Tag: 2023 season

Red Sox’ Rafael Devers wins second career Silver Slugger Award

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has been named a 2023 American League Silver Slugger Award winner, Louisville Slugger and Major League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Devers and rookie first baseman Triston Casas were recognized as finalists for the award at their respective positions last week. The former beat out the likes of Houston’s Alex Bregman, Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes, and Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez for his second career Silver Slugger while the latter came up short against AL batting champ Yandy Diaz of the Rays.

Devers, who first won the award two years ago, put together another strong season at the plate in 2023. In 153 games, the 27-year-old slugger batted .271/.351/.500 with 34 doubles, a team-high 33 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 90 runs scored, five stolen bases, 62 walks, and 126 strikeouts over 580 plate appearances.

Despite describing his personal performance as “average” this year, Devers still led qualified American League third basemen in slugging percentage, OPS (.851), extra-base hits (67), home runs, runs driven in, and hard-hit rate (41.4 percent). The left-handed hitter also ranked third in isolated power (.229), second in wOBA (.359), and third in wRC+ (124), per FanGraphs.

Devers, who was nominated for All-MLB consideration on Wednesday, becomes just the second third baseman in franchise history to take home multiple Silver Slugger Awards, joining six-time winner Wade Boggs. His Silver Slugger is also the 50th given to a Red Sox player since the award was first introduced in 1980.

This marks the second straight year in which Boston has had just one Silver Slugger recipient after Xander Bogaerts won it at shortstop last season. In the National League, former Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts took home his sixth career Silver Slugger Award and his third as a member of the Dodgers.

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

Trio of Red Sox nominated for 2023 All-MLB Team

Three members of this year’s Red Sox have been nominated for 2023 All-MLB Team consideration, Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday night.

Third baseman Rafael Devers, designated hitter Justin Turner, and reliever Chris Martin were all recognized for the seasons they had and will have the chance to to earn either first- or second-team All-MLB honors next month.

Devers was one of 10 third basemen selected to the ballot on Wednesday. Already in the running for his second career Silver Slugger Award, the left-handed hitting 27-year-old was a second-team selection in 2021.

Turner, the recipient of the Red Sox’ 2023 MLBPAA Heart and Hustle Award, was one of eight designated hitters to make the cut. The 38-year-old slugger has yet to make an All-MLB team in his career and is currently a free agent after declining the player option in his contract last week.

Martin, meanwhile, was one of 24 relief pitchers named to the ballot after putting together the best season (1.05 ERA in 55 appearances) of his eight-year big-league career. Like Turner, the 37-year-old righty has never garnered All-MLB consideration before.

First introduced in 2019, All-MLB honors recognize the best player or players at each position across the majors for what they did over the course of the entire regular season. Besides Devers, shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2019 first-team) and outfielder Mookie Betts (2019 second-team) are the only other Red Sox players who have previously made an All-MLB team.

Unsurprisingly, Betts was yet again approved for All-MLB recognition on Wednesday after another standout season with the Dodgers. While Bogaerts came up short following his first season with the Padres, Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), J.D. Martinez (Dodgers), Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers), and Eduardo Rodriguez (Tigers) were among the former Red Sox players who made this year’s ballot.

Fans have until 8 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, November 19 to vote for who they believe should make the fifth annual All-MLB team. Fan voting will account for half of the selection process while the other 50 percent will be made up by a baseball media panel.

Of the 122 players who were nominated on Wednesday, only 32 will be named to the first- or second-team when winners are unveiled during MLB Network’s All-MLB Team Show on December 16.

(Picture of Justin Turner and Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Triston Casas named AL Rookie of the Year finalist

Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas has been named a finalist for the 2023 American League Rookie of of the Year Award, the BBWAA and Major League Baseball announced on Monday.

Already in the running for his first Silver Slugger Award, Casas was recognized alongside the likes of Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee and Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson. The 23-year-old will look to become the first Red Sox player to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors since Dustin Pedroia in 2007 when winners in each league are unveiled next Monday, November 13, on MLB Network.

Casas entered the 2023 season as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system after making his major-league debut last September. The former first-round draft selection expectedly made the Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training in March but struggled out of the gate. By the end of April, he found himself batting just .133/.283/.293 with three home runs and eight RBIs through his first 25 games of the year.

As the calendar flipped to May, though, Casas began to turn a corner offensively. His OPS continuously rose through the early summer months and he then broke out to the tune of a ridiculous .349/.442/.758 line with seven home runs and 13 RBIs in 21 July contests to take home Rookie of the Month honors in the junior circuit.

