Tag: greenville drive

Red Sox promote infield prospect Luis Ravelo to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Luis Ravelo from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Hunter Noll.

Ravelo enjoyed a strong month of July for Greenville. The switch-hitting 20-year-old batted .357/.433/.446 with two doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, nine walks, and 13 strikeouts in 17 games (67 plate appearances). He is slashing .232/.314/.327 with 12 doubles, one triple, four homers, 30 runs driven in, 28 runs scored, one stolen base, 29 walks, and 72 strikeouts over 75 games (309 plate appearances) on the season as a whole.

Defensively, Ravelo has seen all of his playing time on the field this year come at either second base or shortstop. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder logged 261 1/3 innings at second and 350 1/3 innings at short with the Drive, committing 13 errors in 231 total chances. He also started five games at DH and has past experience at third base.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Ravelo originally signed with Boston for $545,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in January 2021. The Red Sox, according to Baseball America, “were drawn to Ravelo as “a defensive magician whose lightning hands created a number of did-you-see-that double takes at shortstop.”

After making his professional debut in the 2021 Dominican Summer League, Ravelo split the 2022 campaign between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem. He entered 2023 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system and spent the entire year with Salem, batting .217/.311/.303 with 15 doubles, six home runs, and 47 RBIs in 108 games.

Ravelo, who turns 21 in November, is not currently ranked among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by Baseball America. He profiles as a glove-first infielder who still has plenty of room to grow offensively, particularly when hitting from the right side of the plate. With that said, he is slated to bat ninth and start at second base for Portland against Erie at Hadlock Field on Wednesday night.

In addition to elevating Ravelo, the Red Sox promoted four other infielders on Wednesday. Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester to Boston for his first major-league stint, Tyler McDonough was called up from Portland to Worcester to take Sogard’s place, Fraymi De Leon was called up from Salem to Greenville to take Ravelo’s place, and Kelvin Diaz was called up from the Florida Complex League to Salem to take De Leon’s place.

(Picture of Luis Ravelo: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Elmer Rodriguez, Noah Dean to High-A Greenville

With Connelly Early and David Sandlin making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Noah Dean from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to reports from SoxProspects.com and MiLB Central’s Chase Ford.

Rodriguez, 20, and Dean, 23, are currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the Nos. 16 and 46 prospects in Boston’s farm system. That ranks fourth and 23rd among pitchers in the organization, respectively.

Rodriguez, who turns 21 next month, has spent parts of the last three seasons with Salem after originally being selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. To begin the 2024 campaign, the right-hander posted a 2.51 ERA and 2.73 FIP with 73 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 61 innings of work for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Opposing hitters batted just .206 against him.

Listed at a lean 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As recently noted by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, the lanky righty has seen an uptick in his fastball velocity this season to the point where he is now averaging 95 mph and touching 98 mph with the pitch. He also features an upper-70s curveball, a mid-80s slider, and an upper-80s changeup.

Dean, who turned 23 in March, had been with Salem since making his professional debut last April. The New Jersey native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Old Dominion. After struggling to a 6.29 ERA in 2023, Dean kicked off the 2024 season by forging a 3.96 ERA (3.89 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 31 walks over 15 appearances (13 starts) spanning 61 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a minuscule .139 batting average.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dean has overhauled his delivery and now throws from cross-bodied, three-quarters arm slot. The lefty sits between 92-94 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a mid-80s changeup and a slider. SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall noted last month that Dean has relied on his slider more and used his heater less this season, which has resulted in softer contact.

Command and control remain areas of improvement for both Rodriguez and Dean, who are now slated to join a starting rotation mix in Greenville that includes the likes of Hayden Mullins, Dalton Rogers, Yordanny Monegro, Blake Wehunt, and Jedixson Paez.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Connelly Early to Double-A Portland

In addition to promoting David Sandlin, the Red Sox are also elevating pitching prospect Connelly Early from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Early, 22, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The left-hander was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (151st overall pick) of last year’s draft out of Virginia. He received a $408,500 signing bonus and debuted for Low-A Salem in September.

To begin his first full professional season, Early emerged as a key member of Greenville’s rotation by posting a 3.72 ERA and 3.64 FIP with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks in 15 starts (67 2/3 innings) for the Drive. That translates to a 30.9 percent strikeout rate and an 8.2 percent walk rate. Opposing hitters batted just .208 against him.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com, the lefty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-93 mph that has touched 95 mph this year, a frequently-used 80-82 mph changeup that is considered to be his best secondary offering, a 79-81 mph curveball, and an 87-88 mph cutter.

