Top Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony enjoyed a breakout 2023 season

Not only did Roman Anthony emerge as the top young outfielder in the Red Sox farm system in 2023; he also established himself as one of the premier prospects in all of baseball.

Anthony, who the Red Sox took with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.), began his first full professional season with Low-A Salem after signing with Boston for $2.5 million last July.

Having closed out the 2022 campaign in Salem, Anthony somewhat surprisingly got off to a slow start in his second go-around with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. In the month of April, for instance, the left-handed hitter went a mere 12-for-60 (.200) at the plate with three extra-base hits and six RBIs in his first 16 games.

Anthony began to turn a corner offensively as the calendar flipped from April to May, most notably hitting the first home run of his pro career on May 19, but he then came back down to earth in the early weeks of June. After going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in a 4-2 loss to the Columbia Fireflies on June 11, the 19-year-old found himself batting just .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games with Salem.

For as underwhelming as a .693 OPS may seem, though, Anthony still found ways to separate himself. As Baseball America’s Josh Norris noted in May, “scouts who have seen him believe the ingredients are there for a potentially special player. He has a gorgeous swing from the left side, an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone and raw power that belies his meager slugging output this year.”

While the Red Sox could have elected to exhibit patience when it came to Anthony’s development, they chose to move him up to High-A Greenville on June 13. He debuted for the Drive that same night at Fluor Field and went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. He also struck out twice and committed three errors in center field, but the performance nonetheless served as a jumping off point of sorts for Anthony.

Over the next 12 weeks, Anthony shined as a key cog in Greenville’s lineup, slashing a stout .294/.412/.569 with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 54 games (245 plate appearances). Interestingly enough, he went 0-for-4 with three punchouts in his final game with the Drive on September 2 before making the jump to Double-A Portland alongside top catching prospect Kyle Teel.

With that promotion, Anthony became the first Red Sox teenage prospect to make it to Portland since Xander Bogaerts did so in 2012, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. In 10 games with the Sea Dogs, Anthony went 12-for-35 (.343) with four doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts. He put the finishing touches on an impressive season by recording three hits and driving in two runs as part of a historic 24-2 win over the Hartford Yard Goats at Hadlock Field on Sept. 17.

Altogether in 2023, Anthony batted .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 homers, 64 runs driven in, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 106 total games (491 plate appearances) between Salem, Greenville, and Portland. Among the 599 minor-leaguers who made at least 400 trips to the plate this season regardless of level, Anthony ranked 23rd in walk rate (17.5 percent), 39th in on-base percentage, 33rd in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), 47th in wOBA (.402), and 25th in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

Going beyond that, Anthony “was the only hitter under 28 years old in the minor-leagues to meet the following thresholds: A 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph or higher, a contact rate above 74 percent, an in-zone contact rate of 83 percent or higher, and a chase rate of 20 percent or below,” according to Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes and Dylan White.

Defensively, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield positions this season. Though he only made one start in left field with Salem on Opening Day in April, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 573 innings in center field and 161 2/3 innings in right. He was used exclusively as a center fielder in Portland, where he recorded one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 chances.

In the time since the minor-league season ended, Anthony has seen the accolades come rolling in. In addition to being honored as Boston’s 2023 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year at Fenway Park last month, Anthony was named a postseason South Atlantic League All-Star, an MiLB.com organizational All-Star, a Baseball America first-team minor-league All-Star, and BA’s Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year.

After not being included in Baseball America’s preseason top 100 rankings, Anthony is now regarded by the publication as the No. 19 prospect in the sport. He trails only shortstop Marcelo Mayer for the top spot within Boston’s farm system.

Anthony, who does not turn 20 until next May, will likely be a popular name in trade talks this winter if the Red Sox (who are still without a new head of baseball operations after firing Chaim Bloom last month) opt to deal from their prospect capital in order to upgrade the major-league roster after back-to-back last place finishes in the American League East.

Assuming he remains in the organization, though, Anthony is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season. He could, of course, put himself in position to make his major-league debut at some point next year if he continues to make improvements and hone his craft.

