Tag: Baseball

How former Red Sox prospect Zach Ehrhard is faring with Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate

After writing about James Tibbs III last week, it feels like it would be a missed opportunity to not take note of the season Zach Ehrhard — the other outfield prospect the Red Sox traded to the Dodgers for Dustin May last July — is having so far.

Like Tibbs, Ehrhard received his first non-roster invite to major league spring training before breaking camp with Triple-A Oklahoma City in late March. In his inaugural taste of the minors’ highest level, the 23-year-old initially got off to a slow start at the plate with the Comets, batting .229/.307/.356 with two home runs and 22 RBIs over his first 35 games (163 plate appearances) through May 12.

On May 13, Ehrhard snapped a 22-game homerless drought with a solo shot against Albuquerque. That appears to have been a turning point. Including that contest, the right-handed hitter is slashing a stout .359/.490/.675 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs across his last 32 games (147 plate appearances). Three multi-homer outings are mixed in there as well.

In all, Ehrhard is hitting .288/.394/.490 with 17 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 51 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 45 walks, and 64 strikeouts through 67 games (310 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City this season. He has posted a .262/.365/.396 line in 222 plate appearances against righties and a .357/.466/.743 line in 88 plate appearances against lefties.

Among 60 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League entering play this week, Ehrhard ranks ninth in wRC+ (125), 13th in swinging-strike rate (7.2%), 14th in walk rate (14.5%), 16th in isolated power (.202), 17th in on-base percentage, 18th in OPS (.884) and wOBA (.396), 21st in batting average and slugging percentage, 28th in strikeout rate (20.6%), and 29th in line-drive rate (24.9%), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Ehrhard has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Oklahoma City. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has made 31 starts in center, 17 starts in left, and 15 starts in right, recording seven assists and committing three errors in 134 total chances. He has also made three starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was drafted by the Red Sox in the 13th round out of high school in 2021 but did not sign. Three years later, he was again drafted by the Red Sox, this time as a fourth-round selection (115th overall pick) out of Oklahoma State. He received a below-slot $500,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut at High-A Greenville in July 2024, then worked his way up to Double-A Portland last May. There, he had the chance to play with his older brother, Drew, before being dealt to the Dodgers for May alongside Tibbs in the moments leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

In a similar fashion to Tibbs, Ehrhard ended his 2025 season on a high note with Double-A Tulsa and has seemingly taken advantage of the Dodgers’ player development program to elevate his profile. He is currently ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 21 prospect by Baseball America, which describes him as “the kind of player who does just enough right to carve out a big league career.”

With that, it would not come as a shock to see Ehrhard — who does not turn 24 until January — get his first crack at the majors in the near future. Whether that opportunity comes with the Dodgers or another club following this summer’s Aug. 3 trade deadline remains to be seen.

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

How Red Sox pitching prospect Gage Ziehl is faring with Double-A Portland

After a rocky start to his first season in the organization, Red Sox pitching prospect Gage Ziehl appears to be settling in with Double-A Portland.

Ziehl showed as much in his latest start for Portland this past Friday night by striking out seven consecutive batters at one point. Going up against Somerset at Hadlock Field, the 23-year-old right-hander retired seven straight Patriots hitters via strikeout from the first inning through the middle of the third.

The streak ended when Somerset’s Garrett Martin grounded out to lead off the fourth, leaving Ziehl one shy of the Sea Dogs’ franchise record of eight consecutive strikeouts set by Clay Buchholz in 2007.

In all, Ziehl struck out a career-high of nine without issuing a walk over five solid innings in which he allowed two earned runs on four hits. The righty threw 76 pitches (54 strikes), generating 12 whiffs and topping out at 94.5 mph with his fastball. He also picked up the winning decision as the Sea Dogs defeated the Patriots by a final score of 6-2.

Following Friday’s performance, Ziehl is now 3-2 with a 4.56 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 61:10 through 11 starts (53 1/3 innings) for Portland this season. Dating back to May 24, however, he has forged a 2.55 ERA with 30 strikeouts to seven walks across his last five outings and 24 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting just .207 against him in that stretch.

Among the 37 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings in the Eastern League this year, Ziehl owns the best walks-per-nine mark (1.69) and walk rate (4.3%). He also ranks third in xFIP (3.43), seventh in groundball rate (52.3%), 10th in FIP (4.14), strikeouts per nine (10.29), and strikeout rate (26.4%), and 14th in WHIP (1.33), according to FanGraphs.

