Tag: greenville drive

Red Sox’ Tyler Miller named South Atlantic League Player of the Week

Red Sox corner infield prospect Tyler Miller has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of April 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Miller appeared in five of High-A Greenville’s six games against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field this past week. The left-handed hitting 24-year-old went 9-for-18 (.500) with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs, four runs scored, one walk, and zero strikeouts.

After recording just two hits in his first two starts of the series, Miller went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs on Friday. He stroked three more hits, including a solo homer, on Saturday before singling and scoring a run on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to five games.

Miller, who is repeating at High-A to begin the season after spending all of 2023 with Greenville, has gotten his 2024 campaign off to an encouraging start. The left-handed hitting 24-year-old is currently batting .305/.349/.492 with five doubles, two home runs, seven runs driven in, 11 runs scored, four walks, and nine strikeouts over 16 games (63 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Among 88 qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Miller currently ranks seventh in batting average, 33rd in on-base percentage, ninth in slugging percentage, 17th in OPS (.841), 21st in isolated power (.186), eighth in strikeout rate (14.3 percent), third in line-drive rate (32.7 percent), 34th in swinging-strike rate (11.4 percent), and 18th in wRC+ (145), per FanGraphs.

Much like Blaze Jordan, who took home Eastern League Player of the Week honors for Double-A Portland on Monday, Miller has made eight starts at both first and third base for Greenville this year. The 6-foot-1, 193-pounder has committed just one error (at third base) in 83 total defensive chances between the two corner spots thus far.

Unlike Jordan, Miller is not regarded by publications such as Baseball America as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. The Alabama native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn University. He signed with the club for $157,800 and put up strong numbers in his debut season (.934 OPS in 27 games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem) but has yet to graduate past the High-A level.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Miller — who does not turn 25 until December — can keep producing the way he has for Greenville and possibly make the jump to Portland later this year. He would probably benefit from someone with a similar profile, like Jordan, earning a promotion of his own.

(Picture of Tyler Miller: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Isaac Stebens to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Isaac Stebens from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Stebens, 22, was taken by Boston in the 16th round of last year’s draft out of Oklahoma State. The Stillwater native signed for $150,000, but he did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate after logging 64 1/3 innings and earning NCBWA third-team All-American honors in his lone season with the Cowboys.

Instead, Stebens made his professional debut in Salem earlier this month. The right-hander appeared in six games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits, four walks, and 14 strikeouts over 11 innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .179 batting average against. He also converted three of four save opportunities.

Listed at 6-feet and 194 pounds, Stebens has a unique delivery in which he throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a minimal leg kick. He primarily operates with a sinking low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph as well as a high-70s slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Stebens, who does not turn 23 until December, is the third member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville so far this season. In that regard, he joins 12th-rounder Max Carlson and 18th-rounder Zach Fogell, though Carlson was sent back down to Salem on Tuesday after appearing in just one game for the Drive.

(Picture of Isaac Stebens: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Jonathan Brand to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Jonathan Brand from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Brand, 24, has yet to allow an earned run in six appearances for Greenville this season. The right-hander has given up just one unearned run on eight hits and three walks to go along with 18 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average against.

Brand was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Miami University (Ohio). The Georgia native had committed to go to Auburn University as a graduate transfer, but he forwent that commitment by signing with Boston for just $7,500.

Since making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League in August 2022, Brand owns a career 1.90 ERA (2.90 FIP) in 37 total appearances (52 innings) across three different minor-league levels. That includes a 2.58 ERA (3.52 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 14 walks in 29 relief outings (38 1/3 innings) for Low-A Salem last year.

Despite those impressive numbers, Brand is still not viewed as a top pitching prospect within Boston’s farm system. Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 5-foot-9, 200-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a medium leg kick in his delivery. He operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-90 mph fastball, a 74-76 mph curveball, an 80-82 mph slider, and an 80-82 mph changeup.

It remains to be seen if Brand’s first stint with Portland will be a short or long-lived one. Regardless, he takes the place of lefty Brendan Cellucci — who was promoted to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday — in the Sea Dogs’ bullpen.

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

Red Sox sign former Padres draft pick Adam Smith to minor-league deal, assign him to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have purchased the contract of right-hander Adam Smith from the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League, per an announcement from the club.

Smith had just signed with Evansville in early March, so his tenure there did not last too long. The 23-year-old righty is a former 2021 14th-round draft selection of the Padres out of UNC Wilmington who spent the first three seasons of his professional career with San Diego before being released in December.

As was the case in 2022, Smith spent the entirety of the 2023 campaign with the Padres’ High-A affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind. In 30 appearances for the TinCaps, Smith posted a 5.83 ERA and 4.49 FIP with 35 strikeouts to 21 walks over 41 2/3 innings of relief.

