Tag: baseball america

What to expect from Red Sox outfield prospect Armando Sierra heading into 2022 season

It was exactly 14 months ago Tuesday when the Red Sox signed outfielder Armando Sierra for $150,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic.

Although he was not the headliner of Boston’s 2021 international signing class (hello, Miguel Bleis), Sierra still received some attention from evaluators within the industry.

Last April, Baseball America’s Ben Badler identified Sierra as a potential sleeper prospect within the Sox’ international ranks, noting that the then-17-year-old had “an advanced approach to hitting for his age” as well as the ability to hit for power.

As a follow-up to that, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero all but confirmed Badler’s observations in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“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 said at the time. “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.”

In the months following his signing, Sierra continued to work out at the Sox’ Dominican academy in El Toro before making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last July.

Across 53 games for the club’s DSL Blue affiliate, the young right-handed hitter batted a respectable .284/.373/.379 (117 wRC+) to go along with 10 doubles, two home runs, 35 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 21 walks, and 41 strikeouts over 193 plate appearances.

Against left-handed pitching, Sierra slashed .296/.424/.370. Against right-handed pitching, he slashed .284/.365/.383 with both of his home runs and 33 of his 35 runs driven in.

Among all Dominican Summer League hitters who made at least 190 trips to the plate last year, Sierra ranked 27th in batting average, 48th in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, 51st in OPS (.752), and 54th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Sierra was labeled as a corner infielder even before signing with Boston. In his introductory course to pro ball, the 6-foot-2, 189 pounder logged 95 innings in left field and 115 innings in right while recording a total of two outfield assists. He also appeared in eight games (seven starts) as a first baseman.

Shortly before the 2021 DSL summer came to a close last fall, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall wrote in September that Sierra’s “power potential is impressive. He is a below-average athlete and does not project to add much defensive value, but he has big-time raw power. He gets his whole body into his swing, but there are significant questions with his hit tool that could limit his power utility against more advanced pitching.” 

Sierra, who turned 18 in January, is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Given his age, the Sabana Grande de Palenque presumably still has room to grow physically and as a baseball player.

SoxProspects.com projects that Sierra will return to the Dominican Summer League for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. That being said, a promotion to the Florida Complex League later in the year certainly seems plausible.

(Picture of Red Sox cap: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Nathanael Cruz identified by Baseball America as Red Sox prospect ‘who could make a leap forward’ in 2022

Red Sox pitching prospect Nathanael Cruz was recently identified by Baseball America as a sleeper “who could make a leap forward” heading into the 2022 season.

Cruz, who turned 19 last month, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-hander originally signed with the Sox for $200,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2019.

While he missed out on his first full pro season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruz was one of the youngest arms at the Red Sox’ fall instructional league in 2020.

The following spring, Cruz remained in Fort Myers and spent the entirety of the 2021 minor-league season with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox. In four appearances (three starts) for Boston’s FCL affiliate, the righty posted a 3.18 ERA and 4.89 xFIP to go along with eight strikeouts to three walks over just 5 2/3 innings of work. He threw just four pitches in his final outing of the year on August 6 and did not appear in another game.

Although Cruz was listed on the club’s 2021 fall instructional league roster, it is unclear how much he participated in the program.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Cruz operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph, an 85-87 mph changeup, and an 80-82 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. Back in September, SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall noted that Cruz “still has a long way to go with his command and control, and his low-80s breaking ball is a work in progress, but he intrigued scouts and there is upside given his age.”

On that note, Cruz is projected to return to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. If healthy, there is certainly a lot to like about the 19-year-old hurler given his youth, potential, and remaining projection.

(Picture of Nathanael Cruz: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Alex Cora on pitching prospect Chris Murphy: ‘He is a guy I’ve been looking at. He has a good fastball’

Chris Murphy has drawn the attention of Red Sox manager Alex Cora so far at minor-league spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.

Cora, who under normal circumstances would have likely been preparing for a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees on Monday, was instead seen roaming the backfields of the Fenway South complex and watching the action unfold in front of him.

In a brief conversation with the few reporters on-hand, Cora noted that Murphy “is a guy I’ve been looking at. He has a good fastball.”

Murphy, 23, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in the Sox’ farm system, ranking sixth among pitchers in the organization. Boston originally selected the left-hander in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of San Diego.

