Category: Sports

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Niko Kavadas accomplished this unique feat in 2023

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Niko Kavadas drew more walks and struck out more times than any other minor-leaguer in the organization last year.

Kavadas, who split the 2023 season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, batted .206/.377/.428 with 16 doubles, 22 home runs, 69 RBIs, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases, 98 walks, and 172 strikeouts over 117 total games (480 plate appearances) while producing eye-popping exit velocities.

Coming off a strong 2022 campaign in which he played at three levels and earned Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year honors, Kavadas returned to Portland for the start of his second full season in pro ball last April. In his second stint with Boston’s Eastern League affiliate, the left-handed hitting 25-year-old slashed .204/.386/.430 with eight doubles, 14 homers, 42 runs driven in, 35 runs scored, two stolen bases, 63 walks, and 110 strikeouts across 69 games spanning 293 trips to the plate.

Kavadas ended the first half of the season with Portland but was promoted to Worcester during the major-league All-Star break in mid-July. He made his WooSox debut shortly thereafter and proceeded to bat .210/.364/.426 with eight doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 35 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 48 games (187 plate appearances) for Boston’s International League affiliate.

Though a .789 OPS is far from spectacular, it is worth mentioning that Kavadas raised that figure by nearly 100 points by slashing a more respectable .246/.339/.597 with an organization-leading six home runs and 15 RBIs in the month of September.

When looking at how he fared after making the jump from Portland to Worcester over the summer, one of the first things that sticks out is how Kavadas lowered both his walk rate (21.5 to 18.7 percent) and strikeout rate (37.5 to 33.2 percent). He hit for a higher average (.204 to .210), but reached base less frequently (.386 to .364 on-base percentage) and did not produce as much power (.430 to .426 slugging percentage, .226 to .216 isolated power) while doing so. Perhaps as a result of that, his wRC+ dropped from 129 with the Sea Dogs to 101 with the WooSox, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Kavadas saw all of his playing time on the field at both of his stops last season come at first base. With Portland, the burly 5-foot-11, 235-pounder made a team-high 64 starts at first without committing an error. With Worcester, he made four errors in 339 chances while logging a team-leading 394 innings at the position.

Kavadas was, of course, originally selected by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Notre Dame. The Indiana-born slugger signed with the club for $250,000 that August and made it to Low-A Salem before his debut season came to a close.

As previously mentioned, Kavadas was promoted twice in 2022 after raking at both Salem and High-A Greenville. His production began to taper off a bit in his first go-around with Portland, but he put up decent numbers in the Arizona Fall League and came into 2023 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

While he has since fallen in those rankings, Kavadas still has a clear path to the big-leagues if he is able to improve in certain areas at the plate. As noted in his Baseball America scouting report from last February, Kavadas is “an intelligent hitter, and if he finds ways to limit his holes, he could be a DH who sees some time at first. If not, he may see time as an up-and-down left-handed bench bat.”

Kavadas, who does not turn 26 until October, is projected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season and will likely provide WooSox manager Chad Tracy with a left-handed hitting option at first base/DH in doing so.

Given the fact that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career later this year, these next eight or so months could be pretty important for Kavadas and his future ambitions.

(Picture of Niko Kavadas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean ended debut season on positive note last year

For Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean, the 2023 season was not without its challenges.

Dean spent all of 2023 with Low-A Salem. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 6.29 ERA and 5.51 FIP with 86 strikeouts to 72 walks in 21 appearances (17 starts) spanning 63 innings of work for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Despite being regarded by Baseball America as “one of the more exciting pure relievers” in his class when he was taken by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Old Dominion, Dean — who did not pitch with an affiliate after signing for $322,500 — made his professional debut as a starter last April.

Maybe it was to be expected, but Dean struggled in that unfamiliar role out of the gate. The New Jersey native put up an 8.31 ERA in four April starts, though he managed to hold opponents to a .194 batting average against while doing so. He then put together two scoreless, five-inning starts to begin and end a more encouraging month of May.

June (15 earned runs in nine innings) yielded far less promising results. The same can be said for July (eight earned runs in 14 2/3 innings) as well, but it appears as though Dean began to figure things out a bit after the All-Star break.

