Pitching prospects steal this show in this week's Boston Red Sox prospect watch
The Boston Red Sox prospect watch featured some insane pitching performances at the lower levels. However, that didn't stop the hitters from showing out as well.
At the Major League level, we're seeing some bats start to heat up, and some pitchers continue a string of dominance.
Masataka Yoshida is slashing .303/.379/.474 with 10 doubles, one triple, and six home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 29 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen three bases. Yoshida draws walks (19) and puts the bat on the ball (21 strikeouts). He's been better than advertised.
Connor Wong has a six-game hitting streak going, smacking five doubles and one home run in that time. The right-handed hitting catcher is slashing .243/.294/.477 with 11 doubles and five home runs. He's driven in 13 runs, scored 19 more, and stolen one base. That's great offensive production to go along with his top-tier defense.
Triston Casas is figuring things out. The left-handed hitting first baseman is up to a .200/.317/.371 slash line with six doubles and six home runs. He's driven in 16 runs and scored 23 more. Casas has a four-game hitting streak and is slashing .277/.360/.462 in May.
Enmanuel Valdez holds a .243/.291/.419 slash line with four doubles and three home runs. The left-handed hitting second baseman has driven in 10 runs, scored six more, and stolen three bases. Valdez has also looked better defensively recently, which is a great development.
Jarren Duran has cooled off a bit but still has fantastic overall numbers. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .297/.348/.469 with 13 doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 19 runs, scored 16 more, and stolen seven bases in seven attempts.
Brayan Bello tossed a career-high seven innings this week. The right-handed pitcher gave up two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six batters. Bello is down to a 4.05 ERA, .281 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in 35 1/3 innings. He's struck out 37 batters and walked 12.
Josh Winckowski has a 2.23 ERA, .217 BAA, and 0.99 WHIP in 32 1/3 innings pitched. The righty reliever is 2-0 with seven holds and two saves. He's struck out 23 batters and walked six. Winckowski is extremely useful out of the bullpen, with the ability to eat a bunch of innings if needed.