Author: Brendan Campbell

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

Former Red Sox prospect Marques Johnson named California League Pitcher of the Week

Former Red Sox relief prospect Marques Johnson ended the first full season of his professional career on a strong note by earning California League Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday.

Johnson, who the Red Sox traded to the Giants for fellow reliever Mauricio Llovera in late July, made two appearances for San Francisco’s Low-A affiliate in San Jose in its most-recent series against the Stockton Ports. The right-hander struck out 10 and walked only one of the 17 batters he faced over five scoreless, one-hit innings of relief.

After joining the Giants organization ahead of the trade deadline, Johnson closed out the 2023 campaign by pitching to a 0.00 ERA and 3.40 FIP with 20 strikeouts to nine walks across 11 outings (18 1/3 innings) for San Jose in which he held opposing hitters to a .145 batting average against. He also converted his lone save opportunity, which came in a 14-1 win over Stockton on Friday.

A native of California himself, Johnson was selected by the Red Sox in the 11th round of last year’s draft out of Long Beach State. He signed with Boston for $122,500, but did not make his pro debut with Low-A Salem until this April. As a member of the Salem Red Sox, the 23-year-old righty posted a 6.55 ERA with 43 strikeouts to 24 walks over 28 appearances (34 1/3 innings) out of the bullpen.

While that ERA is far from eye-popping, Johnson produced a far more favorable 3.75 FIP with Salem. He had also been pitching much better in the weeks leading up to the trade, yielding just one earned run in his final seven appearances (9 2/3 innings) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. It appears as though those results carried over into the California League and Johnson now has some hardware to prove it.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Johnson throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph and features high spin rates, an 83-85 mph slider, and an 86-88 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Johnson, who does not turn 24 until next July, possesses intriguing potential if he can further refine his control and command of the strike zone. And while San Jose’s regular season is over, the Giants are slated to open a three-game playoff series on the road against the Modesto Nuts on Tuesday.

(Picture of Marques Johnson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer shut down for rest of season

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been shut down for the remainder of the minor-league season, director of player development Brian Abraham told MLB.com’s Ian Browne on Wednesday.

Mayer, who has been on Double-A Portland’s injured list with left shoulder inflammation, will not suit up for the Sea Dogs again this year. The 20-year-old shortstop will instead head to Fort Myers, Fla. to continue his rehab and focus on having “a full, normal offseason,” per Abraham.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Mayer was expected to return to action at some point last month. But upon resuming baseball activities, the left-handed hitter reaggravated the injury — which affects his ability to swing a bat — and has been idle ever since.

Abraham told Speier that Mayer is expected to ramp things back up in the coming days, adding that Boston’s No. 1 prospect will likely take part in the club’s fall instructional program at the Fenway South complex beginning next week.

“We just didn’t want him to play when he’s less than 100 percent,” Abraham said of Mayer. “Ultimately, we felt like having him be 100 percent during all activities was really important for him and for us.”

Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.), earned a promotion to Portland in late May after batting .290/.366/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 23 runs scored, five stolen bases, 17 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) for High-A Greenville to kick off his second full professional season.

Upon being inserted into the Sea Dogs’ lineup, though, Mayer struggled to a .189/.254/.355 slash line with eight doubles, one triple, six homers, 20 runs driven in, four stolen bases, 15 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 43 games (190 plate appearances). He was in the midst of a 1-for-21 slump at the plate prior to hitting the injured list.

Despite the poor offensive numbers in Portland, Mayer showed signs of promise in other areas and represented the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in July. On the other side of the ball, for instance, he committed just three errors across 323 innings at shortstop with the Sea Dogs. To that end, the 6-foot-2, 188-pound infielder was recently identified by Baseball America as the best defensive shortstop in both the South Atlantic (High-A) and Eastern League (Double-A) this year.

“It was a really positive [year], getting all the way up to Double-A at his age,” said Abraham. “He was probably a little unlucky. He put the ball in play, hit the ball hard, and played a really good defensive shortstop.

