Author: Brendan Campbell

Blogging about the Boston Red Sox since April '17. Also support Tottenham Hotspur.

Red Sox promote pitching prospects Yeferson Vargas, Gilberto Batista to Low-A Salem

In addition to Franklin Arias and Juan Valera, Red Sox pitching prospects Yeferson Vargas and Gilberto Batista have also been promoted from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Hunter Noll.

Vargas, who turns 20 next month, posted a 3.13 ERA and 4.58 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 13 walks in 10 appearances (three starts) spanning 31 2/3 innings for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox. That translates to a 22 percent strikeout rate and a 9.8 percent walk rate. Opposing hitters batted .256 against him.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Vargas originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in December 2022. The hard-throwing righty made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 54 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 29th among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot and 177 pounds, Vargas was recently described by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen as a “stout” hurler who “has cut his walks substantially compared to 2023 while also enjoying a two- or three-tick velocity spike.” According to Longenhagen, Vargas has averaged 95-96 mph and reached 98 with his fastball this season while featuring a “snappy” curveball in the 81-84 mph range.

Batista, who does not turn 20 until January, forged a 3.92 ERA and 3.51 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 13 walks in eight appearances (five starts) spanning 20 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .220 batting average. That translates to a 24.2 percent strikeout rate and a 13.7 percent walk rate.

Like Vargas, Batista hails from the Dominican Republic and signed with the Red Sox in late 2022. He, too, received a modest $10,000 signing bonus but impressed in his professional debut (3.54 ERA in 40 2/3 innings) in the DSL last season and was recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Standing at 6-foot and 165 pounds, Batista is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system. The 19-year-old reportedly sits between 93-95 mph with his fastball and has featured a slider.

Olds promoted, Olivarez released

In other minor-league news, reliever Wyatt Olds was promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester as a corresponding move for Isiah Campbell landing on the WooSox’ 7-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Olds, 24, posted a 5.03 ERA (4.15 FIP) with 74 strikeouts to 30 walks in 26 appearances (one start) spanning 53 2/3 innings for Portland this season. The right-hander was originally selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Oklahoma.

The Red Sox also released Helcris Olivarez, who they signed to a minor-league contract in November, from Portland’s roster. A former top prospect of the Rockies, the 23-year-old lefty pitched to a 3.50 ERA (but much more concerning 6.07 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 50 walks in 14 appearances (five starts) spanning 36 innings for the Sea Dogs in 2024.

(Picture of Gilberto Batista: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Juan Valera to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Franklin Arias and pitching prospect Juan Valera from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, according to reports from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and SoxProspects.com.

Arias, 18, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 51 games (206 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season.

In the month of July alone, Arias has slashed a ridiculous .482/.574/.768 with five doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBIs, 18 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 12 walks, and 14 strikeouts over 18 games (68 plate appearances). Among 70 qualified FCL hitters coming into play on Monday, Arias led the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (1.055), and wRC+ (180). He also ranked second in slugging percentage, fifth in isolated power (.229), 17th in walk rate (16.5 percent), and 23rd in strikeout rate (17.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias has split his playing time on the field this season between shortstop and second base. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed nine errors in 33 starts at short for the FCL Red Sox but did not commit an error in 10 starts at second. He also made four starts at DH.

Arias, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The Caracas native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year and has since added to his glove-first profile by showing signs of immense improvement at the plate.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with Speier earlier this month. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

Valera, meanwhile, is not yet ranked by Baseball America but is rated by SoxProspects.com as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.29 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 11 appearances (nine starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted just .128 against him.

Dating back to the beginning of June, Valera has pitched to a 0.98 ERA (2.20 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to four walks over his last seven starts (27 2/3 innings). That includes punching out a season-high seven batters in five perfect frames against the FCL Braves last Thursday.

Among the 20 FCL pitchers who entered Monday with at least 40 innings under their belt to this point in the year, Valera ranked first in batting average against and WHIP (0.77), second in FIP, third in groundball rate (56 percent), fourth in ERA fifth in strikeout rate (26 percent), sixth in walk rate (9.1 percent) and xFIP (3.98), and eighth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), per FanGraphs.

