Tag: miguel bleis

Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter struggle as Red Sox get shelled by Blue Jays in 16-3 loss

To put it simply, the Red Sox got rocked by the Blue Jays in Dunedin on Monday afternoon. Boston fell to Toronto by a final score of 16-3 at TD Ballpark to drop to 9-4-4 in Grapefruit League play.

Chris Murphy, making his first start and third overall appearance of the spring, did not fare well for the Red Sox. The left-hander surrendered six runs (five earned) on four hits, six walks, and zero strikeouts over just 2 1/3 innings of work. Only 24 of the 57 pitches he threw went for strikes.

The Blue Jays got to Murphy right away in their half of the first. Bo Bichette got the scoring started by crushing a one-out solo home run off the lefty. Murphy then loaded the bases on back-to-back walks and a single before recording the second out. But he was unable to escape the jam, as Addison Barger snuck an RBI single through the right side of the infield that scored Alejandro Kirk from third. Brandon Belt also attempted to score on the play, but he was thrown out at home plate by right fielder Miguel Bleis for the final out of the inning.

Despite falling behind by two runs right out of the gate, the Red Sox lineup wasted no time in mounting a rally of their own in the top of the second. With All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah starting for the Jays, Niko Goodrum led off with a single and Stephen Scott and Nick Sogard each took ball four. That ultimately loaded the bases with two outs for Bleis, who came through by roping a game-tying, two-run single to right field.

Manoah had been laboring to that point in the inning, and so the Blue Jays elected to temporarily take their starter out of the game and bring in Jackson Rees out of the bullpen. Following that pitching change, Enmanuel Valdez greeted the new reliever by plating Sogard from third on another single to right field. That gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead heading into the middle of the second.

Murphy followed by facing the minimum with the help of a double play, but his struggles to command the strike zone continued in the third. There, he again filled the bases with one out before issuing a bases-loaded walk to Orelvis Martinez, allowing Toronto to tie things up at three runs apiece. Martinez would prove to be the final batter Murphy would face, as he was given the hook in favor of fellow southpaw Cam Booser.

Booser entered with the bases still loaded and two outs to get in the third. He immediately gave up a bases-clearing single to Barger that was misplayed by Bleis in right field. As a result of Bleis’ error, all three runners Booser had inherited scored (Murphy was charged with all six runs) while Barger moved up all the way to third before being thrown out at home moments later.

The Blue Jays continued to haunt Red Sox lefties in the fourth. Brandon Walter, who took over for Booser, served up a leadoff double to Whit Merrifield that was followed by a blistering 453-foot two-run blast off the bat of Bichette (his second homer of the day), which gave Toronto a commanding 8-3 advantage.

Walter surrendered two more hits in the fourth before allowing another run to score on a Kevin Kiermaier groundout. The 26-year-old got tagged for three additional runs in the fifth on four more hits (including an RBI double from Merrifield) and a fielding error committed by second baseman Eddinson Paulino.

In the sixth, Wyatt Mills allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base before serving up a three-run home run to the pinch-hitting Andres Sosa. The same thing happened in the seventh as Mills gave up a single to Cam Eden before plunking Vinny Capra to put runners at first and second. He then made way for Durbin Feltman, who filled the bases with two outs before issuing yet another bases-loaded walk to Davis Schneider.

That sequence of events put Toronto up, 16-3. Feltman wrapped up an otherwise miserable day for Boston pitching by working his way around a leadoff double in a scoreless eighth inning in which he struck out a pair.

Offensively, the only real damage the Red Sox did came in the second inning. Outside of that lone productive frame, Boston batters were completely shut out by Manoah and the rest of Toronto’s pitching staff. When down to their final three outs in the ninth, Max Ferguson drew a leadoff walk before Marcelo Mayer, Matthew Lugo, and Gilberto Jimenez each went down swinging against Yosver Zulueta to put the finishing touches on a 16-3 loss.

Other worthwhile observations:

Bleis (1-for-2 with two RBIs) was one of three Red Sox hitters to record a hit on Monday. The 19-year-old outfielder is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Valdez, who had one of the other two hits and the only other RBI, is currently ranked 19th on the publication’s list.

Next up: Pivetta vs. Lorenzen

The Red Sox will travel to Lakeland to take on the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. Nick Pivetta is slated to get the start for Boston opposite fellow righty Michael Lorenzen for Detroit.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time. The game will not be televised.

(Picture of Chris Murphy: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox have No. 10 farm system in baseball, per Baseball America’s latest organizational rankings

According to Baseball America’s latest organizational talent rankings, the Red Sox have one of the top farm systems in baseball heading into the 2023 season.

Baseball America ranked the Red Sox 10th in its annual rankings. Each year, the publication “looks at the totality of a farm system’s talent, with an emphasis on top prospects but also factoring in the depth of the organization’s prospect ranks.”

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have steadily climbed Baseball America’s organizational rankings since Chaim Bloom took over as the club’s chief baseball officer in October 2019. Bloom inherited a farm system that finished dead last (30th) in 2019. They were ranked 20th in both 2020 and 2021 before making the jump to No. 11 last year. This time around, the organization cracked the publication’s top-10.