Ziehl, who turned 23 last month, was acquired by the Red Sox in February as part of a trade with the White Sox that sent fellow righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and cash to Chicago. Boston also received a player to be named later in the deal.

That marked the second time that Ziehl, a former fourth-round draft pick of the Yankees out of the University of Miami in 2024, had been traded since beginning his professional career. New York sent him to Chicago in exchange for veteran outfielder Austin Slater last July.

Now on his third organization, Ziehl is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 20 prospect, ranking 11th among pitchers in the system. In addition to boasting a strong command profile and a mid-90s fastball, the 6-foot, 223-pound hurler features an 88-91 mph cutter, an 83-87 mph sweeper, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

Barring another trade between now and the August 3 deadline, it would not be all that surprising to see Ziehl work his way up to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the season. He could strengthen his case for such a promotion if he continues pitching the way he has as of late.

(Picture of Gage Ziehl courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox promote Newton native, power-hitting prospect Jack Winnay to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted corner infield prospect Jack Winnay from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com.

Winnay, who turned 23 earlier this month, is in his first full professional season. The Newton, Mass. native (and Belmont Hill alumnus) was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (388th overall) of the 2025 draft out of Wake Forest. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus and debuted at Low-A Salem last August, batting .321/.393/.434 with one home run and 11 RBIs in a limited 15-game sample.

After integrating himself with the Red Sox player development program over the winter, Winnay entered his first spring training with little fanfare and broke camp with Greenville as an unranked prospect. The right-handed hitter struggled out of the gate, slashing just .184/.382/.250 with one home run and nine RBIs in his first 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the Drive through May 3. From there, however, he began to turn a corner offensively — particularly in the power department — and hit .304/.470/.598 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs across his next 33 games (149 plate appearances) before being promoted late Sunday.

Overall, Winnay batted a respectable .255/.434/.457 with five doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 53 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 56 games (251 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2026 season. He posted a .364/.475/.788 clip in 40 plate appearances against lefties and a .232/.427/.387 clip in 211 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 80 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League, Winnay ranks second in walk rate (21.1%), fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in wOBA (.413), ninth in wRC+ (136), 12th in swinging-strike rate (8.9%), 14th in OPS (.891), 22nd in strikeout rate (20.3%), 27th in isolated power (.202), 28th in slugging percentage, and 35th in batting average, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Winnay primarily split his playing time with Greenville between the two corner infield positions. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder made a team-leading 40 starts at third base, committing 12 errors in 94 chances, and 14 error-free starts at first base. He also made one start at DH and has prior experience in the outfield.

Thanks to his recent hot stretch at the plate, Winnay is now regarded as Boston’s No. 40 prospect by SoxProspects.com. He is not yet ranked by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, but that may not be too far behind, given the amount of attention he has received as of late.

Winnay joins third-round right-hander Anthony Eyanson as the second member of the Red Sox’ 2025 draft class to reach the upper minors this season. As was the case for Eyanson — who has forged a 1.46 ERA through his first six Double-A starts (24 2/3 innings) — the jump to Portland represents a new challenge for Winnay in the form of more advanced competition.

The Sea Dogs hit the road and open a six-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Jack Winnay: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III becomes first to reach 20 home runs in PCL this season

One year and one day after making his Red Sox organizational debut, Dodgers prospect James Tibbs III became the first hitter in the Pacific Coast League to reach the 20 home run mark this season.

Tibbs proved to be the hero for Triple-A Oklahoma City in Thursday’s matinee against Sacramento at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. After going hitless in his first four at-bats, the 23-year-old slugger led off the bottom of the 10th inning by belting a 360-foot two-run shot over the left field wall, driving in old friend Ryan Fitzgerald and himself to lift the Comets to a 5-4 win over the River Cats in walk-off fashion.

With Thursday’s late-game heroics, Tibbs became the eighth hitter across Minor League Baseball so far in 2026 to reach the 20-homer mark. The left-handed hitter also matched his home run total from last season, his first full professional campaign, doing so in 54 fewer games.