“I think I just want to get bigger, get stronger, put on good weight,” Anthony said of his goals for 2024 when speaking with MLB.com’s Ian Browne in September. “Going into next year, try to steal more bags, be better defensively, and be better offensively, too. There’s always room for improvement. Always room to get better. So going into the offseason, not just really focusing on one thing in particular. Just focusing on everything. Like I said, try to be a five-tool player in MLB.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Alex Verdugo named Gold Glove finalist

Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has been named a finalist for the 2023 American League Gold Glove Award in right field, Rawlings and Major League Baseball announced earlier Wednesday afternoon.

A first-time finalist, Verdugo was recognized alongside the likes of the Astros’ Kyle Tucker, last year’s winner in right field, and the Rangers’ Adolis Garcia. The 27-year-old will be looking to become the first Red Sox player to take home a Gold Glove Award since Mookie Betts did so in 2019 when winners are unveiled on November 5.

After mostly splitting time between the corners in his first three years with Boston, Verdugo was used exclusively in right field this season to accommodate the addition of left fielder Masataka Yoshida. Making 135 starts and logging 1,170 in right, Verdugo recorded 12 outfield assists and accrued nine defensive runs saved, tying him with the Mariners’ Teoscar Hernandez and the Guardians’ Ramon Laureano for the most among American League right fielders, respectively.

That Verdugo was as productive with the glove as he was is certainly impressive when you consider the challenges playing right field at Fenway Park present. According to Baseball Savant, the 6-foot, 209-pounder ranked in the 90th percentile in arm strength (92.8 mph) and the 70th percentile in range (one out above average).

Between Verdugo and the two right fielders he is competing with, the former led the pack in assists, double plays started (4), defensive runs saved, and ultimate zone rating (10.6), per FanGraphs. As noted by MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan and David Adler, winners at the nine standard positions (such as right field) are determined by “the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team [voting] from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. These votes comprise 75 percent of the selection total, with the SABR Defensive Index counting for the other 25 percent.”

On the other side of the ball, Verdugo had a down year. Despite getting off to a promising start, the left-handed hitter struggled in the second half and wound up batting .264/.324/.421 with 37 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, 81 runs scored, five stolen bases, 45 walks, and 93 strikeouts across 142 games spanning 602 plate appearances.

Though he endured his fair share of hardships, Verdugo still proved to be a bright spot in the field for a team that was undoubtedly one of the worst in baseball defensively.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) towards the end of the season last month, Verdugo reiterated his desire to win a Gold Glove Award.

“It would mean a lot. I really want a Gold Glove,” said Verdugo. “The way I take care of my business out there and try to limit baserunners from taking extra bases and try to make the right play, it would just mean a lot. Once you have that Gold Glove out there, everyone kind of gives you that recognition league-wide and I think that’s the best thing (about it).”

Verdugo, who does not turn 28 until May, is eligible to become a free agent for the first time in his career next winter. He is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $9.2 million in 2024, which would represent a $2.9 million raise from his 2023 salary of $6.3 million.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Brainer Bonaci placed on restricted list for violating MLB policy

Red Sox infield prospect Brainer Bonaci was placed on Major League Baseball’s restricted list earlier this month for violating the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Bonaci, 21, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $290,000 as an international free agent coming out of Catia La Mar in July 2018.

In 79 games (350 plate appearances) between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland this past season, Bonaci batted .297/.354/.464 with 18 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, 44 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 30 walks, and 80 strikeouts while seeing the majority of his playing time come at either second base or shortstop. The switch-hitter made the jump from Greenville to Portland over the summer but only appeared in 16 games for the Sea Dogs before being placed on the reserve list in late August.

Around that same time, per Speier, Bonaci was sent home to Venezuela for the rest of the minor-league campaign “due to what one league source at the time called administrative leave.” He was then taken off the reserve list at season’s end and was permitted to take part in the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers as well as the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Bonaci, however, appeared in just two games for Glendale, going 1-for-7 with four strikeouts before being placed on the restricted list by MLB on October 4. His roster spot was effectively taken by fellow Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough, who reported to the Desert Dogs on Tuesday.

As noted by Speier, it is not yet known how Bonaci violated the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy; nor is it known how much time he will spend on the restricted list before a potential resolution is reached.

Bonaci, who does not turn 22 until next July, was a candidate to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster next month as a result of being eligible for December’s Rule 5 Draft. Looking beyond that, he is not slated to reach minor-league free agency until after the 2025 season.

