Author: Brendan Campbell

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

Red Sox minor leaguer suspended for positive drug test

Red Sox minor-league pitcher Charlie Zink has received a 56-game suspension for violating the Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for Minor League players assigned outside of the United States and Canada, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.

Zink, a right-hander in the Dominican Summer League, tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol, which is known for its ability to promote fat loss while retaining lean muscle mass. The 18-year-old has been placed on the restricted list and will not be paid during his suspension.

Not to be confused with the knuckleballer who appeared in one game for the Red Sox in 2008, this Charlie Zink is a native of Curacao who signed with Boston for $70,000 as an international free agent coming out of Willemstad last December. He is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in the organization.

In four starts for DSL Red Sox Red, Zink posted an 8.53 ERA and 6.78 FIP with five strikeouts to seven walks over 6 1/3 innings to begin his professional career. Opposing hitters batted .250 in 30 plate appearances against the 6-foot-4, 180-pound hurler, who has reportedly touched 95 mph with his fastball.

Zink, who does not turn 19 until January, was not the only minor leaguer to be suspended on Friday. Fellow righty Yeury Tatiz, who is with the Mariners’ High-A affiliate in Modesto, Calif., was handed down an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Clomiphene, which violates the Joint Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

(Picture: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Yoeilin Cespedes likely requires surgery after breaking bone in left hand

Top Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes has a broken hamate bone in his left hand that will likely require surgery, as was first reported by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Cespedes had yet to appear in a game for Low-A Salem after earning a promotion from the rookie-level Florida Complex League on June 25. The 18-year-old middle infielder was instead placed on the 7-day injured list last Wednesday due to what was initially believed to be left-hand soreness.

As noted by Speier, however, the issue lingered longer than expected. Further testing led to the diagnosis of a hamate fracture, according to Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham. Since surgery to remove a broken hamate typically sidelines players for approximately six to eight weeks, the rest of Cespedes’ season could be in jeopardy if he does indeed go under the knife.

Before being promoted to Salem late last month, the right-handed hitting Cespedes batted a stout .319/.400/.615 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (105 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox to open the 2024 campaign.

Defensively, Cespedes split his playing time on the field between second base and shortstop. The 5-foot-8, 181-pounder made seven starts at the former and 10 at the latter. He also started eight games at DH, though five of those starts came in the early stages of the FCL season as he was still working his way back from a quadriceps strain that sidelined him during spring training.

Cespedes, who turns 19 in September, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Azua last January. He made a positive first impression in his professional debut by being named a 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star and the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Had he remained healthy upon making the jump to Salem, Cespedes could have put himself in the conversation to join fellow Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, and Kristian Campbell on Baseball America’s top-100 list this summer. He will now have to wait a bit until he is cleared to return to action.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Who is CJ Weins? Red Sox traded righty with ‘intriguing’ fastball to Tigers on Saturday

The Red Sox dipped into their 2023 draft class in order to make a minor trade with the Tigers over the weekend.

In exchange for minor-league right-hander Trey Wingenter, Boston dealt fellow righty CJ Weins to Detroit on Saturday night. Wingenter, who has three seasons of major-league experience (2018-2019, 2023) between the Padres and Tigers, will likely be added to the Red Sox’ active roster on Tuesday. Weins, meanwhile, switches organizations for the first time less than a full year since entering the professional ranks.

Weins, who turns 24 next month, was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of last summer’s draft out of Western Kentucky. As a graduate student who previously attended Wabash Valley College and South Carolina, the Illinois native signed with Boston for a modest $50,000 in late July.

Shortly after putting pen to paper, Weins made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League. He appeared in just one game for the FCL Red Sox, walking one and striking out another in a scoreless inning of relief against the FCL Twins in Fort Myers on August 18.

In October, Weins received some national attention from Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, who recognized the 23-year-old for having the best fastball in Boston’s 2023 draft class. That fastball, per Collazo, had “been up to 98 mph and generated an extremely high, 39 percent whiff rate with Western Kentucky, thanks in part to unique release traits.”

To begin his first full season in pro ball, Weins broke camp with Low-A Salem this past spring but did not make his first appearance until April 21 after spending some time on the temporary inactive list. Still, in 19 relief outings for the Red Sox, the righty posted a 4.81 ERA and 4.28 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 16 walks over 24 1/3 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted just .211 against him.

Before allowing two runs in last Wednesday’s win over Lynchburg, Weins had pitched to a 1.46 ERA (4.75 FIP) in his last 10 appearances (12 1/3 innings) dating back to May 26. He also converted three of five possible save opportunities in his time with Salem and currently ranks second on the team in that category.

As highlighted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Weins throws from a three-quarters arm slot and puts “considerable” effort into his delivery. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound hurler operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball that has reached 95 mph, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 80-84 mph slider.