“Overall,” Abraham continued, “the chance to get to Double-A where he had a chance to be an impactful player on a team that was having a lot of success, it was a really good opportunity for him to play with some upper-level talent, see upper-levels pitching, and really play as if he belongs.”

It remains to be seen if Mayer, who turns 21 in December, will play in the Arizona Fall League, which gets underway next month. That being said, Speier notes that an AFL assignment “would be a consideration” if the California native gets back to 100 percent health-wise.

As things stand now, Mayer is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in the sport. MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, has him ranked 11th. Barring a surprise, Mayer is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season next spring.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote relief prospect Luis Guerrero to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting relief prospect Luis Guerrero from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to MiLB Central on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Guerrero, 23, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 31 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. The hard-throwing right-hander was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Chipola College (Marianna, Fla.) and signed with the club for $122,500.

In 43 appearances out of the bullpen for Portland this season, Guerrero has posted a 1.81 ERA and 3.37 FIP with 59 strikeouts to 30 walks over 49 2/3 innings of relief. He held opposing hitters to a .150 batting average against in the process of going 18-for-22 in save opportunities.

Among 131 Eastern League pitchers who came into play Tuesday with at least 40 innings under their belts to this point in the year, Guerrero ranks 33rd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.69), 32nd in strikeout rate (27.8 percent), third in batting average against, 16th in WHIP, first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), second in ERA, and 19th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

While the strikeout numbers are undoubtedly impressive, Guerrero has had his issues when it comes to walks. Using the same parameters from above, he ranks 113rd in the Eastern League in walks per nine innings (5.44) and 117th in walk rate (14.2 percent). Dating back to the start of July, he has walked 12 of the last 87 batters he has faced.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee as an infant and now walks with a limp as a result. He told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this spring that he now has limited mobility in his knee since the muscles in that area did not grow like the others.

“[But] for pitching, you just need to bend [the back knee] a little bit,” Guerrero explained. “My knee bends just as much as I need it to.”

As a child, Guerrero moved from the Dominican to Boston and grew up near Franklin Park. He then moved to Miami for his senior year of high school and spent two years at Chipola before being drafted by the Red Sox in 2021. Guerrero did not make his professional debut until last June and made his way to High-A Greenville before the 2022 season came to a close. He was expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign as well, but showed increased fastball velocity and wound up breaking camp with Portland.

Since then, Guerrero has only seen his stock rise. Alongside Sea Dogs teammates Nick Yorke and Marcelo Mayer, the righty represented the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. Replacing left-hander Shane Drohan in suiting up for the American League at T-Mobile Park, Guerrero struck out the lone batter he faced — Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez — on five pitches.

Listed at 6-feet and 215 pounds, Guerrero operates with a 96-98 mph fastball that tops out at 100 mph, an 81-85 mph splitter, and an 87-90 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. In order to reach his potential, he will need to work on refining his control and command of the strike zone moving forward.

With the minor-league season winding down and the WooSox fighting for a playoff spot, Guerrero is slated to join a Worcester bullpen that already features Nick Robertson, Justin Hagenman, Andrew Politi, and Ryan Fernandez, among others.

(Picture of Luis Guerrero: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top prospects Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting top prospects Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by MiLB Central on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Anthony and Teel are currently regarded by Baseball America as the Nos. 2 and 4 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. As far as top-100 rankings are concerned, the former comes in at No. 19 on the publication’s latest list while the latter comes in at No. 91.

Anthony, 19, began the 2023 season with Low-A Salem after being taken by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.). The left-handed hitting outfielder appeared in 42 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate before earning a promotion to Greenville in mid-June.

With the Drive, Anthony batted a stout .294/.412/.569 (164 wRC+) with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 strikeouts over 54 games (245 plate appearances). The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder put up those numbers while seeing the majority of his playing time come in center field, where he recorded five assists in 337 defensive innings.

Teel, 21, was selected by Boston with the 14th overall pick in this summer’s draft out of Virginia. The New Jersey native signed with the club for an over-slot bonus of $4,663,100 in late July. He then made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on August 3, but he only stuck around there for three games before skipping Low-A altogether and making the jump to Greenville five days later.