(Picture of Brainer Bonaci: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Who is Gilberto Batista? Get to know the Red Sox’ Latin Program Pitcher of the Year

Like infielder Yoeilin Cespedes, pitching prospect Gilberto Batista was recognized as the Red Sox’ 2023 Minor League Latin Program Pitcher of the Year at Fenway Park last month.

Batista made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League this past June after signing with the Red Sox for a mere $10,000 as an international free agent last November. In 11 appearances (nine starts) for Boston’s DSL Red affiliate, the 18-year-old right-hander posted a 3.54 ERA with a team-leading 54 strikeouts to just eight walks over 40 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .228 batting average against.

Batista’s best start of the year came on July 14. Going up against DSL Cubs Blue on the road, the Dominican-born hurler struck out seven (tying a season-high in that category) across four scoreless, no-hit frames. He took a bid for a perfect game into the bottom of the third inning before leadoff man Omar Ferrera reached on a Franklin Arias throwing error. Batista then struck out the side before retiring the last three batters he faced in the fourth.

Among 94 pitchers in the DSL who threw at least 40 innings this season, Batista ranked fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.95), 11th in walks per nine innings (1.77), fifth in strikeout rate (33.5 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (50.7 percent), 12th in walk rate (5.0 percent), 19th in WHIP (1.03), 11th in FIP (3.02), and first in xFIP (2.74), per FanGraphs.

Batista (right) pictured with fellow countryman Brayan Bello (left) at the club’s academy in El Toro

Listed at 6-feet and 165 pounds, Batista operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that touches 95 mph, a “true” curveball, a “hard” slider, and a changeup, according to Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero.

“As he’s added 11 pounds since March, his velocity has started to tick up,” Romero said of Batista in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com. “After a sluggish start to his DSL season, he really excelled July and August. He’s an above average athlete with a lightning quick arm who loves to compete.”

Batista, who turns 19 in January, is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the United States and pitch in the rookie-level Florida Complex League at some point in 2024.

(Picture of Alex Cora, Gilberto Batista, and Yoeilin Cespedes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Who is Yoeilin Cespedes? Get to know the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player of the Year

Red Sox infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes reached plenty of milestones in 2023.

In January, Cespedes inked his first professional contract and received a hefty $1.4 million signing bonus, making him the highest-paid member of Boston’s 2023 international free agent class. The Dominican native then made his pro debut as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League and was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Cespedes entered the professional ranks as the No. 24 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per Baseball America’s preseason rankings. Even before debuting with DSL Red Sox Blue in June, Cespedes had already generated plenty of buzz on account of what he was doing in extended spring training games at the club’s academy in El Toro.

“He definitely stands out offensively,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this year. “He’s been one of the better offensive players that we’ve had there in a while.”

Cespedes earned in-season DSL All-Star honors by batting a stout .338/.391/.552 with 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, 30 runs scored, one stolen bases, 14 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 37 games (169 plate appearances) from June 5 through July 28. After drawing a walk and swiping one bag in the All-Star game itself on July 30, the right-handed hitter closed out the 2023 campaign by going 14-for-37 (.378) with one homer and 10 RBIs in his final nine games.

Altogether, Cespedes slashed .346/.392/.560 with 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 38 runs driven in, 37 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 46 total games (209 plate appearances). Among 66 hitters in the DSL who made at least 200 trips to the plate this season, Cespedes ranked third in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, fifth in slugging percentage, seventh in OPS (.953), eighth in isolated power (.215), first in line-drive rate (28.1 percent), sixth in strikeout rate (11.5 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (145), per FanGraphs.

“He’s put up some numbers we haven’t seen very much from that level,” Romero said of Cespedes when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in July. “Obviously the numbers down there speak for themselves. A lot of contact. A lot of hard contact. I think he’s working on being a little bit more patient at the plate.

“He’s not pull-oriented,” added Romero. “He uses the whole field. He hits the ball hard everywhere. And he hits the ball hard to a lot of quadrants that are pitched to him too, which is good. He doesn’t strike out much. He makes a lot of contact. There’s a lot of good, positive indicators there.”

On the other side of the ball, Cespedes saw all of his playing time on the field this season come at shortstop. There, the 5-foot-10, 181-pounder logged 294 innings and committed seven errors in 139 chances, culminating in a .950 fielding percentage. He also turned 14 double plays.

