The Boston Red Sox sprinted to the All-Star break as the hottest team in baseball. The vibes around the big league club have been horrendous all season but, suddenly, everything is clicking. The fans are happy, the team seems loose, and they’re right back in the playoff race.
What about the minor league system, though? How did some of the top rising stars in the organization end their first half? As usual, our prospect update from the week of July 7 features some incredible performances.
Skylar King’s cycle steals the show in this week’s Red Sox prospect watch
Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A)
Tyler McDonough has been one of the best hitters in the organization since his promotion to Triple-A. The switch-hitting utility went 6-for-15 with a double and two home runs. He drove in six runs, scored six, and stole two bases. McDonough is slashing .319/.419/.681 with five doubles and seven home runs in 26 games with Worcester. He’s driven in 18 runs, scored 19, and stolen four bases.
Hayden Mullins made his Triple-A debut last week. The left-handed pitcher allowed one run on four hits over three innings. He struck out three batters and walked four. Control has been an issue for Mullins, but he has filthy stuff. It was a mixed bag of a Worcester debut (and he’s back in Portland now), but he’s shown he has the stuff.
Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A)
Ronald Rosario had possibly his best week in minor league baseball. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman went 8-for-16 with four home runs, nine RBI, and one steal. Rosario is slashing .278/.324/.462 with six doubles, one triple, and seven home runs. He has 26 RBI, 22 runs scored, and two steals.
Brooks Brannon went 5-for-14 with two doubles and two home runs. The right-handed-hitting first baseman holds a .283/.372/.581 slash line with 15 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He’s driven in 47 runs, scored 28, and stolen two bases.
Johanfran Garcia went 6-for-15 with a double, a home run, and a steal. He left the final game after a funky slide into second base, so hopefully the All-Star break was enough to get him healthy. The right-handed-hitting catcher is slashing .297/.342/.502 with nine doubles and 12 home runs. He’s driven in 38 runs, scored 31, and stolen three bases.
Miguel Bleis went 7-for-22 with a double, a home run, and a steal last week. The right-handed-hitting outfielder is up to a .230/.287/.381 slash line with 11 doubles and nine home runs. He’s driven in 26 runs, scored 40, and stolen 11 bases. Bleis has struggled for the most part this year, but he’s given plenty to be excited about over the last month or so.
Raudelis Martinez hit his first organizational home run. The left-handed-hitting utility hasn’t gotten much playing time this year, but this is a big milestone.
Patrick Halligan appeared in two games last week, picking up saves in both. The right-handed pitcher allowed one hit over 3 1/3 shutout innings. He struck out seven batters and didn’t walk any. Halligan has a 4.56 ERA, .218 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP in 24 appearances (two starts). He has 67 strikeouts and 20 walks in 47 1/3 innings.
Greenville Drive (High-A)
Justin Gonzales went 7-for-18 with two home runs and the same number of walks as he had strikeouts (4) last week. The right-handed-hitting outfielder/first baseman is slashing .259/.375/.434 with eight doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs. He’s driven in 37 runs, scored 49, and stolen six bases.
Ronny Hernandez went 5-for-16 with a double and two home runs. He also had four walks and just two strikeouts. The left-handed-hitting catcher/first baseman has a .272/.406/.596 slash line with seven doubles and 10 home runs in 36 games. He has 22 RBI and 26 runs scored. Hernandez has 26 walks and just 15 strikeouts this season.
Enddy Azocar had just five hits in 23 at-bats in the week before the All-Star break. However, all five went for extra bases (one double and four home runs). The right-handed-hitting outfielder is slashing .264/.322/.489 with 21 doubles, five triples, and 13 home runs between Single-A and High-A. He’s driven in 47 runs, scored 59, and stolen 11 bases.
Jojo Ingrassia allowed two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 10 batters without walking any. The innings pitched and strikeouts were both career-highs. Ingrassia has a 3.44 ERA, .178 BAA, and 1.12 WHIP in 11 games (nine starts). The left-handed pitcher has 52 strikeouts and 18 walks in 36 2/3 innings.
Griffin Kilander appeared in two games and picked up his first save of the season. The right-handed pitcher has a 1.13 ERA, .087 BAA, and 0.69 WHIP in five appearances in High-A. He has 16 strikeouts and seven walks in 16 innings.
Salem RidgeYaks (Single-A)
Skylar King hit for the cycle on July 8. The left-handed-hitting outfielder picked up a couple more hits in the series and is slashing .225/.312/.393 with 12 doubles, one triple, and 10 home runs on the year. He’s driven in 34 runs, scored 43, and stolen 26 bases.
Starlyn Nunez went 9-for-21 with two doubles and two home runs last week. The switch-hitting utility player is slashing .227/.299/.414 with 11 doubles, three triples, and 10 home runs in 61 games. He’s driven in 37 runs, scored 38, and stolen 12 bases.
Ilan Fernandez went 5-for-14 with a double and two home runs last week. Both homers came on Sunday. The right-handed-hitting infielder holds a .223/.356/.361 slash line with 14 doubles and three home runs. He’s driven in 30 runs, scored 23, and stolen seven bases.
Cole Tolbert didn’t allow any hits or runs over three innings in his lone outing. He struck out six batters and walked two. The right-handed pitcher has a 2.36 ERA, .169 BAA, and 0.98 WHIP in nine games (eight starts). He has 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 26 2/3 innings.
Ethan Walker allowed two hits over three shutout innings in his start. He struck out four without walking any. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.76 ERA, .192 BAA, and 1.41 WHIP in eight games (two starts). He has 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 26 1/3 innings.
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