A left-handed hitter like Anthony, Teel got off to a hot start with Greenville and wound up slashing .377/.485/.453 (166 wRC+) with four doubles, nine runs driven in, 10 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 11 strikeouts in 14 games (66 plate appearances) for Greenville. From behind the plate, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound backstop threw out six of 20 would-be base stealers while allowing three passed balls.

With the promotions of Anthony and Teel, Portland now has even more of Boston’s top prospects on its roster. Even with shortstop Marcelo Mayer — who has been sidelined by left shoulder inflammation for the last month — on the injured list, the Sea Dogs have already featured catcher Nathan Hickey, second baseman Nick Yorke, infielders Brainer Bonaci, Chase Meidroth, and Blaze Jordan, and right-handers Wikelman Gonzalez, Angel Bastardo, and Hunter Dobbins, among others.

The Sea Dogs have just 12 regular season games remaining on their schedule. They will take on the Reading Fightin Phils on the road this week and then return home to host the Hartford Yard Goats in a six-game series that will run from September 12-17 at Hadlock Field.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

How top Red Sox outfield prospect Roman Anthony has fared since promotion to High-A Greenville

Top Red Sox outfield prospect Roman Anthony homered for the third time this season in High-A Greenville’s doubleheader against the Brooklyn Cyclones at Fluor Field on Thursday night.

In Game 1, Anthony led off the bottom of the first inning by taking Brooklyn starter Felipe De La Cruz 375 feet to left-center field for his 12th homer with Greenville and his first of the year off a left-hander. Anthony’s solo shot proved to be the difference maker, as the Drive went on to defeat the Cyclones, 1-0, behind seven shutout innings from starter Zach Penrod and reliever Brock Bell.

In Game 2, Anthony served as Greenville’s leadoff hitter yet again and went 1-for-2 with a double, a run scored, and two walks. This time around, however, the Drive fell to the Cyclones by a final score of 7-4 and had to settle for a doubleheader split as a result.

Between both games of Thursday’s twin bill, though, Anthony went 2-for-5 with two extra-base hits, one RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout. In doing so, the left-handed hitter extended his hitting streak to four games and capped off a solid month of August in which be batted .297/.391/.506 with six doubles, two triples, three home runs, 14 runs driven in, 17 runs scored, 13 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 23 games (105 plate appearances) for Greenville.

Still just 19 years old, Anthony made the jump to Greenville from Low-A Salem in mid-June after slashing .228/.376/.317 with one homer and 18 RBIs in 42 games (202 plate appearances) with the Red Sox to kick off his first full professional season. While a .693 OPS is far from eye-popping, Anthony produced strong underlying numbers — such as an 18.8 percent walk rate and 26.2 percent line-drive rate — with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

As such, the Red Sox elected to move Anthony up the minor-league ladder on June 13 and he has only seen his stock rise since. In 52 games with the Drive altogether, Anthony is batting a stout .292/.415/.574 with 13 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 35 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 71 strikeouts across 236 trips to the plate.

Among South Atlantic League hitters who have accrued at least 230 plate appearances to this point in the season, Anthony ranks sixth in walk rate (16.9 percent), 10th in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, first in OPS (.990), second in isolated power (.282), first in line-drive rate (30.1 percent), and first in wRC+ (166), per FanGraphs.

Though he has not posed much of a threat on the basepaths, Anthony had been able to make his impact felt in the outfield. With Greenville specifically, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has logged 328 innings in center and 34 2/3 innings in right, committing four errors in 110 defensive chances while recording a team-leading five outfield assists.

Anthony, the 79th overall selection in last year’s amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.), is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system (trailing only shortstop Marcelo Mayer) and the No. 19 prospect in the sport. The Red Sox swayed the West Palm Beach native away from his commitment to Ole Miss by signing him for an over-slot bonus of $2.5 million.