Ian Cundall, SoxProspects.com’s scouting director, wrote on Saturday that Weins’ fastball “has some intriguing traits and missed bats this year.” He also noted that Weins has plus extension and 18 inches of induced vertical break on his heater.

Weins, who was not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, has been assigned to Detroit’s Low-A affiliate in Lakeland, Fla. Nick Green, who spent eight seasons (2015-2022) coaching in the Red Sox organization, currently serves as the Lakeland Flying Tigers’ pitching coach.

It remains to be seen how the Tigers plan on utilizing Weins, but his development as a pitcher moving forward will presumably hinge on his ability to throw strikes more consistently. With that, it will be interesting to see if Weins can make the jump to High-A West Michigan before the 2024 campaign draws to a close.

Weins joins left-hander Ryan Ammons as the second member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to have already been traded by the club. Ammons, a 10th-rounder out of Clemson who also signed for $50,000, was dealt to the Mets in December for Rule 5 selection Justin Slaten. He was recently promoted to New York’s High-A affiliate in Brooklyn.

(Picture of CJ Weins: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Elmer Rodriguez named Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for June

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for June, Minor League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

Rodriguez, 20, went 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA (2.29 FIP) in four June starts for Salem. The right-hander allowed just two unearned runs on 11 hits and four walks with 19 strikeouts over 20 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .155 batting average. He struck out nine across a season-high six scoreless frames in his last time out against the Fredericksburg Nationals this past Sunday.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Rodriguez has posted a 2.44 FIP and 2.61 FIP with 68 strikeouts to two walks over 13 outings (12 starts) spanning 55 1/3 innings of work for the Red Sox. Opponents are slashing just .205/.282/.267 against him.

Among 45 Carolina League pitchers who had accrued at least 50 innings through Wednesday, Rodriguez ranked fourth in FIP, sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.06), seventh in ERA and xFIP (2.91), ninth in strikeout rate (29.1 percent), 11th in batting average against, 12th in groundball rate (47.0 percent), 16th in swinging-strike rate (13.7 percent), and 17th in WHIP (1.16), per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez, who turns 21 next month, has spent parts of three seasons with Salem dating back to August 2022. Compared to last year, in which he forged a 2.61 ERA in 14 starts, the righty has lowered his walk rate by nearly three percent and raised his strikeout rate by almost seven percent. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization.

A former 2021 fourth-round draft selection out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez now stands at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Rodriguez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that has touched 98 mph this year, a 77-79 mph curveball, an 87-90 mph changeup, and an 85-87 mph slider.

Given the amount of success he has enjoyed at Low-A as of late, it stands to reason that Rodriguez will soon be the recipient of a promotion to High-A Greenville. He is not the only Salem hurler in that boat, but a new challenge featuring more advanced competition could be in store on the other side of the All-Star break later this month.

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

Top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel to represent Red Sox in Futures Game festivities

The Big Three of outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer, and catcher Kyle Teel have been invited to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Arlinton, Texas on July 13.

Mayer and Teel will play for the American League in the Futures Game itself while Anthony (an inactive selection) is slated to take part in the first-ever MLB Futures Skills Showcase — a three-round competition of hitting challenges — that follows the seven-inning exhibition at Globe Life Field.

Anthony, Mayer, and Teel have spent the entirety of the 2024 season together at Double-A Portland and are currently regarded by Baseball America as The Nos. 1, 2, and 3 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. All three are represented in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings as well.

Anthony has overtaken Mayer for the top spot in the organization. The left-handed hitting 20-year-old is batting .246/.358/.441 with 15 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored, six stolen bases, 36 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 60 games (260 plate appearances) for Portland this season. He has made 46 starts in center field and one in right field.

Mayer, who suited up for the American League in Seattle last year, joins Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox position prospects to be named to multiple Futures Games. The left-handed hitting 21-year-old is slashing .307/.371/.479 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 57 strikeouts in 68 games (299 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season. He has made 56 starts at shortstop and one at third base.

As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Mayer was scratched from Portland’s lineup on Monday after experiencing back stiffness during batting practice. He may sit again on Tuesday, but the issue is still considered minor and one that is not expected to keep the former fourth-overall pick out for long.

Teel, meanwhile, is enjoying a strong first full season in pro ball after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old is batting .302/.390/.464 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 48 RBIs, 51 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 60 games (272 plate appearances) for Portland. He has thrown out 10 of 60 possible base stealers in his 40 starts behind the plate.

All three of Anthony, Mayer, and Teel remain in Portland for the time being but are undoubtedly nearing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. It remains to be seen if they will move up as a group or individually, though Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham acknowledged in a recent conversation with Speier that “the conversations are happening constantly.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Franklin Arias named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox infield prospect Franklin Arias has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of June 24-30, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Arias went 7-for-15 (.467) with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, four runs scored, five stolen bases, three walks, and three strikeouts in five games for the FCL Red Sox last week. The 18-year-old then went 4-for-7 (.571) with two doubles, one RBI, three runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and one strikeout between Games 1 and 2 of Monday’s doubleheader against the FCL Braves at the JetBlue Park complex in Fort Myers.