In making the jump to Portland, Early will be reunited — for the time being, at least — with his old battery mate at Virginia in top catching prospect Kyle Teel, who could soon be on the receiving end of a promotion to Triple-A Worcester alongside the likes of shortstop Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony.

Early and Sandlin, meanwhile, figure to provide support to a Sea Dogs starting rotation that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks. From a developmental perspective, they will also be challenged with facing more advanced hitting in the upper minors for the first time in their respective careers.

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

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect David Sandlin to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect David Sandlin from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per his agent Craig Rose of Paragon Sports International.

Sandlin, 23, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander made his 10th start of the season for Greenville in Sunday’s series finale against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings. He threw 64 pitches (46 strikes) and induced eight swings-and-misses.

In his 10 outings for the Drive this year, Sandlin posted a 5.12 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 50 strikeouts to 11 walks over 31 2/3 innings. That translates to a strikeout rate of 37.3 percent and a walk rate of 8.2 percent. Opposing hitters batted .254 against him.

Just a few days before celebrating his 23rd birthday back in February, Sandlin was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals in a spring training trade that sent reliever John Schreiber to Kansas City. The former 2022 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma broke camp with Greenville but missed more than a month of action after being placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation in mid-May.

Sandlin returned to the mound on June 15 and had pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 25 strikeouts to just two walks in his last five starts (13 2/3 innings) coming into play on Sunday. In these shorter outings, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty has been touching 99-100 mph with his fastball, according to reports from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen. He also incorporates a splitter, cutter, slider, and curveball into his arsenal.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Sandlin will be tasked with going up against tougher competition in the Eastern League moving forward. He also figures to provide support to a Sea Dogs’ starting rotation that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks.

It is not yet known who will be taking Sandlin’s spot in Greenville’s rotation, but left-hander Noah Dean would seem to be a logical choice since he started for Low-A Salem on Sunday and has been on a similar pitching schedule since Sandlin returned from the injured list last month.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early leads organization in Ks at All-Star break

At the MLB All-Star break, no Red Sox minor-leaguer has recorded more strikeouts to this point in the season than Connelly Early.

Early, Boston’s fifth-round selection in last summer’s draft out of Virginia, has been a key member of High-A Greenville’s starting rotation through the first three-plus months of the 2024 campaign. In a staff-leading 15 starts for the Drive, the 22-year-old left-hander has posted a 3.72 ERA and 3.67 FIP with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks over 67 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters have batted just .208 against him.

Among the 35 pitchers who have worked at least 60 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Early ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.97), strikeout rate (30.9 percent), swinging-strike rate (15.7 percent), and xFIP (3.33), fourth in groundball rate (51.2 percent), eighth in batting average against, 10th in WHIP (1.14), 11th in FIP, 14th in walks per nine innings (3.19) and walk rate (8.2 percent), and 15th in ERA, per FanGraphs.

A native of Virginia himself, Early spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Army before transferring to UVA as a junior. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, the lefty was recognized as a third-team All-ACC selection. He signed with the Red Sox for $408,500 after being taken with the 151st overall pick last July and made one start for Low-A Salem in September to mark his professional debut.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As highlighted by SoxProspects.com, he operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-93 mph fastball that has reached 95 mph this season, an 80-82 mph changeup that is considered to be his best secondary offering, a 79-81 mph curveball, and an 87-88 mph cutter.

To that end, Early is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 26 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The publication notes that Early “throws an average amount of strikes and benefits from high chase rates against his changeup and cutter.” It adds that he “has a backend starter’s upside, but is more likely to be reliable rotation depth as an up-and-down option.”

Considering that it has only been a little over a year since he entered the pro ranks, it will be interesting to see if Early — who does not turn 23 until next April — can put himself in position for a promotion to Double-A Portland before the season draws to a close.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro makes MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro made MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week for the week of July 8-14, MLB.com revealed on Monday.

Castro, Boston’s No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been swinging a hot bat as of late for High-A Greenville. In last week’s series on the road against the Rome Emperors, the switch-hitting 21-year-old went 8-for-18 (.444) with four home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one walk, and five strikeouts. Three of those four homers came in a doubleheader at AdventHealth Stadium on Thursday.