A native of West Chester, Pa., Smith spent his offseason working out at Ascent Athlete, a facility in nearby Garnet Valley. While there, “he made some changes to get to a more natural delivery and improve on his pitch shapes. Dropping his arm slot allowed him to unlock a whole new approach to pitching.”

According to a recent Instagram post from Ascent Athlete, Smith averaged 93.6 mph and topped out at 96.1 mph with his fastball. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound hurler also developed an “elite sweeper with some insane movement” and a changeup that “plays as a second out pitch” to both left- and right-handed hitters.

Smith, who turns 24 next month, has been assigned to High-A Greenville and will presumably contribute out of the bullpen for the Drive. With that, it should be interesting to see how he fares with a revamped pitch mix in his return to affiliated ball.

(Picture of Adam Smith: UNC Wilmington Athletics)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Max Carlson to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Max Carlson from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Carlson, 22, has made three appearances out of the Salem bullpen to begin his first full professional season. The right-hander has allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks to go along with 14 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings of relief. That translates to a 5.40 ERA, though he owns a more favorable 3.60 FIP and 2.98 xFIP.

A native of Minnesota, Carlson was selected by Boston in the 12th round of last year’s draft out of the University of North Carolina. The former Tar Heel was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 385 prospect in his class. He signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 and made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League, tossing a scoreless sixth inning in his lone outing of the year.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Carlson throws from a three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a full wind-up in his delivery. The righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-93 mph that tops out at 95 mph, a whiff-inducing changeup that sits in the low-80s, and an infrequently-used 81-84 mph slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Carlson, who does not turn 23 until September, is the second member of Boston’s 2023 draft class to earn a promotion in as many weeks. Lefty Zach Fogell, the club’s 18th-round pick out of Connecticut, also made the jump from Salem to Greenville last Friday.

In addition to promoting Carlson, the Red Sox added outfielder Kelvin Diaz to Salem’s roster from extended spring training. Diaz, 21, stole 21 bases in 48 Florida Complex League games last season. He originally signed with Boston for $300,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Zach Fogell to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Zach Fogell from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MiLB.com’s transactions log.

Fogell, 23, appeared in just two games for Salem to start the 2024 minor-league season. The left-hander allowed two hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average against.

A native of Rhode Island, Fogell was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last year’s amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He signed with Boston for $150,000 and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League before first arriving in Salem last August.

Since entering the pro ranks a little less than nine months ago, Fogell has yet to surrender an earned run in seven total appearances (10 innings) between the FCL and Salem. He also got into a pair of major-league spring training games earlier this year and did not give up a run in 1 1/3 innings there, either.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. The southpaw operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball with late sink, an 88-90 mph changeup with arm-side run, and a sweepy 80-82 slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Fogell, who turns 24 in July, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He joins fellow 2023 draftees Kristian Campbell, Connelly Early, Caden Rose, and Cade Feeney on Greenville’s active roster.

In addition to promoting Fogell to Greenville, the Red Sox added right-hander Trennor O’Donnell to Salem’s roster from extended spring training. Like Fogell, O’Donnell was drafted in the eighth round last year but has yet to make his professional debut.

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

Red Sox OF prospect Caden Rose homers in professional debut

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Caden Rose recorded the first hit and home run of his professional career on one swing of the bat.

Rose, who has been assigned to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign, rode the bench in the Drive’s season opener against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday but got the start in left field at First National Bank Field on Saturday night.

Batting out of the seven-hole, Rose struck out swinging in each of his first two plate appearances before stepping up again with two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning. Matched up against lefty reliever Jaden Woods, the right-handed hitting Rose worked a 2-0 count and then crushed a solo shot to the berm in left-center field.

With that, Rose notched his first homer of the season and his first as a pro. The 22-year-old later lined out in his final plate appearance Saturday before going 0-for-3 with a walk while patrolling center field in Sunday’s series finale. The Drive lost both of those games and are now 1-2 to start their South Atlantic League title defense.

To summarize, Rose is 1-for-7 (.143) with one home run, one RBI, one run scored, one walk, and two strikeouts to kick off the young season. The University of Alabama product is getting his first taste of affiliated action after being selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round (208th overall pick) of last July’s amateur draft.

A native of Alabama himself, Rose signed with Boston for $150,000 after spending three years in Tuscaloosa. Because of injuries to his shoulder and hamstring sustained earlier in the spring, Rose did not appear in any minor-league games for the Red Sox in 2023 and instead spent his time rehabbing at the club’s JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.

