Tag: florida complex league

Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten named Florida Complex League All-Star

Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten has been named a 2023 Florida Complex League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Recognized alongside the likes of Yankees outfield prospects Willy Montero and John Cruz, Yuten enjoyed a productive summer in Fort Myers. The left-handed hitting 18-year-old batted a stout .336/.396/.483 with nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 28 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 11 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 38 games (164 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox.

In addition to winning the FCL batting title, Yuten ranked 16th among qualified hitters in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, 11th in OPS (.880), 18th in isolated power (.148), 20th in speed score (7.0), and 11th in wRC+ (131), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Yuten saw playing time at all three outfield positions in his time with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate. The lanky 6-foot-2, 143-pounder logged 52 innings in left, 52 1/3 innings in center, and 172 2/3 innings in right while committing a total of six errors and recording one outfield assist.

About one week before the FCL season drew to a close in late August, Yuten received a promotion to Low-A Salem alongside top catching prospect Johanfran Garcia and several others. He made his full-season debut on Aug. 15 but was never really able to get it going offensively and instead struggled to a .197/.240/.239 slash line in 18 Carolina League games. In that stretch, he made six starts in center field and nine starts in right field.

Despite limping to the finish line, it was still a strong year overall for Yuten, as he is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system after not being ranked previously. The Dominican native originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of La Romana last January.

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Yuten — who actually turns 19 next week — is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Natanael Yuten: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro has fared since promotion to Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro was sharp in his latest start for Low-A Salem this past Friday night.

Going up against the Augusta GreenJackets in front of a crowd of 5,383 at Carilion Clinic Field, Monegro worked five scoreless innings. The right-hander scattered three hits and issued just one walk while striking out 11 of the 19 batters he faced.

Interestingly enough, Monegro walked the very first batter of the game in Ambioris Tavarez, who later stole second base but did not advance any further. An inning later, Monegro gave up a leadoff double to Pier-Olivier Boucher to put himself in immediate trouble. Again, though, the 20-year-old hurler stranded a runner in scoring position by punching out three GreenJackets in a row.

In both the third and fourth innings, Monegro surrendered a leadoff single. Both runners stole second base with two outs, but Monegro did not falter and instead fanned Drew Compton and Jose Dilone on four and six pitches, respectively. He ended his night by striking out the side on 15 pitches in a 1-2-3 top of the fifth.

Finishing with 82 pitches (55 strikes), Monegro induced 18 swings-and-misses, the most of any pitcher at the Low-A level on Friday, per Baseball Savant. For as impressive as Monegro was, though, he did not factor into the decision as Salem went on to fall to Augusta by a final score of 3-1. GreenJackets starter Owen Murphy was credited with the win after striking out eight over 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball and was subsequently named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

While Monegro may have fallen short of that honor, Friday’s outing represented his second double-digit strikeout game of the season and his first since June 25. In seven starts for Salem now, Monegro has posted a 2.56 ERA (2.45 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 14 walks over 31 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .223 batting average against. That comes after he pitched to a minuscule 1.20 ERA in three starts (15 innings) for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox to kick off the 2023 campaign.

Promoted from the FCL to Salem on June 20, Monegro is averaging the sixth-most strikeouts per nine innings (13.36) among the 160 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point in the season. Using those same parameters, Monegro also ranks 15th in strikeout rate (33.6 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 20th in ERA, first in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (3.11), per FanGraphs.

Monegro originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. There was not much fanfare surrounding the Santo Domingo native coming into this season after he struggled to a 7.36 ERA in his first go-around at the Florida Complex League last year, but he has since caught the attention of fans and evaluators alike.

Baseball America, for instance, now has Monegro as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system after he was unranked to begin the season. In similar fashion, MLB Pipeline — which previously had him unranked — pegged Monegro as the Sox’ No. 22 prospect in its midseason rankings, which were released last week.

Though Monegro’s sudden success this year may be a surprise to some, internally, the Red Sox had high hopes for the righty well before the minor-league season even started. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“We were really excited about Monegro heading into the spring,” Romero wrote. “He impressed a lot with the physical shape he came into spring training, and has continued to work since then — this has been key to his early-season success. He’s super athletic with a lightning quick arm which contributes to his ability to have a plus breaking ball. He’s tightened up his delivery to let his athleticism show and be consistent with his mechanics. Hope he continues this success into the second half.”

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Monegro throws from a high three-quarter arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s four-seam fastball that tops out at 95-96 mph, a high-80s slider, and an upper-70s curveball. As noted in his Baseball America scouting report, Monegro is more of a control-over-command pitcher since he is generally around the strike zone.