With the minor-league season entering its final month, it seems likely that Anthony — who does not turn 20 until next May — will close out the 2023 campaign in Greenville. On that note, Anthony is leading off and starting in center field for the Drive in their contest against the Cyclones on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Monegro is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The 20-year-old hurler originally signed with the Red Sox for a modest $35,000 coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020 and has since emerged as one of the more intriguing arms in the system.

In what has been a breakout 2023 season, Monegro first made his impact felt in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where he struggled to a 7.36 ERA in 25 2/3 innings last year. This June, however, the Santo Domingo native dazzled in three starts for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate. He allowed just two earned runs over 15 innings of work in which he struck out 20 and walked only four en route to earning FCL Pitcher of the Month honors.

Before June came to a close, though, Monegro made the jump to Salem. He made his full-season debut on the 25th and proceeded to put up a 2.43 ERA (2.32 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 17 walks in nine starts (40 2/3 innings) for the Red Sox while holding opposing hitters to a .217 batting average against. In what might go down as his final start at the Low-A level, Monegro yielded one unearned run on two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts across five solid frames in a 2-1 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals last Thursday.

Among Carolina League pitchers with at least 40 innings under their belt coming into play on Tuesday, Monegro ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (13.28), eighth in strikeout rate (34.5 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (18 percent), seventh in ERA, first in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (2.92), per FanGraphs.

While the success that Monegro has enjoyed this summer may be a surprise to some, the Red Sox had high hopes for the righty well before the minor-league season even started. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero even acknowledged as much in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com last month.

“We were really excited about Monegro heading into the spring,” Romero wrote. “He impressed a lot with the physical shape he came into spring training, and has continued to work since then — this has been key to his early-season success. He’s super athletic with a lightning quick arm which contributes to his ability to have a plus breaking ball. He’s tightened up his delivery to let his athleticism show and be consistent with his mechanics. Hope he continues this success into the second half.”

With a projectable 6-foot-4, 180-pound-frame, Monegro throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s four-seam fastball that tops out at 95-96 mph, a high-80s slider, and an upper-70s curveball. As noted by publications such as Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, Monegro is more control-over-command at the moment and is still considered a work in progress as a result.

That being said, Monegro will have the chance to put an exclamation point on what has already been an encouraging season with Greenville. The Drive open a six-game series against the Brooklyn Cyclones at Fluor Field on Tuesday night, and so Monegro will more than likely make his High-A debut this week.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Angel Bastardo to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Angel Bastardo from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the club’s minor-league transactions log. Bastardo is expected to make his Double-A debut in Thursday’s game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels at Hadlock Field.

Bastardo, the reigning South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month, had spent the entirety of the 2023 season with Greenville. In 21 starts for the Drive, the 21-year-old right-hander posted a 4.62 ERA — but much more encouraging 3.84 FIP — with a league-leading 139 strikeouts to 46 walks over 103 1/3 innings of work.

Among qualified Sally League pitchers coming into play on Thursday, Bastardo ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (12.11), second in strikeout rate (31.8 percent), third in batting average against (.223), fifth in groundball rate (46.3 percent), second in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), third in FIP, and second in xFIP (3.71), according to FanGraphs.

While the strikeout numbers are promising, Bastardo has struggled at times when it comes to his control and command of the strike zone. In his last time out against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on August 12, for instance, he issued a season-high five walks in addition to giving up four home runs. He was placed on Greenville’s development list Tuesday but now appears ready to return to action.

A native of Venezuela, Bastardo originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks seventh among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Bastardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a mid-80s changeup, a power 12-6 curveball that sits between 82-84 mph, and a mid-80s slider that features gyro-like spin.

In similar fashion to fellow righty Grant Gambrell, who received a promotion to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Bastardo can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft at year’s end. The Red Sox, of course, would need to add Bastardo to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

Bastardo, who does not turn 22 until next June, is the fourth member of Greenville’s Opening Day starting rotation to make the jump to Portland this season, joining Gambrell, Wikelman Gonzalez, and Isaac Coffey.