Valera, who turned 18 in May, originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023. The Sabana Grande de Palenque native appeared in 15 games (one start) as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season but has really burst onto the scene this year.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Valera primarily operates with a 93-97 mph fastball and an 83-85 mph slider, according to his initial SoxProspects.com scouting report. The projectable righty does not yet feature a third pitch and is inconsistent when it comes to throwing strikes. Still, “he checks a lot of boxes that you look for in a pitching prospect his age.”

While Arias and Valera are getting somewhat of a head start in making the jump to Salem, others in Fort Myers will likely join them at some point in August since the 2024 FCL season will conclude on July 30 at the latest.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Elmer Rodriguez, Noah Dean to High-A Greenville

With Connelly Early and David Sandlin making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Noah Dean from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to reports from SoxProspects.com and MiLB Central’s Chase Ford.

Rodriguez, 20, and Dean, 23, are currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the Nos. 16 and 46 prospects in Boston’s farm system. That ranks fourth and 23rd among pitchers in the organization, respectively.

Rodriguez, who turns 21 next month, has spent parts of the last three seasons with Salem after originally being selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. To begin the 2024 campaign, the right-hander posted a 2.51 ERA and 2.73 FIP with 73 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 61 innings of work for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Opposing hitters batted just .206 against him.

Listed at a lean 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As recently noted by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, the lanky righty has seen an uptick in his fastball velocity this season to the point where he is now averaging 95 mph and touching 98 mph with the pitch. He also features an upper-70s curveball, a mid-80s slider, and an upper-80s changeup.

Dean, who turned 23 in March, had been with Salem since making his professional debut last April. The New Jersey native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Old Dominion. After struggling to a 6.29 ERA in 2023, Dean kicked off the 2024 season by forging a 3.96 ERA (3.89 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 31 walks over 15 appearances (13 starts) spanning 61 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a minuscule .139 batting average.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dean has overhauled his delivery and now throws from cross-bodied, three-quarters arm slot. The lefty sits between 92-94 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a mid-80s changeup and a slider. SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall noted last month that Dean has relied on his slider more and used his heater less this season, which has resulted in softer contact.

Command and control remain areas of improvement for both Rodriguez and Dean, who are now slated to join a starting rotation mix in Greenville that includes the likes of Hayden Mullins, Dalton Rogers, Yordanny Monegro, Blake Wehunt, and Jedixson Paez.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Connelly Early to Double-A Portland

In addition to promoting David Sandlin, the Red Sox are also elevating pitching prospect Connelly Early from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Early, 22, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The left-hander was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (151st overall pick) of last year’s draft out of Virginia. He received a $408,500 signing bonus and debuted for Low-A Salem in September.

To begin his first full professional season, Early emerged as a key member of Greenville’s rotation by posting a 3.72 ERA and 3.64 FIP with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks in 15 starts (67 2/3 innings) for the Drive. That translates to a 30.9 percent strikeout rate and an 8.2 percent walk rate. Opposing hitters batted just .208 against him.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com, the lefty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-93 mph that has touched 95 mph this year, a frequently-used 80-82 mph changeup that is considered to be his best secondary offering, a 79-81 mph curveball, and an 87-88 mph cutter.

In making the jump to Portland, Early will be reunited — for the time being, at least — with his old battery mate at Virginia in top catching prospect Kyle Teel, who could soon be on the receiving end of a promotion to Triple-A Worcester alongside the likes of shortstop Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony.

Early and Sandlin, meanwhile, figure to provide support to a Sea Dogs starting rotation that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks. From a developmental perspective, they will also be challenged with facing more advanced hitting in the upper minors for the first time in their respective careers.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect David Sandlin to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect David Sandlin from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per his agent Craig Rose of Paragon Sports International.

Sandlin, 23, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander made his 10th start of the season for Greenville in Sunday’s series finale against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings. He threw 64 pitches (46 strikes) and induced eight swings-and-misses.