Casas remained hot at the plate even as Boston fell out of contention in the American League East, but his first full season in the major-leagues drew to a premature close when he was shut down with right shoulder inflammation in mid-September. Despite the disappointing finish, the left-handed hitter still put together one of the more impressive Red Sox rookie campaigns in recent memory by slashing a stout .263/.367/.470 with 21 doubles, two triples, 24 homers, 65 RBIs, 66 runs scored, a team-high 70 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 132 games (502 plate appearances).

Among 27 qualified rookies in the American League this season, Casas ranked ninth in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.856), third in walk rate (13.9 percent), eighth in isolated power (.226), and fifth in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs. He also ranked third in wOBA (.367), third in barrel rate (13.1 percent), and seventh in hard-hit rate (46.6 percent), according to Statcast.

Defensively, all but two of Casas’ 117 starts came at first base this year. The burly 6-foot-5, 244-pounder logged 1,037 innings at the position, committing five errors in 958 chances. In spite of the high fielding percentage, though, Casas graded poorly in other areas, including defensive runs saved (-4) and outs above average (-10). To that end, his value (i.e. WAR) took somewhat a hit.

When comparing Casas’ value this season to that of Bibee’s and Henderson’s, the Red Sox slugger accrued the least amount of fWAR (1.7) between the trio of rookies. Bibee (3.0) went 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA and 141 strikeouts to 45 walks in 25 starts (142 innings) for Cleveland. Henderson (4.6), meanwhile, hit .255/.325/.489 with 29 doubles, nine triples, 28 home runs, 82 RBIs, 100 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 56 walks, and 159 strikeouts in 150 games (622 plate appearances) for Baltimore while providing plus defense at both third base and shortstop.

Taking all that into consideration, Henderson is viewed as the favorite to win the award next week. If Casas were to pull off an upset, though, the Red Sox would receive an additional pick following the first round of next year’s amateur draft as a result of MLB’s new Prospect Promotion Initiative. Casas, who meets those qualifications because he came into the season with fewer than 60 days of big-league service time and was a consensus preseason top 100 prospect, would also be credited with a full year of service time if he finishes first or second in voting. But that is a moot point anyway since Casas already spent the entirety of the 2023 season on Boston’s major-league roster.

Regardless of the results, Casas is the first Rookie of the Year finalist the Red Sox have had since Andrew Benintendi in 2017. After establishing himself as Boston’s first baseman of the future, Casas — who turns 24 in January — could be in line for a contract extension depending on how things play out this winter.

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

Red Sox prospects at the Fall Stars Game: How did Zach Penrod, Corey Rosier fare in AFL showcase?

Red Sox prospects Zach Penrod and Corey Rosier represented the American League in Sunday evening’s 2023 Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. How did the two Glendale Desert Dogs teammates fare in the Arizona Fall League’s 17th annual showcase?

Penrod received the first call out of the American League bullpen, relieving starter and Blue Jays pitching prospect C.J. Van Eyk in the top half of the second inning. The 26-year-old left-hander gave up a booming one-out double to Jakob Marsee that nearly left the yard, but the extra-base hit was immediately nullified when Marsee was thrown out at third base by left fielder Will Robertson. Penrod then fanned Marlins prospect Jacob Berry on three pitches and wound up facing the minimum in his lone frame of work.

Finishing with nine pitches (five strikes) Penrod induced a pair of whiffs and touched 96 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a changeup, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Rosier, meanwhile, served as the starting center fielder for the American League. Batting out of the nine-hole, the left-handed hitter went 1-for-2 with a single, a run scored, and a strikeout.

To lead off the bottom of the third inning, Rosier put his impressive speed on display by beating out a softly-hit grounder to third base for an infield single. He then went from first to third on another single before easily scoring on a wild pitch for the junior circuit’s first run of the contest.

That, at the time, knotted things up at one run apiece. Rosier struck out in his only other plate appearance before being replaced in center field by Dasan Brown. The American League then went on to defeat the National League by a final score of 6-3 in front of a crowd of 1,608 spectators. White Sox prospect Colson Montgomery — also a member of the Desert Dogs — earned MVP honors after going 2-for-2 with a 409-foot solo home run.

Two of eight Red Sox prospects playing in the AFL this fall, Penrod and Rosier were selected to the Fall Stars Game on Friday. Penrod has made four starts for Glendale thus far and is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA (third-lowest among qualified pitchers in the league) and 14 strikeouts to eight walks over 14 innings in which he had held opposing hitters to a .184 batting average against.

