Red Sox Prospect Watch: Bryan Mata, Wikelman Gonzalez, Blake Wehunt

Heavy hitters thrived in the Boston Red Sox minor league system this week, including a first, a walk-off and a breakout series for two players. However, Boston's pitching prospects get their flowers in this prospect watch.

In Triple-A, Bryan Mata made two appearances (one start). The right-handed pitcher allowed one unearned run on three hits in the combined outings. He struck out three batters and walked three in 4 1/3 innings. Mata needs to be added to the Major League roster before July 15 or be subject to waivers, and he's giving the Red Sox reason to believe in him.

Niko Kavadas didn't hit any home runs this week but put up big numbers. The left-handed first baseman hit 6-for-14 with a double, eight walks, and three RBI. Kavadas is slashing .279/.430/.536 with 15 doubles and 14 home runs. He's driven in 52 runs and scored 47.

Mickey Gasper went 5-for-19, which isn't bad but does lower his Triple-A average significantly. However, he also hit two doubles and two home runs. The switch-hitting catcher/first baseman is batting .382/.481/.662 with seven doubles and four home runs in 68 at-bats for Triple-A. He's driven in 15 runs and scored 14 more.

Nick Yorke went just 5-for-21 this week but mashed two more home runs. The right-handed hitting second baseman/left fielder is hitting .320/.414/.500 with six doubles and four home runs in 100 Triple-A at-bats. He's driven in 15 runs, scored 23, and is a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts.

Chase Meidroth went 7-for-26 and once again had more walks (5) than strikeouts (4). The right-handed hitting infielder holds a .304 average (.447 OBP) with 16 doubles and five home runs. He's driven in 35 runs, scored 57, and stolen 10 bases. Meidroth has 65 walks compared to 38 strikeouts.

Matthew Lugo bumped up his average a bit by going 4-for-14. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .247/.344/.481 with seven doubles and four home runs in 81 Triple-A at-bats. He's driven in 14 runs, scored 17 more, and is a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

Pitching prospects across all levels star in this week's Red Sox prospect watch

Boston Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Wikelman Gonzalez tossed three shutout innings this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed one hit and two walks while striking out three batters. He has six combined scoreless innings in his last two starts. Gonzalez is down to a 6.90 ERA and .232 BAA this season. The numbers aren't great, but he's shown significant improvement.

Hunter Dobbins struck out six batters over six innings of one-run baseball. The righty only allowed four hits and two walks. Dobby has a 3.97 ERA, .242 BAA, and 1.32 WHIP in 65 2/3 innings. He's struck out 60 batters and walked 28.

Isaac Coffey made two appearances (one start). The right-handed pitcher combined to allow two runs on 11 hits over eight innings. He struck out 10 batters and walked four. Coffey has a 4.00 ERA, .232 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in 63 innings. He's walked batters at a higher clip than usual this year (37), but he does have 72 strikeouts, and the home runs are severely down (3).

Christopher Troye allowed one run on three hits over three innings in his lone appearance. The right-handed reliever struck out a season-high five batters and walked two. CT has looked like the 2023 version since returning in June, and the numbers are trending in the right direction.

Alex Hoppe tossed 2 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings in his lone appearance. The righty reliever walked one batter and struck out a career-high five. Hoppe has a 4.68 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings.

Jacob Webb allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. The left-handed reliever struck out two batters and walked two. Webb has a 3.80 ERA, .254 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP over 23 appearances. He's struck out 45 batters compared to 14 walks in 47 1/3 innings.

Eddinson Paulino had a massive week, going 7-for-14 with two walks. The left-handed hitting infielder is now on a five-game hitting streak. Pauli's up to a .253/.346/.384 slash line with 15 doubles, three triples, and three home runs. He's driven in 31 runs, scored 30 more, and stolen 10 bases.

Kristian Campbell went 5-for-15 with two walks, and his numbers went down — that's how good he's been. The right-handed hitting second baseman/centerfielder is slashing .406/.504/.635 with eight doubles, one triple, and four home runs in Double-A. He's driven in 18 runs, scored 22 more, and stolen five bases.

