenal .150 BAA and nine strikeouts.
Isaac Coffey's first High-A start went well. The right-handed pitcher allowed two runs on six hits over five innings of work. Coffey struck out five batters while only walking one.
Jaret Godman has a 2.25 ERA, .154 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP in four appearances this year. The righty reliever has six strikeouts and has already picked up two saves.
Casey Cobb has a 1.59 ERA, .150 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP through 5 2/3 innings. The right-handed reliever has seven saves compared to three walks and has one hold this season.
Aaron Perry has thrown three innings this season. The righty has allowed one run on two hits and two walks (compared to five strikeouts) in that time. Perry has managed to pick up two holds.
Christopher Troye has a 1.80 ERA, .167 BAA, and 1.40 WHIP over five innings this season. The right-handed pitcher has already racked up 11 strikeouts compared to four walks, helping him collect two holds.
Graham Hoffman has allowed one run on two hits in two innings this year. The righty has yet to walk anyone, and five of his six outs have come via the K.
Nate Tellier has four walks through 2 2/3 innings. That's a bit of an issue, and it factored into the run he's given up this year. The right-hander has limited the damage thanks to five strikeouts, though.
Red Sox Single-A (Salem)
Miguel Bleis started his Single-A career with a seven-game hitting streak. The outfielder has slumped a bit in the last two games, but you can't complain about his production. Bleis is slashing .289/.349/.368 with one double and one triple. The right-handed hitter has five runs batter in, six runs scored, and two steals. He's doing everything right.
Roman Anthony is slashing .267/.385/.333 with two doubles. The left-handed hitter has driven in five runs, scored six more, and stolen three bases. Anthony has shown he's more than "just a power bat" so far. As for the outfielder's lack of power, don't take home run shortages too seriously in Single-A. Salem is not a home-run-friendly park. Neither is Carolina (where they played this week).
Cutter Coffey has a .263/.500/.368 slash line with two doubles this year. The right-handed hitter has driven in one run and scored two more while stealing one base. Coffey has looked solid defensively and already has eight walks compared to five strikeouts. It's also important to remember that he's only 18.
Allan Castro started hot but has cooled off considerably. This isn't surprising, though. The outfielder is a raw prospect; he'll be fine. Castro is slashing .212/.333/.364 with two doubles and one home run. He's driven in nine runs, scored five more, and stolen three bases.
Ahbram Liendo has been one of the more fun prospects to watch this season. The switch-hitter is slashing .217/.419/.217 with one RBI and five runs scored. Liendo has gotten on base thanks to eight walks (compared to seven strikeouts). That's helped him steal five bases already. His defense in the infield has been great too.
Daniel McElveny has a .286/.375/.500 slash line with one home run. The right-handed hitter has driven in one run and scored five more. McElveny is a 19-year-old catcher with good athleticism. If he can flash some power this year that would boost his ranking.
Luis Ravelo is slashing .276/.417/.345 with two doubles. The switch-hitting shortstop has driven in three runs and scored six more. He's stolen one base and flashed some sneaky power. The elite defensive potential certainly doesn't hurt, either.
Ronald Rosario has a .263/.318/.526 with two doubles and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in six runs and scored three more. It's a small sample size, but Rosario's bat has been a pleasant surprise.
Yorberto Mejicano is just 2-for-9 through three games this year. Both hits from the right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman have been two-baggers, though. Mejicano has driven in two runs and scored one more.
Jedixson Paez made his first Single-A start this week. The 19-year-old righty allowed one run on two hits over four innings. He struck out four batters while only walking one. Jedi mind tricks were on display.
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz had a weird start on Sunday. The right-handed pitcher allowed seven runs in 1/3 of an inning. None of those runs were earned, though. The defense had a miserable time behind him. Due to that, Rodriguez-Cruz has only pitched 3 1/3 innings in two starts this year. He has a 0.00 ERA but has walked five batters compared to two strikeouts. ERC will be fine; it's early.
Nathan Landry is SHOVING out of the bullpen. The lefty reliever has a 0.00 ERA, .133 BAA, and 0.64 WHIP in 4 2/3 innings. Landry has racked up five strikeouts compared to one walk.
Luis Perales improved from start one to start two. It still wasn't great, but a step in the right direction is encouraging. The right-handed starter has allowed seven runs on eight hits and five walks over three innings. He's managed five strikeouts, but he needs to work on his command. Every at-bat seems like hard work.
Luis De La Rosa is fun. The righty reliever has a 3.38 ERA, .143 BAA, and 0.75 WHIP through 5 1/3 innings this season. He's only walked one batter while striking out six. De La Rosa has a lot of swing-and-miss stuff that makes him a constant show on the mound.
The first Single-A start for Dalton Rogers was a gem. He went four innings, giving up one unearned run on one hit. The left-handed pitcher struck out eight batters and walked two.
Jose Ramirez threw four shutout innings in his first start of the season. The righty allowed just one hit and two walks. He did hit one batter as well but also struck out six.
Gabriel Jackson has already tossed eight innings in three appearances this season. The right-handed hitter has a 2.25 ERA, .222 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP in that time. He only has two strikeouts, but that hasn't stopped Jackson from putting up good numbers.
Caleb Bolden has made three appearances out of the bullpen in 2023. The righty has a 1.29 ERA, .053 BAA, and 0.57 WHIP in that time. Bolden has already racked up 12 strikeouts compared to three walks in seven innings.
Noah Dean has struggled with his command. In 5 1/3 innings, the left-handed pitcher has nine walks. This has led to a high ERA (5.06) and WHIP (2.06). However, he has only allowed two hits (.118 BAA) and does have nine strikeouts.
Brock Bell hasn't pitched since 2019. He's now appeared in three games this season, though. Bell has a 3.60 ERA, .176 BAA, and 0.80 WHIP in that time. The righty has five strikeouts in five innings and picked up his first career win.