Rosier, on the other hand, has slashed a respectable .300/.391/.400 with four doubles, two triples, eight RBIs, 14 runs scored, a team-leading eight stolen bases, 11 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 20 games (92 plate appearances) for the Desert Dogs. The 24-year-old speedster has put up those numbers while seeing his playing time come at all three outfield positions.

With Sunday’s Fall Stars Game in the books, the AFL regular season will pick back up on Tuesday and come to an end on Thursday. As such, Glendale has three games remaining against Surprise, Peoria, and then Surprise again. At 12-15, the Desert Dogs are already out of contention for the top seed in the league. They can, however, still catch up to second-seeded Scottsdale (14-13) and third-seeded Salt River (14-14) for a spot in the play-in semifinals this coming weekend.

(Picture of Corey Rosier: Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects Zach Penrod, Corey Rosier selected to 2023 Fall Stars Game

Red Sox prospects Zach Penrod and Corey Rosier have been selected to the 2023 Fall Stars Game, the Arizona Fall League announced earlier Friday evening.

Penrod, a left-hander, and Rosier, an outfielder, will represent the American League in the 17th annual Fall Stars Game at Mesa’s Sloan Park this coming Sunday. The game, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. eastern time, will be broadcasted on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com.

Penrod owns the second-lowest ERA (1.29) among qualified pitchers in the AFL this fall. To go along with that sparkling ERA, the 26-year-old southpaw has struck out 14 and walked eight in four starts (14 innings) for the Glendale Desert Dogs. He has put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a .184 batting average against.

The Red Sox signed Penrod out of the independent Pioneer League in August and assigned him to High-A Greenville. Having last pitched in affiliated ball as a member of the Texas Rangers organization in 2018, Penrod impressed with the Drive down the stretch this season by posting a 2.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts to 11 walks in four starts spanning 20 2/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Penrod throws from a high-three quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph that tops out at 96 mph, a 90-91 mph cutter, an 84-87 mph changeup, and an 85-87 mph slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Penrod, who does not turn 27 until next June, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 49 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. The Idaho native is signed through the end of the 2024 season, but he could be an intriguing target for pitcher-needy clubs in December’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline later this month.

Rosier, meanwhile, comes into play Friday slashing a solid .303/.391/.382 with four doubles, one triple, eight RBIs, 14 runs scored, a team-leading eight stolen bases, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 19 games (87 plate appearances) for Glendale. Among qualified AFL hitters, the speedy 24-year-old ranks 12th in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, 16th in runs scored, 12th in stolen bases, and eighth in strikeout rate (16.1 percent), according to MLB.com’s leaderboards.

Capable of playing all three outfield positions, Rosier was acquired from the Padres alongside veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer and fellow minor-leaguer Max Ferguson in the August 2022 trade that sent pitching prospect Jay Groome to San Diego.

After a rough go of things with Greenville last summer, Rosier bounced back nicely in his first full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. In 116 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester this year, the left-handed hitter batted .285/.351/.431 with 25 doubles, six triples, seven homers, 41 RBIs, 70 runs scored, 49 stolen bases, 37 walks, and 96 strikeouts over 444 trips to the plate. He also recorded seven outfield assists and was named Boston’s Minor League Base Runner of the Month on three separate occasions.

Rosier, who is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 44 prospect in the system, is projected by the publication to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season next spring.

(Picture of Zach Penrod: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox infielders Triston Casas, Rafael Devers named Silver Slugger Award finalists

Red Sox infielders Triston Casas and Rafael Devers have been named finalists for 2023 American League Silver Slugger Awards, Louisville Slugger and Major League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Casas, a first-time finalist at first base, was recognized alongside the likes of Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz, Texas’ Nathaniel Lowe (last year’s winner), and Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson.

Devers, who won the award in 2021, is a finalist at third base for the third consecutive year along with Houston’s Alex Bregman, Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes, and last year’s winner in Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez.

Casas, who first debuted for Boston last September, overcame a rough start to his first full season in the major-leagues and wound up putting together an impressive rookie campaign. In 132 games, the left-handed hitting 23-year-old batted .263/.367/.490 with 21 doubles, two triples, 24 home runs, 65 RBIs, 66 runs scored, 70 walks, and 126 strikeouts over 502 plate appearances. It should be noted that he missed the final two-plus weeks of the season due to bursitis in his right shoulder.