“He’s become a lot more fundamentally sound,” Romero said of Cespedes’ improving defensive prowess. “In his base, being more flexible, being more athletic. He’s always had the arm strength. For us, it was working on his range, working on his first step, his agility side to side.”

Cespedes, who celebrated his 18th birthday last month, was honored alongside Gilberto Batista — Boston’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year — and several other Red Sox minor-league award winners on Sept. 28. When speaking with reporters (including Smith) in the home dugout that night, Cespedes was asked about how Baseball America described him as “one of the top hitting prospects to come through the organization’s academy since Rafael Devers a decade ago.”

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be compared to him,” Cespedes said of his fellow countryman through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez. “He’s someone I admire and follow a lot. For me to be compared with him, it’s very, very special.”

As a shortstop, however, Cespedes acknowledged that he grew up idolizing Xander Bogaerts and still tries to emulate the former Red Sox star to this day. Bogaerts, of course, left Boston via free agency by signing an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres about one month before Cespedes put pen to paper himself.

“One of the reasons was because Xander was here,” Cespedes said when asked about why he signed with the Red Sox. “And another one is because I love Boston. I love the Red Sox.”

Coming off a self-described “learning year” in his first season of pro ball, Cespedes is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 13th on its Red Sox-centered list while SoxProspects.com slots him in at No. 10 on its list.

Still a ways away from the big-leagues, Cespedes is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024. Even though the FCL season does not start until next June, Cespedes already knows what he needs to work on in order to get better.

“Definitely swing decisions is something I need to improve on because that aggressiveness makes me swing at pitches that might not be in the zone,” said Cespedes, who described his hit tool as a “super power” of sorts. “So that’s something I need to improve on and I’m already working on that.

“I improved on my defense,” he continued while reflecting on his 2023 . “I think it was day and night the difference compared to where I started and how I finished.”

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia ‘put himself on many teams’ radars’ in 2023

Last month, Baseball America identified Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia as the top backstop to play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League this season.

Garcia, who Boston signed for $850,000 in January 2022, made his stateside debut in early June after appearing in 40 Dominican Summer League games last year. In 42 games for the Sox’ Fort Myers-based affiliate this summer, the right-handed hitting 18-year-old batted a stout .302/.408/.497 with 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 32 RBIs, 21 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 37 strikeouts over 179 trips to the plate.

Behind the likes of batting champ Natanael Yuten, Garcia posted the ninth-highest batting average among qualified FCL hitters. The native Venezuelan also ranked 11th in on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, seventh in OPS (.904), eighth in isolated power (.195), and seventh in wRC+ (137), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia made a team-leading 22 starts at catcher for the FCL Red Sox. The sturdy 5-foot-10, 196-pounder logged 176 2/3 innings behind the plate, allowing only two passed balls and throwing out 12 of 33 possible base stealers. He also made nine starts at first base, where he did not commit a single error in 73 innings.

When evaluating Garcia, who he ranked as the No. 9 prospect to play in the FCL this year, Baseball America’s Josh Norris wrote: “[Garcia] showed plenty of upside on both sides of the ball, and was particularly intriguing for his combination of hittability and all-fields power. He showed a solid knowledge of the strike zone and bat-to-ball skills, though his in-zone whiff rates might be a touch higher than is ideal and scouts noted his swing could get a bit long every now and then.

“Behind the plate,” Norris continued, “Garcia shows plus-plus arm strength but will need to watch his conditioning to assure he maintains the flexibility to stay behind the dish.”

Shortly before the FCL season drew to a close in late August, Garcia and several other Red Sox prospects made the jump to Low-A Salem for the remainder of the 2023 minor-league campaign. Making his full-season affiliate debut on Aug. 15, Garcia limped to the finish line to some degree by slashing just .203/.279/.305 with one home run and five RBIs in 15 Carolina League Games.

With that being said, Garcia was at least able to end the year on a high note. He went 5-for-17 (.294) with two walks in five September contests and would have had the chance to do even more damage if it weren’t for Salem’s final two games of the season getting cancelled due to inclement weather. In that time, he got the chance to play with his older brother Jhostynxon, an outfielder who joined the Red Sox organization as an international free agent in 2019.

