Author: Brendan Campbell

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

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of June 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Garcia went 8-for-15 (.533) at the plate with three doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in four games for the FCL Red Sox last week. Both of those home runs came in a 10-4 win over the FCL Braves down in Fort Myers last Monday, marking the first multi-homer game of his professional career.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the right-handed hitting Garcia has batted .340/.444/.604 with four doubles, two triples, those two home runs, 12 runs driven in, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 15 strikeouts across 13 games (63 plate appearances) with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate.

Defensively, Garcia has served as the FCL Red Sox’ primary catcher in front of the likes of Brooks Brannon, Diego Viloria, Rivaldo Avila, and Johnfrank Salazar. The 5-foot-10, 196-pound backstop has logged 56 innings behind the plate thus far and has thrown out three of six would-be base stealers. He gunned down a runner at third base in the ninth inning of Monday’s contest against the FCL Orioles (which was later suspended due to rain) at JetBlue Park.

Garcia, 18, originally signed with the Red Sox for $850,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Valencia native is the younger brother of minor-league outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (who signed with the club three years prior) and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Considering that he does not turn 19 until December, it feels safe to assume that Garcia will spend the rest of the summer in the FCL. As things stand now, he is viewed as a bat-first catcher who has the potential to stick behind the plate moving forward.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Rafaela was informed of the decision following Portland’s 7-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. He did not play in the game.

“It’s very exciting,” Rafaela told Speier. “I’ve been waiting for this chance. I’m happy I get it. I need to go up there and do the same thing I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been working, developing, and I feel very ready right now.”

In 60 games for the Sea Dogs this season, Rafaela batted .294/.332/.441 (107 wRC+) with 18 doubles, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 40 runs scored, an Eastern League-leading 30 stolen bases, 14 walks, and 55 strikeouts across 266 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old initially got his 2023 campaign off to a slow start, but he has turned it around as of late and is slashing a stout .341/.384/.533 (143 wRC+) in his last 34 games (152 plate appearances) dating back to May 13.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela is considered to be one of the more polished defenders in the Red Sox organization, as evidenced by him being named the club’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. This season alone, the versatile 5-foot-9, 165-pounder made 43 starts at center field and seven at shortstop for Portland. He committed eight errors in 163 defensive chances.

While the defensive abilities are undoubtedly there, there are some concerns when it comes to Rafaela’s plate discipline. He struck out in 20.7 percent and walked in only 5.3 percent of his plate appearances with the Sea Dogs this year, though he has worked to improve both of those marks in recent weeks.

A native of Curacao, Rafaela originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in June 2018. He has since risen through the ranks and was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rafaela, who turns 23 in September, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system behind only Marcelo Mayer, Miguel Bleis, Nick Yorke, and Roman Anthony. He is now slated to join a talented WooSox roster that includes other top prospects such as Shane Drohan, Brandon Walter, Enmanuel Valdez, and Wilyer Abreu.

By earning a promotion to Worcester, Rafaela is one step closer to reaching the major-leagues. To get there, he will need to show that he can handle and succeed against advanced competition at the Triple-A level.

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

Red Sox’ Luis Perales named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Perales made one start for Low-A Salem in its series against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Saturday. The 20-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work.

The lone hit and walk came with one out in the top of the second inning. Perales then retired the last 14 batters he faced to finish with 74 pitches (50 strikes). He also induced 14 swings-and-misses and picked up the win as the Red Sox went on to defeat the Shorebirds by a final score of 5-0.

In 10 starts for Salem this season, Perales has posted a 4.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 21 walks across 37 2/3 innings. After allowing seven earned runs in his first two starts of the year, the righty has pitched to a 2.60 ERA and 2.93 FIP in his last eight outings (34 2/3 innings) dating back to April 21.

Among the 93 Carolina League pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Perales ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (11.71), 28th in strikeout rate (29.5 percent), 38th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), 17th in FIP, and 32nd in xFIP (3.69), per FanGraphs.

Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a power slider that sits in the mid-80s, and a developing changeup that sits in the upper-80s.

Though the results have been encouraging as of late, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Perales’ command of the strike zone. Put another way, it would be beneficial if continued to cut down on the walks as he has been doing in recent weeks.