Roman Anthony went 4-for-20 but did hit two home runs (including an inside-the-parker) and stole a base. The left-handed hitting centerfielder is hitting .242 (.354 OBP) with 15 doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 38 more, and stolen seven bases.

Kyle Teel went 4-for-15 with a pair of doubles this series. The left-handed hitting catcher is slashing .301/.389/.463 with 16 doubles and eight home runs. He's driven in 49 runs, scored 52 more, and stolen five bases.

Marcelo Mayer only appeared in one game (July 5) and went 1-for-4 with a walk. The left-handed hitting shortstop is slashing .306/.372/.476 with 25 doubles and seven home runs. He's driven in 36 runs, scored 55 more, and stolen 13 bags. Mayer needs five more doubles to tie his career-high of 30 (set in 2022).

Blaze Jordan went 7-for-20 with two doubles and started a five-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting corner infielder has a .277 average with 13 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He's driven in 32 runs, scored 19, and stolen one base.

Tyler Miller went 3-for-7 with two walks in two games. The left-handed hitting corner infielder is on an 11-game hitting streak. Miller has his average up to .265 with six doubles and a home run in Double-A. He's driven in 12 runs, scored 14 more, and stolen two bases in 28 games.

Alex Binelas went 3-for-9 with a home run (grand slam), four walks, and two steals. The left-handed hitting corner infielder is batting .236 (.370 OBP) with seven doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He's driven in 26 runs, scored 23, and stolen five bases.

Elih Marrero went 2-for-7 with two walks and three RBI. The switch-hitting catcher is slashing .268/.375/.439 with four doubles and a home run in Double-A. He's driven in seven runs, scored five, and stolen two bases in 13 games. Marrero's also caught 4-of-11 potential base stealers.

Boston Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

Blake Wehunt flirted with perfection this week. The right-handed pitcher didn't allow any hits or walks over five scoreless innings (although there was an error). Wehunt struck out nine batters. The chicken farmer has a 3.86 ERA, .167 BAA, and 0.95 WHIP in five starts since being promoted. He has 26 strikeouts compared to seven walks in 21 innings.

Connelly Early didn't allow a run on two hits over five innings. The lefty struck out eight batters compared to two walks. Early has a 3.53 ERA, .209 BAA, and 1.12 WHIP in 63 2/3 innings. He's struck out 86 batters compared to 21 walks. It's starting to feel like promotion time for the hurler.

Jedixson Paez tossed four scoreless innings in his lone appearance. The right-handed pitcher allowed two hits and no walks while striking out five batters. Paez has a 2.67 ERA, .250 BAA, and 1.08 WHIP between Single-A and High-A. He's struck out 72 batters compared to seven walks in 57 1/3 innings. Paez has been better in nearly every facet of his game since being promoted to Greenville.

Jeremy Wu-Yelland threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The lefty reliever allowed one hit and no walks while striking out two batters. Wu-Yelland has a 5.25 ERA but just a .191 BAA with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Bryan Gonzalez went 7-for-20 with a home run this week and is now on a seven-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder has a .260 average with eight doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs. He's driven in 42 runs, scored 41, and stolen nine bases.

Allan Castro had a good week, going 6-for-21 with three home runs. The switch-hitting outfielder is batting .224 (.358 OBP) with 16 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 42, and stolen eight bags.

Jhostyxon Garcia went 7-for-18 with two walks and two home runs. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a .321 average with six doubles and 11 home runs in 109 ABs in High-A. He's driven in 18 runs and scored 26 more with Greenville.

Miguel Bleis went 3-for-19 but hit his first High-A home run on July 5. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a .145 average with Greenville. He's driven in six runs, scored nine more, and stolen six bases on six attempts.

Ronald Rosario's quietly having a great season for Greenville. The right-handed hitting catcher has a .242 average with 14 doubles, one triple, and three home runs (he hit two this week). He's driven in 38 runs, scored 25 more, and stolen one base.

Luis Ravelo went 0-for-5 on Saturday and still went 7-for-19. The switch-hitting infielder is up to a .213 average with 12 doubles, one triple, and three homers. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 24 more, and stolen one base.