After accounting for the only scoring with an early two-run double in Sunday’s win over Rome, Castro is now riding a six-game hitting streak. In 10 games this month, he has gone 14-for-39 (.359) with seven home runs. On the 2024 season as a whole, he has batted .239/.365/.434 with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 35 RBIs, 49 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 50 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 76 games (329 plate appearances) for Greenville. That includes a .233/.324/.367 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .241/.375/.453 slash line against righties.

Among 69 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Castro ranks eighth in walk rate (15.2 percent), 31st in strikeout rate (22.8 percent), 10th in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging percentage, 15th in OPS (.799) and wRC+ (125), 17th in isolated power (.195), and 28th in line-drive rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Castro has primarily split his playing time this season between center and right field. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder has made a team-leading 41 starts in center for the Drive and has recorded three assists to one error in 83 defensive chances. In 22 starts as a right fielder, he has recorded two assists to zero errors over 41 chances.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019. He did not make his professional debut until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but was named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year that fall for his performance in the Dominican Summer League.

Since then, Castro has emerged as an intriguing prospect who has shown that he can play all three outfield positions. He can become Rule 5 eligible if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the end of the year, which makes him a potential candidate to be moved as part of a bigger deal ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

Assuming he remains in the organization for the time being, though, Castro could be in line for a promotion to Double-A Portland soon. He made the jump from Salem to Greenville during last year’s All-Star break and has held his own there, so it may be time for a new challenge.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Daniel Encarnacion earns promotion to Double-A Portland, struggles in Sea Dogs debut

The Red Sox promoted pitching prospect Juan Daniel Encarnacion from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland on Thursday, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Encarnacion got the start for Portland against the Reading Fightin Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday night. The 23-year-old right-hander did not fare well in his Double-A debut, as he surrendered seven earned runs on five hits, four walks, and one strikeout over just 2 1/3 innings of work. Only 29 of the 58 pitches he threw went for strikes.

The decision to elevate Encarnacion from Greenville comes at a time when Portland finds itself short on starting pitching depth. Within recent days, the Sea Dogs have placed fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Luis Perales, and CJ Liu on the 7-day injured list for varying reasons.

Encarnacion spent parts of three seasons (2022-2024) with Greenville and was evidently ready for a new challenge at a more advanced level. In nine starts for the Drive this year, the righty posted a 4.50 ERA and 3.54 FIP with 52 strikeouts to 13 walks over 40 innings pitched. Opposing hitters batted .250 against him.

Though some of those numbers may not necessarily jump off the page, Encarnacion did show signs of improvements in other areas — such as his command and control — while with Greenville this season compared to last. To expand further on that, he cut his walk rate from 9.2 percent to 7.5 percent and raised his strikeout rate from 22.1 percent to 29.9 percent.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Encarnacion originally signed with the Red Sox for $40,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in September 2018. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 59 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 31st among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 173 pounds, Encarnacion throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lanky hurler primarily operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 85-87 mph slider, and an 89-91 mph changeup.

Encarnacion, who just turned 23 in March, is the 13th different pitcher to start a game for the Sea Dogs this season. Friday’s outing aside, it should be interesting to see how he fares in the upper minors moving forward.

(Picture of Juan Daniel Encarnacion: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote top outfield prospect Miguel Bleis to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting top outfield prospect Miguel Bleis from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Bleis, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .257/.349/.398 with 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 43 games (195 plate appearances) for Salem to begin the 2024 season.

After undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder subluxation last summer, Bleis unsurprisingly got off to a slow start in his return to Salem this spring. He struggled to a .573 OPS through the end of April before turning a corner offensively in May by slashing .318/.408/.506. He then missed some time at the beginning of the month while recovering from a root canal but extended his hitting streak to 16 games and on-base streak to 25 games upon returning to action last week.

Among 79 qualified hitters in the Carolina League to this point in the year, Bleis ranks 18th in strikeout rate (19.5 percent), 25th in batting average, 30th in on-base percentage, 26th in slugging percentage and OPS (.747), 24th in isolated power (.140), fourth in line-drive rate (30.2 percent), and 27th in swinging-strike rate (10.9 percent) and wRC+ (121), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Bleis saw the majority of his playing time in Salem this season come in center field. The 6-foot-2, 203-pounder logged 272 innings in center while committing two errors and recording two outfield assists. He also started six games in right field, where notched an additional assist, and six at designated hitter.