Perales, who does not turn 21 until next April, could be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if current trends continue. He made the jump from the Florida Complex League to Salem a little more than 10 months ago, so the one-year anniversary for that milestone is fast approaching.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Bradley Blalock to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Bradley Blalock from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Blalock, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander has posted a 1.50 ERA and 2.82 FIP with 22 strikeouts to just four walks in four starts (18 innings) for Salem this season. He has put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

In his last time out against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Thursday, Blalock struck out six and walked only one over five frames of one-run ball. He induced 11 swings-and-misses and topped out at 99 mph with his fastball after reaching 97 mph with the offering in his previous three outings.

A native of Georgia, Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School. The club swayed Blalock away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him to an over-slot bonus of $250,000 that July.

Blalock debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League but had his first full season in pro ball derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He then pitched to a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts for Salem in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery last March.

During the lengthy 14-month rehab process, Blalock altered his pitch mix by drawing inspiration from Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. In addition to a revitalized fastball that has flashed increased velocity post-surgery, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty now works with a split-change (Gausman’s pitch), an 84-86 mph gyro slider, and a curveball that features 11-to-5 break.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock told Smith last week. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he continued. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, is now set to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes Wikelman Gonzalez, Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Dalton Rogers. He will help fill the void left behind by fellow righties Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins, who were both promoted to Double-A Portland on Monday.

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Isaac Coffey, Hunter Dobbins to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Coffey, who turns 23 on Wednesday, has posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.92 FIP with a South Atlantic League-leading 83 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 11 starts (60 1/3 innings) for the Drive this season. The right-hander fanned eight over 5 2/3 frames in his last time out against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field this past Thursday.

Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, Coffey ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.38), second in strikeout rate (34.4 percent), second in walks per nine innings (1.49), second in walk rate (4.1 percent), 10th in batting average against (.222), third in WHIP (1.01), seventh in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), 10th in ERA, 13th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.78), per FanGraphs.

Coffey was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of last year’s draft out of Oral Roberts. The California native signed with the club for a mere $7,500 yet is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 22nd among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Coffey throws from a sidearm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a 77-79 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, and an 83-84 mph changeup that is considered to be a work in progress. He becomes the second member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Greenville to Portland this season, joining fourth-rounder Chase Meidroth.

Dobbins, meanwhile, has forged a 2.63 ERA and 2.52 FIP with 44 strikeouts to just five walks in seven starts (41 innings) for the Drive this season. The 23-year-old righty also struck out eight across six two-run frames in his last time out against Greensboro this past Friday.

Among the 57 South Atlantic League pitchers who have accrued at least 40 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Dobbins ranks first in walks per nine innings (1.10) and walk rate (3.1 percent). He also ranks 20th in strikeout rate (27.3 percent), fourth in WHIP (0.95), and sixth in swinging-strike rate (16.8 percent) after not making his first start of the year until May 7.

Dobbins was selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Teach. After undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier that spring, the Lone Star State native signed with Boston for $197,500 and did not make his professional debut until last July. He currently is not rated by SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in the system.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dobbins — who turns 24 in August — throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and works with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 74-78 mph curveball, an 83-85 mph circle changeup, and a high-80s slider that is rarely used.

Both Coffey and Dobbins figure to join a starting rotation mix in Portland that includes C.J. Liu, Brian Van Belle, Sterling Sharp (who is currently on the injured list), Grant Gambrell, and Wyatt Olds. The Sea Dogs open a six-game series against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

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

Red Sox catching prospect Brooks Brannon homers for third time in six Florida Complex League games

Catching prospect Brooks Brannon hit his third home run of the season for the Florida Complex League Red Sox in their 12-11 loss to the FCL Twins at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Batting third and serving as the Sox’ designated hitter, Brannon went 1-for-4, but he made his only hit of the day count by cranking a three-run home run over the faux Green Monster off Twins reliever Yon Landaeta to cap off a six-run fourth inning.

Following Friday’s performance, Brannon is now batting .296 (8-for-27)/.367/.741 with one double, one triple, three homers, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in his first six games for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate this season. The right-handed hitter ranks fifth in the league in home runs, second in RBIs, seventh in slugging percentage, 10th in OPS (1.108), and fifth in isolated power (.444), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Brannon has made three starts behind the plate for the FCL Red Sox so far this season. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has thrown out three of 12 would-be base stealers while only allowing one passed ball and committing one error in 30 defensive chances.

Brannon, 19, is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Randleman High School (N.C.). Despite having strong ties to the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State native forwent his commitment and signed with Boston for a well over-slot bonus of $712,500.

“Leading up to the draft, if I could have picked any team it would have been the Red Sox,” Brannon told HighSchoolOT.com’s Kyle Morton last July. “They did the best as far as establishing a relationship… Everything is very family oriented… the fact that they have that is huge. I’m just glad to be a part of an organization that values that like they do.”