After impressing in his pro debut with the Lowell Spinners that summer, Murphy missed the entirety of the 2020 minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The California native did, however, participate in fall instructs and carried the momentum he gained there into the following spring.

Upon breaking minor-league camp with High-A Greenville in May, Murphy posted a 4.21 ERA and 5.81 FIP to go along with 81 strikeouts and 23 walks through his first 14 starts (68 1/3 innings pitched) of the year before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland in late July.

In seven outings (six starts) with the Sea Dogs, Murphy pitched to the tune of a 5.45 ERA — but much more respectable 3.52 FIP — with 47 punchouts to just 13 walks over 33 innings of work to close out the year. The southpaw was named Double-A Northeast pitcher of the week on two separate occasions during that stretch (August 22 and September 12) thanks to two superb performances against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Among all Double-A Northeast pitchers who compiled at least 30 frames on the mound last season, Murphy ranked 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings (12.82), 20th in strikeout rate (34.1%), 26th in swinging strike rate (15.3%), 35th in FIP, and 27th in xFIP (3.56), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy is a four-pitch pitcher who works with a 90-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup, a 73-75 mph curveball, and an 80-84 mph slider. It should be noted that his arsenal fared far better against left-handed hitters (.401 OPS against) than right-handed hitters (.914 OPS against) between High-A and Double-A in 2021.

Back in January, Murphy was one of 12 Red Sox pitchers who took part in the team’s Winter Warm-Up program. The lefty was also just one of two players (the other being Triston Casas) to speak with the media that week and he emphasized the importance of attacking the strike zone as well as tunneling his pitches.

“Especially right now, I’m all about the analytics like where does my fastball play and what plays off of it and how can I create tunnels,” said Murphy. “Changeup/slider. Something that we’re getting big on this offseason is making two pitches go (releasing them) looking the same and breaking two different ways. So that’s what we call tunneling. And how to make a fastball up look appealing to a hitter when it’s not really in the zone; get swings-and-misses up in the zone.”

Murphy, who turns 24 in June, is projected to return to Portland’s starting rotation for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. He has a chance to emerge as the top left-handed pitching prospect in the organization, which is important considering the fact he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this December.

The Red Sox, of course, would need to add Murphy to their 40-man roster by the November deadline if they intend on protecting him from the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

(Picture of Chris Murphy: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Stephen Scott identified by Baseball America as ‘unheralded young minor-league hitter’ within Red Sox organization

Stephen Scott was recently identified by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy as an “unheralded young minor-league hitter” within the Red Sox organization who “succeeded in 2021 and is looking to build on that success this season.”

Scott — an outfielder, first baseman, and catcher — was originally selected by the Sox in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the baseball powerhouse that is Vanderbilt University. As a senior coming out of college, the North Carolina native signed with Boston for a modest $50,000.

After spending the remainder of the 2019 season with the Lowell Spinners, Scott had his first full season as a pro taken away from him due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He did, however, participate in fall instructs and subsequently opened the 2021 campaign with Low-A Salem.

While living in a trailer with teammate Joe Davis, Scott batted .259/.381/.453 with 17 doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, 49 runs scored, two stolen bases, 39 walks, and 46 strikeouts across his first 61 games (257 plate appearances) for the Salem Sox.

On July 29, the Red Sox promoted Scott to High-A Greenville, where the left-handed hitter turned it up a notch offensively. In his final 39 games (165 plate appearances) with the Drive, Scott slashed an astounding .338/.430/.606 to go along with 12 doubles, one triple, eight homers, 29 RBIs, 24 runs scored, one stolen base, 23 walks, and 32 strikeouts.

Among all High-A East hitters who made at least 160 trips to the plate last year, Scott ranked 12th in walk rate (13.9%), 23rd in strikeout rate (19.4%), second in batting average, first in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, second in OPS (1.036), 13th in isolated power (.268), and second in wRC+ (173), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Scott is more versatile than his 5-foot-11, 207 pound frame might suggest. Last season alone, the 24-year-old logged 321 1/3 innings at first base, 78 in left field, 156 1/3 in right field, and 163 2/3 behind home plate while making his professional debut as a catcher.

As noted by Eddy, Scott’s “best path forward involves a large share of time behind the plate, where he made just 18 starts last year.” That being said, SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall writes that scouts are skeptical Scott can stick behind the plate long-term given his lack of mobility and lack of experience at the position.

