Tag: Baseball

Red Sox promote prospects Blaze Jordan, Wikelman Gonzalez to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting power-hitting infield prospect Blaze Jordan and pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Jordan, 20, batted a stout .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 48 runs scored, two stolen bases, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 73 games (322 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. The right-handed hitting slugger clubbed a three-run homer in the Drive’s 7-3 win over the Rome Braves at Fluor Field on Sunday afternoon.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Jordan ranks first in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.918), eighth in isolated power (.209), third in strikeout rate (14.6 percent), first in extra-base hits (35), and first in total bases (153), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Jordan saw playing time at both first and third base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder logged 300 innings at first and 301 2/3 innings at the hot corner, committing five errors (all at third) in 319 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Southaven, Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Jordan will join a crowded crowded corner infield mix that already includes Niko Kavadas, Alex Binelas, Chase Meidroth, and Matthew Lugo. How Jordan adjusts to more advanced pitching at the Double-A level will be something worth monitoring during the second half of the season.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018.

In 15 starts for Greenville this season, Gonzalez posted a 5.14 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a league-leading 105 strikeouts to 42 walks over 63 innings of work. Prior to getting lit up for seven runs in his last start against Rome this past Wednesday, the 21-year-old right-hander had forged a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts (49 1/3 innings) between May 2 and June 30.

Much like Jordan, Gonzalez will be tested as he goes up against stiffer competition moving forward. The 6-foot, 167-pound hurler possesses an intriguing pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He has had issues with his command of the strike zone in the past, though he appears to be improving on that.

Unlike Jordan, Gonzalez can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Assuming he is still with the organization, the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox select high school shortstop Nazzan Zanetello with second pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Christian Brothers College High School (St. Louis, Mo.) shortstop Nazzan Zanetello with their second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 50 overall.

Zanetello, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 110 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Missouri native is currently committed to play college baseball at Arkansas.

A right-handed hitter, Zanetello batted .413/.537/.809 with six doubles, two triples, five home runs, 16 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 15 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 22 games (82 plate appearances) as a senior for Christian Brothers this spring, per his MaxPreps page.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Zanetello has room to add muscle to his frame. According to his Baseball America scouting report, Zanetello “has an impressive tool set to play in the middle of the field” and has “plenty of upside” on account of possessing “some of the best pure athleticism” in this year’s class.

To go along with five-tool potential, Zanetello “has shown better zone control than pure contact ability. He rarely chases out of the zone but also has shown swing-and-miss tendencies on pitches in the zone. He sets up with an even stance and gets his swing started with a small leg kick, and his bat path can get lengthy at times. He does drive the ball with authority when he connects, and his physical projection indicates exciting power upside to come.”

Elsewhere, Zanetello is “a plus runner who looks strong in center field, where he reads the ball off the bat with good range and a strong arm, and has also done a nice job at shortstop, where he’s shown an ability to make difficult, body control plays with arm strength that works on the infield as well.”

When speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier) on Sunday night, Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson indicated that the club plans on having Zanetello play both shortstop and the outfield as he begins his professional career.

“He’s one of the best athletes in the draft, in my opinion,” Pearson said of Zanetello on a Zoom call. “He’s explosive, he’s got speed, he’s got the ability to play a really good shortstop. Athletic enough to play a really good center field. He’s just a box of tools and a great kid we’re really excited to add to the organization.”

Assuming Zanetello — who is in Seattle for the draft with his family — signs with Boston by the July 25 deadline, he will presumably head to Fort Myers and break in with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox. The slot value for the 50th overall pick in this year’s draft is $1,698,000.

Zanetello, who does not turn 19 until next May, represents the second and final selection the Red Sox will be making on Day 1 of the draft. Boston took the reigning ACC Player of the Year in Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with its first-round (14th overall) pick.

Day 2 of the draft will consist of rounds 3-10 and will get underway at 2 p.m. eastern time on Monday afternoon. The Red Sox will be making 10 selections (Nos. 83, 115, 132, 133, 151, 178, 208, 238, 268, and 298). They received the 132nd and 133rd picks in the draft as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts (Padres) and Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers) in free agency.

(Picture of Nazzan Zanetello: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox select Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with top pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with their top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 14 overall.