Though he is unranked by publications such as Baseball America and FanGraphs, Brannon is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline also identified Brannon as the Red Sox’ best prospect in rookie ball earlier this month, noting that he has some of the best raw power in the farm system as well as plus arm strength. SoxProspects.com, meanwhile, has him at No. 34, which ranks third among catchers in the organization behind only Nathan Hickey and Johanfran Garcia, who is also playing in the Florida Complex League.

Considering that he made a brief cameo in the FCL after going pro last year, one has to wonder if Brannon — who does not turn 20 until next May — could make his way up to Low-A Salem at some point this summer.

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock puts together another strong start for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock put together yet another impressive for Low-A Salem in its 7-5 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field on Thursday night.

Making his fourth start of the season for the Red Sox, Blalock allowed just one earned run on three hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts over five solid innings of work. After giving up a run-scoring triple in the top of the second, the right-hander issued a leadoff walk to begin things in the third. He then retired the final nine batters he faced before making way for reliever Marques Johnson in the sixth.

Finishing with 67 pitches (47 strikes), Blalock induced a game-high 11 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision. The 22-year-old hurler has now posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 22 strikeouts to four walks in his first four starts (18 innings) for Salem while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.). The club swayed the Peach State native away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him for $250,000 that July.

After his first full professional season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Blalock enjoyed a productive 2021 campaign in which he forged a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts (86 1/3 innings) for Salem. Last spring, however, the righty felt pain in his throwing arm during a live batting practice session and underwent Tommy John surgery on March 2.

“The fourth pitch, I threw a curveball and I kind of felt something tweak, like a little pop,” Blalock told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this week. “I didn’t think anything of it. So I went ahead and threw another pitch. And then my forearm felt like it was 1,000 degrees.”

The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews and his staff at the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Blalock was then told that — barring any setbacks — it would take him anywhere between 12 to 14 months to recover.

“So I was kind of expecting to be back in the middle of May right when I did,” explained Blalock. “Luckily, I was able not to have any setbacks. The staff down there took care of me. I followed everything I needed to. So it was quite a smooth ride to say the least. I was excited to get back when I was able to.”

Since returning to affiliated action late last month, Blalock has not only seen results — he has seen increased fastball velocity as well. According to Smith, Blalock has been sitting between 94-95 mph and topping out at 97 mph with his heater after averaging 92-93 mph with the pitch before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“My velo has definitely jumped about 1-2 mph,” Blalock said. “I came into the year, like, Hey, I’ve got something to prove.’ I wasn’t able to pitch last year so just kind of competing. Get out there and have fun every time.”

During the lengthy rehab process, Blalock elected to eliminate the changeup from his arsenal and instead implement a splitter that is similar to the one used by Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. The “split-change,” as Gausman describes it, has been of the more effective pitches in baseball in recent years. Blalock first started tinkering with the grip after receiving approval to use it from Red Sox director of pitching development Shawn Haviland.

“Before I even started throwing last year, I had a ball in my hand getting used to the grip just standing there watching other guys throw while I was not able to,” Blalock recalled. “I had a ball and I was kind of getting used to that grip. So I think that kind of helped. And I watched some YouTube videos and just watched how he (Gausman) threw it.

“I like it and it’s definitely going to play big-time in my pitch selection,” he added. “It’s actually played really well so far.”

In addition to the fastball and split-change, Blalock also mixes in an 84-86 mph “gyro slider” as well as a curveball that features 11-to-5 break. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder said he was not nervous about his velocity returning after Tommy John surgery, which is not always the case for pitchers in similar situations.

“A lot of guys have that success and they’ve thrown a little harder than before they had it,” he said. “So it’s kind of just trusting the process and watching guys like Thad Ward and Bryan Mata when they were rehabbing down there last year. Their velocity came back. So it’s like, there isn’t really anything to worry about, especially when the doctor says you’re gonna throw harder than where you were before.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, could soon be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if he keeps producing the way he has been. With that being said, though, he is just happy to be back doing his thing.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock said. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he added. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Blaze Jordan homers, drives in 4 runs to extend hitting streak with High-A Greenville

Red Sox infield prospect Blaze Jordan enjoyed a productive night at the plate in High-A Greenville’s extra-inning 6-5 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field on Thursday.

Batting third and starting at first base for the Drive, Jordan went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, four RBIs, a run scored, and a strikeout. The right-handed hitter crushed his eighth homer of the season to open the scoring in the first inning and drove in pair with a two-run double in the third. He then plated his fourth and final run of the night with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth.

