Tag: eastern league

Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro recognized as Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of June 30-July 6, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Castro appeared and recorded multiple hits in all six of Double-A Portland’s games against New Hampshire last week. The switch-hitting 22-year-old went 12-for-24 (.500) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, six RBIs, five runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts. He doubled, drove in one run, and scored twice on Tuesday, scored once on Wednesday, doubled and drove in one run on Thursday, drove in two runs and scored once on Friday, doubled on Saturday, and tripled and homered in Sunday’s series finale.

Now riding a nine-game hitting streak, Castro is batting .301/.381/.470 with eight doubles, one triple, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, five stolen bases, 22 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 46 games (189 plate appearances) for Portland this season. That includes a .214/.290/.250 slash line from the right side of the plate and a far more favorable .319/.399/.514 slash line from the left side.

Among the 89 Eastern League hitters who have made at least 180 trips to the plate in 2025, Castro ranks fifth in batting average, 10th in on-base percentage and wOBA (.387), 11th in OPS (.851), 13th in slugging percentage, 14th in wRC+ (146), 26th in swinging-strike rate (9.5 percent), 27th in strikeout rate (20.6 percent), 29th in walk rate (11.6 percent) and line-drive rate (24.4 percent), and 31st in isolated power (.169), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Castro has seen playing time at all three outfield spots for the Sea Dogs. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder has logged a team-leading 265 2/3 innings in center, 25 innings in right, and 12 innings in left, recording five assists without committing an error in 78 total defensive chances. He has also made 10 starts at DH.

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic for $100,000 in July 2019, Castro is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 23 prospect. The organization’s 2021 Latin Program Position Player of the Year broke camp with Portland (where he struggled to a .180/.274/.230 line after receiving a promotion from High-A Greenville last July) this spring but spent much of the season’s first month on the injured list due to a left hamstring strain. He returned to action on May 7 and has been on an offensive tear as of late.

After being left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last year, Castro — who just turned 22 in late May — can once again become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added by the November protection deadline. Taking that into consideration, the possibility remains that Castro could get dealt ahead of the trade deadline later this month. If he remains in the organization, though, it would not be surprising to see him earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester at some point in the second half.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Connelly Early named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

For the second time in as many weeks, a Red Sox pitching prospect has been recognized as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.

After right-hander David Sandlin took home the honor last week, left-hander Connelly Early was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 23-29 on Monday, Minor League Baseball announced.

Early was stellar for Double-A Portland and was credited with the win in Sunday’s series finale on the road against Binghamton. The 23-year-old lefty walked three and struck out seven over six scoreless, no-hit innings. He retired 17 of the 20 batters he faced, throwing 82 pitches (56 strikes) and generating 12 whiffs as the Sea Dogs defeated the Rumble Ponies by a final score of 3-1 at Mirabito Stadium.

In 12 outings (nine starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Early has posted a 1.94 ERA (2.20 FIP) with a staff-leading 81 strikeouts to 24 walks over 55 2/3 innings in which opponents have batted just .189 against him. That includes a .141 batting average against left-handed hitters and a .212 batting average against right-handed hitters.

Among 29 pitchers in the Eastern League who have thrown at least 55 innings this year, Early ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (13.10), strikeout rate (35.4 percent), swinging-strike rate (15.2 percent), batting average against, FIP, xFIP (2.77), groundball rate (52.7 percent), and line-drive rate (14.3 percent), third in ERA, and seventh in WHIP (1.10), per FanGraphs.

Early, who turned 23 in April, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 10 prospect, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization. The Midlothian, Va. native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (151st overall) in the 2023 draft out of Virginia by way of Army West Point. He received an at-slot $408,500 signing bonus and has only seen his stock rise since entering the professional ranks..

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his repeatable delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic southpaw primarily operates with a four- to five-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball (topped out at 96.6 mph on Sunday), an 82-85 mph changeup, an 80-83 mph sweeper, an 84-87 mph slider, and a 77-80 mph curveball.