In his 10 outings for the Drive this year, Sandlin posted a 5.12 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 50 strikeouts to 11 walks over 31 2/3 innings. That translates to a strikeout rate of 37.3 percent and a walk rate of 8.2 percent. Opposing hitters batted .254 against him.

Just a few days before celebrating his 23rd birthday back in February, Sandlin was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals in a spring training trade that sent reliever John Schreiber to Kansas City. The former 2022 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma broke camp with Greenville but missed more than a month of action after being placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation in mid-May.

Sandlin returned to the mound on June 15 and had pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 25 strikeouts to just two walks in his last five starts (13 2/3 innings) coming into play on Sunday. In these shorter outings, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty has been touching 99-100 mph with his fastball, according to reports from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen. He also incorporates a splitter, cutter, slider, and curveball into his arsenal.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Sandlin will be tasked with going up against tougher competition in the Eastern League moving forward. He also figures to provide support to a Sea Dogs’ starting rotation that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks.

It is not yet known who will be taking Sandlin’s spot in Greenville’s rotation, but left-hander Noah Dean would seem to be a logical choice since he started for Low-A Salem on Sunday and has been on a similar pitching schedule since Sandlin returned from the injured list last month.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Two Red Sox prospects named Dominican Summer League All-Stars

Two young prospects have been selected to represent the Red Sox in the 2024 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game on Sunday.

First baseman/outfielder Justin Gonzales and outfielder Anderson Fermin will suit up for the American League as they go up against DSL All-Stars from the National League at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Dominican complex in Santo Domingo. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET.

Gonzales and Fermin are two 17-year-olds who signed with Boston as international free agents back in January. The Dominican Republic natives received bonuses of $250,000 and $400,000, respectively. The former has spent his first professional season with DSL Red Sox Blue while the latter has been playing for DSL Red Sox Red.

Gonzales, a right-handed hitter, has batted .324/.402/.537 with six doubles, four triples, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 21 runs scored, three stolen bases, 13 walks, and 10 strikeouts in 30 games (122 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has made 20 starts at first base, eight in right field, one in center field, and one at DH. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 55 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, Gonzales — who turns 18 in December — “already has plus raw power that could end up a plus-plus tool.” He “uses the whole field, typically stays within the strike zone, and doesn’t miss much when he does swing thanks to a fairly short stroke for his size.”

Fermin, a switch-hitter, has slashed .300/.423/.336 with two doubles, one triple, 14 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 29 games (137 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Red. The 5-foot-11, 174-pounder has made 24 starts in center field, four at DH, and one in left field. He is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com.

In his recent evaluation of the Red Sox farm system, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen classified Fermin as a “compact rookie-level hitter.” He noted that Fermin, who turns 18 in September, “tracks pitches very well and has the speed to develop in center. His sweeping, downward bat path produces very little power right now.”

While Gonzales and Fermin were selected to the Dominican Summer League All-Star Game as players, DSL Red Sox Red manager Sandy Madera was named to the American League’s coaching staff under DSL Rangers Red skipper Nick Janssen.

(Picture: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia lands on Low-A Salem’s injured list with elbow inflammation

Red Sox pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia has been placed on Low-A Salem’s 7-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation, according to the affiliate’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Ingrassia was removed in the fourth inning of his last start against the Down East Wood Ducks on the road at Grainger Stadium this past Sunday. The 21-year-old left-hander was charged with one unearned run on three hits, zero walks, and seven strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings of work.

In 18 appearances (nine starts) for Salem to begin his first full professional season, Ingrassia has posted a 2.03 ERA and 1.94 FIP with a staff-leading 86 strikeouts to 17 walks over 53 1/3 innings. Opponents have batted just .187 against him.

Ingrassia opened the 2024 campaign in Salem’s bullpen and forged a 2.00 ERA (1.27 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to five walks over nine relief appearances (18 innings). Since moving to the Red Sox’ rotation in mid-May, the lefty has pitched to a 2.24 ERA (2.28 FIP) with 51 strikeouts to 12 walks across 35 1/3 innings as a starter.