Teel, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in this year’s class, which ranked first among draft-eligible catchers. The left-handed hitting junior is coming off a 2023 season in which he batted .407/.475/.655 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, 67 runs scored, five stolen bases, 32 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 65 games (297 plate appearances) with the Cavaliers.

On the other side of the ball, Teel made 65 starts at catcher this spring and caught all but 23 innings for Virginia. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound backstop threw out 15 of 24 would-be base stealers. Between what he did at and behind the plate, Teel was named the 2023 ACC Player of the Year as well as a consensus first team All-American.

“Kyle is a guy that we had very high on our board for obvious reasons,” Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said of Teel in a statement released by the club. “He had an unbelievable 2023 season offensively and is arguably one of the best college athletes in the draft. We think he’s going to be really valuable for us. We’re excited to add an athletic catcher to the system, and we were thrilled to get him with the 14th pick.”

A native of New Jersey, Teel was regarded as a top-100 talent coming out of high school in 2020, but he took himself out of draft consideration and honored his commitment to Virginia after the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely ended his prep career. Upon arriving in Charlottesville, Teel made an immediate impact as a true freshman while splitting time between catcher and the outfield. He moved into a full-time catching role in 2022 and wasted little time in emerging as the top catching prospect in this year’s draft class.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Teel ” has plenty of bat speed and takes extremely aggressive, violent hacks with plenty of moving parts in his setup. He has a large leg kick with a significant hand hitch in his load, but has also developed a solid track record of both contact and on-base skills. Teel has homered to all fields in college, but he has more fringe-average power projections in pro ball.

“Teel’s standout athleticism should give him every opportunity to stick behind the plate, and he has easy plus arm strength that should be an asset at the position as well. He’s thrown out 33.3% of basestealers for his career and turns in pop times around 1.90 seconds at his best, though his footwork and accuracy could be improved. He folds up well behind the plate and is a quick lateral mover on dirt balls, and he’s improved significantly as a receiver since his freshman year. He’s a good runner for a catcher and is the consensus top college catcher in the class.”

Teel, who does not turn 22 until next February, becomes the first catcher the Red Sox have taken in the first round of a draft since Blake Swihart was taken 26th overall in 2011. This is the earliest Boston has drafted a backstop since 1984, when it took John Marzano out of Temple at No. 14. Interestingly enough, longtime Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek was also taken 14th overall by the Mariners back in 1994.

By taking Teel when they did, the Red Sox put an end to a three-year run in which they exclusively drafted California-born high school infielders (Mikey Romero, Marcelo Mayer, and Nick Yorke) in the first round. Teel is also the first college player Boston has selected in the first round of a draft since 2017, when Missouri right-hander Tanner Houck was taken with the 24th overall pick.

Assuming he signs by the July 25 deadline, Teel will likely become the top catching prospect in Boston’s farm system, surpassing the likes of 18-year-old Johanfran Garcia, 19-year-old Brooks Brannon, and 23-year-old Nathan Hickey, among others. The slot value for the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft is $4,663,100.

The Red Sox have one more pick to make before Day 1 of the MLB Draft comes to a close on Sunday night. They will be making their second-round selection at No. 50 overall momentarily.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Luis Guerrero fare in All-Star Futures Game?

Though the American League fell to the National League by a final score of 5-0 at T-Mobile Park, the Red Sox were well represented at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke made up the American League’s starting middle infield while relief prospect Luis Guerrero made an appearance out of the bullpen in the seventh and final inning of the annual showcase.

Mayer, batting second and starting at shortstop for the AL, played only one inning but made the most of his opportunity. After throwing out the speedy Jackson Chourio to retire the side in the top of the first, the left-handed hitting 20-year-old ripped a one-out groundball single in the bottom half of the frame for the game’s first hit.

According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Mayer’s bat at 100.3 mph as it raced through the right side of the infield. Moments after reaching, Mayer took off and successfully stole second base with a feet-first slide. He was, however, stranded at second and was then replaced at shortstop by Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday in the second inning.

Yorke, batting ninth and starting at second base, played all seven innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitting 21-year-old went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout. After grounding out to end the second inning, he led off the bottom of the fifth by by squaring up a 1-1, 89.6 mph cutter from Braves prospect Spencer Schwellenbach and ripping a 102.6 mph double off the base of the left-center field fence.