In his final three starts of July, for instance, Dean struck out 20 of the 50 batters he faced over 12 frames in which he pitched to a 4.50 ERA. He made one more start on August 6, but lasted just two-thirds of an inning in that outing before moving to the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

As a reliever, Dean appeared in four games for Salem down the stretch and did not allow a run in three of them. Walks were still somewhat of an issue, but the lefty forged a 2.93 ERA while punching out 21 and yielding just five hits across 15 1/3 innings out of the Red Sox’ bullpen.

Altogether, it was a mixed bag of sorts for Dean in his debut season, but he certainly ended things on a positive note. He was one of just seven southpaws to take the mound for Salem in 2023 and unsurprisingly fared better against left-handed hitters (.196 opponents’ batting average) than right-handed hitters (.246 opponents’ batting average).

Among the 74 pitchers who logged at least 60 innings in the Carolina League last year, Dean ranked seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (12.29), 19th in strikeout rate (28.5 percent), 29th in batting average against (.232), and seventh in batting average on balls in play (.358), which suggests that he might have gotten unlucky at times on account of poor defense behind him or something similar.

On the flip side of those impressive strikeout numbers, though, Dean was also among the worst in the Carolina League when it came to giving up ball four. Using the same parameters as above, Dean ranked 74th in walks per nine innings (10.29), walk rate (23.8 percent), and WHIP (1.97), 71st in ERA and xFIP (5.41), and 72nd in FIP, per FanGraphs.

To that end, it will be of the utmost importance for Dean to refine both his command and control of the strike zone as he continues to develop. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound hurler already possesses an intriguing three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 77-81 mph curveball, and an 83-85 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Dean, who turns 23 in March, is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by the site to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season, but will likely do so as a member of the Drive’s bullpen as opposed to their starting rotation.

(Picture of Noah Dean: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

How did Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra fare in stateside debut last year?

After two years in the Dominican Summer League, Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra made his long-awaited stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season.

As a 19-year-old, Sierra got into 30 of the FCL Red Sox’ 53 games in 2023. The right-handed hitter batted .265/.363/.398 with seven doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 30 strikeouts over 113 plate appearances for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Interestingly enough, Sierra played exactly 10 games in June, July, and August. He posted an OPS south of .600 in both June and August, but enjoyed a strong month of July in which he slashed .424/.525/.606 with one homer and six RBIs. It’s also worth noting that 99 of his 113 plate appearances last season came against righties as opposed to lefties.

Among the 96 hitters who made at least 110 trips to the plate in the FCL last year, Sierra ranked 33rd in batting average, 46th in on-base percentage, 37th in slugging percentage, 40th in OPS (.761), 37th in isolated power (.133), and 43rd in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Sierra saw the bulk of his playing time in 2023 come at first base. The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged a team-leading 224 1/3 innings at first, where he committed four errors in 207 total defensive chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on two separate occasions.

Sierra, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. At the time he put pen to paper, the Sabana Grande de Palenque native was viewed as an outfielder and was identified by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a potential sleeper within Boston’s 2021 signing class.

While Badler described Sierra as having “an advanced approach to hitting for his age,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero provided some more background on the signing in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com later that April.

“Armando was a player we scouted later on in his signing year. After scouting him a few times, he stood out for his strong frame and his power,” Romero wrote. “As we continued to see him, it became apparent that not only did he have above average power for his signing class, but he also was developing a stronger approach.”

Sierra made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that July and earned DSL All-Star honors while repeating the level in 2022. He was regularly seeing playing time at both corner outfield spots back then but was used exclusively as a first baseman in the FCL in 2023.

As things stand now, Sierra is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Last June, however, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that he found Sierra “really interesting” because — despite having a “tough” profile — “his feel for contact and the flexibility in his lower half are both very impressive for a corner bat.”

Looking ahead, Sierra is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 campaign. Assuming that is indeed what happens, it will be interesting to see how Sierra adjusts to stiffer competition while playing with a full-season affiliate for the first time in his young career.

(Picture of Armando Sierra: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Versatile Red Sox prospect Nick Sogard set to attend second consecutive MLB spring training camp

Nick Sogard was one of the 13 non-roster invitees the Red Sox added to their 2024 major-league spring training roster on Friday.

Sogard, 26, is entering his fourth season as a member of the Red Sox organization after being acquired from the Rays alongside catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs back to Tampa Bay.