As is the case with Sandlin, Early, too, is seemingly on the verge of a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. Both hurlers simultaneously made the jump to Portland after the MLB All-Star break last July, so it will be interesting to see if that pattern repeats itself in the coming weeks.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 16-22, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin takes home the honor for the second time this season (he first did so for the week of May 26-June 1) after starting Double-A Portland’s combined no-hitter against Akron at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out nine and walked three over six scoreless, no-hit innings. Relievers Christopher Troye and Jonathan Brand followed his lead for the final three frames as the Sea Dogs blanked the RubberDucks, 10-0.

Finishing with 94 pitches (59 strikes), Sandlin induced a game-high 14 swings-and-misses en route to improving to 4-3 on the year. He now sports a 3.90 ERA (3.14 FIP) with 62 strikeouts to 19 walks through 12 outings (11 starts) spanning a staff-leading 60 innings for Portland this season. Opposing hitters have batted .230 against him.

Among 21 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin ranks second in FIP, fifth in strikeout rate (25.1 percent), sixth in xFIP (3.65) and swinging-strike rate (12.7 percent), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (9.30), WHIP (1.18), and line-drive rate (21.3 percent), eighth in walks per nine innings (2.85) and walk rate (7.7 percent), and ninth in batting average against, per FanGraphs.

Originally acquired from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber in February 2024, Sandlin is currently regarded by Baseball America as the Red Sox’ No. 11 prospect, which places seventh among pitchers in the organization. Elsewhere, MLB Pipeline has the former 2022 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma ranked as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system, while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 13.

Standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily operated with a four- to five-pitch mix this season. The athletic righty regularly averages 94-97 mph with his fastball (reached 98.5 mph on Sunday) that has touched triple digits in the past. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph gyro slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-81 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who does not turn 25 until next February, can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline. Taking that into account, it would not be surprising if he were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later as the Red Sox continue to evaluate his future role in the organization.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 26-June 1, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Double-A Portland’s doubleheader on the road against the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field last Thursday. The 24-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings. He retired the final eight batters he faced and finished with 83 pitches (56 strikes), inducing eight swings and misses.

The Sea Dogs ultimately defeated the Curve, 3-0, in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader and went on to sweep the twin bill with a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.

Through nine appearances (eight starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Sandlin has posted a 3.77 ERA (3.42 FIP) with 45 strikeouts to 12 walks over a staff-leading 43 innings of work. Opposing hitters have batted .239 against him.

Among 25 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin notably ranks sixth in walks per nine innings (2.51) and xFIP (3.47), seventh in walk rate (6.8 percent) and FIP, and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.42), strikeout rate (25.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent), and WHIP (1.19), per FanGraphs.

Sandlin entered the 2025 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Luis Perales. The former 2022 11th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber last February. He split the 2024 season between High-A Greenville and Portland, compiling a 5.34 ERA (4.78 FIP) across 18 starts spanning 57 1/3 total innings.

Listed at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily featured a five-pitch mix this season. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the athletic hurler regularly averages 94-97 mph with a fastball that has reached 99 mph in-game after touching triple digits last year and over the winter. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-91 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who just turned 24 in February, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. With that, it would not be surprising if the fireballer were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future as the Red Sox continue to assess whether he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Blaze Jordan named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Jordan appeared in all seven of Double-A Portland’s games against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field this past week. The 22-year-old went 10-for-23 (.435) with one double, two home runs, eight RBIs, four runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and three strikeouts. He singled and scored a run on Tuesday, homered in Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, recorded two hits on Thursday, went deep again and drove in four runs as part of a three-hit effort on Friday, doubled on Saturday, and had two more hits in Sunday’s series finale.

Now the owner of a 12-game on-base streak, Jordan is putting together a strong season at the plate with Portland after initially getting off to a slow start. Through 39 games for the Sea Dogs this year, the right-handed hitter is batting .306/.401/.485 with nine doubles, five home runs, a team-leading 30 RBIs, 25 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 157 plate appearances.