Scott, who turns 25 in May, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system. After participating in the Sox’ Winter Warm-Up program in January, he is projected by the site to return to Greenville for the start of the 2022 minor-league season, though it should not take him long to get to Double-A Portland if he can replicate what he did at the plate last summer.

(Picture of Stephen Scott via the Greenville Drive’s Twitter)

Who is Phillip Sikes? Red Sox outfield prospect batted .392 in Florida Complex league last year after being taken in 18th round of 2021 draft

The Red Sox selected 10 college players from Power Five schools in the 2021 amateur draft, including Texas Christian University outfielder Phillip Sikes.

Sikes, 22, began his college career at the University of New Mexico in 2018. He then transferred to Pima Community College in Arizona for his sophomore season and was taken by the Diamondbacks in the 33rd round of the 2019 draft.

Rather than go pro as a draft-eligible sophomore, Sikes opted to transfer to TCU for his junior and senior seasons. After being taken by Boston in the 18th round of last summer’s draft, the Paris, Texas native ultimately signed with the club for $97,500.

Regarded by Baseball America as the 465th-ranked prospect in the 2021 draft class, Sikes’ first assignment as a professional came in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The right-handed hitter debuted for the Sox’ FCL affiliate on August 5 and proceeded to slash a stout .392/.464/.622 to go along with eight doubles, three home runs, 18 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five stolen bases, eight walks, and 24 strikeouts over 24 games (84 plate appearances) to close out the minor-league season.

In 63 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers, Sikes posted a 1.227 OPS but only produced a .679 OPS in 22 plate appearances against lefties.

Although he was admittedly older for the level he was playing at, Sikes was still one of the top hitters in the lower-minors last year. Among FCL hitters who made at least 80 trips to the plate in 2021, the former Horned Frog ranked third in batting average, third in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (1.086), 18th in isolated power (.230), and fifth in wRC+ (185), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Sikes had played all three outfield positions while in college and things remained that way — albeit to a lesser degree — during his first pro season. The 6-foot-2, 190 pounder logged 158 2/3 innings in center, seven in left, and nine in right while recording two outfield assists and turning one double play.

A former two-way player as an amateur, Sikes profiles best as a corner outfielder moving forward. According to his Baseball America scouting report from before last July’s draft, Sikes “has a solid, well-rounded tool set. He’s a plus runner who has demonstrated that he can catch up to a good fastball, although he can be enticed to chase a tantalizing slider.

“Sikes has a short, direct swing that is geared more for hitting for average than power, but he has enough strength to drive balls to the right field power alley as well,” his scouting report continues. “Sikes is a well-rounded outfielder who can play center field in a pinch and is average in the corners. His arm is fringe-average but accurate.”

Sikes, who turns 23 next month, is not listed on any major publication’s top Red Sox prospects list heading into the 2022 campaign. That being said, the speedy outfielder is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin his first full season as a pro at High-A Greenville, which is certainly interesting when you consider the fact he did not play at the Low-A level last year.

(Picture of Phillip Sikes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Nick Yorke identified by Baseball America as top second-base prospect in baseball

Nick Yorke was recently identified by Baseball America as the top second-base prospect in baseball heading into the 2022 season.

The Red Sox surprised many when they selected Yorke with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft, but the Archbishop Mitty High school product has quickly proven his doubters wrong.

2021 marked Yorke’s first full season as a professional. After impressing the likes of Alex Cora at spring training, the 19-year-old broke camp with Low-A Salem and initially got off to a slow start.

By the time the calendar flipped from May to June, Yorke was sporting a measly .195 batting average through his first 21 games and 91 plate appearances with Salem.

From June 1 on, however, Yorke turned things around for the better. The right-handed hitting second baseman proceeded to slash .373/.467/.609 with 12 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, 50 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 33 walks, and 26 strikeouts over his next 55 games (255 plate appearances) before earning a promotion to High-A Greenville on August 24.

In the process of closing out his first full pro season with the Drive, Yorke stayed hot by batting .333/.406/.571 with six more doubles, one more triple, four more homers, 15 more RBIs, 17 more runs, two more stolen bases, 11 more walks, and 22 more strikeouts across 21 games spanning 96 trips to the plate.

On the heels of such a sensational campaign, Yorke was named the Red Sox’ minor-league Offensive Player of the Year in September. He was also recognized by Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser as the top-hitting second base prospect the game has to offer at the moment.