Despite playing hurt, however, Rose still put together a solid junior season in which he batted .261/.383/.503 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 45 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 48 games (186 plate appearances) for the Crimson Tide. He was then named to the 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team after Alabama made it to the super regionals.

“Obviously you come in right after you get drafted and you want to play and showcase your abilities,” Rose told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last September. “But that’s something I just wasn’t in the spot to do when I got drafted. I dealt with some injuries this year that I played on throughout the season and kind of just made them worse. So the best thing for me and my future was to come down here and rehab. And that’s what I’ve done. I’m fired up to get back out there next year.”

Standing at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Rose has past experience at both second base and shortstop but figures to stick in the outfield to begin his pro career. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Rose has a “solid defensive profile” and “the combination of instincts and quickness teams look for in center field.” He also has “sneaky pop for his size, “above-average speed,” and “leaves it all on the field.”

Rose, who does not turn 23 until October, is part of a crowded outfield mix in Greenville that includes the likes of Allan Castro, Kristian Campbell, Juan Chacon, Miguel Ugueto, Eduardo Lopez, and Bryan Gonzalez. He is already one of three players to make their pro debuts for the Drive so far this season, joining righties Cooper Adams and Conor Steinbaugh.

(Picture of Caden Rose: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Eduardo Lopez homers on first pitch he sees this spring

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Eduardo Lope left a strong impression by homering in his first at-bat of the spring.

Called up from minor-league camp for Sunday’s split-squad Grapefruit League contest against the Yankees at JetBlue Park, Lopez came into the game in the top half of the sixth inning as a defensive replacement for starting left fielder Jarren Duran.

An inning and a half later, Lopez stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Hitting from the left side, the switch-hitting 21-year-old wasted little time introducing himself to Yankees pitching prospect Clayton Beeter, as he promptly drilled the first pitch he saw from the righty over the visitor’s bullpen in deep right field for his first-ever home run in a major-league spring training game.

By going deep in his first and only plate appearance of the afternoon, Lopez gave the Red Sox a commanding nine-run lead as they went on to defeat the Yankees by a final score of 12-6.

Unlike other minor-leaguers who have made cameos for the Sox in Grapefruit League action this spring, Lopez is not currently viewed as one of the premier prospects in the organization. The Dominican Republic native was Boston’s top international signing in 2018, as he received a $1.15 million bonus to go pro that July. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June and showed signs of promise there but has not yet lived up to his potential.

That, in part, is due to how often Lopez has been injured. The 2020 minor-league season being wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly did not help things, but Lopez has been hindered by different issues since making his stateside debut three years ago. He was limited to just 11 games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2021 “due to an unspecified injury that may have been to his left hand/wrist,” according to SoxProspects.com. He returned to Salem in 2022 but made three separate trips to the injured list altogether there.

Last season actually represented a breakthrough of sorts for Lopez as he played in a career-high 79 games at High-A Greenville. In those 79 games, he held his own by batting .261/.356/.384 with 16 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 45 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 42 walks, and 81 strikeouts over 315 plate appearances for the Drive before being shut down in early September.

Though his offensive production tapered off to some degree in the second half, it was nonetheless a solid 2023 season for Lopez. Among those in the South Atlantic League who made at least 300 trips to the plate last year, Lopez ranked 15th in walk rate (13.3 percent), 19th in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, 35th in OPS (.740), 28th in line-drive rate (20.8 percent), 36th in swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), and 33rd in wRC+ (107), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, as he has throughout his career, Lopez saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Greenville. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder logged 147 innings in left, 218 2/3 innings in center, and 229 innings in right while committing a total of three errors in 130 chances. He also made one start at first base last July, which is something he had never done before then.

Lopez, who turns 22 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. With that being said, it may be tough for Lopez to find at-bats if he is behind the likes of Roman Anthony, Corey Rosier, Phillip Sikes, and others on the Sea Dogs’ outfield depth chart to open the year.

(Picture of Eduardo Lopez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Despite being unranked by MLB Pipeline, Kristian Campbell earns spot on Red Sox’ Spring Breakout roster

Of the 18 position-playing prospects on the Red Sox’ roster for this weekend’s inaugural Spring Breakout matchup against the Braves at JetBlue Park, Kristian Campbell is the only one who is not currently ranked by MLB Pipeline.

Campbell is one of four 2023 draftees to make the cut for Boston, joining the likes of first-rounder Kyle Teel, second-rounder Nazzan Zanetello, and third-rounder Antonio Anderson. The 21-year-old was, of course, taken by the Red Sox with the 132d overall selection last July, which is the pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the prior offseason.

