The Red Sox have a number of intriguing prospects who are slated to make their stateside debuts this season, including infielder Starlyn Nunez.
Nunez, 18, made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year after signing with Boston for $52,500 as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in January. In 49 games for DSL Red Sox Blue, the switch-hitter batted .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts over 215 plate appearances.
Though he was sharing an infield with rising Red Sox prospect and fellow international signee Yoeilin Cespedes, Nunez was recognized by Minor League Baseball as a Dominican Summer League Season-End All-Star. Among the 41 players in the DSL who made at least 210 trips to the plate in 2023, Nunez ranked 11th in strikeout rate (13.5 percent), seventh in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.870), 14th in isolated power (.155), 13th in line-drive rate (21.4 percent), and 10th in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Nunez split his playing time in the dirt between second and third base. The projectable and athletic 6-foot, 155-pounder logged 210 1/3 innings at the hot corner and 161 innings at the keystone, committing a total of 11 errors (nine of which came at third) in 146 chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on four separate occasions.
Nunez, who does not turn 19 until October, is expected to play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League this season. As such, he has been taking part at minor-league camp on the backfields of the Fenway South complex in Fort Myers. Those who have seen him in-person this spring have come away impressed.
This past weekend, for instance, Nunez received plenty of praise from SoxProspects.com. On Saturday, the website’s main Twitter account noted that Nunez “has stood out in camp” and has “fluid movements in the field.” On Sunday, both director of scouting Ian Cundall and executive editor Chris Hatfield tweeted that Nunez will likely enter the site’s top 60 prospect rankings in its next update.
In addition to Nunez and Cespedes, shortstop Franklin Arias and right-hander Gilberto Batista are among the other standouts from last year’s Red Sox Dominican Summer League contingent who are projected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2024.
(Picture of Starlyn Nunez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
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