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

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Grant Gambrell to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Grant Gambrell from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Gambrell, 25, initially made the jump to Portland in late May after posting a 4.88 ERA in six starts (31 1/3 innings) with High-A Greenville to begin the 2023 season. In 15 starts for the Sea Dogs, the right-hander forged a 3.42 ERA and 3.99 FIP with 84 strikeouts to 32 walks over 84 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .227 batting average against.

Among 32 Eastern League pitchers who have accrued 80 or more innings to this point in the season, Gambrell came into play Thursday ranking 14th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.96), 11th in walks per nine innings (3.42), 12th in strikeout rate (23.8 percent), 15th in walk rate (9.1 percent), sixth in batting average against, sixth in WHIP (1.22), ninth in groundball rate (44.3 percent), fourth in ERA, eighth in FIP, and 11th in xFIP (3.91), per FanGraphs.

A California native, Gambrell was originally selected by the Royals in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Oregon State. He was then dealt to the Red Sox in June 2021 alongside fellow righty Luis De La Rosa as part of the seven-player trade that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City four months earlier.

Gambrell’s first season as a member of the Red Sox organization did not go well. He struggled to a 7.16 ERA in eight starts (32 2/3 innings) for Greenville before being shut down with an ankle injury that August. He then missed the entirety of the 2022 campaign as a result of undergoing five surgeries to remove a benign tumor from his calcaneus, or the heel bone.

“I’m just grateful to even be out here because a couple years ago, it was a pretty dark time,” Gambrell told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in June. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it again. So it’s just taking advantage of every opportunity that I get.”

Now fully healthy, Gambrell finds himself just one call away from the major-leagues. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound hurler is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

As he explained to Smith, Gambrell eliminated a four-seam fastball from his arsenal and now uses a 92-95 mph two-seam fastball. He added a cutter in spring training and also mixes in a slider and changeup.

“Not that I took baseball for granted when I was playing but definitely being away from the sport for a year and a half, two years, you look at it in a different way, a different perspective,” said Gambrell. “I’m honestly glad I did get to go through that because it allowed me to be more appreciative for the sport, more appreciative for everybody around me.”

Gambrell, who turns 26 in November, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline later this fall. Depending on how he performs with Worcester down the stretch, he has a chance to put himself in consideration for one of those spots.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Amid bounce-back season, top Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke comes through in clutch for Double-A Portland on Sunday

Red Sox infield prospect Nick Yorke came through when needed in Double-A Portland’s series-splitting road win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Tied 1-1 going into the seventh inning, Yorke stepped up to the plate with two outs and Corey Rosier representing the potential go-ahead run at second base. Opposed by Rumble Ponies reliever Daison Acosta, Yorke worked a 2-1 count before drilling the fourth pitch he saw through the left side of the infield and into left field.

Rosier scored easily from second to put the Sea Dogs up 2-1, which would go on to be Sunday’s final score as Portland put an end to a three-game losing streak. Yorke, who reached base four times in total after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning, finished the day going 3-for-4 with that clutch RBI single, a double, and a stolen base out of the two-spot.

Despite the fact that the Sea Dogs dropped three straight at one point, it was an all-around impressive week at the plate for Yorke in Binghamton. Including Sunday’s three-hit showing, the right-handed hitting second baseman went 8-for-21 (.381) with two doubles, one home run, seven RBIs, three runs scored, tw0 stolen bases, two walks, and four strikeouts while appearing in five games.

After a tepid July in which he missed time due to lower body soreness and produced a .617 OPS in 14 games, Yorke — who represented the Red Sox at last month’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle — has bounced back nicely in August. Over his last 14 games dating back to the first of the month, the 21-year-old is batting .305/.379/.525 with four doubles, three homers, 11 RBIs, 10 runs scored, four stolen bases, five walks, and 12 strikeouts across 66 trips to the plate.

On the 2023 campaign — his first with Portland — as a whole, Yorke has slashed a respectable .275/.352/.456 with 18 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 54 runs driven in, 61 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 40 walks, and 102 strikeouts in 91 games (420 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs . It is worth noting that he has put up those numbers while being one of the youngest players to swing a bat at the Double-A level this year.