Overall, Tibbs is batting .297/.413/.602 with 17 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, 63 runs scored, three stolen bases, 51 walks, and 83 strikeouts through 69 games (320 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City this season, his first at the Triple-A level. He is slashing .310/.404/.690 against lefties and .291/.416/.560 against righties in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Defensively, Tibbs has primarily been used at two positions by the Comets. The 5-foot-11, 201-pounder has made 25 starts at first base (where he has committed three errors in 216 chances) and 22 starts in right field (where he has committed four errors and recorded one assist in 45 chances). He has also made 20 starts at DH, including Thursday, and has prior experience in left field.

For as successful as Tibbs has been this season, it may come as a surprise that he is already with his third organization since being drafted in 2024. The Florida State product was taken 13th overall by the Giants that summer and signed for $4.7475 million, only to be traded to the Red Sox as the top prospect switching teams in last June’s Rafael Devers blockbuster. He then spent all of six-plus weeks in Boston’s system at Double-A Portland before being dealt once again ahead of July’s trade deadline, this time to the Dodgers alongside fellow minor leaguer Zach Ehrhard for Dustin May.

The Red Sox, for what it is worth, never seemed overly enamored by Tibbs in the first place. They had an opportunity to draft him with the 12th overall pick in 2024, but chose another college outfielder in Braden Montgomery (who was later dealt to the White Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet trade). Upon acquiring Tibbs from the Giants, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. attempted to alter his swing (to no avail) and subsequently made him available to other teams in trade deadline talks. The Dodgers, looking to move on from a struggling free agent-to-be in May, happily obliged.

“Breslow’s willingness to include Tibbs to acquire a fringe rental starter surprised members of the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Giants front offices, sources with those teams said,” The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey wrote last week. “The Dodgers ‘couldn’t agree to that fast enough,’ a source said, when the Sox proposed giving up Tibbs and Ehrhard.”

As he explained to MLB.com’s Cole Weintraub last August, Tibbs worked with Double-A Tulsa hitting coach Blake Gailen to refine his swing and return to the form he showed at Florida State, where he earned 2024 ACC Player of the Year honors in his last season with the Seminoles. The adjustments have seemingly paid off. This year alone, he received his first invitation to major league spring training, made the All-Spring Breakout First Team, and has twice been named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week.

Tibbs, who does not turn 24 until October, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the Dodgers’ No. 13 prospect. If he were not positionally blocked, he likely would have made his major league debut by now. Instead, he now projects as one of the summer’s more intriguing trade chips as Los Angeles aims for a third straight World Series title, leaving the Red Sox to wonder what could have been.

(Picture of James Tibbs III: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Johanfran Garcia named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of June 8-14, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Garcia tore the cover off the ball for Double-A Portland last week. Appearing in all six of the Sea Dogs’ games on the road against Reading, the 21-year-old slugger went 14-for-27 (.519) with four doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, four runs scored, and five strikeouts. He recorded multiple hits in five of the six contests and is now riding a 10-game hitting streak dating back to June 2.

After beginning the season in extended spring training, Garcia reported to Portland for his first taste of the Double-A level on April 21. In 36 games since then, the right-handed hitter is batting .309/.356/.570 with six doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, one stolen base, eight walks, and 44 strikeouts through 160 plate appearances for the Sea Dogs. That includes a .235/.316/.500 line in 38 plate appearances against lefties and a .330/.369/.591 line in 122 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 94 hitters who have made at least 160 trips to the plate in the Eastern League this season, Garcia ranks seventh in line-drive rate (29.8%), 10th in batting average and slugging percentage, 11th in isolated power (.262) and OPS (.926), 12th in wOBA (.399), 15th in wRC+ (137), and 28th in on-base percentage, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia has seen most of his playing time come behind the plate for Portland, where he is primarily splitting catching duties with Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario. In 22 starts at catcher, the stocky 5-foot-11 backstop has allowed just one passed ball and thrown out 11 of 41 would-be base stealers. He has also made 14 starts at DH and has prior experience at first base.

Garcia, the younger brother of former Red Sox-turned-Pirates outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, originally signed with Boston for $850,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. The native Venezuelan got his professional career off to a strong start before tearing two ligaments in his right knee while running the bases and undergoing season-ending surgery in May 2024. He returned to action as a rehabber in the Florida Complex League last May, moved up to High-A Greenville in June, and ended the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Garcia entered 2026 as Baseball America’s No. 27 Red Sox prospect. He has since fallen out of the publication’s top 30, though MLB Pipeline and SoxProspects.com currently have him ranked at No. 26 and No. 34 in Boston’s farm system, respectively.

