Tag: dominican summer league

How did Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra fare in stateside debut last year?

After two years in the Dominican Summer League, Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra made his long-awaited stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season.

As a 19-year-old, Sierra got into 30 of the FCL Red Sox’ 53 games in 2023. The right-handed hitter batted .265/.363/.398 with seven doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 30 strikeouts over 113 plate appearances for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Interestingly enough, Sierra played exactly 10 games in June, July, and August. He posted an OPS south of .600 in both June and August, but enjoyed a strong month of July in which he slashed .424/.525/.606 with one homer and six RBIs. It’s also worth noting that 99 of his 113 plate appearances last season came against righties as opposed to lefties.

Among the 96 hitters who made at least 110 trips to the plate in the FCL last year, Sierra ranked 33rd in batting average, 46th in on-base percentage, 37th in slugging percentage, 40th in OPS (.761), 37th in isolated power (.133), and 43rd in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Sierra saw the bulk of his playing time in 2023 come at first base. The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged a team-leading 224 1/3 innings at first, where he committed four errors in 207 total defensive chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on two separate occasions.

Sierra, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. At the time he put pen to paper, the Sabana Grande de Palenque native was viewed as an outfielder and was identified by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a potential sleeper within Boston’s 2021 signing class.

While Badler described Sierra as having “an advanced approach to hitting for his age,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero provided some more background on the signing in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com later that April.

“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 wrote. “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.”

Sierra made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that July and earned DSL All-Star honors while repeating the level in 2022. He was regularly seeing playing time at both corner outfield spots back then but was used exclusively as a first baseman in the FCL in 2023.

As things stand now, Sierra is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Last June, however, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that he found Sierra “really interesting” because — despite having a “tough” profile — “his feel for contact and the flexibility in his lower half are both very impressive for a corner bat.”

Looking ahead, Sierra is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 campaign. Assuming that is indeed what happens, it will be interesting to see how Sierra adjusts to stiffer competition while playing with a full-season affiliate for the first time in his young career.

(Picture of Armando Sierra: Bryan Green/Flickr)

How did Red Sox prospect Fraymi De Leon fare in 2023?

Fraymi De Leon received the highest bonus of any prospect the Red Sox signed during the 2022 international signing period. How has the Dominican infielder fared in the professional ranks since putting pen to paper a little over two years ago?

De Leon was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 32 prospect in his class when he signed with Boston for $1.2 million. The Santiago native then made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that June. As a 17-year-old, he batted .218/.332/.268 with one double, one triple, two home runs, 21 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 50 games (214 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Blue.

Though he returned to the DSL for the start of the 2023 season, De Leon appeared in just nine games — going 5-for-21 (.217) with a .419 on-base percentage — there before making the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League for his stateside debut late last June. In 30 games with Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate, the switch-hitter slashed .295/.411/.328 with two doubles, four runs driven in, 17 runs scored, nine stolen bases, nine walks, and 18 strikeouts over 73 plate appearances.

While he was clearly lacking in the power department, De Leon still posted the 25th-highest batting average and 29th-highest on-base percentage among the 171 hitters in the FCL who made at least 70 trips to the plate last season. Using those same parameters, he also ranked 51st in speed score (6.8), 37th in swinging-strike rate (17.9 percent), and 56th in wRC+ (111), per FanGraphs. Some of these numbers can be attributed to a .419 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests that De Leon may have gotten lucky at times.

On the other side of the ball, De Leon was well-regarded for his defense at the time of his signing. Baseball America’s Ben Badler described the 5-foot-10, 155-pounder as “a talented defender at shortstop” who “shines in the field, where he’s smooth with soft hands, nimble footwork, good instincts and anticipation off the bat. He has a good internal clock and a plus arm to make plays from deep in the hole.”

To that end, De Leon saw the bulk of his playing time (40 of 48 starts) in 2022 come at shortstop, but last year was a different story. Between his stops in the DSL and FCL, the suddenly-versatile 19-year-old logged 83 2/3 innings at second base, 55 innings at shortstop, 53 1/3 innings at third base, 31 2/3 innings in center field, and 7 1/3 innings in left field while committing a total of just three errors altogether.