Monegro, who turns 21 in October, has already done an admirable job in raising his prospect profile this summer. Barring any surprises, it will certainly be interesting to see how he goes about putting the finishing touches on what has been a breakout season.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospects Angel Bastardo, Luis Cohen earn monthly awards

A pair of Red Sox pitching prospects were recognized for their respective performances in July on Thursday.

High-A Greenville starter Angel Bastardo was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month while FCL Red Sox starter Luis Cohen was named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month, Minor League Baseball announced.

In five July starts for Greenville, Bastardo went 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA and 42 strikeouts to seven walks over 28 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .192 batting average against. The right-hander’s month could have have gone even better had he not been rocked for a season-high six runs over four innings against the Bowling Green Hot Rods on July 26.

That being said, Bastardo rebounded in his last time out against the Rome Braves this past Tuesday, allowing two earned runs on five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings. All told, the hard-throwing 21-year-old has forged a 3.90 ERA (3.25 FIP) with a South Atlantic League-leading 130 strikeouts to 39 walks in 19 starts (97 innings) for the Drive this season.

Among qualified Sally League pitchers entering Thursday, Bastardo ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.06), second in strikeout rate (32.4 percent), fourth in batting average against (.211), fourth in WHIP (1.19), fifth in groundball rate (48 percent), second in swinging-strike rate (16.6 percent), sixth in ERA, first in FIP, and second in xFIP (3.48), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Bastardo originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound hurler is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization.

As noted in SoxProspects.com scouting report, Bastardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph sinker that tops out at 97 mph, an 82-86 mph curveball that features 11-to-5 break, and an 83-86 mph changeup. Though an intriguing arm, he still needs to work on refining his control and command of the strike zone.

Bastardo, who just turned 21 in June, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. With that, one has to wonder if Bastardo could soon be on the verge of a promotion to Double-A Portland, which would seemingly allow the Red Sox to see how he fares against more advanced hitters before deciding if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

Cohen, meanwhile, went 1-0 with a 1.49 ERA and 21 strikeouts to seven walks over five July appearances (three starts) spanning 19 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .159 batting average against. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 20-year-old righty has posted a 3.60 ERA (3.81 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to 11 walks in seven outings (four starts, 25 innings) for Boston’s rookie-level, Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Among 73 Florida Complex League pitchers who came into Thursday with at least 20 innings under their belts to this point in the season, Cohen ranks 25th in strikeouts in per nine innings (10.08), 18th in walks per nine innings (3.96), 18th in strikeout rate (27.7 percent), 26th in walk rate (10.9 percent), 25th in batting average against (.216), 12th in WHIP (1.20), 34th in swinging-strike rate (24.7 percent), 25th in ERA, 12th in FIP, and 26th in xFIP (4.52), per FanGraphs.

Like Bastardo, Cohen also hails from Venezuela. The Tucacas native joined the Red Sox organization as an international free agent last January and received a modest $10,000 signing bonus in doing so. While he is unranked by publications such as Baseball America or SoxProspects.com, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen recently tabbed Cohen as the 36th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

“Cohen is an athletic, undersized righty with a precocious breaking ball and several starter traits (except for his size),” Longenhagen wrote of the 6-foot, 172-pound hurler in June. “He’s been sitting 91-94 mph (mostly 93 in my look) throughout relatively short extended spring/complex outings, but he shows the same premium hip/shoulder separation (an indication of power and athleticism, in my opinion) that runs through this system, and therefore has a chance to throw harder at physical maturity even though he’s on the smaller side.

“The money pitch here is Cohen’s sweeping breaker, which has big action and length in the 78-84 mph range,” added Longenhagen. “His 81-83 mph changeup sometimes cuts on him but at other times is average. Like a lot of the other pitchers in this system, there are probably going to be a couple viable secondary offerings in place here, and how Cohen’s fastball velocity and command (the latter is key if little-to-no more velo comes) develop will dictate his ultimate ceiling. It’s more of a backend look due to the lack of projectability.”

Given the fact that he does not turn 21 until next May, Cohen still has plenty of time to grow and fill out his undersized frame. At this point in time, it remains to be seen if the Red Sox will be aggressive with Cohen’s development (i.e. have him pitch at Low-A Salem this season) or will instead put that sort of assignment off until next year.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of June 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Garcia went 8-for-15 (.533) at the plate with three doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in four games for the FCL Red Sox last week. Both of those home runs came in a 10-4 win over the FCL Braves down in Fort Myers last Monday, marking the first multi-homer game of his professional career.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the right-handed hitting Garcia has batted .340/.444/.604 with four doubles, two triples, those two home runs, 12 runs driven in, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 15 strikeouts across 13 games (63 plate appearances) with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate.