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Rays out of Loyola Marymount in 2019, Sogard spent his first two years as a Red Sox minor-leaguer bouncing around between affiliates. After receiving his first-ever invite to big-league spring training around this time last year, however, the California native settled in with Triple-A Worcester in 2023.

In 112 games (which was good for second on the team behind only Bobby Dalbec’s 114) for the WooSox last season, Sogard batted .266/.370/.391 (97 wRC+) with 20 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 74 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 63 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 460 plate appearances. Though he cooled off in the second half some, the switch-hitter still proved particularly effective against left-handed pitching, as he slashed a stout .319/.441/.517 with four of his seven homers coming off lefties from the right side of the plate.

Among 83 qualified hitters in the International League, Sogard ranked 25th in walk rate (13.7 percent), 16th in strikeout rate (17.2 percent), 24th in on-base percentage, 20th in speed score (6.5), 21st in line-drive rate (26.2 percent), and second in swinging-strike rate (6.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Sogard put his utility on full display by making starts at five different positions for Worcester last year. The versatile 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged 328 innings at third base, 276 innings at second base, 164 innings at shortstop, 80 innings in right field, and 68 1/3 innings in left field. He committed a total of 10 errors in 322 chances, which translates to a .969 fielding percentage.

For his professional career, which spans 380 affiliated games, Sogard has made at least one start at every defensive position besides pitcher, catcher, and first base. To that end, SoxProspects.com describes Sogard as having soft hands, solid instincts in the field, and an advanced feel for the game.

“I love it. I think it kind of keeps things fresh,” Sogard recently told Liam Skiffington on the Sox Stack Podcast. “Being an impact defender at multiple positions is not something that’s super common, so I relish the role.”

Sogard, who does not turn 27 until September, is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season, though it certainly would not be surprising if he played his way into a big-league opportunity at some point this year.

If Sogard were to debut for the Red Sox this season, he would become just the latest member of his family to make it to the show. Sogard is, of course, the younger cousin of longtime MLB infielder Eric Sogard and nephew of both Steve and Dave Sax.

(Picture of Nick Sogard: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox invite righty from Kiké Hernández trade to spring training

Of the five non-roster pitchers the Red Sox invited to major-league spring training on Friday, only one holds the distinction of not being drafted by the club.

Unlike Luis Guerrero, Alex Hoppe, A.J. Politi, and Chase Shugart, Justin Hagenman was not drafted by the Red Sox and instead joined the organization as part of a three-player trade that sent veteran utility man Enrique Hernandez back to the Dodgers last July.

Hagenman, 27, was originally selected by Los Angeles in the 23rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Penn State. The New Jersey native signed with the club for just $75,000 and made his professional debut in the Pioneer League that summer.

Though he was used strictly as a starter in his three seasons at State College, Hagenman transitioned to more of a relief role upon entering the pro ranks. The right-hander gradually worked his way up through the Dodgers’ system before closing out 2022 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he returned for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Before being traded to the Red Sox alongside fellow righty Nick Robertson on July 25, Hagenman had pitched to a 2.78 ERA and 4.79 FIP with 60 strikeouts to 11 walks in 25 appearances (five starts) spanning 55 innings of work for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Unlike Robertson, who debuted for Los Angeles earlier in the year and got into nine games with Boston down the stretch before being dealt to the Cardinals in December, Hagenman spent the rest of 2023 with Triple-A Worcester. In 16 appearances for the WooSox, he posted a 3.26 ERA and 5.25 FIP with 28 strikeouts to 14 walks over 30 1/3 innings of relief. He held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average against in that stretch thanks in part to a strong month of September in which he allowed just one run in his final 12 2/3 frames of the season.

So, between the Dodgers’ and Red Sox’ top affiliates last year, Hagenman went 6-0 with a 2.95 ERA (4.95 FIP) and 88 strikeouts to 25 walks across 41 total outings (five starts) and 85 1/3 innings pitched. He went 2-for-2 in save opportunities (one at each stop) and unsurprisingly fared better against right-handed hitters (.619 OPS against) than left-handed hitters (.807 OPS against).

