The Red Sox are promoting corner infield prospect Tyler Miller from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Chase Ford of MiLB Central.
Miller, 24, had been with Greenville since the start of the 2023 season. In his first 36 games this year, the left-handed hitter batted .275/.321/.450 with nine doubles, one triple, four home runs, 17 RBIs, 16 runs scored, nine walks, and 28 strikeouts over 140 plate appearances for the Drive. He slashed .313/.365/.552 against right-handed pitching and just .171/.194/.171 against lefties.
Among 78 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League this season, Miller ranks 23rd in strikeout rate (20 percent) and OPS (.771), 17th in batting average and slugging percentage, 21st in isolated power (.176), 20th in line-drive rate (26 percent), 28th in swinging-strike rate (10.7 percent), and 30th in wRC+ (119), per FanGraphs.
On the other side of the ball, Miller has primarily split his playing time between first and third base in 2024. With Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 193-pounder made 18 starts at first and 16 at the hot corner while committing six errors in 211 total defensive chances. He also has limited experience at all three outfield spots.
Miller was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn. The Alabama native signed for $157,800 that July and has since posted a slash line of .252/.313/.400 with 29 homers and 61 RBIs in 268 career games (1,106 plate appearances) across three different minor-league levels. He is not currently viewed by SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system.
By making the jump to Portland, Miller should provide the Sea Dogs with additional depth at first and third base in the absence of Blaze Jordan, who has been sidelined since May 12 after fracturing his left ring finger on a play at the plate. Besides Jordan, Alex Binelas has been the only Sea Dogs player to log innings at both corner infield positions this year.
Miller, who does not turn 25 until December, is the first position player from Greenville’s 2024 Opening Day roster to receive a promotion to Portland. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, it appears as though the Red Sox opened a spot for Miller on the Sea Dogs’ roster by releasing reliever Cody Scroggins.
(Picture of Tyler Miller: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
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