All told, Garcia hit .274/.373/.442 with 13 doubles, two triples, six homers, 37 runs driven in, 29 runs scored, six stolen bases, 24 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 57 games (247 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem Red Sox. With Salem specifically, he allowed two additional passed balls and threw out seven of 27 would-be base stealers in the process of logging 83 more innings behind the plate.

Garcia, who turns 19 in December, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks third among catchers in the organization behind only Kyle Teel (No. 4) and Nathan Hickey (No. 10), who both made it up to Double-A Portland this year.

While Teel and Hickey already have some experience in the upper-minors, Garcia did “put himself on many teams’ radars” this year, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, which could make him a popular target in trade talks. If he does remain in the organization through the winter, though, Garcia is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 season in April.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox infield prospect Starlyn Nuñez named Dominican Summer League All-Star

Red Sox infield prospect Starlyn Nunez has been named a 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Nunez makes up an All-Star infield that includes Rockies prospects Ronny Ugarte (1B), Bairon Ledesman (2B), and Kelvin Hidalgo (SS). The switch-hitting 17-year-old is coming off a debut season in which he batted .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 49 games (215 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue.

Among 66 hitters in the Dominican Summer League who made at least 200 trips to the plate in 2023, Nunez ranked 14th in strikeout rate (13.5 percent), 10th in batting average, 30th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 16th in OPS (.870), 22nd in isolated power (.155), 23rd in line-drive rate (21.9 percent), and 16th in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Nunez saw the majority of his playing time come at either second or third base this season. In 161 innings at the keystone, the projectable 6-foot, 155-pounder committed just two errors in 75 defensive chances. In 210 innings at the hot corner, he committed nine errors in 71 chances for a far-less favorable .873 fielding percentage.

Nunez, who turns 18 next week, is less than nine full months removed from signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic last January. A native of San Pedro de Macoris (the same city Miguel Bleis is from) Nunez received a bonus of $52,500 and is said to have above-average speed.

Other than that lone nugget, Nunez does not have an extensive prospect profile quite yet. That could change soon, though, as he is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the United States and the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024.

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

Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten named Florida Complex League All-Star

Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten has been named a 2023 Florida Complex League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Recognized alongside the likes of Yankees outfield prospects Willy Montero and John Cruz, Yuten enjoyed a productive summer in Fort Myers. The left-handed hitting 18-year-old batted a stout .336/.396/.483 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 28 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 11 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 38 games (164 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox.

In addition to winning the FCL batting title, Yuten ranked 16th among qualified hitters in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, 11th in OPS (.880), 18th in isolated power (.148), 20th in speed score (7.0), and 11th in wRC+ (131), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Yuten saw playing time at all three outfield positions in his time with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate. The lanky 6-foot-2, 143-pounder logged 52 innings in left, 52 1/3 innings in center, and 172 2/3 innings in right while committing a total of six errors and recording one outfield assist.

About one week before the FCL season drew to a close in late August, Yuten received a promotion to Low-A Salem alongside top catching prospect Johanfran Garcia and several others. He made his full-season debut on Aug. 15 but was never really able to get it going offensively and instead struggled to a .197/.240/.239 slash line in 18 Carolina League games. In that stretch, he made six starts in center field and nine starts in right field.

Despite limping to the finish line, it was still a strong year overall for Yuten, as he is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system after not being ranked previously. The Dominican native originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of La Romana last January.

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Yuten — who actually turns 19 next week — is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Natanael Yuten: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro takes another step forward in 2023

Another year, another step forward for Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro.

Castro, who assistant general manager Eddie Romero identified as a sleeper prospect at the conclusion of the 2022 season, broke camp this spring with Low-A Salem and served as the Red Sox’ Opening Day right fielder.

In 69 games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, Castro batted .247/.376/.378 with 20 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 29 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 54 strikeouts over 306 plate appearances. The 20-year-old then received a promotion to High-A Greenville in mid-July and debuted for the Drive immediately following the All-Star break.

With the eventual South Atlantic League champions, the switch-hitting Castro slashed a stout .283/.355/.446 to go along with 11 doubles, two more triples, four homers, 17 runs driven in, 23 runs scored, four stolen bases, 17 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 43 games (186 plate appearances). He also went 4-for-13 (.308) with a home run in four postseason games as Greenville went on to clinch its first Sally League title since 2017 last month.

