The Boston Red Sox minor league system had a strange week. Weather conditions caused several games to be called off at every level.
It wasn't just rain. There was snow and even extreme cold that caused the issues. The stats have suffered a bit from this, as there weren't nearly as many games as expected this week. However, we still got some minor league baseball in, which is great because the Red Sox didn't have the best week.
Weather can't dampen the Boston Red Sox prospect watch
Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A)
Roman Anthony has officially gotten hot. The left-handed hitting outfielder has been hitting the ball well all year but wasn't getting much in the results column. On April 11, Anthony went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. On April 13 (their next game due to weather), he went 2-for-5 with another RBI.
Anthony is currently on a four-game hitting streak and has a .256/.396/.488 slash line in 12 games. The 20-year-old has 10 walks compared to 15 strikeouts.
Shane Drohan allowed his first run of the season this week. The left-handed pitcher surrendered one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He did walk four batters but struck out eight.
Drohan has a 0.93 ERA, .147 BAA, and 1.03 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings. He's struck out 16 batters compared to five walks. We'll need to see consistent success from him for a bit, but it's hard to not get excited as he hits 96 MPH with his fastball (subscription required.)
Brian Van Belle's move to the bullpen has done wonders for his career. It started last year, and we saw it completely turn around his season. Now, he's off to a hot start in 2025. The right-handed pitcher has allowed one run on four hits over two relief outings. He's struck out three batters compared to one walk in 4 2/3 innings. BVB should be considered a legitimate bullpen option at some point this year.
Marcelo Mayer didn't have his best week, going 1-for-15 with no walks and no extra-base hits. He scored one run and didn't drive in any. However, the left-handed hitting shortstop also only struck out twice. Strikeouts were a bit of a problem the week prior (seven in five games), so it was nice to see him even that out a bit.
Phillip Sikes and Tyler McDonough haven't had the best stats to start the season, but both have proven track records that they'll produce just fine (and both are great defensively).
Sikes and McDonough both had some clutch hits this week, though. McDonough had a walk-off single on Wednesday and Sikes had the go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday.
Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A)
Yordanny Monegro made his Double-A debut this week, allowing one run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out six batters and only walked one. While this wasn't the perfect start, it was a fantastic debut and one he can build off over the coming weeks.
Monegro has been phenomenal over the last two seasons, and I fully believe he'll rise the ranks heavily in 2025. His breaking pitches are fantastic, he has the confidence and swagger to make it work, and he's proven himself at every level before.
David Sandlin allowed one run on two hits in four innings in his start this week. The righty struck out six batters and walked three.
Walks have been a slight issue for Sandlin to start the year. He has six over nine innings in his two starts combined. He's also struck out nine batters, though, and has only surrendered five hits. Walks have never really been an issue for Sandlin in the past, so don't panic.
Gabriel Jackson is off to a phenomenal start. The right-handed reliever hasn't allowed a run or even a hit in three innings over two relief appearances. Jackson has had a serious command issue. He's only struck out one batter and has five walks and one hit batsman so far. However, he's kept the damage to literally zero.
Ahbram Liendo has been one of the few Portland hitters to not struggle to start the season. The cold weather hasn't been kind to many. The switch-hitting infielder is slashing .357/.400/.429 with one double. He's driven in three runs and stolen one base. Liendo shows impressive power during batting practice but hasn't shown much in-game power.
Liendo is more about defense and speed. However, he's flashing plenty with the bat right now. It's nice to see him take advantage of his opportunities early on.
Ronald Rosario is 3-for-25 (.120) but has had some miserable luck offensively. The other day, he had two straight ABs that saw the ball caught at the wall. Rosie also hit a three-run home run this week and is showing signs of life.
The right-handed hitting catcher is playing much better than the offensive stats. He's been underrated despite putting up solid numbers the last few seasons. Now, in Double-A, maybe Rosario will start getting the respect he deserves if he starts hitting again.
Greenville Drive (High-A)
Yophery Rodriguez made his Red Sox organizational debut this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder went 4-for-14 (.286) with four walks compared to four strikeouts. He had a double and a triple. Rodriguez also drove in two runs and scored three more.