Eduardo Lopez went 4-for-11 with one of each hit. The switch-hitting outfielder/first baseman has climbed up to a .217/.331/.425 slash line with seven doubles, three triples, and four home runs. He's driven in 15 runs, scored 18 more, and stolen two bases.

Miguel Ugueto went 4-for-13 with two doubles and a home run. The right-handed hitting outfielder is hitting .279 with 12 doubles, three triples (career-high), and three home runs (career-high). He's driven in 23 runs (career-high), scored 26, and stolen seven bases. That's a lot of new bests.

Mikey Romero went 5-for-24 with three doubles and a triple this week. He also had a walk-off single on Saturday. The left-handed hitting shortstop is hitting .218 with nine doubles, four triples, and two home runs in High-A. He's driven in 15 runs and scored 18 more.

Cutter Coffey went 3-for-16 this week but did add another home run and a steal. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .247/.327/.495 with eight doubles and 13 home runs. He's driven in 39 runs, scored 34 more, and stolen seven bases.

Boston Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

For the fourth time this season, Noah Dean tossed at least four no-hit innings. The left-handed pitcher allowed two runs (one earned) over five hitless innings. He walked one batter and hit one while striking out seven batters. Dean has a 3.38 ERA, .139 BAA, and 0.96 WHIP. He's struck out 73 batters compared to 27 walks in 53 1/3 innings. Dean's due for a promotion.

Jojo Ingrassia gave up four hits in five shutout innings. The lefty didn't walk anyone and struck out five batters. Ingrassia has a 2.17 ERA, .185 BAA, and 1.01 WHIP in 17 appearances (eight starts). He has 79 strikeouts compared to 17 walks in 49 2/3 innings.

Ovis Portes had his best start since being promoted to Single-A. The right-handed pitcher surrendered two hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out four batters without walking anyone (he hit one). Portes has a 3.38 ERA, .190 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP in 16 innings for Salem.

Matt Duffy tossed five scoreless innings in his lone start. The righty allowed four hits and one walk while striking out three batters. Duffy has a 3.86 ERA, .243 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP. He's struck out 56 batters compared to 20 walks in 60 2/3 innings.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz gave up two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked four batters but did strike out five. The right-handed pitcher has a 2.51 ERA, .206 BAA, and 1.18 WHIP in 61 innings. ERC has 73 strikeouts compared to 25 walks.

They messed up and let Big Al get hot. Albert Feliz went 8-for-19 with three doubles and two home runs this week. The right-handed hitting first baseman is on a seven-game hitting streak with three home runs. Feliz has raised his average from .126 to .163 in that time. Big Al has five doubles and a team-leading nine home runs. He's driven in 31 runs and scored 18.

For the fifth straight week, Antonio Anderson has raised his batting average. The switch-hitting third baseman is hitting .162 (.292 OBP) with 10 doubles and four home runs. He's driven in 22 runs, scored 34 more, and stolen three bases.

Freili Encarnacion has a six-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .260/.316/.362 with 12 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He's driven in 17 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen nine bases.

Andy Lugo is on a four-game hitting streak and added two more doubles this week. The right-handed hitting utility player is batting .260/.340/.372 with 23 doubles and one triple. He's driven in 22 runs, scored 31 more, and stolen 17 bases.

Stanley Tucker had a great week, and it's even better if you add the last game of the previous series on. In that stretch, Tucker is 7-for-16 with four walks and a double. The right-handed hitting utility player is hitting .181 (.321 OBP) with five doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in 15 runs, scored 18 more, and stolen 20 bases.

Natanael Yuten is on a four-game hitting streak. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .229/.297/.377 with 10 doubles, five triples, and five home runs. He's driven in 29 runs, scored 25 more, and stolen four bases.

Marvin Alcantara went 4-for-15 with four RBI. The right-handed hitting infielder is up to a .231 average with seven doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He's driven in 34 runs, scored 34, and stolen eight bases.

Brooks Brannon went 5-for-20 with a double and three walks. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .310/.363/.440 with three doubles, one triple, and two home runs in Single-A. He's driven in nine runs, scored eight more, and stolen two bases in 21 games.

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