Among qualified hitters in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League, Yorke ranks 26th in strikeout rate (24.3 percent), ninth in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, 14th in slugging percentage, 12th in OPS (.808), 17th in isolated power (.181), 14th in speed score (6.3), 21st in line-drive rate (19.9 percent), and 14th in wRC+ (120), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Yorke has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time this season come at second base. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder has logged a team-leading 673 2/3 innings at the keystone and has committed four errors in 305 defensive chances.

Yorke, the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America’s latest rankings, was originally taken by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose, Calif.). That selection was met with plenty of surprise, as most publications at the time did not view Yorke as a first-round talent. Nevertheless, the Newport Beach native forwent his commitment to Arizona by signing with the club for an under-slot $2.7 million.

After bursting onto the scene in his professional debut in 2021, Yorke dealt with a plethora of injuries while with High-A Greenville in 2022 and saw his offensive production take a hit as a result. Limited to just 80 games due to turf toe, back stiffness, and left wrist soreness, Yorke struggled to a .232/.303/.365 slash line when on the field.

Rather than lick his wounds and rest after a disappointing season, though, Yorke elected to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Able to work with Red Sox hitting coordinator Lance Zawadski and Triple-A Worcester assistant hitting coach Mike Montville (who was also serving as a hitting coach for Scottsdale), Yorke altered his swing mechanics and got back on track in the desert. He hit .342/.424/.526 with eight doubles, two homers, and 18 RBIs in 19 games (92 plate appearances) and earned AFL All-Star honors for his efforts.

Nearly a year later, it appears as though Yorke has gotten back to the point where he can be viewed as one of the top second base prospects in baseball. As such, it should be interesting to see if Yorke can garner consideration for a promotion to Worcester before the minor-league season comes to a close.

As things stand now, the WooSox already have a very crowded infield mix that features Christian Arroyo, Yu Chang, David Hamilton, and Enmanuel Valdez as potential options at second base. Still, if the Red Sox feel it would be best for his development moving forward, they presumably would not waste any time in having Yorke make the jump to Triple-A.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign lefty Zach Penrod to minor-league deal, assign him to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Zach Penrod to a minor-league contract, per the club’s transactions log. He has been assigned to High-A Greenville.

Penrod, 26, had spent the entirety of the 2023 season up until this point with the Missoula PaddleHeads of the independent Pioneer League. In 13 appearances (10 starts) for Missoula, the lefty posted a 2.98 ERA with 65 strikeouts to 32 walks over 54 1/3 innings of work. He was named to the 2023 Pioneer League All-Star team earlier this month.

A native of Idaho, Penrod got his start in pro ball by originally signing with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Northwest Nazarene University in August 2018. A two-way player in college who elected to go pro as a pitcher, Penrod debuted in the rookie-level Arizona League five days after putting pen to paper and allowed 10 runs (eight earned) in four appearances (three starts) spanning 11 2/3 innings.

Unfortunately, Penrod missed the entirety of the 2019 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery that April. He was then released by Texas the following June as part of the Rangers’ minor-league roster cuts in the wake of the then-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

After working his way back from Tommy John and an additional minor shoulder procedure, Penrod returned to organized action in 2021 with the Boise Hawks (also of the Pioneer League). He spent all of 2021 and the first half of the 2022 season with Boise before being traded to the Billings Mustangs last month. All told, he owns a lifetime 4.84 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 170 strikeouts to 88 walks in 39 career outings (27 starts, 145 innings) for three different Pioneer League clubs.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Penrod operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a power fastball that has been clocked at 98 mph this year as well as a “filthy” cutter and changeup, according to Idaho-based Earn It Sports.

Penrod, who does not turn 27 until next June, will wear the No. 40 with the Drive. While the southpaw has prior experience as a reliever, it appears as though he will be joining the Drive’s starting rotation.

(Picture of Zach Penrod courtesy of the Missoula PaddleHeads)