Miguel Bleis made his season debut this week. The right-handed hitting outfielder went just 2-for-12 but did have a home run and five RBI. Bleis is an elite defender with great speed. His bat hasn't evolved how some would have liked, but there's still plenty of time for that to shine through.
Andy Lugo got a lot of love from me last year, and he's getting some early in 2025. The right-handed hitting utility man smoked 30 doubles in 2024. He's hitting .280 (7-for-25) with three doubles in just seven games this season.
Lugo can play all over the field, hits for average, has good gap power, and stole 28 bases last year. The hype did not fit how well he played despite spending most of last season in Salem's hitter-unfriendly ballpark. Don't be shocked if he puts up big numbers in High-A.
Juan Valera allowed one run on one hit over four innings of work. He walked two batters and struck out two. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.52 ERA, .154 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP in 7 2/3 innings. He's also an 18-year-old who throws 100 MPH in High-A. Valera throws 100 with a disgusting changeup and a good slider. His stuff is very much there, and the production has been good so far. If that stock keeps rising, top-100 rankings seem inevitable.
Hayden Mullins has had back-to-back phenomenal starts to begin the season. The lefty tossed four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks (one HBP) while striking out seven batters.
Mullins now has a 0.00 ERA, .214 BAA, and 0.88 WHIP in two appearances. He's struck out 13 batters compared to just one walk. Mullins will be in Double-A sooner rather than later.
Salem Red Sox (Single-A)
Brandon Clarke made his professional debut on his 22nd birthday, and it was perfect. Literally. The left-handed pitcher tossed four perfect innings, striking out five batters. Clarke threw 40 pitches, and 30 of them were strikes. He was hitting 98-99 MPH on his fastball, and the breaking ball looked absolutely devastating.
Clarke was a fifth-round pick in 2024, and he already looks like a steal. Obviously, it's still early, and that's an overreaction. The raw talent is there, though. It's easy to fall in love with a prospect like Clarke.
Steven Brooks also made his professional debut this week. He was an 11th-round pick in 2024. The right-handed pitcher didn't allow a run on just one hit over five innings. He struck out four batters and walked two.
Brooks didn't allow more than one baserunner in a single inning. He looked composed at all times and is another college guy who might not be long for Salem. Honestly, we might see some of these pitchers stay in Single-A longer than expected because Boston has too many talented arms in the lower levels (that's not a bad thing).
Matt McShane was traded to the Red Sox organization for Chase Shugart this offseason. The right-handed reliever has made a great first impression. He's allowed one unearned run on three hits in three appearances out of the bullpen. He's struck out 12 batters compared to two walks. McShane has a 0.00 ERA, .150 BAA, and 0.88 WHIP.
Franklin Arias went 0-for-4 with a walk on April 13 despite a few hard-hit balls. That's snapped the eight-game hitting streak he had to start the year.
The right-handed hitting shortstop is slashing .412/.487/.500 with three doubles. He's driven in three runs, scored seven more, and stolen two bases. Arias has only struck out five times compared to four walks. The Red Sox could be aggressive with Arias, especially if he continues to dominate. We might not see much more of Arias in Single-A despite the fact that he's only 19.
Starlyn Nunez had a big week and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak. The switch-hitting infielder is slashing.238/.333/.571 with one double and two home runs. All three of those extra-base hits came this week.
Nunez is an interesting case. He performed well in the DSL in 2023, but multiple factors led to an underwhelming 2024 in the FCL. Could be a solid defender and has plenty going on with the bat, though. Nunez might be one of the more electric players on the Salem roster this season.
Freili Encarnacion continues to cook in Single-A. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .355/.382/.677 with two doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He's driven in eight runs, scored six more, and stole one base.
Encarnacion is showcasing the legitimate power that we got to see some flashes of last year. Despite having 297 fewer plate appearances this year compared to last year, he's already hit the same number of home runs. It's safe to assume he's going to crush his previous high of three in 2025.