“He is a balanced hitter who stays back on balls and drives them to all fields with a quick, compact swing,” Glaser wrote on Friday. “He consistently puts together good at-bats with his excellent pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline, and his elite barrel control allows him to hit almost any pitch. He easily projects to be a plus hitter and has a chance to be more.”

Among all qualified minor-league second basemen who played above the rookie-level Dominican Summer League and complex leagues last year, Yorke ranked fifth in batting average (.325), fourth in on-base percentage (.412), ninth in slugging percentage (.516), fifth in OPS (.928), and fifth in wRC+ (149), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Yorke saw all his playing time between Salem and Greenville come at second base. The 6-foot, 200 pounder logged 741 2/3 innings total innings at the position while recording nine errors — all of which came at Low-A.

There are some questions surrounding Yorke’s future as a second baseman, but he presently leads a prospect group that includes Nick Gonzales, Vidal Brujan, Ezequiel Duran, Justin Foscue, and Xavier Edwards, among others.

Yorke, who turns 20 in April, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 31 prospect in all of baseball. The California native participated in the Sox’ Winter Warm-Up program last month and is projected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2022 minor-league season.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Where do things stand with Red Sox outfield prospect Gilberto Jiménez heading into 2022 season?

After showing out at fall instructs in 2020 and receiving his first invite to big-league camp the following spring, it really seemed like Red Sox outfield prospect Gilberto Jimenez was primed for a breakout year in 2021.

Jimenez came into the year regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect and top athlete in Boston’s farm system. Upon completion of minor-league spring training, Jimenez opened and ultimately spent the entirety of the 2021 season with Low-A Salem.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor-league season in 2020, the highest level Jimenez had reached was short-season Lowell. As a member of the Salem Red Sox, the switch-hitting outfielder batted .306/.346/.405 with 16 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 56 RBIs, 64 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 19 walks, and 86 strikeouts over 94 games and 408 plate appearances.

On the surface, a 21-year-old hitting .306 in his first full season of pro ball hardly seems like anything worth complaining about. In Jimenez’s case, however, 89 of his 114 hits (78%) went for singles and he only put up a slightly-above-average 105 wRC+. His 4.7% walk rate also ranked among the lowest in the Low-A East last year.

Defensively, Jimenez saw time at all three outfield positions for Salem. He logged 375 2/3 innings in center field, 247 1/3 innings in right field, and 126 1/3 innings in left field while committing a total of four errors.

Because of how he performed on both sides of the ball, scouts were relatively low on Jimenez as of last fall, according to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall.

“Scouts are down on him based on how he performed this year because he didn’t show the ability to impact the baseball,” Cundall wrote in November. “He made little progress with his approach and was inconsistent on defense.”

Baseball America’s prospect rankings reflect this as well considering the fact that Jimenez has fallen out of the Red Sox’ 2022 top 10 list, which was compiled by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

When asked by a reader back if his confidence in Jimenez took a hit in 2021, Speier responded by saying: “The fact that he’s not a top-10 guy suggests as much. He hasn’t made many strides in terms of plate discipline or driving the ball in the air, and the longer he goes without doing so, the harder it is to imagine him getting anywhere near the ceiling suggested by his exceptional athleticism and speed.”

Jimenez, who originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, is one of several minor-leaguers eligible for the Rule 5 Draft (if there is a Rule 5 Draft, that is) since he was not added to Boston’s 40-man roster last fall.

As many others (including The Athletic’s Keith Law) have already suggested, it would be surprising to see another team take Jimenez in the Rule 5 since he has only played as high as the Low-A level. Opposing clubs could attempt to stash the speedster on their bench for the entirety of the 2022 major-league season, but they would be risking his development by doing so.

Before the deadline to add Rule 5-eligible players to the 40-man roster came and went in November, there was some speculation that Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. would entertain the idea of trading a minor-leaguer like Jimenez if they were not going to include him.

That ultimately did not happen, but the possibility remains that Boston could move Jimenez as part of a bigger deal once the MLB lockout eventually comes to a close.

It does feel worth mentioning that Jimenez, who turns 22 in July, was one of three outfielders who participated in the team’s Winter Warm-Up program in Fort Myers last month alongside Nick Decker and Tyler Dearden.

Under the assumption that Jimenez remains with the Red Sox organization through the start of the 2022 minor-league season, the 5-foot-11, 212 pounder is projected by SoxProspects.com to start out the year with High-A Greenville.

