The Boston Red Sox prospect pool has undergone a wave of promotions recently. According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox promoted prospect Miguel Bleis to High-A on June 10.
Bleis is the No. 4 ranked prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline and the No. 5 prospect according to SoxProspects.
Bleis was in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak and 26-game on-base streak in Single-A at the time of his promotion. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .257/.349/.398 with 10 doubles, one triple, and four home runs in 43 games. He's posted 22 RBI, 24 runs and 16 stolen bases. Bleis has also cut his strikeout rate down from 26.8% last year to 19.5% this year. Meanwhile, his walk rate has gone up from 7% in 2023 to 10.8% in 2024.
Salem's ballpark is notorious for its pitcher-friendly dimensions, but Bleis still put up strong numbers. Bleis' fellow top outfield prospect Roman Anthony appeared in 42 games in Single-A last season, and he slashed .228/.376/.316 in that time. When he was promoted to Greenville, Anthony mashed to the tune of a .294/.412/.569 slash line and a .981 OPS.
Boston Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis has been promoted from Single-A to High-A
Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Miguel Bleis from Salem to Greenville https://t.co/6Hsz7sia57 via @BostonGlobe
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) June 10, 2024
Now, that doesn't mean Bleis will go up to Greenville and duplicate Anthony's ridiculous success. It does give us an idea of how leaving that Salem ballpark can do wonders for players' stats, though.
Bleis has made marked improvements in nearly every facet of his game this season. But most importantly, he's managed to stay healthy. The 20-year-old missed a chunk of games over the last two weeks, but that was due to a root canal and not an injury.
Bleis' promotion came at the right time. He had done enough in Salem and Boston has gradually promoted worthy talent in recent weeks — it makes sense to boost a well-performing top prospect at this stage in the year.
This also raises a question about infielder Yoeilin Cespedes, another top prospect in the system. Bleis' promotion opened a roster spot in Salem, and Cespedes would be a logical choice for the slot based on his performances.
Regardless of who is called up to Salem, we know what Bleis' promotion means for Greenville — he'll bring some much-needed energy and spark into their lineup. It should be electric to watch Bleis show what he can do at the next level of the minor leagues. His climb to the Boston Red Sox is officially underway.