With two outs and a runner at third base representing the potential tying run in the 10th inning, Jordan had a chance to pull Greenville back even with Greensboro. But he struck out swinging on four pitches as the Drive fell to 33-27 on the season.

By recording two hits on Thursday, Jordan extended his hitting streak to six games. He is now batting .333/.429/.563 in the month of June. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 20-year-old slugger has slashed a stout .315/.368/.516 with 18 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, 33 runs scored, one stolen base, 18 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 55 games (242 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Among the top hitters in the South Atlantic League, Jordan ranks second in total bases (113), third in extra-base hits (27), fourth in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.884), 16th in isolated power (.201), and third in strikeout rate (14.9 percent), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan made his 30th start of the season at first base on Thursday night. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has also made 23 starts at third base. Between the two infield corners, he has committed three errors (all at third) in 257 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall pick) in the 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in the organization. Despite being in his third full professional season, the Southaven native is still among the youngest position players to swing a bat at the High-A level this year. That is understandable since he reclassified back in 2019 in order to graduate from high school a year early.

Given how well he has performed lately, Jordan — who does not turn 23 until December — could soon be nearing a promotion to Double-A Portland. That may be contingent on things that are out of his control, but if Jordan continues to produce, the Red Sox will find a way to make it happen.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers tosses 6 scoreless, no-hit innings for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Dalton Rogers put together one of the best starts of his young career for High-A Greenville on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field, Rogers struck out 11 and walked only one over six scoreless, no-hit innings. The right-hander took a perfect game bid into the fourth before issuing a two-out walk to Will Matthiessen. He then retired seven of the last eight batters he faced.

Finishing with 78 pitches (50 strikes), Rogers induced 17 swings-and-misses, the third-most for any pitcher at the High-A level on Wednesday. The 22-year-old also earned his first winning decision with Greenville as the Drive went on to defeat the Grasshoppers by a final score of 5-2.

In four starts for the Drive now, Rogers has posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.07 WHP with 27 strikeouts to 13 walks across 19 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .121 batting average against. This comes after he forged a 2.49 ERA in six starts (21 2/3 innings) to start the season with Low-A Salem and was promoted to Greenville in late May.

Rogers was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (99th overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Southern Mississippi. A native of the Magnolia state himself, Rogers signed with the club for $447,500. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Rogers throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 81-83 mph changeup, and an 82-84 mph slider. As indicated in his Baseball America scouting report, Rogers’ command of the strike zone remains a work in progress, so that will be something to monitor moving forward.

Rogers, who does not turn 23 until next January, is one of five members of the Red Sox’ 2022 draft class on Greenville’s active roster. Fellow lefty Nathan Landry, right-handers Isaac Coffey and Alex Hoppe, and recently-promoted outfielder Roman Anthony are the others.

(Picture of Dalton Rogers via the Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote top outfield prospect Roman Anthony to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect Roman Anthony from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Anthony, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally selected the Florida native in the second round of last year’s draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School. He forwent his commitment to Mississippi by signing with the club for $2.5 million.

In 42 games with Salem this season, Anthony batted .228/.376/.316 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 18 strikeouts over 202 plate appearances. While that slash line is far from eye-popping, the left-handed hitter has caught the attention of evaluators thanks in part to his under-the-hood numbers.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier last week, Anthony has a sound approach at the plate when it comes to pitch recognition and swing decisions. He has also shown that he can hit the ball hard, but his production in that regard has been weighed down by a 49.2 ground-ball rate this year. As such, he is working to put the ball in the air on a more frequent basis.

“He looks like he’s been in pro ball for multiple years versus a guy who’s getting his first full taste of full-season ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Anthony in a recent conversation with Speier. “If you can have those foundational areas as a hitter and you hit the ball hard, you’d like to think it will eventually lead to more baseball-card-type success versus some of the back-end numbers that he’s shown a lot of success with.”

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield positions for Sale. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged nine innings in left, 156 innings in center, and 127 innings in right. He committed just two errors in 61 defensive chances and recorded two outfield assists.

Anthony, who does not turn 20 until next May, becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this season, joining the likes of left-handers Dalton Rogers and Nathan Landry. With the Drive, Anthony will join a crowded outfield mix that already includes Max Ferguson, Miguel Ugueto, Bryan Gonzalez, Nick Decker, Eduardo Lopez, and Kier Meredith.

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