Defensively, Garcia has served as the FCL Red Sox’ primary catcher in front of the likes of Brooks Brannon, Diego Viloria, Rivaldo Avila, and Johnfrank Salazar. The 5-foot-10, 196-pound backstop has logged 56 innings behind the plate thus far and has thrown out three of six would-be base stealers. He gunned down a runner at third base in the ninth inning of Monday’s contest against the FCL Orioles (which was later suspended due to rain) at JetBlue Park.

Garcia, 18, originally signed with the Red Sox for $850,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Valencia native is the younger brother of minor-league outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (who signed with the club three years prior) and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Considering that he does not turn 19 until December, it feels safe to assume that Garcia will spend the rest of the summer in the FCL. As things stand now, he is viewed as a bat-first catcher who has the potential to stick behind the plate moving forward.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox catching prospect Brooks Brannon homers for third time in six Florida Complex League games

Catching prospect Brooks Brannon hit his third home run of the season for the Florida Complex League Red Sox in their 12-11 loss to the FCL Twins at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Batting third and serving as the Sox’ designated hitter, Brannon went 1-for-4, but he made his only hit of the day count by cranking a three-run home run over the faux Green Monster off Twins reliever Yon Landaeta to cap off a six-run fourth inning.

Following Friday’s performance, Brannon is now batting .296 (8-for-27)/.367/.741 with one double, one triple, three homers, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in his first six games for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate this season. The right-handed hitter ranks fifth in the league in home runs, second in RBIs, seventh in slugging percentage, 10th in OPS (1.108), and fifth in isolated power (.444), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Brannon has made three starts behind the plate for the FCL Red Sox so far this season. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has thrown out three of 12 would-be base stealers while only allowing one passed ball and committing one error in 30 defensive chances.

Brannon, 19, is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Randleman High School (N.C.). Despite having strong ties to the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State native forwent his commitment and signed with Boston for a well over-slot bonus of $712,500.

“Leading up to the draft, if I could have picked any team it would have been the Red Sox,” Brannon told HighSchoolOT.com’s Kyle Morton last July. “They did the best as far as establishing a relationship… Everything is very family oriented… the fact that they have that is huge. I’m just glad to be a part of an organization that values that like they do.”

Though he is unranked by publications such as Baseball America and FanGraphs, Brannon is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline also identified Brannon as the Red Sox’ best prospect in rookie ball earlier this month, noting that he has some of the best raw power in the farm system as well as plus arm strength. SoxProspects.com, meanwhile, has him at No. 34, which ranks third among catchers in the organization behind only Nathan Hickey and Johanfran Garcia, who is also playing in the Florida Complex League.

Considering that he made a brief cameo in the FCL after going pro last year, one has to wonder if Brannon — who does not turn 20 until next May — could make his way up to Low-A Salem at some point this summer.

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Yordanny Monegro named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Monegro had a stellar season debut for the FCL Red Sox last Monday, striking out eight over five scoreless, perfect innings in a 7-2 win over the FCL Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The right-hander retired all 15 batters he faced to pick up his first winning decision of the year.

Fresh off earning FCL Pitcher of the Week honors, Monegro made his second start of the season on Monday. Going up against the FCL Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte this time around, the 20-year-old hurler allowed just one earned run on two hits, two walks, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts across five innings of work in an 11-1 victory.

So, through his first two starts for the FCL Red Sox this season, Monegro is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 0.40 WHIP. He has struck out 14 and walked only two over 10 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .065 batting average against.

Monegro originally signed with Boston for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. Though the Santo Domingo native is not yet regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the Sox’ top pitching prospects, he did receive some praise from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen recently.

Longenhagen ranked Monegro as his No. 25 Red Sox prospect on Monday, noting that the 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty “was the best Red Sox pitching prospect” he saw during extended spring training looks in Florida.

“He’s a little older than the typical arm from the complex group, but he’s still projectable at a high-waited 6-foot-4,” Longenhagen wrote. “He sat 91-94 mph and was up to 95, with vertical ride and command that will surely allow him to have success at the lowest pro levels. He has a clean, direct line to the plate and lovely hip/shoulder separation that, along with his frame, portends more velocity.

