Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Shaking off the rust

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.