Taking into account that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter, it would not be terribly surprising to see Garcia — who turns 22 in December — leverage his performance at Portland into a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the season.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects Sadbiel Delzine, Franklin Primera named FCL Pitcher and Player of the Week

The Red Sox swept the weekly awards in the Florida Complex League on Monday, as prospects Sadbiel Delzine and Franklin Primera were named Pitcher and Player of the Week for June 8-14.

Delzine was dominant in his latest outing for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last Tuesday. Working in relief of the rehabbing Jeremy Wu-Yelland on the road against the FCL Braves, the 18-year-old right-hander allowed only two hits and no walks (though he did hit two batters) while striking out a career-high eight over 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

Finishing with 75 pitches (54 strikes), Delzine generated 14 whiffs en route to improving to 3-0 on the season as the FCL Red Sox routed the FCL Braves, 13-2, at CoolToday Park in North Port. The young righty averaged 96 mph and reached 97.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, a pitch he threw 24 times. He also mixed in a slider, changeup, sinker, curveball, and cutter, according to Baseball Savant.

Through his first six appearances (three starts) of the season for Boston’s FCL affiliate, Delzine has posted a 1.16 ERA (3.03 FIP) with 27 strikeouts to seven walks over 23 1/3 innings in which he has held opponents to a .114 batting average. That includes a .152 clip for right-handed hitters and a .087 clip for left-handed hitters.

Among the 30 pitchers who entered this week having thrown at least 20 innings in the Florida Complex League, Delzine ranks first in batting average against, ERA, FIP, and WHIP (0.69), sixth in walks per nine innings (2.70), seventh in strikeout rate (30.3%), eighth in walk rate (7.9%), 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.41), swinging-strike rate (15.6%), and xFIP (4.21), per FanGraphs.

Delzine is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 11 prospect, placing sixth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan signed with the Red Sox for $500,000 as an international free agent in January 2025. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season, but was limited to just 9 1/3 innings due in part to a flexor issue. When on the mound, though, he flashed intriguing potential and has carried that momentum over into 2026.

At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Delzine possesses an imposing, projectable frame and the ability to already touch triple digits with his fastball. He does not turn 19 until January and could very well be ready for a new challenge in the form of a promotion to Low-A Salem in the near future.

The same can be said for Primera, another Venezuelan-born prospect who has been on an absolute tear at the plate of late. In four games for the FCL Red Sox last week, the right-handed-hitting catcher went 8-for-12 (.667) with two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and one strikeout. He notably homered and drove in a career-high six runs as part of a four-hit effort in a 26-6 drubbing of the FCL Braves at the JetBlue Park complex on Thursday.

Primera, who turns 19 on Tuesday, is enjoying a productive first season in the United States. Entering the week, he is batting .458/.596/.778 with five doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 25 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, and 10 strikeouts through 24 FCL games (100 plate appearances). He is slashing .214/.476/.214 in 22 plate appearances against lefties and an eye-popping .517/.628/.914 in 78 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 37 hitters who came into the week having made at least 100 trips to the plate in the Florida Complex League, Primera ranks first in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.374), wOBA (.613), and wRC+ (228), second in isolated power (.319) and strikeout rate (10%), and fourth in swinging-strike rate (7.5%) and walk rate (21%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Primera has spent most of his time with the FCL Red Sox behind the plate. While primarily splitting catching duties with Jorge Rodriguez, the 6-foot, 230-pound backstop has made 18 starts at catcher, allowing four passed balls and throwing out 11 of 75 would-be base stealers. He has also made five starts at first base, where he has committed one error in 41 chances, and one start at DH.

Hailing from the Venezuelan city of Coro, Primera signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in September 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season and worked his way from a bench role to an injury replacement in the DSL All-Star Game, where he was named co-MVP after hitting a crucial home run.

Less than a year after receiving that honor, Primera is now ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s top catching prospect and No. 19 overall prospect in the system. Like Delzine, Primera seemingly has little left to prove in rookie ball and should soon be in line for a promotion to Salem for his first full-season assignment.

(Picture of Franklin Primera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox add former Mississippi State lefty, Royals draft pick Tyler Davis from Frontier League

The Red Sox have purchased the contract of left-hander Tyler Davis from the Washington Wild Things, the independent Frontier League club announced on Tuesday.