“An upper-70s curveball with solid average depth and a power-action changeup that he throws as hard as 91 mph round out the repertoire,” added Longenhagen. “It’s a starter’s mix with a starter’s frame, delivery, and strike-throwing. His ceiling will be dictated by how much velo he and the Red Sox can develop, and he’s far enough away from the bigs that it has to alter how he’s valued here, but Monegro has fourth starter upside.”

As noted by Longenhagen, Monegro — who does not turn 21 until October — is slightly older for his level since he spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign in the Florida Complex League as well. Taking that into consideration, one has to wonder if Monegro could soon be in line for a promotion to Low-A Salem, where he would get his first taste of full season ball.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Miguel Bleis enters Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis has entered Baseball America’s top 100 rankings heading into the 2023 season.

Previously unranked, Bleis is now considered by the publication to be the 88th-ranked prospect in all of baseball. The 18-year-old was one of five Red Sox minor-leaguers to make the cut for the top-100 on Wednesday, joining the likes of Marcelo Mayer at No. 10, Triston Casas at No. 29, Ceddanne Rafaela at No. 71, and Masataka Yoshida at No. 87.

Bleis is already regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally signed the Dominican-born outfielder for $1.5 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in January 2021.

After a solid pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, Bleis made the jump to the Florida Complex League last year. The right-handed hitter batted a stout .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 40 games (167 plate appearances) for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate.

Among qualified hitters in the Florida Complex League last season, Bleis ranked seventh in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.896), 12th in line-drive rate (22.3 percent) second in isolated power (.242), tied for first in speed score (9.3), and sixth in wRC+ (142), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Bleis saw the majority of his playing time for the FCL Red Sox come in center field. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder logged 310 1/3 innings in center and just five innings in right while registering a team-high five outfield assists, which is a testament to his arm strength.

Had he not been bothered by back soreness in late August, Bleis would have been promoted to Low-A Salem for the final few weeks of the 2022 campaign. The Red Sox instead opted to have Bleis stay back in Fort Myers to get healthy before sending him home for the winter.

Despite playing in just 40 minor-league games, Bleis still drew plenty of attention throughout the calendar year. Back in August, SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall tweeted that Bleis is “the prospect generating the most buzz in the Red Sox farm system right now.”

In late October, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline tabbed Bleis as “Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers,” noting that the former’s stock rose in 2022 since “he displayed his all-around ability to a larger audience while making his U.S. debut.”

Bleis, who turns 19 in March, is expected to begin the 2023 season in Salem, where he should serve as the Red Sox’ primary center fielder. There are some concerns about his approach at the plate, but he has time to work out those issues as he continues to develop. As the saying goes, Bleis’ potential is through the roof at the moment.

“He has five tools. That’s the reality,” Red Sox director of player development said of Bleis in a conversation with The Athletic’s Chad Jennings last September. “You don’t see that too often. What those five tools will ultimately (become), how they will pan out, not sure. But in terms of the tools, and in terms of the ability to impact the game in various ways, he does that. I think whenever you have a player who does those types of things, he’s someone you want to pay attention to and watch.”

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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 prospect Eddinson Paulino proved to be dynamic with Low-A Salem this season

Eddinson Paulino was among the Red Sox’ top performers in the Florida Complex League last year. He showed why that was no fluke as he made the transition to full-season ball in 2022.

Coming out of minor-league spring training, Paulino was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He then broke camp and spent the entirety of the campaign at Low-A Salem.

In 114 games with the Salem Red Sox, the versatile left-handed hitter batted .266/.359/.469 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs, 66 RBIs, 96 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, 64 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 539 plate appearances.

When the All-Star break arrived in mid-July, Paulino was hitting just .239/.327/.451 through his first 80 games. From July 22 onward, though, the 20-year-old slashed a stout .331/.432/.559 with 18 extra-base hits in his final 34 games of the season.

Among 51 qualified Carolina League hitters, Paulino ranked 24th in walk rate (11.9 percent), 14th in strikeout rate (19.5 percent), 14th in swinging-strike rate (11.2 percent), fourth in line-drive rate (25.6 percent), 14th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS (.827), fifth in isolated power (.203), fifth in speed score (8.5), and fifth in wRC+ (128), per FanGraphs.

“He can impact the game in several ways,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith in September. “He can launch one if needed. He’s just become a good hitter.”

Defensively, Paulino made appearances at five different positions (not including designated hitter) for Salem this season. The 5-foot, 155-pounder logged 301 innings at shortstop, 289 innings at third base, 243 2/3 innings at second base, 98 1/3 innings in center field, and eight innings in left. Both of his outfield assists came in center.