(Picture of Gilberto Jimenez: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Latest Baseball America mock draft has Red Sox selecting Mississippi State catcher Logan Tanner with top pick

The 2022 MLB Draft may still be six months away, but it should now start to come into focus more with the college baseball season slated to begin next week.

With that, Baseball America released the first version of their 2022 mock draft on Thursday, and they have the Red Sox taking a college bat with their top pick.

Boston owns the 24th overall selection in this summer’s draft after finishing last season with the seventh-best (or 24th-worst) record in baseball. As of now, the club is projected to take Mississippi State University catcher Logan Tanner.

In explaining why he has the Sox going in this direction, Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo writes that he does not “have much feel for the Red Sox pick tendencies, especially in this range. They’ve taken prep infielders in each of the last three drafts but all of those picks are quite a bit different both in terms of bonus, draft position, and player profile.”

Collazo adds that at this point in the mock draft, Tanner is the best player available as he comes into the year regarded by Baseball America as its No. 17 draft-eligible prospect, which ranks third among catchers in the class.

Tanner, 21, is preparing for his junior season with Mississippi State. The right-handed hitting backstop is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he batted .287/.383/.525 with 13 doubles, 15 home runs, 53 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 39 walks, and 48 strikeouts over 67 games (285 plate appearances) while helping the Bulldogs win a national championship.

Defensively, Tanner made 57 appearances behind the plate as a sophomore and threw out 11 baserunners who attempted to steal off him. Per his Baseball America scouting report, the 6-foot, 215 pounder is “the top catch-and-throw backstop in the class. His arm is a clear tier ahead of most other catchers in the class, with double-plus grades and should allow him to keep the running game in check.”

MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, has Tanner listed as its 19th-ranked draft-eligible prospect, right behind his battery mate in right-hander Landon Sims.

In their evaluation of Tanner’s offensive approach, MLB Pipeline notes that the Lucedale, Miss. native’s “strength and bat speed give him legitimate power to all fields from the right side of the plate, and he might provide 20-25 homers per year if he can lift more balls in the air. He draws walks, makes contact and has done damage against quality pitching at the college level. He’s a well below-average runner but that’s excusable for a catcher.”

As Opening Day for the college baseball season approaches, Tanner has been named to the preseason All-SEC first team and Perfect Game’s preseason All-America third team.

If the Red Sox were to select Tanner in this year’s draft, it would mark the first time since 2011 in which they used a first-round pick on a catcher (Blake Swihart). As Collazo previously alluded to, Boston has used its last three first-round selections on prep infielders in shortstop Marcelo Mayer (2021), second baseman Nick Yorke (2020), and first baseman Triston Casas (2018). They were without a first-rounder in 2019.

Last July marked the second time straight year the Red Sox had chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni orchestrating the club’s draft efforts.

Of the 20 players Boston selected in 2021, only one — Nathan Hickey — was a catcher. Hickey, like Tanner, played his college ball in the SEC for the University of Florida.

According to one scout, Tanner would surpass Hickey and emerge as the top catching prospect in Boston’s farm system if he were to join the Red Sox this summer.

All that being said, who the Sox take in this year’s draft has yet to be determined and plenty can change once the high school and college baseball seasons get rolling in the spring.

(Picture of Logan Tanner: Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

What to expect from Red Sox infield prospect Brandon Howlett, who should start the season with Double-A Portland, in 2022

Triston Casas was not the only infield prospect the Red Sox took out of a Florida high school in the 2018 amateur draft.

20 rounds after picking Casas, Boston nabbed George Jenkins High School infielder Brandon Howlett with their 21st overall selection. At that time, the Lakeland, Fla. native was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 399 draft-eligible prospect and was committed to play college baseball at Florida State University.

Rather than move ahead with his commitment to the Seminoles, though, Howlett signed with the Sox for $185,000 that June and quickly debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League just days after putting pen to paper.

After posting a .930 OPS in 39 GCL contests, the then-18-year-old earned a late-season promotion to Low-A Lowell and put himself in a good position entering his first full year of pro ball.

Coming into the 2019 campaign, Howlett was regarded by Baseball America as the 14th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system. In spite of those lofty expectations placed upon a teenager’s shoulders, the right-handed hitting third baseman struggled to the tune of a .231/.341/.356 slash line across 113 games (465 plate appearances) with Class-A Greenville.

