No. 04: Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis
Miguel Bleis entered the 2023 season with absurd levels of hype. After dominating the FCL in 2022, Bleis was getting national praise. An outfielder with all five tools, there was nothing not to love.
2023 started strong for Bleis in Single-A. However, injuries started to play a part. After playing through some issues in early May, Bleis missed two weeks of action. He only appeared in four games upon return before being shut down for the rest of the season.
The right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .230/.282/.325 with three doubles, three triples, and one home run in 31 games (126 at-bats). He drove in 16 runs, scored 18 more, and stole 11 bases. Bleis struck out 38 times compared to 10 walks.
It's tough to really grade the season for Bleis. He was a 19-year-old in Single-A and looked phenomenal for the first month. Injuries derailed the season, though.
Even with the injuries, those numbers aren't terrible for Salem. We saw a lot of players move up from Single-A this year with slashlines that don't get you too excited. Roman Anthony, Allan Castro, and Cutter Coffey all stand out in that respect.
Bleis showcased all his tools in those 31 games. We saw elite speed, great defense, a cannon for an arm, the ability to hit, and some power.
The hype has died down on Bleis a bit. Mainly due to the injury and the emergence of some other prospects (most notably Anthony). However, Bleis is still an absurd talent that could have massive things in store next year.
He has legitimate 50-steal speed. We saw that a lot this year. This also leads to a ton of extra bases and infield singles.
The speed translates in the outfield as well. Bleis made a few Superman grabs, and baserunners attempting to advance on him didn't have a good time.
Bleis is still very raw, but there's legitimate superstar potential. A .300 average with 30/30 talent is there to be molded. It should be a lot of fun to watch him remind everyone how special he is next season.
Hit: 55
Power: 60
Run: 70
Arm: 60
Field: 60
Overall: 60