Among the 91 pitchers who tossed 80 or more innings at the Triple-A level in 2023, Hagenman ranked 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings (9.28), 10th in walks per nine innings (2.64), 11th in strikeout rate (25.4 percent), 17th in walk rate (7.2 percent), seventh in batting average against (.228), third in WHIP (1.15), first in left on base percentage (91 percent), second in ERA, 33rd in FIP, and 20th in xFIP (4.70), per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Hagenman throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball with arm-side run, a low-80s whiff-inducing slider, a mid-80s changeup, and an occasional cutter.

As noted by Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser, “all of Hagenman’s pitches are fringy to below-average, but he fills up the strike zone with above-average control and executes well.”

Hagenman, who does not turn 28 until October, is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Worcester’s bullpen for the start of the upcoming 2024 season. He can become eligible for both the Rule 5 Draft and minor-league free agency next winter, so he could leverage his performance this year into a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster in the not-so-distant future.

In addition to Hagenman, Guerrero, Hoppe, Politi, and Shugart, the Red Sox added eight other non-roster invitees to their spring training roster on Friday in catchers Nathan Hickey, Mark Kolozsvary, Roberto Perez, and Stephen Scott, infielders Chase Meidroth, Nick Sogard, and Nick Yorke, and outfielder Corey Rosier.

(Picture of Justin Hagenman: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Albert Feliz led Low-A Salem in homers (10) last season

Coming into the 2023 season, Red Sox first base prospect Albert Feliz had hit 10 career home runs in 106 professional games. Thanks to a power-filled second half, he was able to match that total with Low-A Salem last year.

As a 21-year-old, Feliz got into 90 games for Salem in 2023. The right-handed hitter slashed .242/.315/.407 with 17 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 29 walks, and 121 strikeouts over 333 plate appearances.

Nine of those team-leading 10 home runs came after the calendar flipped from June to July, as Feliz slugged a stout .497 in his final 48 games (185 plate appearances) of the year. During that impressive stretch, he recorded both the second four-hit game (July 6) and multi-homer game (August 31) of his young career.

Among the 71 hitters who made at least 300 trips to the plate in the Carolina League last season, Feliz posted the 11th-highest slugging percentage, isolated power mark (.165), and line-drive rate (24.4 percent). He also ranked 30th in batting average, 24th in OPS (.723), and 26th in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Feliz saw the majority of his playing time with Salem come at first base, as he made a team-high 48 starts there while only committing six errors in 382 chances. Elsewhere, the burly 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 131 1/3 innings in left field (where he recorded three outfield assists) and 14 innings in right. He also pitched in one game (Aug. 25), which is something he has done in each of the last three seasons.

Feliz, who turns 22 in April, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top-ranked prospects in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2018.

After a strong pro debut in 2019, when he went deep nine times in 66 Dominican Summer League games, Feliz’ career was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result of the pandemic, Feliz did not make his stateside debut until July 2021. His first game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League actually came on the three-year anniversary of his signing date (July 2).

In the time that has passed since then, Feliz has established himself as a bat-first prospect with plus-plus raw power to the pull side and some holes in his swing. Couple those issues to make contact with a limited defensive profile, and it becomes clear that Feliz still has some work to do on the developmental side of things.

With that being said, Feliz is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign. The Drive are fresh off winning their second South Atlantic League title and open their season on the road in early April.

(Picture of Albert Feliz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung Liu led Double-A Portland in strikeouts (145) last season

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung “CJ” Liu put up some of the best strikeout numbers in the entire organization last season.

Liu, 24, spent all of 2023 with Double-A Portland after closing out the 2022 campaign there. In 26 appearances (24 starts) for the Sea Dogs, the right-hander posted a 5.35 FIP and 4.71 FIP with a team-leading 145 strikeouts to 61 walks over a team-leading 114 1/3 innings of work.

After an up-and-down April, Liu made headlines by tossing a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on May 5. He then struggled to some degree as the calendar flipped from May to June and wound up spending more than a week on Portland’s development list as a result.

Upon returning to action on July 7, however, Liu put together his first double-digit strikeout game of the season, punching out 10 in seven strong innings as part of a 6-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at home. He one-upped himself in his next time out — which did not come until July 18 because of the All-Star break — by fanning a career-high of 11 over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-8 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

On the heels of racking up 21 strikeouts to kick off his July, Liu owned a respectable 4.25 ERA (4.23 FIP) through his first 16 starts (78 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Unfortunately for the righty, things began to unravel from there as he pitched to an unsightly 8.69 ERA (6.76 FIP) over his next eight starts (29 innings) before moving to Portland’s bullpen in early September.