As a result of a .698 OPS in 2019, Howlett’s stock took a bit of a hit heading into 2020. He, like a majority of minor-leaguers, then fell victim to the fact that the 2020 minor-league season was wiped out on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of receiving an invite to the Sox’ alternate training site that summer, Howlett was left to continue developing on his own time. He did just that, but apparently ‘failed to impress’ at the team’s instructional league that fall.

On the heels of a lost year in 2020, Howlett fell off Baseball America’s Red Sox top 30 prospects rankings entirely last spring. He once again broke camp with Greenville, though the Drive had since moved up from the Class-A to High-A level.

This time around with the Drive, things were different. In 96 games, Howlett batted .253/.345/.469 (117 wRC+) to go along with 19 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases, 44 walks, and 136 strikeouts over 414 plate appearances. He also missed a week of action from late June through early July due to a concussion.

From August 22 on, Howlett closed out his bounce-back season by slashing a robust .307/.373/.587 and putting up 151 wRC+ over the final 19 games (83 plate appearances) he played in.

Among those in the High-A East who made at least 400 trips to the plate last year, Howlett ranked 11th in doubles, 10th in home runs, sixth in walk rate (10.6%), seventh in on-base percentage, seventh in slugging percentage, eighth in OPS (.815), ninth in isolated power (.217), and eighth in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Howlett has only played third base throughout his pro career and that remained to be the case in 2021. The 22-year-old logged 745 2/3 innings at the hot corner and committed a total of 17 errors there.

Based off his most recent Baseball America scouting report from over the summer, there seems to be some concern about whether Howlett will be able to remain at third base in the long-term. That said, he did end 2021 as the publication’s 23rd-ranked Red Sox prospect.

Seeing how he found success at High-A last year, it was somewhat interesting to realize that Howlett was not among the group of minor-leaguers who took part in the Sox’ Winter Warm-Up minicamp in Fort Myers last month.

Regardless of that, though, Howlett is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 season with Double-A Portland. The 6-foot-1, 205 pounder does not turn 23 until September and can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time next winter.

If the Red Sox do not want to risk losing Howlett in the Rule 5 Draft, they would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the November deadline. That very well could end up being the case if he excels with the Sea Dogs this year.

(Picture of Brandon Howlett via the Greenville Drive’s Instagram account)

Red Sox have No. 11 farm system in baseball, per Baseball America’s latest rankings

The Red Sox have the No. 11 farm system in baseball heading into the 2022 season, according to Baseball America’s latest organizational talent rankings.

At this time last year, the Sox had Baseball America’s 21st-ranked farm system going into the 2021 campaign. They then jumped all the way up to ninth in BA’s midseason rankings.

Now, Boston’s farm system falls just outside of Baseball America’s top 10. Ahead of the Red Sox are the Mariners, Rays, Pirates, Orioles, Royals, Tigers, Reds, Dodgers, Rangers, and Diamondbacks, and just behind them are the Guardians, Yankees, Twins, and Cubs to make up the top 15.

As recently as last month, the Sox placed four prospects in BA’s top 100 preseason rankings with shortstop Marcelo Mayer coming in at No. 15, first baseman Triston Casas coming in at No. 19, second baseman Nick Yorke coming in at No. 31 and outfielder Jarren Duran coming in at No. 91. Right-handed pitching prospect Brayan Bello also finished just outside the top 100.

Casas and Yorke were among the 28 Red Sox minor-leaguers who took part in the team’s Winter Warmup program in Fort Myers, Fla. last week. Bello and Duran were unable to participate since they are on the club’s 40-man roster.

In their brief assessment of the Red Sox’ minor-league pipeline, Baseball America notes that “Boston’s system isn’t the deepest, but its opening trio of shortstop Marcelo Mayer, first baseman Triston Casas and second baseman Nick Yorke is one of the most enticing. Right-hander Brayan Bello took steps forward in 2021, including an appearance in Denver at the Futures Game.”

By placing two prospects in BA’s top 20 and three in their top 35, the Sox have shown that they are serious about improving their farm system as well as their minor-league depth as a whole. Chaim Bloom has made that very clear since he took over as the club’s chief baseball officer in October 2019.

Under Bloom, the Red Sox have tapped into just about every market to bolster the organization from the ground up. Whether it be through the draft, the Rule 5 Draft, international scouting, pro scouting, or the trade market, Bloom has thus far made good on his promise to revamp Boston’s farm system while still maintaining a competitive team at the major-league level.

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