Bleis, who just turned 20 in March, originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. The San Pedro de Macoris native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that July and followed that by turning heads in the 2022 Florida Complex League.

On the heels of an exciting stateside debut, Bleis came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 88 prospect in the sport. He had a tough time of things in his first go-around with Salem and slashed .230/.282/.325 over 31 games before straining his shoulder and ultimately going under the knife last June.

As such, Bleis saw his prospect stock fall somewhat over the winter but is starting to gain some of it back. A new challenge in the form of a promotion to Greenville, where he will be tasked with facing more advanced pitching, could help him further elevate his profile and get back on top-100 prospects lists.

In making the jump from Salem, Bleis is now slated to join an outfield mix in Greenville that — at the moment — includes the likes of Allan Castro, Juan Chacon, Jhostynxon Garcia, Bryan Gonzalez, Eduardo Lopez, and Miguel Ugueto, among others. He will likely make his High-A debut in the Drive’s upcoming series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field this week.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote ‘imposing’ pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to SoxProspects.com’s executive editor Chris Hatfield.

Much like fellow 2023 draftee Kristian Campbell, who is slated to make the jump to Double-A Portland from Greenville, Wehunt is also enjoying a strong start to his first full season in professional baseball. In eight starts for Salem, the 23-year-old right-hander posted a 2.16 ERA and 2.88 FIP with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks over 33 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .167 against him.

Among 62 Carolina League pitchers who had thrown at least 30 innings coming into play on Sunday, Wehunt ranked ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.88) and ERA, sixth in strikeout rate (32.4 percent), fourth in batting average against and groundball rate (56.6 percent), 14th in WHIP (1.05), 10th in FIP, and 11th in xFIP (3.10), per FanGraphs.

After spending the first three years of his collegiate career (2020-2022) at Southern Mississippi, Wehunt was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last summer’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and made one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League to mark his professional debut.

Listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has an imposing presence on the mound. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the burly righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that can reach 96 mph, an 82-85 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter.

Wehunt, who does not turn 24 until November, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 18th among pitchers in the organization. That positioning, as noted by Hatfield, is likely to improve when the site updates its rankings later this week.

In the interim, Wehunt is slated to join a crowded rotation mix in Greenville that includes Yordanny Monegro, Jedixson Paez, Dalton Rogers, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, Cooper Adams, Connelly Early, and Hayden Mullins. It also seems that David Sandlin, who has been on the injured list with right forearm tightness since May 14 but recently threw a bullpen, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (3.82 ERA in Salem) are not far behind from being included in that group.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote hard-hitting prospect Kristian Campbell to Double-A Portland

With Matthew Lugo making the jump to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox are promoting fellow prospect Kristian Campbell from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Campbell, who turns 22 later this month, is enjoying a productive first full season in pro ball after being drafted by the Red Sox out of Georgia Tech last summer. The right-handed hitter batted .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 47 strikeouts over 40 games (177 plate appearances) for the Drive to begin the 2024 campaign.

Among 70 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Campbell ranks seventh in batting average and total bases (82), third in on-base percentage and extra-base hits (21), second in slugging percentage, first in OPS (.976), fourth in isolated power (.252), and 15th in walk rate (14.7 percent), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Campbell has mainly split his playing time this season between second base and center field. The versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder did not commit an error at either position with Greenville and made one start at third base. He has prior experience at both corner outfield spots as well.

A Georgia native himself, Campbell was taken by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall selection in the 2023 amateur draft. That was the same pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the previous winter.

Campbell signed with the Red Sox for $492,700 last July and, after a brief stop in the Florida Complex League, played a pivotal role in Greenville taking home the 2023 South Atlantic League title. The 21-year-old spent most of this past offseason in Fort Myers and drew plenty of praise during spring training thanks in part to displaying eye-popping exit velocity at the plate. To that end, he is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

As is the case with Lugo in Worcester, it should be interesting to see how Campbell adjusts to more advanced competition in Portland. He nonetheless joins a stacked Sea Dogs roster that — at the moment — includes the likes of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel, Luis Perales, Wikelman Gonzalez, Nick Yorke, and Eddinson Paulino, among others.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)