As a result of being redshirted his freshman year, Campbell played just one season at Georgia Tech before going pro as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native signed with Boston for $492,700 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

In eight games with the FCL Red Sox, Campbell went 9-for-23 (.391) with two doubles, one triple, two RBIs, four runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks, and five strikeouts. The right-handed hitter then received a promotion to High-A Greenville on August 24, meaning he would be skipping the Low-A level altogether.

With Greenville, Campbell batted .267/.400/.422 with two more doubles, one more triple, the first home run of his young career, three runs driven in, five runs scored, one stolen base, and seven strikeouts over 14 games (55 plate appearances) to close out the regular season. He then recorded a pair of three-hit games in the playoffs while helping the Drive take home their first South Atlantic Title since 2017.

“The lights were not too bright for him,” Greenville manager Iggy Suarez said of Campbell last September. “First year in pro ball, first season, and he’s in the thick of things. The bigger the moment, he embraced it and he wanted it. It’s almost a veteran approach.”

Including the postseason, Campbell slashed a stout .350/.469/.538 with five doubles, two triples, two homers, 11 RBIs, 12 runs scored, three stolen bases, 11 walks, and 21 strikeouts across 26 total games between the FCL and Greenville last year. The versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder put up those numbers while making starts at second base and both corner outfield spots.

“I was listed as an infielder, mainly a middle infielder, but I can also play the outfield,” Campbell told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last fall. “At Georgia Tech, I just played second base. I’ve always taken reps in the outfield during batting practice and stuff. So it’s always come kind of natural.”

Campbell, who does not turn 22 until late June, got into his first big-league spring training game on February 25 and struck out in his only plate appearance after taking over in center field for top prospect Roman Anthony. He is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign.

Despite not being ranked by MLB Pipeline at the moment, Campbell did receive some attention from Baseball America last month. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who also compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for BA, wrote that Campbell was drafted where he was “based not only on his combination of bat-to-ball skills, strike-zone discipline, and plus speed but also a sense that he could add to his profile with strength gains and by getting exposure to the outfield, where his speed is an asset.”

To that end, Campbell should get the opportunity to showcase such skills when he and his fellow Red Sox prospects take on their peers from the Braves in Fort Myers on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time and the seven-inning exhibition will be broadcasted on NESN.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz focused on his own development in 2023

Despite dealing with elbow issues last year, Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz still enjoyed a relatively productive 2023 season with Low-A Salem.

Rodriguez-Cruz made 14 starts for Salem, which is where he ended his first full professional season in 2022. In 2023, the 20-year-old right-hander posted a 2.60 ERA and 4.37 FIP with 51 strikeouts to 27 walks over 55 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average against.

Prior to the major-league All-Star break in mid-July, Rodriguez had gone 6-2 with a 2.53 ERA (4.45 FIP) in his first 12 outings (53 1/3 innings) of the season. He was then placed on Salem’s injured list on July 21 with right elbow inflammation and did not return to action until the first of September.

Rodriguez-Cruz made two more starts for Salem before the minor-league campaign drew to a close and went an inning in each, allowing one earned run on two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. He later told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith at the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers that he thought his season “went well.”

“Nobody expects to be injured but besides that, I started the season strong,” Rodriguez-Cruz said. “I feel like I was doing great. I was developing some stuff the organization wants me to do. I feel like I was doing all those things.”

Among the 111 pitchers who tossed 50 or more innings in the Carolina League last year, Rodriguez-Cruz most notably ranked 33rd in batting average against, 42nd in WHIP (1.27), 36th in groundball rate (48.3 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez-Cruz was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (105th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The Trujillo Alto native forwent his commitment to the University of Oregon by signing with Boston for $497,500 as a 17-year-old that July.

Since debuting in the rookie-level Florida Complex League the following June, Rodriguez-Cruz has compiled a 2.31 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 93 strikeouts to 42 walks over 27 total appearances (24 starts) spanning 93 2/3 innings in pro ball thus far.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Rodriguez-Cruz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a 76-78 mph curveball that features long, 11-to-5 break, an 86-88 mph changeup, and an 84-86 mph slider that is considered by SoxProspects.com to be a “work in progress.”

To that end, Rodriguez-Cruz indicated to Smith back in September that one of his main goals of the offseason was to build strength as he continues to fill out.

“That’s going to help me to improve velo and all that and stay healthy,” the righty explained. “I feel like working on my body is my main priority.”

Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Rodriguez-Cruz benefits from the new pitching infrastructure the Red Sox are putting in place under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Brian Abraham, Boston’s farm director, described Rodriguez-Cruz to Smith as a “development staff’s dream because he’s young, he has a live arm, he’s athletic, he’s got a good frame to put on weight, and he works hard.”

Rodriguez-Cruz — who does not turn 20 until August — is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)