While pitching in relief, which is something he did with High-A Greenville in 2022, Liu was at least able to end his season on a more encouraging note. He made two appearances out of the ‘pen for the Sea Dogs and allowed three earned runs on six hits, three walks, and 12 strikeouts across seven frames in which he held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average against.

All things considered, it was an inconsistent year for Liu, who gave up more walks and home runs (19) than anyone else on Portland’s staff. Still, among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Liu ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.41), third in strikeout rate (28.4 percent), fifth in groundball rate (41.4 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (16.8 percent), and seventh in xFIP (3.90), per FanGraphs. He also led the pack in batting average on balls in play (3.54), which suggests that he may have been the victim of bad luck and/or poor defense behind him.

In addition to what he did for the Sea Dogs, Liu also pitched for Team Chinese Taipei at the 2022 Asian Games (postponed a year because of COVID-19) back in October. Playing alongside former Red Sox utility man Tzu-Wei Lin, Liu made two scoreless appearances spanning five innings of relief en route to helping Chinese Taipei take home a silver medal.

Altogether, the 2023 season marked Liu’s third in pro ball after he originally with the Red Sox for $750,000 as an international free agent coming out of Taiwan in October 2019. Though a two-way player as an amateur, the Tainan City native has stuck to pitching since making his professional debut in July 2021.

Fast forward nearly three years later, and Liu now stands at 6-feet and 185 pounds. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, he — as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report — operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup that shows late, downward movement, an 83-86 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, and a get-me-over 78-80 mph curveball.

Liu, who turns 25 in April, was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter after being left off Boston’s 40-man roster. It was even reported that the Red Sox entertained trading Liu before the November deadline, but that obviously never came to fruition and he is still with the organization.

That being said, the same rules will apply to Liu this year. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 54 prospect in Boston’s farm system and is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season, but will likely do so as a reliever as opposed to a starter. If his stuff sticks up and he refines his approach of the bullpen, Liu could be on the fast track to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Chih-Jung Liu: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)

How did Red Sox prospect Fraymi De Leon fare in 2023?

Fraymi De Leon received the highest bonus of any prospect the Red Sox signed during the 2022 international signing period. How has the Dominican infielder fared in the professional ranks since putting pen to paper a little over two years ago?

De Leon was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 32 prospect in his class when he signed with Boston for $1.2 million. The Santiago native then made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that June. As a 17-year-old, he batted .218/.332/.268 with one double, one triple, two home runs, 21 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 50 games (214 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Blue.

Though he returned to the DSL for the start of the 2023 season, De Leon appeared in just nine games — going 5-for-21 (.217) with a .419 on-base percentage — there before making the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League for his stateside debut late last June. In 30 games with Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate, the switch-hitter slashed .295/.411/.328 with two doubles, four runs driven in, 17 runs scored, nine stolen bases, nine walks, and 18 strikeouts over 73 plate appearances.

While he was clearly lacking in the power department, De Leon still posted the 25th-highest batting average and 29th-highest on-base percentage among the 171 hitters in the FCL who made at least 70 trips to the plate last season. Using those same parameters, he also ranked 51st in speed score (6.8), 37th in swinging-strike rate (17.9 percent), and 56th in wRC+ (111), per FanGraphs. Some of these numbers can be attributed to a .419 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests that De Leon may have gotten lucky at times.

On the other side of the ball, De Leon was well-regarded for his defense at the time of his signing. Baseball America’s Ben Badler described the 5-foot-10, 155-pounder as “a talented defender at shortstop” who “shines in the field, where he’s smooth with soft hands, nimble footwork, good instincts and anticipation off the bat. He has a good internal clock and a plus arm to make plays from deep in the hole.”

To that end, De Leon saw the bulk of his playing time (40 of 48 starts) in 2022 come at shortstop, but last year was a different story. Between his stops in the DSL and FCL, the suddenly-versatile 19-year-old logged 83 2/3 innings at second base, 55 innings at shortstop, 53 1/3 innings at third base, 31 2/3 innings in center field, and 7 1/3 innings in left field while committing a total of just three errors altogether.