With a distance of 388 feet, Yorke’s double was the furthest-hit ball of the day for either side. Like Mayer, however, Yorke was stranded at second base in the fifth. He had a chance to come through with two outs and the bases loaded in the following inning, but instead struck out on a foul tip to extinguish the threat.

Defensively, Yorke had just one ball hit his way at second. With two outs in the top of the third, he made a nifty shovel pass with his glove to rob Nationals prospect James Wood of an inning-extending infield single. He also recorded a force out.

Guerrero, who replaced left-hander Shane Drohan (calf cramp) on the American League roster last week, faced one batter in the top of the seventh. The hard-throwing righty took over for Yankees prospect Clayton Beeter and was matched up against Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez.

After falling behind in a 2-1 count, Guerrero got Fernandez to swing-and-miss at a 91.4 mph cutter on the outer half of the plate. The 22-year-old hurler then dialed it back and got Fernandez to whiff at a 99.7 mph four-seam fastball that was well outside.

In total, Guerrero needed just five pitches (three strikes) to retire the lone hitter he faced. He induced three swings-and-misses while mixing in two four-seamers, two cutters, and a changeup.

All three of Mayer, Yorke, and Guerrero are currently with Double-A Portland. Mayer is ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 5 prospect in the game. Yorke comes in at No. 3 organizationally and No. 83 on the publication’s top 100. Guerrero, on the other hand, is rated as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Brian Van Belle to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Brian Van Belle from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per his agent Gavin Kahn of EnterSports Management.

Van Belle, 26, posted a 3.00 ERA and 4.14 FIP with 69 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 81 innings of work for the Sea Dogs this season. The right-hander was used as a bulk reliever in his last time out against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this past Sunday and allowed five runs over five innings after taking over for the rehabbing Richard Bleier.

So, as a starter to this point in the season, Van Belle has pitched to a 2.61 ERA and 3.98 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 22 walks across 76 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .233 batting average against. Coming into play on Thursday, Van Belle ranked fifth among qualified Eastern League pitchers in walks per nine innings (2.78), per FanGraphs. He also ranked fifth in walk rate (7.6 percent), ninth in batting average against (.240), sixth in WHIP (1.20), eighth in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), third in ERA, and 10th in FIP.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Van Belle originally joined the Red Sox organization as an undrafted free agent in June 2020. Despite being viewed as one of the top college seniors in that summer’s class, the Miami product was passed over in the draft, which was reduced to five rounds on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As he recently explained to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, though, Van Belle received plenty of interest on the open market in the days following the draft’s completion. The Red Sox separated themselves — in part — by offering future tuition money in addition to a league-mandated $20,000 signing bonus.

So along with the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, I have two years of grad school in my back pocket if I ever want to use it,” Van Belle told Smith last month. “Obviously your baseball career only lasts so long. Just having that backup plan there that they provided was awesome.”

In total, Boston signed 16 undrafted free agents in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft. Of the nine who are still in the organization, Van Belle is the first to make it as far as Triple-A and is now just one call-up away from the major-leagues.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Van Belle throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a mid-80s circle changeup, a high-70s curveball that features 12-to-6 break, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Van Belle, who turns 27 in September, becomes the latest prospect to make the jump from Portland to Worcester this season, joining the likes of other pitchers such as Shane Drohan, Theo Denlinger, Ryan Fernandez, Brendan Nail, and Rio Gomez.

It is also worth mentioning that Van Belle can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster ahead of the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Brian Van Belle: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox reliever Wyatt Mills undergoes Tommy John surgery

Injured Red Sox reliever Wyatt Mills underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, the club announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas.

Mills was shut down from throwing in mid-March due to a flexor issue and opened the season on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation as a result. The 28-year-old sidearmer was then transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 16.

Prior to being shut down, though, Mills had shown signs of promise during spring training, striking out 10 of the 32 batters he faced in five Grapefruit League appearances.

Acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for minor-league reliever Jacob Wallace in December, Mills was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2017 amateur draft out of Gonzaga. The Washington state native broke in with Seattle in May 2021 and was then dealt to Kansas City last March.

Between the two stops, Mills posted a 4.60 ERA and 3.62 FIP with 26 strikeouts to 13 walks in 27 relief appearances (29 1/3 innings) last season. For his career, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty owns a 6.21 ERA in 38 outings (42 innings) at the major-league level.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Boston brought in Mills hoping that he could replicate the same sort of success John Schreiber enjoyed out of the Red Sox bullpen last year. Like Schreiber, Mills throws from a similar arm angle and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a sinker. He had also been planning on adding a changeup to his arsenal, per Smith.