Following Monday’s performance, Arias is now batting a stout .308/.432/.513 with 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 35 games (146 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox after a relatively slow start to the season. The right-handed hitter leads Boston’s rookie-level affiliate in doubles, runs scored, stolen bases, extra-base hits (17), and total bases (60), per MiLB.com.

Defensively, Arias has seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at either shortstop or second base. The projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has made 23 starts at short, where he has committed five errors in 98 chances, and eight at second, where he has yet to commit an error. He has also served as the FCL Red Sox’ designated hitter three times, including Game 2 of Monday’s twin bill.

Arias is currently regarded by both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and slashed .350/.440/.453 over 37 games while impressing with his defense.

Arias, who does not turn 19 until November, is the second member of this year’s FCL Red Sox to earn Player of the Week honors, joining fellow infielder and 2023 signee Yoeilin Cespedes (June 3-9). Cespedes has since received a promotion to Low-A Salem but has yet to appear in a game there due to left-hand soreness, according to SoxProspects.com Chris Hatfield.

As part of a new scheduling quirk, the 2024 Florida Complex League regular season will end on July 25. Barring a trade or other sort of surprise, it seems more likely than not that Arias will be joining Cespedes in Salem before the end of the summer.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo likely requires Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo is likely to require Tommy John surgery, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Like fellow right-hander Luis Perales, Bastardo has damage in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his throwing elbow. Surgery is viewed as the likely outcome, though the 22-year-old will meet with a doctor before making a final decision.

Bastardo, who just celebrated his 22nd birthday on Tuesday, has been on Double-A Portland’s injured list since June 6. The night prior, he left his start at Hadlock Field in the fourth after crumpling to the ground in pain following the delivery of a pitch. He was initially diagnosed with a sprained UCL, but it appears further imaging and testing revealed a more serious prognosis.

In 10 starts for Portland this season, Bastardo posted a 5.36 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 53 strikeouts to 21 walks over 45 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .225 against him. His 26.6 percent punchout rate ranks 16th among 50 Eastern League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings coming into play on Tuesday, per FanGraphs.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for $35,000 in July 2018, Bastardo is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. As noted by Speier, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound righty has shown an intriguing fastball that has reached 97-98 mph this year. He also features a swing-and-miss changeup, a curveball, and a slider.

If he does indeed undergo Tommy John surgery, Bastardo would be looking at a lengthy rehab process that would keep him sidelined for the rest of 2024 and most — if not all — of 2025. An internal bracing procedure to repair the damaged UCL would have a faster recovery timeline but would still necessitate a lengthy absence.

Unlike Perales, who is slated to visit Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Birmingham, Ala. next week, Bastardo is not on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster. He can, however, become a minor-league free agent at the end of the 2025 season, so the timing of all this is far from ideal.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales to undergo Tommy John surgery

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedics Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Perales has been on Double-A Portland’s 7-day injured list since June 9 after leaving his start with elbow inflammation the night prior. As noted by Cotillo, the Red Sox were initially optimistic that the right-hander — who was in Boston for imaging late last week — was not dealing with a serious injury but an MRI revealed “significant damage” in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his pitching elbow.

Perales, 21, was in the midst of a breakout season after being added to Boston’s 40-man roster over the winter and taking part in his first big-league camp this spring. He opened the 2024 campaign at High-A Greenville, where he posted a 3.42 ERA and 2.04 FIP with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for the Drive.

After receiving a promotion to Portland in late May, Perales made his Double-A debut on June 2 and allowed just one unearned run while striking out seven over five innings. He took the mound for the Sea Dogs again at Hadlock Field six days later and yielded two runs (one earned) before departing with one out in the top of the third inning.

Altogether, Perales forged a 2.94 ERA (2.01 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 12 walks in nine starts (33 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. His 38.9 percent strikeout rate ranks eighth among 894 minor-leaguers who have pitched at least 30 innings to this point in the year, per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Guacara in July 2019. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound hurler is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization. Before getting hurt, Perales was making strides toward possibly being in the Sox’ major-league plans by next season. He was recently tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 57 prospect in the sport, marking the first time he has been included in the outlet’s top-100 rankings.

Now, Perales will miss the rest of 2024 and most — if not all — of 2025 while recovering and rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which can be a grueling process. Since he is on the club’s 40-man roster, the Red Sox could recall Perales and place him on the 60-day injured list to free up a roster spot for someone else. That would, however, start his big-league service time clock.