Not to be confused with the White Sox right-hander of the same name, this Tyler Davis is also no stranger to affiliated ball. The 24-year-old lefty was selected by the Royals in the 15th round of the 2024 draft out of Mississippi State after previously attending VCU. He received a $100,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut last season, appearing in 28 games between Kansas City’s Low-A and High-A affiliates.

In 26 outings (one start) for High-A Quad Cities, Davis posted a 3.98 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 43 strikeouts to 24 walks over 43 innings in which opponents batted .247 against him. He was released by the Royals in September and signed with the Wild Things in February.

Davis made nine relief appearances for Washington to begin the 2026 campaign, recording four saves while forging a 0.87 ERA with 12 strikeouts to two walks across 10 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw held opposing hitters in the Frontier League to a .211 batting average.

“Well, the kid that came to Washington because he felt like this was his best situation for him to get another chance with [an] affiliated organization has been proven right,” Wild Things manager Tom Vaeth said in a statement released by the team. “We are very happy to have helped Tyler achieve his goal. TD did a great job in the closer role in his short time with us… he showcased his velocity and ability to land his off-speed pitches. The sky is the limit for Tyler. Lefties with the ability to sit 93-95 like he can usually go pretty far in this game. We enjoyed having him in our family and can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

A Virginia native, Davis is the second Wild Things player to have his contract purchased by the Red Sox and the first since Nate Striz in 2012. He has been assigned to High-A Greenville and will likely serve as a bullpen option upon passing his physical and officially joining Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate in the coming days.

(Picture of Tyler Davis: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Henry Godbout undergoes surgery for broken left hand

Red Sox infield prospect Henry Godbout recently underwent surgery to repair a broken left hand, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Godbout suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of High-A Greenville’s 10-8 loss to Asheville at Fluor Field on May 30. The 22-year-old was placed on the 7-day injured list on June 2 and, after undergoing surgery, appears likely to be transferred to the 60-day injured list, according to a team source.

Such a move would sideline Godbout for much of the summer, putting a damper on his first full professional season. The right-handed hitter was batting .277/.410/.492 with seven doubles, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, 21 runs scored, two stolen bases, 22 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 34 games (161 plate appearances) for Greenville this year. He posted a .231/.344/.615 line against lefties and a .288/.426/.462 line against righties.

Among 85 qualified South Atlantic League hitters entering play this week, Godbout ranks third in swinging-strike rate (6.6%), ninth in on-base percentage and strikeout rate (16.8%), 15th in wOBA (.410), 16th in OPS (.902) and wRC+ (135), 19th in slugging percentage, 23rd in batting average, and 25th in isolated power (.215) and walk rate (13.7%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Godbout was used almost exclusively at shortstop by Greenville to begin the season. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder made a team-leading 27 starts and logged 240 innings at short for the Drive, committing seven errors in 110 chances. He also made seven starts at DH.

Godbout was selected by the Red Sox out of Virginia with the 75th overall pick in the 2025 draft, which the club had received as compensation for losing qualified free agent Nick Pivetta to the Padres the previous winter. The New York native received a $1.0938 million signing bonus. He made his professional debut at Greenville last August, slashing .341/.473/.477 with no home runs and five RBIs in a limited sample of 13 games sandwiched around a hamstring injury.

After working with the Red Sox’ player development staff to add bat speed and power over the winter, Godbout impressed evaluators with his quick swing in spring training. He entered the season ranked as Boston’s No. 10 prospect by Baseball America, but has since moved up to the No. 7 spot. Among position players in the organization, only Franklin Arias (No. 1) and Justin Gonzales (No. 4) rank higher.

Godbout, who does not turn 23 until November, faces a somewhat lengthy road back from surgery. Assuming all goes well in his recovery, he should have an opportunity to end the season on a high note and perhaps even earn a promotion to Double-A Portland once he is cleared to return to action.

(Picture of Henry Godbout: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to promote prospects Enddy Azocar, Luke Heyman to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting prospects Enddy Azocar and Luke Heyman from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Azocar, a 19-year-old outfielder, and Heyman, a 22-year-old catcher, are currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s Nos. 10 and 25 prospects, respectively. The pair were among Salem’s top offensive performers to start the season (they are tied for the team lead in home runs) and are being rewarded with a new challenge in a promotion to Greenville.

Azocar played in 39 of Salem’s first 45 games and was swinging a hot bat as of late. The right-handed hitter batted .295/.344/.530 with 15 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 26 RBIs, 31 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 12 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 180 plate appearances. That includes a .372/.426/.767 line against lefties and a .268/.316/.447 line against righties.