Now, Mills will be sidelined for all of 2023 and most — if not all — of 2024 as well since Tommy John surgery typically takes anywhere between 14 to 18 months to recover from.

Mills, who turns 29 in January, has one minor-league option remaining and is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2026.

Wallace, who turns 25 next month, has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 4.47 FIP with 31 strikeouts to 20 walks in 28 relief appearances (25 2/3 innings) for the Royals’ Double-A affiliate in Northwest Arkansas so far this season.

(Picture of Wyatt Mills: Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homers in third straight game for Double-A Portland

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homered for the third straight game in Double-A Portland’s 7-3 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting at third base for the Sea Dogs, Binelas put together his first three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run, and two runs scored.

The homer came off Rumble Ponies starter Christian Scott in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a runner on first base following a Matthew Lugo single, Binelas took Scott way deep to right field for his third big fly of July and his 10th of the season overall.

With three more hits on Tuesday, Binelas has now recorded multiple hits in his last three games for the first-place Sea Dogs. Dating back to June 22, the left-handed hitting slugger has batted a respectable .300/.317/.825 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 10 games.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Binelas has slashed .229/.277/.480 with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, 24 runs scored, five stolen bases, 12 walks, and 74 strikeouts across 46 games (188 plate appearances) with Portland. Among Eastern League hitters who have made at least 180 trips to the plate to this point in the season, the 23-year-old currently ranks 13th in isolated power (.251) and 17th in slugging percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Binelas made his 17th start of the season at third base on Tuesday night. The burly 6-foot-1, 225-pound infielder has logged 153 innings at the hot corner as well as 125 1/3 innings at first base. Between the two positions, he has committed just two errors in 157 total chances.

This marks Binelas’ second full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The Oak Creek, Wis. native was originally selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisville and was then dealt to Boston alongside speedy infielder David Hamilton that December as part of the Hunter Renfroe/Jackie Bradley Jr. trade.

Known primarily for his power and propensity to hit the ball hard, Binelas has not had the easiest of times transitioning to competition at the Double-A level. Since making the jump from High-A Greenville last June, Binelas has hit just .194/.264/.425 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs in 101 games with Portland. In that time, he has struck out in more than 35 percent of his plate appearances while only taking ball four at an 8.6 percent clip.

Taking those peripherals into consideration, Binelas is no longer considered by publications such as Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system.

Time, however, is still on Binelas’ side. He does not turn 24 until next May and will not become Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 season. In the more immediate future, Binelas will likely be gunning for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the 2023 campaign comes to a close.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez caps off impressive month of June with another strong start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez put the finishing touches on an impressive month of June on Friday night.

Gonzalez made his 14th start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 8-0 win over the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field. The young right-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks to go along with 10 strikeouts to mark his second straight double-digit strikeout game and third of the year overall.

After retiring the first five batters he faced, Gonzalez issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the second. He then worked his way around a leadoff double in the third before stranding another base runner in the fourth and facing the minimum in the fifth. In the sixth, he recorded two quick outs before issuing a two-out walk to the last Tourist hitter he faced in Ryan Clifford. Gonzalez was then relieved by Casey Cobb, who ended the inning on four pitches.

Gonzalez himself finished with 90 pitches (58 strikes), inducing 17 swings-and-misses in the process of picking up his sixth winning decision of the season. In five June starts, the 21-year-old hurler went 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 2.38 FIP to go along with 43 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 innings of work.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.50 ERA (3.41 FIP) with a South Atlantic League-leading 97 strikeouts to 40 walks in 58 innings for Greenville. Coming into play on Saturday, Gonzalez ranked first among qualified Sally League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (15.05) and strikeout rate (38 percent). He also ranked third in batting average against (.192), fifth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), fifth in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (3.67), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Gonzalez is in the midst of his fourth professional season after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. The 6-foot, 167-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Gonzalez, who does not turn 23 until next March, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the deadline to do so in November. Assuming that he is not traded away within the next month, Gonzalez could be a candidate to make the jump from Greenville to Double-A Portland on the other side of the All-Star break — if not sooner.

