Boston Red Sox prospect watch: The 2023 MiLB season has begun

Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

Salem's going to be the Garcia brothers' show for a bit (until one or both are promoted to High-A). Just enjoy the show for now, though.

Johanfran Garcia is the younger brother and the more hyped-up prospect. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .346/.433/.654 with two doubles and two home runs. He's driven in four runs and scored five more.

Jhostynxon Garcia is the older brother and is clearly out to prove he's not about to be overshadowed. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .333/.394/.633 with three doubles and two home runs. He's driven in seven runs, scored nine more, and stolen six bases (in six attempts).

Miguel Bleis is healthy, and wow, it's fun. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .200/.368/.300 with one double and one triple. He's driven in five runs, scored five more, and stolen six bases. In 142 plate appearances last season, Bleis drew 10 walks. He's already taken seven free passes in 38 plate appearances this year.

Andy Lugo has quickly become one of my favorite prospects to watch. The right-handed hitting utility is slashing .333/.417/.429 with two doubles. He's driven in one run, scored five more, and stolen four bases. Lugo's already appeared in games at second and third base this season, and he's played in the outfield in the past.

Natanael Yuten took a few games to get his first hit, but he got going in a hurry. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .258/.343/.419 with one triple and one home run. He's driven in four runs and scored three more.

Nelly Taylor is slashing .233/.333/.267 with one double. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in four runs, scored four more, and stolen three bases. Taylor was an 11th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Stanley Tucker is slashing .240/.321/.360 with one double and one triple. The right-handed hitting utility has driven in two runs, scored one more, and stolen two bases. Tucker was a 19th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Big Al is here to hit home runs and own a toy barn to save you a buck buck buck (if you don't get the Toy Story 2 reference you're invited to leave). Albert Feliz is just 4-for-32 to start the season but already has one mammoth home run. Expect to see some fireworks from him, even in Salem's pitcher-friendly ballpark. We also saw a shutout inning on the mound from Feliz (who has now pitched one time in each of the last four seasons).

Noah Dean flashed brilliance at times last season, but overall his command let him down. That's why his first start of 2024 was so important. How would he set the tone? Four shutout innings sound? Not only were they scoreless, but Dean didn't allow a hit and only walked two batters. Meanwhile, he struck out six.

Jedixson Paez allowed two runs (one earned on eight hits over four innings in his lone start this season. The right-handed pitcher struck out five batters and (in typical Jedi fashion) didn't walk anyone. Paez has a chance to be one of the biggest risers in the system this season, especially if he can add some velocity.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz struggled in his first start of the season but was back to form in start number two. After allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks (four strikeouts), ERC tossed four shutout innings a few days later. The right-handed pitcher surrendered two hits and one walk while striking out seven. He spent all of 2023 in Single-A, and a semi-early promotion wouldn't be surprising.

Austin Ehrlicher was an 18th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft but didn't make his Single-A debut until this season. The right-handed pitcher has appeared in two games this season, posting a 0.00 ERA, .208 BAA, and 1.00 WHIP. He's struck out 10 batters compared to just one walk in six innings.

Isaac Stebens has yet to allow an earned run over his first three appearances. The righty has a 0.00 ERA, .120 BAA, and 0.86 WHIP in seven innings. He's struck out nine batters compared to three walks. Stebens also has two saves.

Max Carlson had a rough first appearance of the season but was dominant in his second. The right-handed reliever struck out eight batters (only one walk) over 3 1/3 hitless innings. He has a 4.76 ERA, .217 BAA, and 1.41 WHIP in 5 2/3 innings. Carlson struck out 10 batters compared to three walks.

Nathanael Cruz has allowed just one earned run on five hits over three appearances out of the bullpen. The righty has struck out seven batters compared to one walk in five innings.

Jojo Ingrassia has a 0.00 ERA, .182 BAA, and 0.67 WHIP in two appearances this season. The left-handed reliever has struck out six batters compared to zero walks (and just two hits) in three innings of work.

Trennor O'Donnell only pitched once this week, but he made it count. The 6'7" righty tossed two perfect innings, striking out three batters. He only needed 18 pitches to get the job done.