Among 137 hitters who made at least 180 trips to the plate during the regular season, Castro ranked 21st in strikeout rate (19.4 percent), 17th in batting average, 39th in slugging percentage, 31st in slugging percentage, 27th in OPS (.801), 16th in line-drive rate (24.6 percent), and 29th in wRC+ (119), per FanGraphs.

Between Salem and Greenville, Castro saw playing time at all three outfield positions. With the Drive specifically, the 6-foot, 170-pounder logged 49 innings in left, 138 innings in center, and 127 innings in right. He committed a total of three errors while recording one outfield assist.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. At that time, Castro was viewed as a middle infielder, but he had already transitioned to the outfield by the time he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League two years after signing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Castro made strides right away in the DSL and was recognized as Boston’s 2021 Latin Program Position Player of the Year. He then made the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2022 and impressed there before closing out the season in Salem.

Coming into the 2023 campaign, Castro was unranked by publications such as Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He is now regarded by the former as the No. 27 and by the latter as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. SoxProspects.com, on the other hand, now has Castro ranked 17th on its list after having him at No. 33 to begin the year.

Castro, who does not turn 21 until next May, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. Given his lack of experience in the upper-minors, though, the likely outcome is that Castro is left unprotected, is not picked up by another team, and remains in the organization as an intriguing prospect with room to grow.

Barring a trade or any sort of other move, Castro is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season in April.

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

Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell powers High-A Greenville to South Atlantic League title

Versatile Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell put the finishing touches on a strong debut season by helping High-A Greenville take home the 2023 South Atlantic League championship.

After drawing a walk and driving in a run in a Game 1 road win over the Hudson Valley Renegades on Sunday, Campbell recorded three hits in Greenville’s series-clinching victory at Fluor Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting in left field for the Drive, Campbell went 3-for-4 with a massive three-run home run. The right-handed hitter struck out in his first plate appearances, then proceeded to reach base in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings.

After registering a pair of singles for his first two hits of the night, Campbell came through in a big way in the bottom half of the seventh. Tyler Miller had just driven in Allan Castro to give Greenville a 4-2 lead and put runners at second and third with only one out.

Matched up against Hudson Valley reliever Matt Keating, Campbell worked a 2-1 count before clobbering a line-drive, three-run blast to deep left-center field. He then let out a celebratory yell as he rounded first base and pointed to the sky before crossing home plate to put Greenville up, 7-2, going into the eighth inning.

The Drive went on to defeat the Renegades by a final score of 7-3, claiming their first South Atlantic League title since 2017 and their second since becoming affiliated with the Red Sox in 2005.

Campbell played a major role for Greenville as it swept Hickory in the division series and Hudson Valley in the championship series en route to a perfect postseason. In four games against the Crawdads and Renegades, Campbell went 7-for-12 (.583) with one double, one home run, six RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and three strikeouts. He also flashed the leather over the weekend by making an impressive diving catch in the left-center field gap.

“The lights were not too bright for him,” Drive manager Iggy Suarez said of Campbell when speaking with MiLB.com’s Allison Mast on Tuesday night. “First year in pro ball, first season, and he’s in the thick of things. The bigger the moment, he embraced it and he wanted it. It’s almost a veteran approach.”

Campbell, 21, was selected by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall pick in this summer’s draft, which Boston received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency over the winter. The drat-eligible sophomore out of Georgia Tech signed for $492,700 and debuted in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last month.

A native of the Peach State himself, Campbell posted a 1.082 OPS (189 wRC+) in eight games for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate before making the jump to Greenville (and skipping Low-A Salem) on August 24. He then batted .267/.400/.422 (132 wRC+) with two doubles, one triple, one homer, three runs driven in, five runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in 14 regular season games (55 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Defensively, Campbell saw playing time at second base and both corner outfield spots at his two stops this year. With Greenville specifically, the 6-foot-3, 191-pounder logged 81 innings at second base, 17 innings in left field, and nine innings in right field. He did not commit a single error and recorded one outfield assist by throwing top Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford out at second base back on August 27.

Campbell, who does not turn 22 until next June, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He possesses an intriguing profile based on his athleticism and power potential and is projected by the website to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign in April.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)