As far as De Leon’s versatility and future position is concerned, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero addressed that subject in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“Regarding Fraymi, we have strong conviction that he can play shortstop well,” Romero wrote. “So, as we’ve done with a few other players, we wanted to expose him to other positions where he didn’t have as much experience so he’d learn to get comfortable there and provide more positional versatility. We also wanted to share the shortstop innings among other infielders like Freili Encarnacion (pre-injury), Marvin Alcantara, Angel Pierre, and — later in the season — Nazzan Zanetello (in addition to a few others in the DSL).”

De Leon, who does not turn 20 until September, is not currently ranked by any major publications as one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’ farm system. One such publication, SoxProspects.com, lists De Leon as a second baseman/infielder/center fielder on its organizational depth chart and projects that he will return to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

(Picture of Fraymi De Leon: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke got back on track in 2023

A bounceback 2023 season for Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke culminated in him being named Double-A Portland’s Most Valuable Player.

Coming off an injury-riddled 2022 campaign in which he struggled to a .668 OPS in 80 games with High-A Greenville, Yorke faced a fair amount of skepticism going into his third full professional season. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, however, the 21-year-old second baseman seemingly carried over that momentum into the spring and broke camp with Portland.

Tasked with facing upper-minors pitching for the first time in his career, Yorke got off to a fast start with the Sea Dogs. Through the end of May, the right-handed hitter found himself batting a stout .290/.412/.490 with seven doubles, three triples, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 35 runs scored, five stolen bases, 29 walks, and 43 strikeouts in his first 40 games (187 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate.

Though his production dropped off to some degree in June, Yorke joined Sea Dogs teammates Marcelo Mayer and Luis Guerrero in representing the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. There at T-Mobile Park, he went 1-for-3 with a hard-hit, 388-foot double and strikeout while serving as the American League’s starting second baseman.

Upon returning from the Emerald City, Yorke returned to form in August by slashing .310/.396/.517 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 22 games. He then managed just eight hits in 11 September contests, though he was honored as Portland’s 2023 MVP alongside Guerrero (Pitcher of the Year), Chase Meidroth (Defensive Player of the Year), and Tyler Dearden (Citizen of the Year) before the Sea Dogs’ final game of the season at Hadlock Field.

All told, Yorke batted .268/.350/.435 with a team-leading 25 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, a team-leading 61 RBIs and 74 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 122 strikeouts in a career-high 110 games (506 plate appearances) for Portland last season. Among 42 other qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Yorke ranked 19th in strikeout rate (24.1 percent), fifth in batting average, 13th in on-base percentage, 14th in slugging percentage, 11th in OPS (.785), 18th in isolated power (.167), fifth in speed score (6.9), 18th in line-drive rate (19.6 percent), 21st in swinging-strike rate (12 percent), and 15th in wRC+ (116), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Yorke established himself as the Sea Dogs’ primary second baseman early on and wound up making a team-high 96 starts at the keystone. Over 839 2/3 innings at second, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound infielder committed just six errors in 373 total chances, which translates to a .984 fielding percentage. To that end, Yorke was identified as the best defensive second baseman in the Eastern League by league managers in Baseball America’s 2023 Best Tools survey.

Named an organizational All-Star by both MiLB.com and SoxProspects.com, Yorke did well to put himself back on the map last season. The California native was, of course, originally taken by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Though a surprising selection at the time for various reasons, Boston swayed Yorke away from his commitment to Arizona by signing him for $2.7 million.

In the time that has passed since he was drafted, Yorke has experienced both the highs and lows of pro ball. After a stellar debut between Low-A Salem and Greenville in 2021, he was recognized Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. As previously mentioned, a plethora of injuries — including turf toe, back stiffness, and left wrist soreness — limited Yorke to just 80 games with Greenville in 2022 and created some questions regarding his future.

On the heels rebounding nicely in 2023, Yorke comes into the new year ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently taking part in the Red Sox’ rookie development program after working with several other Boston infielders in the Dallas-area last week as part of an offseason camp put together by native Texan Trevor Story.

Yorke, who turns 22 in April, could either return to Portland or make the jump to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2024 minor-league season . That decision, as noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, will likely depend on how much playing time is available for Yorke at Worcester given the influx of middle infield depth the Red Sox have.