As far as De Leon’s versatility and future position is concerned, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero addressed that subject in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“Regarding Fraymi, we have strong conviction that he can play shortstop well,” Romero wrote. “So, as we’ve done with a few other players, we wanted to expose him to other positions where he didn’t have as much experience so he’d learn to get comfortable there and provide more positional versatility. We also wanted to share the shortstop innings among other infielders like Freili Encarnacion (pre-injury), Marvin Alcantara, Angel Pierre, and — later in the season — Nazzan Zanetello (in addition to a few others in the DSL).”

De Leon, who does not turn 20 until September, is not currently ranked by any major publications as one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’ farm system. One such publication, SoxProspects.com, lists De Leon as a second baseman/infielder/center fielder on its organizational depth chart and projects that he will return to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

(Picture of Fraymi De Leon: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox infield prospect Franklin Arias has the makings of a ‘true shortstop’

The Red Sox had a number of young, international prospects make their respective professional debuts in the Dominican Summer League this past season, including infielder Franklin Arias.

Arias, who just turned 18 last month, signed with Boston for $525,000 coming out of Venezuela back in January. In May, Ben Badler of Baseball America noted that the Caracas native was a “high baseball IQ player with good rhythm at the plate” and “easy arm strength” on the field.

Nearly four months after putting pen to paper, Arias debuted for DSL Red Sox Red on June 18. The right-handed hitter immediately made his impact felt by going 4-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk in an 11-9 victory over DSL Tigers 1.

Arias recorded two more four-hit games in June (the first of which he notched his first pro home run) before cooling off to the tune of a .191/.261/.262 slash line in 12 July contests. He then ended the year on a strong note by going 14-for-34 (.412) with five extra-base hits in August.

All told, Arias batted a stout .350/.440/.453 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 runs driven in, a team-high 32 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 37 games (159 plate appearances) for Boston’s DSL Red affiliate. Going even deeper, Arias posted a 1.036 OPS against lefties and an .854 OPS against righties.

Among the 276 hitters in the Dominican Summer League who registered at least 150 plate appearances this season, Arias ranked fifth in strikeout rate (8.8 percent), fourth in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, 57th in slugging percentage, 37th in OPS (.893), 57th in line-drive rate (23.3 percent), 12th in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), and 33rd in wRC+ (144), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Arias saw all of his playing time on the field this summer come at shortstop. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder logged a team-leading 260 1/3 innings at the position, committing nine errors in 121 chances (.926 fielding percentage) while also turning 16 double plays.

Arias, who was not ranked by SoxProspects.com at the start of the minor-league season in April, is now regarded by the site as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Similarly enough, MLB Pipeline currently has Arias ranked 28th on its Red Sox-centered top prospects list.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, unsurprisingly excluded Arias from his preseason top-10 list heading into 2024. He did, however, have encouraging things to say about Arias in a virtual chat with BA subscribers on Friday.

“Yeah, he’ll start to get attention next year,” Speier wrote of Arias. “There’s a strong consensus that he’s a true shortstop, with enough bat-to-ball that he should have some offensive value. His physical development will determine how much, but he has an unusually clear path to being a big-leaguer for someone who has yet to play in the United States.”

To that end, Arias is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the States and play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League next season. As things stand now, he would seemingly be in a competition for playing time at shortstop with top prospect and fellow 2023 international signee Yoeilin Cespedes.

Of course, the Red Sox will more than likely find a way to accommodate both infielders so they each get plenty of at-bats in Fort Myers. Still, this can be viewed as a good problem to have if it means one or both of Arias and Cespedes get exposure at a new position next year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra improved across the board in 2022

Red Sox first base/outfield prospect Armando Sierra celebrated his 19th birthday on Tuesday.

Sierra originally signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic just two days shy of his 17th birthday in January 2021. Shortly thereafter, the Sabana Grande de Palenque native was identified by Baseball America as a potential under-the-radar addition to Boston’s 2021 signing class.

“Armando was a player we scouted later on in his signing year,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Sierra in April 2021. “After scouting him a few times, he stood out for his strong frame and his power. 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.”

Sierra made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in July 2021. In 53 games for the DSL Red Sox Blue, the right-handed hitter batted .284/.373/.379 with 10 doubles, two home runs, 35 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 21 walks, and 41 strikeouts over 193 plate appearances.

After seeing the majority of his playing time come in the outfield corners in 2021, Sierra played more first base as he returned to the Dominican Summer League last year. In the process of logging 220 2/3 innings at first, 46 innings in left field, and 41 innings in right field, the 6-foot-2, 189-pounder slashed .314/.399/.473 with 15 doubles, five homers, 48 runs driven in, 37 runs scored, three stolen bases, 25 walks, and 22 strikeouts across 51 games (218 plate appearances) with the DSL Red Sox Blue.