Among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Jordan ranks third in strikeout rate (10.8 percent), fourth in on-base percentage, fifth in wOBA (.406), sixth in OPS (.886), seventh in batting average and wRC+ (156), 11th in slugging percentage, 15th in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), 21st in walk rate (12.1 percent) and swinging-strike rate (8.6 percent), and 22nd in isolated power (.179), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, it should come as no surprise that Jordan has split his playing time on the field this season between the infield corners. The 6-foot, 220-pounder has made 26 starts (226 2/3 innings) at first base and 11 starts (91 innings) at third base for the Sea Dogs and has yet to commit an error at either spot. He has also made two starts at DH.

Jordan is not currently regarded among Boston’s top 30 prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, though SoxProspects.com has him ranked 38th. The Southaven, Miss. native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School and forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing for an over-slot $1.75 million. He has experienced plenty of ups and downs (both on and off the field) to this point in his professional career, but is now producing at a rate he hadn’t been able to since first reaching the Double-A level nearly two years ago.

Having said that, Jordan — with 177 career games at Portland under his belt already — could very well be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before long. Such a move would present Jordan, who does not turn 23 until December, with a new challenge and provide the WooSox with additional corner infield depth. It could also add a layer to Jordan’s future with the organization.

Would the Red Sox consider trading Jordan if he lights it up at Triple-A like fellow 2020 draftee Nick Yorke did last year? Would they consider adding him to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from potentially being taken by other teams in this winter’s Rule 5 Draft?

These are questions that do not require immediate answers since they are contingent on Jordan being promoted to Worcester. Until that happens, and there is no guarantee it will, it should be worthwhile to see if he can continue to build on what has so far been an encouraging season.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Kristian Campbell named Eastern League Player of the Week for second time this season

Rising Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of August 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Campbell takes home the honor for the second time this season after first doing so for Double-A Portland in mid-June. In the Sea Dogs’ most recent series against the Altoona Curve last week, the right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 8-for-18 (.444) with three home runs, five RBIs, six runs scored, five stolen bases, six walks, and three strikeouts over 25 plate appearances.

After reaching base six times through the first two games of the six-game set at Hadlock Field, Campbell got Thursday off. He then homered in three straight games over the weekend and is now riding a nine-game hitting streak as well as a 26-game hitting streak.

Since being promoted from High-A Greenville on June 4, Campbell has batted a stout .380/.484/.592 with 16 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 32 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 49 games (223 plate appearances) for Portland. Among the 98 hitters who have made at least 220 trips to the plate in the Eastern League this season, Campbell leads the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.077), line-drive rate (31.5 percent), and wRC+ (203). He also ranks fifth in swinging-strike rate (7.1 percent) and seventh in walk rate (14.3 percent), strikeout rate (14.8 percent), and isolated power (.212), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Campbell has seen playing time at four different positions for the Sea Dogs so far this year. The versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder has logged 160 2/3 innings at shortstop, 131 innings at second base, 83 innings in center field, and nine innings at third base. He has also made five starts at DH.

Campbell, who turned 22 in June, was selected by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall pick of last year’s draft out of Georgia Tech. That is the same pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the previous winter.

A native of Georgia himself, Campbell signed with the Red Sox for $492,700, made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League, and then helped Greenville win its second South Atlantic League title before the 2023 campaign drew to a close. Just over a year since entering the pro ranks, Campbell is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 98 prospect in the sport.

With the recent promotions of Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel, Campbell is now the highest-ranked Red Sox prospect on Portland’s roster. With that, it should be worthwhile to see if he can keep this level of production up and possibly reunite with The Big Three in Worcester before the end of the season.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Kristian Campbell named Eastern League Player of the Week

Rising Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of June 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Campbell enjoyed a productive week in Double-A Portland’s series against the Reading Fightin Phils. Appearing in all six games at FirstEnergyStadium, Campbell went 12-for-28 (.429) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

After collecting six hits in the first two games of the series, Campbell went 0-for-5 on Thursday to snap a nine-game hitting streak. He then went deep twice on Friday to mark the first multi-homer game of his professional career and closed out the weekend by stroking three more hits on Sunday.

