Boston Red Sox prospect watch: the second half starts with a bang
Promotions, pitching, and power start off the second half of the 2023 season with a bang for the Boston Red Sox prospect watch.
The Boston Red Sox returned from the All-Star break with a bang. They took two out of three from the Chicago Cubs, and the offense looks dynamic.
It wasn't just the major league club that was rocking, though. All down the minor leagues, the Red Sox were putting up massive performances. We saw a few more promotions and big debuts.
Triston Casas mashed in the three-game series with the Cubs, hitting a home run in all three contests. The left-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .233/.333/.434 with 14 doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs. He's driven in 32 runs and scored 37 more.
Jarren Duran is slashing .318/.368/.515 with 28 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 33 runs, scored 33 more, and stolen 17 bases. That's All-Star production.
Connor holds a .233/.291/.400 slash line with 18 doubles and six home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 20 runs, scored 32 more, and stolen two bases. His offensive production still isn't great, but it's good enough with his defense.
Brayan Bello has a 3.14 ERA, .245 BAA, and 1.20 WHIP in 86 innings. The right-handed pitcher has 75 strikeouts compared to 22 walks. Bello looks like a legitimate ace. It's impossible not to be excited.
Chris Murphy has a 2.16 ERA, .210 BAA, and 1.26 WHIP in 16 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The lefty has struck out 17 batters compared to eight walks. Murph is thriving as a reliever.
Brandon Walter has a 3.29 ERA, .298 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings. The left-handed pitcher has nine strikeouts compared to three walks. Walter hasn't been untouchable, but he's done his job.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Niko Kavadas was promoted to Triple-A, and Worcester is already getting to see what he's about. The left-handed hitting first baseman is 1-for-6. He's already walked three times, though. Kavadas hasn't hit a homer yet, but they'll see plenty of those. Something that stands out is that he's only struck out one time in two games.
Ceddanne Rafaela is slashing .271/.328/.525 with three doubles and four home runs in Triple-A. The right-handed hitting centerfielder has driven in eight runs, scored 10 more, and stolen one base. He's passing the test of Triple-A through 14 games.
Stephen Scott is elevating his stock with a fantastic showing in Triple-A. The left-handed hitting catcher is slashing .293/.403/.483 with five doubles and two home runs in 19 games. He's driven in 16 runs, scored 10 more, and stolen two bases.
Wilyer Abreu is slashing .246/.367/.464 with seven doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 36 runs, scored 42 more, and stolen four bases.
Nick Sogard continues to hover around .300. The switch-hitting utility is slashing .297/.389/.402 with 13 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. Sogard has driven in 36 runs, scored 46 more, and stolen 13 bases.
Ronaldo Hernandez is slashing .242/.361/.449 with seven doubles and 10 home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 44 runs and scored 26 more. He's walked 30 times this season, one off his career high. The improved eye has been the most impressive part of his game.
Shane Drohan had a tough outing on Sunday but is still giving fans things to get excited about this season. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.86 ERA, .226 BAA, and 1.36 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A. He's struck out 85 batters compared to 43 walks in 84 innings.
Brendan Nail has dominated in both Double-A and Triple-A this season. The left-handed reliever has a 1.49 ERA, .197 BAA, and 1.09 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings. Nail has struck out 43 batters compared to 16 walks.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
After a slow start, Wikelman Gonzalez was dominating in High-A for the last few months. The right-handed pitcher made his Double-A debut on Sunday and cooked. Gonzalez went six scoreless innings, allowing four hits. He struck out nine batters compared to just one walk.
Grant Gambrell allowed one run on three hits over six innings this week. The righty struck out seven batters and walked two. Gambrell has a 3.51 ERA, .231 BAA, and 1.21 WHIP in Double-A. He's struck out 55 batters compared to 20 walks in 56 1/3 innings.
Blaze Jordan was promoted to Double-A after posting a .324/.385/.533 slash line in High-A. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is 2-for-10 with a home run with Portland. He's driven in two runs and scored one more. Jordan's only struck out twice and has walked twice.
Nick Yorke currently has a four-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting second baseman has a .274/.357/.448 slash line with 13 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs. Yorke's driven in 38 runs, scored 50 more and stolen six bases.
Marcelo Mayer is slashing .242/.314/.458 with 16 doubles, one triple, and 13 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitting shortstop has driven in 52 runs, scored 38 more, and stolen nine bases. Mayer has slumped a bit in Double-A but has had absurdly bad luck hindering him all the way.