Heyman, another right-handed hitter, played in 36 games for Salem to mark his professional debut. He slashed .218/.383/.420 with six doubles, six home runs, 21 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 31 walks, and 36 strikeouts across 154 plate appearances. His platoon splits are similar to Azocar’s, as he batted .276/.462/.448 off of southpaws compared to .200/.357/.411 off of right-handers.

Defensively, both Azocar and Heyman were used exclusively at one position when not serving as DH for Salem. Azocar, who is up to 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, made 30 of his 39 starts and logged 260 error-free innings in center field, recording one assist. Heyman, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, made 22 of his 36 starts and logged 190 1/3 innings behind the plate, allowing four passed balls and throwing out 15 of 53 would-be base stealers.

Azocar, a native of Venezuela, originally signed with the Red Sox for $40,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. His stock first started to rise last year following a strong spring and impressive showing in the Florida Complex League. With five-tool potential and encouraging underlying data, he has emerged as one of the organization’s top teenage talents. He does not turn 20 until next February.

Heyman, meanwhile, was acquired from the Mariners for reliever Alex Hoppe in November. Selected in the 14th round (422nd overall) of last summer’s draft out of Florida, he received an above-slot $230,000 signing bonus. Because he was rehabbing from a fractured forearm that cut his junior season short, however, Heyman did not appear in a game for a Seattle affiliate before being dealt to Boston. He turns 23 in July.

Azocar and Heyman are now slated to join an exciting position player group in Greenville that includes other ranked prospects like Justin Gonzales, Henry Godbout, Yoeilin Cespedes, Gerardo Rodriguez, and Mason White. The Drive open a six-game series at home against Asheville on Tuesday night.

With Azocar and Heyman on the move, the Red Sox are also promoting 18-year-old infielder Louis Andujar from the Florida Complex League to Salem, according to Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH.

(Picture of Enddy Azocar: Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Anthony Eyanson named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 18-24, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Eyanson fired five scoreless, no-hit innings in his second start for Double-A Portland against Reading at Hadlock Field this past Tuesday. The 21-year-old right-hander issued three walks and struck out four of the 16 batters he faced on 59 pitches (38 strikes). He generated eight whiffs and picked up the first win of his professional career as the Sea Dogs blanked the Fightin Phils, 2-0.

Described as having an “interesting outing” by Baseball America’s Ian Cundall, Eyanson’s “stuff wasn’t as crisp as past looks, but still effective” on Tuesday. He “leaned into” his new cutter and slider while also mixing in a four-seam fastball that topped out at 94 mph, a curveball, and a changeup.

Through his first two starts for Portland, Eyanson has allowed just one earned run on three hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts over nine innings. That comes after he posted a 0.44 ERA with 34 strikeouts to three walks in five starts (20 1/3 innings) for High-A Greenville before being promoted earlier this month.

Between the two levels, Eyanson has forged a minuscule 0.61 ERA with 42 strikeouts to seven walks across seven starts (29 1/3 innings) to begin his first full season in pro ball. Opponents have batted only .108 against him. That includes a .109 average against left-handed hitters and a .106 average against right-handed hitters.

Entering play this week, Eyanson was one of 686 minor leaguers to have thrown at least 25 innings this year. Among those 686, he ranked first in ERA, WHIP (0.58), and xFIP (2.41), third in strikeout rate (41.6%), fourth in batting average against and swinging-strike rate (19.4%), 12th in FIP (2.47), 57th in strikeouts per nine (12.89), 71st in walks per nine (2.15), 110th in groundball rate (52%), and 120th in walk rate (6.9%), per FanGraphs.

Selected with the 87th pick in last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State, Eyanson has seen his stock rise significantly since signing with the Red Sox for an over-slot $1.75 million bonus. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound California native added significant velocity to his arsenal over the course of the offseason and stood out in spring training with an upper-90s fastball that touched triple digits.

Less than eight weeks after breaking camp with Greenville and making his pro debut on April 4, Eyanson finds himself ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 2 prospect — behind only shortstop Franklin Arias — and the No. 43 prospect in baseball.

Eyanson, who does not turn 22 until October, is the third Portland hurler to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, joining fellow righties Patrick Halligan (May 11-17) and John Holobetz (April 13-19). If he maintains this level of performance, a promotion to Triple-A Worcester and a potential fast track to the big leagues could soon be in his future.

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