Between Casas the three other first basemen he is competing with, the former ranked second in home runs, second in walks, second in batting average, second in on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage, second in OPS (.856), first in walk rate (13.9 percent), first in isolated power (.226), second in line-drive rate (21 percent), second in barrel rate (13.1 percent), and second in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs.

Casas, who turns 24 in January, is looking to become the first Red Sox first baseman to take home a Silver Slugger Award since Adrian Gonzalez did so in 2011. The former top prospect will likely finish as one of the top runner-ups in American League Rookie of the Year voting as well.

Devers, meanwhile, had another solid season at the plate in 2023. The left-handed hitting slugger slashed .271/.351/.500 with 34 doubles, a team-leading 33 home runs and 100 RBIs, 90 runs scored, five stolen bases, 62 walks, and 126 strikeouts across 153 games spanning 656 trips to the plate.

In terms of how he stacked up against the other three finalists at the hot corner this season, Devers ranked first in home runs, first in RBIs, second in runs scored, second in batting average, first in slugging percentage, first in OPS (.851), second in isolated power (.229), first in hard-hit rate (54.7 percent), first in barrel rate (12.7 percent), and third in wRC+ (124), according to FanGraphs.

Devers, who just turned 27 last week, is aiming to join Wade Boggs as the only other third baseman in Red Sox history to win multiple Silver Slugger Awards. Boggs, of course, won the award six times (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991) as part of his illustrious 11-year career in Boston.

In addition to Casas and Devers, four former members of the Red Sox were named as finalists in the National League as well. They are Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber, Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Since 1980, Silver Slugger Awards have been given out to recognize the best offensive players at each position in each league. Voting is done by major-league managers and coaches, who cannot vote for players on their respective teams.

This year’s Silver Slugger Award winners will be revealed during an hour-long broadcast on MLB Network beginning at 6 p.m. eastern time on Thursday, November 9.

(Picture of Triston Casas and Rafael Devers: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe fare in 2023?

Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe certainly made his impact felt on the mound during his first full professional season in 2023.

Hoppe, who was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of UNC Greensboro, signed with Boston for just $32,250 last July after earning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as a fifth-year senior.

Having logged 66 2/3 innings in his final season with the Spartans, Hoppe did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate in the closing weeks of the 2022 campaign. The 24-year-old Iowan instead made the jump to High-A Greenville right out of spring training in early April and made his pro debut shortly thereafter.

Hoppe got off to a rough start with the Drive but began to turn things around for the better as the calendar flipped to May. By the end of July, the right-hander owned a 3.93 ERA and 3.38 FIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks in 31 relief appearances (34 1/3 innings) for Greenville.

Wanting to see more, the Red Sox promoted Hoppe to Double-A Portland on August 1. With the Sea Dogs, Hoppe pitched to a 4.50 ERA and 4.42 FIP with 16 strikeouts to just three walks over 12 outings (14 innings) in which he converted two saves in three opportunities. He closed out his season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-3 win over the Hartford Yard Goats on Sept. 12 at Hadlock Field.

All told, Hoppe posted a 4.10 ERA (3.68 FIP) to go along with 64 strikeouts to 17 walks across 43 appearances spanning 48 1/3 innings of work between Greenville and Portland. Among the 59 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox system who threw 40 or more innings this season, Hoppe ranked ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.92) and strikeout rate (30.3 percent), 15th in walks per nine innings (3.17), 14th in walk rate (8.1 percent), 10th in groundball rate (48.4 percent), 16th in swinging-strike rate (15.3 percent), 25th in ERA, 11th in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (3.13), per FanGraphs.

On the flip side of that, though, is the fact that Hoppe gave up 52 hits in 48 1/3 innings, leading to a WHIP of 1.43 and opponents’ batting average of .271. While neither of those figures are eye-popping, it should be noted that Hoppe also yielded a .374 batting average on balls put in play this year, which suggests that luck was not exactly on his side.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Hoppe throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a pitch arsenal that is headlined by a 96-99 mph fastball that can reach triple digits. The hard-throwing righty also mixes in an 84-87 mph slider and a rarely-used 85-87 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Hoppe, who turns 25 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 32 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization. Ian Cundall, the site’s director of scouting, wrote in September that Hoppe is “one of the top true relief prospects in the system for me.”

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Hoppe is projected to return to Portland’s bullpen for the start of the 2024 season. His development moving forward will likely hinge on his ability to refine the command and control of his secondary offerings. If he can do that, he could be a fast riser next year.

(Picture of Alex Hoppe: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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)