Since being promoted on June 4, Campbell has batted .392/.456/.667 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 runs driven in, 13 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and 10 strikeouts in his first 12 games (57 plate appearances) with Portland. This comes after he slashed .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles, eight homers, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 40 games (177 plate appearances) with Greenville to begin his first full season as a pro.

Defensively, Campbell has seen playing time at two different positions since joining the Sea Dogs earlier this month. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has started four games at second base and six in center field after being used in a similar capacity with the Drive. He has also started two games as Portland’s designated hitter after serving as Greenville’s DH on eight separate occasions.

Campbell, who turns 22 later this month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Georgia Tech product was taken by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall selection in last year’s draft, which is the pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the previous winter.

After signing with the Red Sox for $492,700 last summer, Campbell made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League but quickly worked his way up to Greenville, skipping Low-A Salem altogether, in late August. He then played a major role in helping the Drive take home their first South Atlantic League title since 2017.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Campbell spent most of the offseason in Fort Myers to work on his strength and conditioning as well as his swing. He added some bulk to his wiry frame and proceeded to turn heads in his first spring training by displaying eye-opening exit velocity at the plate on the back fields of the Fenway South complex.

“He hits the crap out of the ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham recently told Speier. “His swing is incredibly fast. He drives the ball to all fields. He has really good plate discipline. He’s a hitter that does a lot of things really well. It’s exciting to see what he could potentially do and already what he’s done.”

Cambell is the fourth member of the Sea Dogs to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season, joining Matthew Lugo (April 15-21), Blaze Jordan (April 22-28), and Kyle Teel (May 27-June 2). On the flip side, left-hander Zach Penrod was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox top catching prospect Kyle Teel named Eastern League Player of the Week

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 27-June 2, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Teel enjoyed a productive week in Double-A Portland’s latest series on the road against the Altoona Curve. Appearing in all six games, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old went 10-for-24 (.417) with one double, three home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks, and five strikeouts.

After going deep in Tuesday’s opener and going hitless on Wednesday, Teel went 3-for-4 on Thursday before coming through in the clutch on back-to-back nights. With his side trailing and down to their final strike on Friday, Teel crushed a game-tying three-run homer. He followed that up by clubbing a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth on Saturday. The Sea Dogs won both contests and are riding a three-game winning streak after taking Sunday’s series finale.

On the heels of another strong road trip, Teel is now batting a stout .307/.411/.497 with 11 doubles, six home runs, 34 RBIs, 34 runs scored, three stolen bases, 24 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 40 games (180 plate appearances) for Portland this season. That is especially encouraging when considering he was slashing just .213/.333/.344 through the end of April.

Among 88 qualified Eastern League hitters, Teel ranks 16th in walk rate (13.3 percent) and isolated power (.190), fourth in batting average and on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.908), ninth in line-drive rate (28.3 percent), and second in wRC+ (159), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pound backstop has logged 232 1/3 innings behind the plate for Portland thus far, allowing just two passed balls while throwing out five of 36 possible base stealers. He has also started 13 games as the Sea Dogs’ designated hitter.

Teel, who turned 22 in February, is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Virginia. The New Jersey native signed with the club for $4 million and made it up to Portland before the 2023 campaign drew to a close. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect (and best defensive catcher) in Boston’s farm system and the No. 47 prospect in the sport.

Teel joins Matthew Lugo (April 15-21) and Blaze Jordan (April 22-28) as the third member of the Sea Dogs to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season. On the flip side, left-hander Zach Penrod was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19.