Speier, who also contributes to Baseball America’s Red Sox coverage, reported late last week that both Yorke and outfield prospect Miguel Bleis are among those in the organization who have drawn some level of trade interest this winter as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. scour the market for starting pitching.

Unlike Bleis, who is still years away from big-league consideration and has a higher ceiling as a result, Yorke can be viewed as a more rational trade target after the Red Sox acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Braves for Chris Sale and cash considerations in late December.

Grissom, who just turned 23 and comes with six years of club control, is all but certain to open the 2024 season as Boston’s starting second baseman. Yorke, meanwhile, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time at the end of the year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Because of that, the Red Sox could look to deal Yorke between now and this summer’s trade deadline if they view him as expendable and if Grissom — or another in-house option, perhaps — proves that they can handle the bulk of responsibilities at second base moving forward.

If Yorke does remain with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, though, he could put himself in position to make his big-league debut at some point before the 2024 season draws to a close.

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

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia ended 2023 season on encouraging note

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia enjoyed a productive second half with Low-A Salem in 2023.

Garcia was a late addition to Salem’s roster after beginning the year at extended spring training in Fort Myers. The 21-year-old was then called up on June 1 as a corresponding move for fellow outfielder Miguel Bleis landing on the injured list with a left shoulder subluxation that would ultimately require season-ending surgery.

Having only played in the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues up until that point in his professional career, Garcia made his full-season debut for Salem on the same night he was promoted. The right-handed hitter got off to a rough start out of the gate and found himself batting just .174/.285/.204 with three doubles, seven RBIs, 13 runs scored, two stolen bases, 14 walks, and 37 strikeouts in his first 28 games (116 plate appearances) with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Despite riding a 3-for-38 (.079) skid going into the major-league All-Star break in mid-July, Garcia seemingly took advantage of the time off and came out on the other side firing. From July 14 through the end of the month, he slashed a stout .327/.426/.654 with his first three home runs of the season and 11 RBIs over 15 games.

Though his production dipped a bit in August, Garcia most notably recorded the first four-hit game of his career on Aug. 23, when he went 4-for-5 with a double, a two-run homer, three runs scored, one walk, and one stolen base at home against the Fredericksburg Nationals. He then closed out the 2023 campaign by posting an .812 OPS in six September contests.

All told, Garcia batted .230/.329/.374 with 14 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 29 RBIs, 46 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 37 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 73 games (310 plate appearances) for Salem last season. That includes a more respectable .264/.356/.473 slash line with 11 doubles, all six of those triples and all four of those homers, 17 runs driven in, seven stolen bases, 23 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 45 games (194 plate appearances) after the All-Star break.

Among the 71 Carolina League hitters who made at least 300 trips to the plate in 2023, Garcia ranked 23rd in walk rate (11.9 percent), 34th in on-base percentage, 26th in slugging percentage, 28th in OPS (.703), 17th in isolated power (.143), ninth in speed score (7.7), sixth in line-drive rate (26.1 percent), and 31st in wRC+ (102), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw all of his playing time in the outfield last year come in either center right. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder logged a team-high 417 1/3 innings at the former and 163 2/3 innings at the latter, combining for five outfield assists while committing a total of five errors in 165 total defensive chances.

A native of Venezuela, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Fernando de Apure in July 2019. His younger brother, Johanfran, also signed with the club in January 2022 and is now regarded as one of the top young catching prospects in Boston’s farm system.

While he may not get as much shine as his little brother, Jhostynxon was ranked by FanGraphs’ Eric Longengahen as the No. 60 prospect in the Red Sox’ system last June. That was, of course, before the 2023 draft and before the likes of Kyle Teel, Nazzan Zanetello, and Antonio Anderson joined the organization. Still, Longenhagen had some encouraging things to say about the older Garcia.

“Garcia’s power is immense for a [then] 20-year-old,” Longenhagen wrote. “He is much bigger and stronger than his listed height and weight (on his minor league player page, not in this article), and has thunderous power to the opposite field. His swing’s finish is incredible, and it’s rare for a hitter this dense and strong to be that fluid in the hips.”

Garcia, who does not turn 22 until December, is projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season. As other publications have noted, Garcia’s development moving forward is tied to his hit tool and defensive capabilities since he has already shown the ability to hit for power.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Garcia fares against more experienced pitching as he continues to climb the minor-league ladder.

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