Among the 69 hitters in the Dominican Summer League who made at least 210 trips to the plate in 2022, Sierra ranked second in strikeout rate (10.1 percent), ninth in batting average, 16th in on-base percentage, 11th in slugging percentage, 12th in OPS (.872), 24th in isolated power (.160), 16th in line-drive rate (23 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), and 10th in wRC+ (136), per FanGraphs. He also represented the Red Sox in last July’s DSL All-Star Game.

As the above numbers indicate, Sierra showed signs of improvement across the board last season. He hit for a higher average (.284 to .314), raised his on-base percentage (.373 to .399), hit for more power (.379 to .473 slugging percentage), walked more (10.9 percent to 11.5 percent walk rate), and struck out less (21.2 to 10.1 percent strikeout rate) while putting up a wRC+ that increased by 19 percent (117 to 136).

Of course, Sierra has done all of this at the lowest rung of the minor-league ladder. He will likely be faced with an adjustment period when he makes the expected jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League later this summer. With that being said, though, Sierra certainly seems to be on an encouraging trajectory even if he is still just a developing teenager.

Sierra, who obviously does not turn 20 until next January, is not yet regarded by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system. He should, however, have the chance to elevate his profile once he officially goes stateside in 2023.

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

Red Sox officially sign Dominican shortstop Yoelin Cespedes

The Red Sox have officially signed international free agent Yoelin Cespedes, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. Cespedes received a signing bonus of approximately $1.4 million, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.

Cespedes is a 17-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic who is regarded by MLB Pipeline as the 25th-ranked international prospect in this year’s signing class. Baseball America, on the other hand, has him at No. 27 on its list.

A right-handed hitter who was scouted by Manny Nanita, Cespedes has drawn comparisons to a young Howie Kendrick in part because of his compact 5-foot-9, 188-pound frame. “He already shows an advanced approach at the plate and projects to be a solid everyday major-league player in the future because of his overall skill set,” his MLB Pipeline scouting report reads.

According to Baseball America’s Ben Badler, “some scouts consider [Cespedes] one of the best pure hitters in Latin America for this year, with excellent hand-eye coordination that leads to a high contact rate. He has an aggressive approach that he will have to rein in to become a more selective hitter, but he still has the bat-to-ball skills to make contact with pitches in the zone or off the plate.”

Defensively, Cespedes may be listed as a shortstop at present, but he may project best as a second or third baseman with average arm strength and average speed. Regardless of where he plays, though, Sanchez notes that Cespedes possesses a strong baseball IQ and a great work ethic.

Cespedes, who turns 18 in September, will presumably make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League at some point later this year. He will account for roughly 30 percent of Boston’s $4.644 million bonus pool for the 2023 international signing period, which opened on Sunday and runs through December 15.

In addition to Cespedes, the Red Sox — as of Sunday night — have also officially signed Venezuelan shortstop Yoiber Ruiz and Venezuelan catcher Andruw Mussett.

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

Evaluating early returns from Red Sox’ 2022 international signing class

With the 2023 international signing period set to begin on Sunday, now feels like an appropriate time to reflect on how some key members of the Red Sox’ 2022 class fared in their first seasons of professional baseball.

Per SoxProspects.com, Boston signed 31 prospects for a combined $5.281 million between January 15 and December 15 of last year. Of those 31 prospects, one has already been traded, as left-hander Inmer Lobo was dealt to the Pirates in November in exchange for infielder/outfielder Hoy Park.

Just two members of the Sox’ 2022 signing class — Dominican shortstops Fraymi De Leon and Freili Encarnacion — received bonuses of more than $1 million. Two others (Venezuelan catcher Johanfran Garcia and Dominican shortstop Jancel Santana) signed for more than $500,000 while four additional players (Dominican outfielders Natanael Yuten and Cristofher Paniagua, Venezuelan shortstop Frayner Noria, and Venezuelan right-hander William Colmenares) netted between $125,000 and $400,000 in bonus money.

De Leon signed for $1.2 million last January and made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League less than five months later. The switch-hitting 18-year-old batted .218/.332/.268 with one double, one triple, two home runs, 21 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 61 strikeouts over 50 games (214 plate appearances) with the DSL Red Sox Blue. He saw playing time at both middle infield positions.