Promoting Gonzalez would allow the Red Sox to evaluate how he fares against more advanced competition at the Double-A level. It would also give Gonzalez the opportunity to show other teams what he is capable of if he is made available later this month or down the road in December.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Luis Guerrero selected to participate in All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Guerrero has been selected to participate in next weekend’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.

Guerrero, one of the top young relievers in Boston’s farm system, will replace fellow Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan, who left his start for Triple-A Worcester this past Sunday with a calf cramp. Drohan was pushed back for precautionary reasons but is expected to pitch next week, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Guerrero, 22, will join infielders Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke in representing the Red Sox and suiting up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The hard-throwing right-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

In 26 appearances for Double-A Portland this season, Guerrero has posted a 1.19 ERA and 3.82 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 18 walks over 30 1/3 innings of work. He has put up those numbers while recording 13 saves in 15 opportunities and holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .147 batting average against.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee as an infant and now walks with a limp as a result. He told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this spring that he has limited mobility in his knee since the muscles in that area did not grow like the others.

“[But] for pitching, you just need to bend [the back knee] a little bit,” Guerrero explained. “My knee bends just as much as I need it to.”

Guerrero moved to the Boston-area as a child and then to Miami, Fla. for his senior year of high school. He was selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Chipola College and signed with the club for $122,500.

After not making his professional debut until last June, Guerrero made his way to High-A Greenville before the 2022 season came to a close. He was expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign, but he showed increased fastball velocity and wound up breaking camp with Portland as a result.

Prior to leaving Fort Myers, though, Guerrero appeared in five Grapefruit League spring training games as a minor-league call-up and left an impression on Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“It’s impressive what he can do on a mound. Impressive,” Cora said of Guerrero when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto. “He has his limitations and for him to throw 100 (mph) with that split (is impressive). I saw him in spring training walking around one day after a workout. And I didn’t know the whole story. I saw him walking and I was like, ‘Are you OK?’ And then he told me what happened.

“I felt so bad because I didn’t know,” Cora added. “But then it’s like a lot of respect for him because he was the first one in the gym when we were there and he didn’t have to. He was always available when we brought him in as a backup pitcher.”

As Cora alluded to, Guerrero regularly throws in the upper-90s and can reach triple digits with his fastball. The 6-foot, 215-pound righty also features a mid-80s, whiff-inducing splitter as well as an 88-91 mph slider.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Cora. “For him to have the stuff that he has, you have to have not only the ability but you’ve got to have the heart and the courage to overcome what he has overcome and be a guy in that platform.”

Guerrero, who turns 23 in August, will presumably be a candidate to make the jump from Portland to Worcester on the other side of the All-Star break.

(Picture of Luis Guerrero: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Jonathan Brand off to impressive start with Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Jonathan Brand recorded his fourth save of the season in Low-A Salem’s 7-4 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Wednesday night.

Brand worked a scoreless ninth inning and needed all of 12 pitches (8 strikes) to strike out two of the three batters he faced. The right-hander induced three swings-and-misses in the processes of extending his scoreless appearance streak to five.

Brand has yet to allow an earned run in six outings out of the Salem bullpen this month. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 23-year-old hurler has posted a miniscule 0.96 ERA to go along with 24 strikeouts to just six walks over 14 relief appearances spanning 18 2/3 innings of work.

Among 220 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued 10 or more innings to this point in the season, Brand entered Thursday ranking 19th in batting average against (.154), 13th in WHIP (0.86), and fifth in ERA, per FanGraphs. Using those same parameters, however, Brand also ranks ninth (or 213th) in line-drive rate (30.8 percent), which suggests he has gotten hit hard quite a bit.

Still, it has been an encouraging first full professional season for Brand, who the Red Sox took in the eighth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Miami University (Ohio). Rather than transfer to Auburn as a graduate student, the Georgia native signed with Boston for just $7,500.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 200 bounds, Brand throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-90 mph fastball, a 74-76 mph curveball that features 12-to-6 break, an 80-82 mph slider that features short, horizontal break, and an 80-82 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

While he is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top relief prospects in Boston’s farm system, one has to figure that Brand is on the cusp of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That could happen sooner rather than later if he continues to show that he really isn’t being challenged at the Low-A level.

Brand, who does not turn 24 until next February, would be looking to become the fourth member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this year, joining the likes of left-handers Dalton Rogers and Nathan Landry and outfielder Roman Anthony.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)