Among the 56 Carolina League pitchers who entered Friday having accrued at least 50 innings to this point in the year, Ingrassia led the group in strikeouts per nine innings (14.51), strikeout rate (40.4 percent), swinging-strike rate (21.8 percent), FIP, and xFIP (1.91). He also ranked third in ERA, fifth in batting average against, seventh in WHIP (0.99), eighth in groundball rate (50 percent), 17th in walks per nine innings (2.87), and 20th in walk rate (8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Ingrassia, who turns 22 next week, was selected by the Red Sox in the 14th round of last summer’s draft out of Cal State Fullerton. The California native spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at San Diego State before transferring and earning Second Team All-Big West honors with the Titans as a junior. He signed for $150,000 shortly after being drafted but did not make his professional debut until April.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Ingrassia was recently tabbed by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen as the No. 37 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 15th among pitchers in the organization. Longenhagen described Ingrassia as a “crafty, diminutive” southpaw who “has a whippy arm stroke that helps him sell his fading mid-80s changeup.”

The Red Sox, Longenhagen notes, have altered Ingrassia’s delivery so that it is now more cross-bodied, which “has aided the effectiveness of [his] sweeping low-80s breaking ball, and he’s also had a [velocity] uptick into the low-90s. Because of the upshot angle of his fastball from his low-ish, cross-bodied slot, his heater plays up even though he doesn’t throw all that hard.”

Ingrassia, Longenhagen adds, “is still getting feel for what it’s like to attack hitters with his fastball at the letters (which he really didn’t do in college). Because of his lack of size, it’s more likely that he ends up being a long reliever in the Ryan Yarbrough mold, but Ingrassia has a starter’s repertoire and command and probably needs to be promoted to be tested.”

Prior to landing on Salem’s injured list, Ingrassia could have been viewed as a possible candidate to receive a promotion to High-A Greenville before the end of the season. Now, he will presumably be shut down from throwing in an effort to reduce the inflammation in his elbow before any next steps are taken.

(Picture of Jojo Ingrassia: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early leads organization in Ks at All-Star break

At the MLB All-Star break, no Red Sox minor-leaguer has recorded more strikeouts to this point in the season than Connelly Early.

Early, Boston’s fifth-round selection in last summer’s draft out of Virginia, has been a key member of High-A Greenville’s starting rotation through the first three-plus months of the 2024 campaign. In a staff-leading 15 starts for the Drive, the 22-year-old left-hander has posted a 3.72 ERA and 3.67 FIP with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks over 67 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters have batted just .208 against him.

Among the 35 pitchers who have worked at least 60 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Early ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.97), strikeout rate (30.9 percent), swinging-strike rate (15.7 percent), and xFIP (3.33), fourth in groundball rate (51.2 percent), eighth in batting average against, 10th in WHIP (1.14), 11th in FIP, 14th in walks per nine innings (3.19) and walk rate (8.2 percent), and 15th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

A native of Virginia himself, Early spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Army before transferring to UVA as a junior. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, the lefty was recognized as a third-team All-ACC selection. He signed with the Red Sox for $408,500 after being taken with the 151st overall pick last July and made one start for Low-A Salem in September to mark his professional debut.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As highlighted by SoxProspects.com, he operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-93 mph fastball that has reached 95 mph this season, an 80-82 mph changeup that is considered to be his best secondary offering, a 79-81 mph curveball, and an 87-88 mph cutter.

To that end, Early is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The publication notes that Early “throws an average amount of strikes and benefits from high chase rates against his changeup and cutter.” It adds that he “has a backend starter’s upside, but is more likely to be reliable rotation depth as an up-and-down option.”

Considering that it has only been a little over a year since he entered the pro ranks, it will be interesting to see if Early — who does not turn 23 until next April — can put himself in position for a promotion to Double-A Portland before the season draws to a close.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro makes MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro made MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week for the week of July 8-14, MLB.com revealed on Monday.