Encarnacion signed for $1.1 million and spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with the DSL Red Sox Red. In 41 games for the affiliate, the right-handed hitting 17-year-old (turns 18 later this month) slashed .255/.335/.369 with eight doubles, three home runs, 23 runs driven in, 31 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 15 walks, and 51 strikeouts across 173 trips to the plate. He saw playing time at third base and shortstop and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the 35th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Garcia signed for $850,000 at the same time De Leon and Encarnacion did. The younger brother of Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, Johanfran compiled a .268/.367/.333 slash line to go along with seven doubles, one triple, 23 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 21 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 40 games (161 plate appearances) with the DSL Red Sox Red last season. The 18-year-old backstop also threw out 26 of 58 base stealers from behind the plate.

Santana, like De Leon and Encarnacion, hails from the Dominican Republic. The switch-hitting 17-year-old signed for exactly $600,000 last winter and proceeded to bat .184/.303/.203 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 16 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 18 walks, and 56 strikeouts in 43 games (179 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Red. He logged 317 1/3 innings at second base and just 31 innings at shortstop.

Colmenares received the highest bonus ($125,000) of any of the 16 pitchers Boston signed in 2022. The 17-year-old (turns 18 next month) righty posted a 3.79 ERA and 3.79 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 18 walks over 13 outings (12 starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings of work for the DSL Red Sox Blue. He reportedly possesses a three-pitch mix that includes a 93 mph fastball.

Of the 23 international prospects who received bonuses of less than $100,000 last year, Venezuelan infielder Marvin Alcantara may have made the strongest first impression. After signing for just $30,000, the right-handed hitting 18-year-old batted .302/.406/.397 with 15 doubles, one home run, 29 runs driven in, 49 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 53 games (224 plate appearances) with the DSL Red Sox Blue. He put up those numbers while playing every infield position besides first base.

Alcantara, who is listed at just 5-foot-10 and 157 pounds, did not receive much attention as an amateur. But it was Venezuelan area scout Alex Requena who made the case for the Red Sox to sign the La Victoria native, as assistant general manager Eddie Romero explained to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings last January.

“Just pounding the table for him,” Romero said of Requena’s interest in Alcantara. “He’s one of these guys that the crosscheck group really didn’t get to see much, but he made it to signing day and our area scout was just like, ‘You need to sign this guy!’”

Outside of Encarnacion, Alcantara is presently the only prospect included on SoxProspects.com’s top-60 rankings, as he comes in at No. 37 within the organization.

Alcantara, like many other players listed here, are projected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League for the 2023 minor-league season. Others will return to the Dominican Summer League and continue to hone their skills at the Red Sox’ academy down in El Toro.

(Picture of Freili Encarnacion via his Instagram)

Red Sox’ Wandy Abreu named Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year

Red Sox prospect Wandy Abreu has been named the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year, Minor League Baseball announced on Friday.

Abreu, 20, made 18 relief appearances for the DSL Red Sox Blue affiliate this season. Thirteen of those 18 outings were scoreless, as the right-hander posted a 1.22 ERA and 3.14 FIP to go along with 45 strikeouts to 11 walks over 37 total innings of work.

Among the 294 DSL pitchers who threw at least 30 innings in 2022, Abreu ranked 56th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.95), 73rd in walks per nine innings (2.68), 32nd in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), 49th in swinging-strike rate (38.9 percent), 88th in walk rate (7.6 percent), 49th in batting average against (.191), 27th in WHIP (0.97), eighth in ERA, 51st in FIP, and 36th in xFIP (3.18), per FanGraphs.

Boston originally signed Abreu for just $1,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic last November. The Santo Domingo native is listed at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds. Outside of that, there is not much information on him available.

While Abreu certainly enjoyed success in his pro debut this summer, it is worth mentioning that he was older (1.4 years on average) than the competition he was facing this season. The righty is projected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League next year, so it should be interesting to see how he adjusts to pitching in the United States.

In other award-related news, Ozzie Chavez was named the Dominican Summer League Manager of the Year after leading the DSL Red Sox Blue to a league-best record of 44-16. Chavez has been managing in the Dominican Summer League since 2019 after first joining the Red Sox organization as a minor-league coach in 2015.

(Picture of Dominican Republic flags: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)