Nathan Hickey is slashing .280/.373/.531 with 11 doubles, one triple, and 13 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in 34 runs, scored 36 more, and stolen two bases. Hickey hasn't slowed down despite the promotion. The bat is legit.
Elih Marrero has been quietly strong with the bat this season. The switch-hitting catcher is known more for his defense, but has a .260/.407/.315 slash line with four doubles. He's driven in six runs, scored 13 more, and stolen seven bases. Marrero's walked 17 times compared to 20 strikeouts.
Corey Rosier is slashing .306/.366/.484 with 16 doubles, four triples, and five home runs in Double-A (with three games in Triple-A mixed in). The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 26 runs, scored 39 more, and stolen 30 bases.
Tyler McDonough collected a hit in all three games this season, including two doubles. The switch-hitting utility is slashing .217/.299/.349 with 11 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He's driven in 22 runs, scored 27 more, and stolen 13 bases.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Allan Castro was promoted to High-A after impressing in Single-A. The switch-hitting outfielder went 2-for-13 with one walk in his first three games. Castro showed some solid power and great patience in Single-A, and now he gets to test it in High-A.
Roman Anthony did that thing again this week, where he made fans go wild. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .343/.482/.821 with six doubles, one triple, and eight home runs in High-A. He's driven in 18 runs, scored 19 more, and stolen one base. Anthony has walked 18 times compared to 20 strikeouts.
Brainer Bonaci is slashing .305/.368/.521 with 12 doubles, one triple, and nine home runs. The switch-hitting shortstop has driven in 32 runs, scored 23 more, and stolen six bases. Bonaci already has three more home runs than he hit last season.
Eduardo Lopez is slashing .273/.362/.404 with 12 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. The switch-hitting outfielder has driven in 33 runs, scored 41 more, and stolen 11 bases. Lopez has taken a step forward this season despite playing at a higher level.
Tyler Miller's season continues to be quietly fantastic. The left-handed hitting corner infielder/outfielder is slashing .273/.327/.448 with 13 doubles and seven home runs. Miller has driven in 31 runs, scored 25 more, and stolen nine bases.
Felix Cepeda put up phenomenal numbers in Single-A and was promoted to High-A this week. The right-handed reliever made his first appearance with Greenville on Sunday. Cepeda tossed a perfect inning and struck out all three batters.
Angel Bastardo tossed six scoreless innings on Saturday, allowing just two hits. The righty didn't walk anyone and struck out nine. Bastardo has a 3.79 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.21 WHIP in 80 2/3 innings. He's struck out 105 batters compared to 36 walks.
Juan Daniel Encarnacion allowed two runs on two hits over five innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out three batters and walked two. JDE continued a strong run of starts, and his numbers keep dropping. He has a 4.46 ERA, .223 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP in 72 2/3 innings. Encarnacion has 72 strikeouts compared to 30 walks.
Red Sox Single-A (Salem)
Is Yordanny Monegro human? The right-handed pitcher tossed five scoreless innings this week, allowing five hits. He struck out seven batters and walked one. Monegro hasn't allowed a run over 15 innings in Single-A. He's struck out 23 batters compared to four walks. His curveball should be illegal.
Jedixson Paez allowed one run on three hits over four innings this week. The righty struck out seven batters without walking any. In his last three starts, Paez has allowed only one run in 14 innings. He has a 4.37 ERA, .240 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP in 47 1/3 innings. Paez has 38 strikeouts compared to eight walks.
Mikey Romero is slashing .333/.364/.429 with two doubles in five games. The left-handed hitting shortstop has driven in two runs, scored two more, and stolen one more base. Despite missing the first few months, Romero hasn't missed a step.
Brooks Brannon is slashing .292/.320/.667 with three home runs in six games. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in nine runs and scored four more. Brannon's offense is going to be a lot of fun.
Lyonell James had a big week and is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting first baseman is slashing .245/.320/.332 with eight doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 34 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen two bases.
Ahbram Liendo is on a five-game hitting streak, including four straight with multiple hits. The switch-hitting second baseman is slashing .205/.353/.304 with 10 doubles, three triples, and two home runs. He's driven in 20 runs, scored 43 more, and stolen 30 bases.
Enderso Lira is on a four-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .282/.298/.359 with six doubles and one home run. Lira has driven in 19 runs and scored 11 more. The Red Sox suddenly have a few viable catching prospects, but Lira's defense will keep him in the mix. If he can continue to hit, that only rises his stock.
Albertson Asigen is slashing .250/.400/.250 in eight games for Single-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in one run, scored four more, and stolen two bases. Asigen has already walked six times.
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