Regardless of that though, it is worth noting — as SoxProspects.com Chris Hatfield did — that Perales will likely have burned through two of his three minor-league option years by the time he is ready to fully contribute in 2026. He could become eligible for a fourth option down the line, but that is not a given.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Cutter Coffey earns South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Cutter Coffey has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of June 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Coffey put on quite the power display in High-A Greenville’s last series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field. The right-handed hitting infielder went 8-for-19 (.421) with one double, six home runs, 15 RBIs, eight runs scored, five walks, and just one strikeout.

After going deep in Hickory last Sunday, Coffey homered in all five games he appeared in this past week. The 20-year-old slugger clubbed solo shots on Tuesday and Wednesday, a three-run blast on Thursday, a grand slam and another three-run homer on Friday, and a two-run bomb on Saturday before getting Sunday’s series finale off.

With his grand slam on Friday, Coffey became the first player in Greenville Drive history to hit a home run in five consecutive games. His three-run home run later that night helped him notch the first multi-homer game of his professional career.

Since returning from Greenville’s 7-day injured list on May 22, Coffey has batted .240/.337/.627 with two doubles, nine home runs, 24 RBIs, 13 runs scored, one stolen base, 10 walks, and 17 strikeouts in his last 19 games (86 plate appearances). On the 2024season as a whole, he has slashed .232/.313/.507 with six doubles, 11 homers, 33 runs driven in, 26 runs scored, four stolen bases, 15 walks, and 37 strikeouts over 35 games (160 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Among 83 hitters in the South Atlantic League who have made at least 160 trips to the plate to this point in the year, Coffey ranks 10th in slugging percentage, 17th in OPS (.820), second in isolated power (.275), 15th in swinging-strike rate (9.2 percent), and 20th in wRC+ (122), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Coffey has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has logged 140 1/3 innings at third base, 113 innings at shortstop, and 17 innings at second base, committing 13 errors in 91 total defensive chances. He has also started four games as the Drive’s designated hitter.

Coffey, who just turned 20 last month, is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 35 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield. He signed with the club for $1.85 million and forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by doing so.

After making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League that summer, Coffey spent the first four months of the 2023 campaign with Low-A Salem before first arriving in Greenville last August. He has since hit .202/.293/.399 in 53 games (239 plate appearances) with the Drive, though the results as of late have certainly been more encouraging.

Coffey is the second member of the Drive to earn South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors this season, joining fellow infielder Tyler Miller (April 22-28). On the flip side, right-hander Juan Daniel Encarnacion was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 6-12.

Miller and Encarnacion have since been promoted to Double-A Portland. As such, it will be interesting to see if Coffey joins them on the Sea Dogs before the season draws to a close.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox’ Kristian Campbell named Eastern League Player of the Week

Rising Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of June 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Campbell enjoyed a productive week in Double-A Portland’s series against the Reading Fightin Phils. Appearing in all six games at FirstEnergyStadium, Campbell went 12-for-28 (.429) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

After collecting six hits in the first two games of the series, Campbell went 0-for-5 on Thursday to snap a nine-game hitting streak. He then went deep twice on Friday to mark the first multi-homer game of his professional career and closed out the weekend by stroking three more hits on Sunday.

Since being promoted on June 4, Campbell has batted .392/.456/.667 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 runs driven in, 13 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and 10 strikeouts in his first 12 games (57 plate appearances) with Portland. This comes after he slashed .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles, eight homers, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 40 games (177 plate appearances) with Greenville to begin his first full season as a pro.

Defensively, Campbell has seen playing time at two different positions since joining the Sea Dogs earlier this month. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has started four games at second base and six in center field after being used in a similar capacity with the Drive. He has also started two games as Portland’s designated hitter after serving as Greenville’s DH on eight separate occasions.

Campbell, who turns 22 later this month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Georgia Tech product was taken by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall selection in last year’s draft, which is the pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the previous winter.

After signing with the Red Sox for $492,700 last summer, Campbell made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League but quickly worked his way up to Greenville, skipping Low-A Salem altogether, in late August. He then played a major role in helping the Drive take home their first South Atlantic League title since 2017.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Campbell spent most of the offseason in Fort Myers to work on his strength and conditioning as well as his swing. He added some bulk to his wiry frame and proceeded to turn heads in his first spring training by displaying eye-opening exit velocity at the plate on the back fields of the Fenway South complex.

“He hits the crap out of the ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham recently told Speier. “His swing is incredibly fast. He drives the ball to all fields. He has really good plate discipline. He’s a hitter that does a lot of things really well. It’s exciting to see what he could potentially do and already what he’s done.”

Cambell is the fourth member of the Sea Dogs to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, joining Matthew Lugo (April 15-21), Blaze Jordan (April 22-28), and Kyle Teel (May 27-June 2). On the flip side, left-hander Zach Penrod was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)