Lugo and Penrod have since earned promotions to Triple-A Worcester after getting off to impressive starts in Portland. Teel, one-third of Boston’s ‘Big Three’ alongside fellow top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, may not be too far behind.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Zach Penrod named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Zach Penrod has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Penrod takes home the honor after impressing in his latest start for Double-A Portland this past Saturday. As part of a 2-1 win over the Somerset Patriots, the 26-year-old left-hander allowed just one earned run on one hit, three walks, and 10 strikeouts across six quality innings of work.

Penrod retired the first 14 batters he faced at TD Bank Ballpark before issuing a two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth inning. He then gave up a leadoff single and issued two more walks to fill the bases with no outs in the sixth. Somerset pushed across one run on a sacrifice fly, but Penrod escaped any further damage by inducing back-to-back flyouts to get out of the jam and end his night on a more encouraging note.

Finishing with 90 pitches (59 strikes), Penrod recorded 25 swings-and-misses en route to earning the winning decision. The lefty is now 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA (2.95 FIP) and 44 strikeouts to 12 walks over six starts (30 innings) for Portland this season. He has put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a .173 batting average against.

Among 38 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League to this point in the year, Penrod ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (13.2), swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), and xFIP (2.59), second in strikeout rate (37.3 percent), third in batting average against, fourth in WHIP (1.00), fifth in ERA, and ninth in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Penrod, who turns 27 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally signed the Idaho native out of the independent Pioneer League last August. He had previous experience in affiliated ball after signing with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Northwest Nazarene University in 2018, but has really put himself on the map this time around.

Since making his organizational debut nine months ago, Penrod has compiled a 2.13 ERA and 3.39 FIP with 64 strikeouts to 23 walks in 10 starts (50 2/3 innings) between High-A Greenville and Portland. He helped the Drive win the South Atlantic League championship last September and was then recognized as an All-Star in the 2023 Arizona Fall League.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Penrod throws from a three-quarters arm slot. As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall, the southpaw operates with a 94-95 mph fastball that has topped out at 97 mph, an 85-88 mph changeup, and an 84-87 mph slider.

Given the success he has enjoyed with Portland so far this season, it certainly seems as though Penrod could be nearing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. There are some questions about what role (starter or multi-inning reliever) he is best suited for moving forward, but he has nonetheless emerged as an intriguing within the system.

(Picture of Zach Penrod: Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Blaze Jordan earns Eastern League Player of the Week honors

Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of April 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

This marks the second consecutive week where a Sea Dogs player earned Eastern League Player of the Week honors. Left fielder Matthew Lugo was recognized for a stellar series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field last week.

Jordan appeared in all six of Double-A Portland’s games against the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Park this past week. The right-handed hitting 21-year-old went 12-for-27 (.444) with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, five runs scored, zero walks, and two strikeouts.

Jordan crushed his first home run of the season and drove in a game-high four runs in Tuesday’s series opener. He then pushed across two more runs on Wednesday, had three hits on Thursday, homered again on Friday, and recorded four hits over the weekend to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

Over the life of that hitting streak, which began on April 19, Jordan has batted a stout .385/.390/.461. After getting his 2024 campaign off to a slow start, he is now slashing .265/.307/.441 with six doubles, two home runs, 13 runs driven in, 10 runs scored, one walk, and seven strikeouts in 17 games (75 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Defensively, Jordan has split his playing time on the field between both corner infield spots. To this point in the year, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder has logged 60 innings at first base and 68 1/3 innings at third base. He has committed one error at each position and has also made two starts as Portland’s designated hitter.

Jordan is in the midst of his fourth full professional season after originally being selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Mississippi. The Southaven native forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing with Boston for $1.75 million.

Though he dealt with — and was even hospitalized by — struggles relating to anxiety and depression early in his pro career, Jordan has worked to overcome those issues, as he revealed in a heartfelt social media post last October. After going public with that information, he strove to get in better shape over the winter and came into the spring ranked by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system.

Jordan, who does not turn 22 until December, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time later this year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. Taking that — as well as the fact that he played in 49 games for Portland to close out last season — into consideration, it will be interesting to see if Jordan can make his way to Triple-A Worcester at some point in 2024.

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