“Just to have that skillset being a left-handed hitter,” said Romero.

The Red Sox originally signed Paulino for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018. The Santiago native made his professional debut in his home country the following summer but his career was put on hold in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It now turns out that Paulino likely took advantage of the lost 2020 minor-league season by honing his craft in his own way. Whether it be his ability to make hard contact or steal bases at a high rate, the Red Sox were pleased with what they saw from Paulino this year.

“We’ve always liked his hitting ability,” Romero said. “He hits the ball hard in all quadrants. He’s another guy who jumps on fastballs but I think has really increased his recognition skills. He’s made a big jump in that. He’s got a good number of walks. The on-base percentage is good.

“And also the speed element of the game,” he added. “He’s got 26, 27 stolen bases. All that makes him a very dynamic player. … Another player who it’s been really cool to see his development.”

Paulino, who does not turn 21 until next July, is now regarded by Baseball America as the 18th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is Rule 5-eligible this winter, but is not a sure bet to receive protection by being added to the 40-man roster later this month.

While the tools and talent are certainly there, Paulino has yet to play above A-ball. And so the Red Sox may elect to protect prospects who have already reached the upper levels of the minor-leagues like Ceddanne Rafaela, Christian Koss, Enmanuel Valdez, Wilyer Abreu, Brandon Walter, and Thad Ward, among others.

Assuming that Paulino remains in the organization through the winter, he is projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville at the start of the 2023 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Eddinson Paulino: Robert Simmons/RTS Photography)

Red Sox’ Miguel Bleis tabbed by MLB Pipeline as ‘Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers’

On Wednesday night, MLB.com’s Jim Callis identified Miguel Bleis as the Red Sox’ best international prospect since Rafael Devers.

Bleis, 18, originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million (the same amount Devers received in 2013) as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, the San Pedro de Macoris native made the jump to the Florida Complex League this summer.

In 40 games with Boston’s rookie-level, Fort Myers-based affiliate, the right-handed hitting outfielder batted .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 45 strikeouts over 167 plate appearances.

Among qualified FCL hitters this season, Bleis ranked seventh in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.896), 12th in line-drive rate (22.3 percent) second in isolated power (.242), tied for first in speed score (9.3), and sixth in wRC+ (142), per FanGraphs.

While he was undoubtedly one of the top hitters in the lower minors this year, Bleis did struggle a bit when it came to plate discipline, as noted by Callis. In simpler terms, he only walked six percent of the time while striking out at 26.9 percent clip. He also posted the ninth-highest swinging-strike rate (33.8 percent) in the FCL.

Defensively, Bleis saw the majority of his playing time this season come in center field. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder logged 310 1/3 innings in center and just five innings in right while recording a team-high five outfield assists.

Taking that statistic into consideration, Callis adds that Bleis should be able to stick in center on account of his arm strength. If not, he has the offensive upside and defensive profile to shift over to right.

As the 2022 FCL season drew to a close in August, the Red Sox began promoting several of their younger prospects — such as Mikey Romero and Roman Anthony — to Low-A Salem. Bleis very well could have been part of that group, but the club opted to have him stay in Fort Myers since he was dealing with some back soreness.

Back in September, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham told The Athletic’s Chad Jennings that had Bleis been healthy, he would have joined Anthony, Romero, and the like in Salem for the remainder of the minor-league campaign.

“He certainly would have been with that group (that was promoted to Salem),” Abraham said. “We let him know that he would have been with that group. But I think being healthy going into the offseason was the primary concern. So, he stayed in Fort Myers and made sure we got that (back issue) right and then we sent him home. There’s no doubt he had earned a promotion to Salem if not at the end of the year, earlier. He is aware of that.”

Bleis, who turns 19 in March, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He has yet to crack the publication’s top 100 list, but that could happen sooner rather than later.

Considering what Abraham already told Jennings, it seems likely that Bleis will kick off his first full professional season in Salem next spring. After all, his potential is through the roof and he has the tools to back it up.

“He has five tools. That’s the reality,” said Abraham. “You don’t see that too often. What those five tools will ultimately (become), how they will pan out, not sure. But in terms of the tools, and in terms of the ability to impact the game in various ways, he does that. 

“I think whenever you have a player who does those types of things, he’s someone you want to pay attention to and watch,” added Abraham. “Whether he’s on the bases, whether he’s in the field, whether he’s in the batter’s box, you know something special is going to happen, and I think that’s something he showed during his short time in the states.”

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)