Castro, Boston’s No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been swinging a hot bat as of late for High-A Greenville. In last week’s series on the road against the Rome Emperors, the switch-hitting 21-year-old went 8-for-18 (.444) with four home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one walk, and five strikeouts. Three of those four homers came in a doubleheader at AdventHealth Stadium on Thursday.

After accounting for the only scoring with an early two-run double in Sunday’s win over Rome, Castro is now riding a six-game hitting streak. In 10 games this month, he has gone 14-for-39 (.359) with seven home runs. On the 2024 season as a whole, he has batted .239/.365/.434 with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 35 RBIs, 49 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 50 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 76 games (329 plate appearances) for Greenville. That includes a .233/.324/.367 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .241/.375/.453 slash line against righties.

Among 69 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Castro ranks eighth in walk rate (15.2 percent), 31st in strikeout rate (22.8 percent), 10th in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging percentage, 15th in OPS (.799) and wRC+ (125), 17th in isolated power (.195), and 28th in line-drive rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Castro has primarily split his playing time this season between center and right field. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder has made a team-leading 41 starts in center for the Drive and has recorded three assists to one error in 83 defensive chances. In 22 starts as a right fielder, he has recorded two assists to zero errors over 41 chances.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019. He did not make his professional debut until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but was named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year that fall for his performance in the Dominican Summer League.

Since then, Castro has emerged as an intriguing prospect who has shown that he can play all three outfield positions. He can become Rule 5 eligible if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the end of the year, which makes him a potential candidate to be moved as part of a bigger deal ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

Assuming he remains in the organization for the time being, though, Castro could be in line for a promotion to Double-A Portland soon. He made the jump from Salem to Greenville during last year’s All-Star break and has held his own there, so it may be time for a new challenge.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Kyle Teel rips two doubles at All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel delivered a standout performance in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Saturday afternoon.

Teel went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles in the American League’s 6-1 loss to the National League, making him the only player on either side to record multiple hits in the seven-inning exhibition.

Representing the Red Sox alongside fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer — who went 0-for-2 with two groundouts — in the 25th annual Futures Game, Teel entered the contest as a defensive replacement for starting catcher Samuel Basallo in the fifth inning. The 22-year-old backstop was unable to throw out Dylan Crews stealing second base in the top half of the frame but made up for it with his first plate appearance in the latter half.

With one out and the bases empty, Teel found himself matched up against Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder. The left-handed hitter worked a 2-2 count before barreling an 86.3 mph slider from the right-hander to deep left-center for an opposite-field double. The ball left his bat at 98.8 mph and traveled 379 feet over the outstretched glove of National League center fielder Druw Jones.

Teel advanced to third base on a fielding error but was left stranded there. He got his next opportunity with one out in the bottom of the seventh, this time pitted against another righty in the Pirates’ Bubba Chandler. Though he fell behind in the count at 1-2, Teel kept things rolling by lacing an 86.3 mph fastball down the left-field line for his second double of the day.

Teel was, yet again, left in scoring position as Chandler recorded the game’s final two outs to seal the 6-1 victory for the National League. Reds prospect Cam Collier was named Futures Game MVP after going 1-for-2 with a 409-foot solo home run.

Selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia, Teel is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 27 prospect in the sport. He has batted .298/.384/.455 with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, 53 runs scored, six stolen bases, 33 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 65 games (294 plate appearances) for Double-A Portland to begin his first full professional season.

Defensively, Teel has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pounder has logged 380 innings behind the plate for the Sea Dogs, allowing three passed balls and throwing out 11 of 64 possible base stealers in that time.

Along with Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony, who won the inaugural Future Skills Showcase on Saturday, Teel is the third member of the Red Sox’ Big Three. The top three prospects in the organization are knocking on the door for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester but are all planning on returning to Portland after the All-Star break, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“We still have half a season left,” Teel told Speier. “This is a really cool journey. [The Futures Game] is a little sidequest we get to do midway through our season, but we’ve still got to compete for the playoffs with the Sea Dogs. The only thing that we can really control is playing for the Sea Dogs right now. That’s it. So we want to do that the best that we can and develop the most that we can.”

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)