“Slowly but surely, Boston’s system is improving,” Baseball America wrote. “The group isn’t deep, but it’s led by near-ready first baseman Triston Casas and talented shortstop Marcelo Mayer. Breakout prospect Ceddanne Rafaela and toolsy wunderkind Miguel Bleis add upside to the system, and Japanese import Masataka Yoshida gives Boston a plug-and-play outfielder for its new-look lineup.”

In January, the Red Sox landed five players on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list. Mayer is currently ranked 10th, Casas is ranked 28th, Rafaela is ranked 71st, Yoshida is ranked 87th, and Bleis is ranked 88th.

That Yoshida is considered by the publication to be a prospect is certainly interesting when you consider the fact that he is 29 years old, played in Japan for seven seasons, and signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Boston in December. Other experts within the industry, such as Keith Law of The Athletic, do not view Yoshida as a prospect even though he is a rookie with no major-league experience.

Taking that into consideration, though, Yoshida will likely graduate from his prospect status before long since he projects to be Boston’s starting left fielder. The same can be said for Triston Casas after the 23-year-old first baseman debuted last September. Right-hander Brayan Bello, who pitched 57 1/3 innings last season, has already graduated from his prospect status after exceeding his rookie limits in 2022.

Finishing in front of the Red Sox in this year’s preseason organizational rankings are the Orioles, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Guardians, Mets, Rays, Nationals, Reds, and Cardinals. Rounding out the top-15 are the Pirates, Rangers, Brewers, Rockies, and Yankees. The only other American League East team not yet mentioned, the Blue Jays, were ranked 17th.

(Picture of Wilyer Abreu, Matthew Lugo, and Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer forges bonds with English- and Spanish-speaking teammates on back fields of Fenway South

One day before the Red Sox took on Northeastern in their spring opener at JetBlue Park on Friday, three of the organization’s top prospects were in the spotlight on the back fields of the Fenway South Complex in Fort Myers.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, infielder Marcelo Mayer was joined by outfielders Miguel Bleis and Roman Anthony behind an L-screen while waiting to jump into the box for live batting practice as part of a minor-league mini-camp on Thursay.

Mayer, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system. Bleis — who turns 19 on Wednesday — and Anthony — who turns 19 in May — come in at No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Both Mayer (No. 10) and Bleis (No. 88) are included in the publication’s top 100 prospects list as well.

Of the three, Mayer has the most professional experience. The left-handed hitting shortstop split the 2022 season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville and batted .280/.399/.489 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, 61 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases over 91 games and 424 plate appearances. He is arguably the top hitting prospect in the system and is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Bleis, who has been tabbed as Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers, is in a similar position to where Mayer was at this time last year since he is preparing to make the jump to full-season ball in 2023. The right-handed hitter out of the Dominican Republic enjoyed an all-around great year in the Florida Complex League by slashing .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases in 40 games (167 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. He consistently made hard contact and would have received a late-season promotion to Salem were it not for a minor back injury.

Anthony was who the Red Sox selected with the 79th overall pick in last year’s draft. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) product signed with the club for $2.5 million. He showed flashes of his potential in the Florida Complex League by hitting .429/.475/.486 in 10 games before slowing down in Salem (.189/.279/.243 line in 10 more games) to close out his debut season. Like Bleis, Anthony is expected to be in Salem’s everyday outfield mix to start the year.

“The trio represents part of an impressive group of young players who have a chance to transform the big-league roster a few years down the road,” Speier wrote of Mayer, Bleis, and Anthony. “The most noteworthy part of the afternoon was not what the players did on the field in a practice setting but how they interacted with each other.”

Mayer, a native of Southern California, is bilingual (his mother is from Mexico). As such, he has the ability to engage and connect with both English- and Spanish-speaking teammates. It also helps that he has been described by Red Sox officials and players as “a natural leader.”

On Thursday, Mayer put his fluency in the two languages on full display. According to Speier, he “happily pinballed between Anthony and a small group of English-speaking teammates and Bleis and other Spanish-speaking teammates, breaking down pitch types in English in one moment and then playfully turning around to take some righthanded dry swings (Mayer is a left-handed hitter) while coaxing Bleis (a right-handed hitter) to show off his left-handed hacks.”

It may not carry much significance at present, but as noted by Speier, these kinds of interactions offer a glimpse of what the next homegrown core for the Red Sox could look like in the not-so-distant future.

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

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’ 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)

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis is currently ‘generating the most buzz’ in Boston’s farm system

It is no secret that Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis is having a strong season down in the Florida Complex League.

Following a 1-for-4 showing in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the FCL Pirates in Bradenton, the right-handed hitting Bleis is now batting .301/.353/.542 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 45 strikeouts across 39 games (167 plate appearances) with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate.

Among qualified FCL hitters, Bleis ranks 11th in batting average, 33rd in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS (.895), third in isolated power (.242), first in extra-base hits (23), and fourth in stolen bases, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Bleis made his 36th start of the season in center field on Thursday. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder has logged 310 1/3 innings at the position while racking up five outfield assists. He also got his first taste of right field on Tuesday.

Still just 18 years old, Bleis originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million as an international free-agent coming out of the Dominican Republic last January. The San Pedro de Macoris native opened the 2022 season as Boston’s 20th-ranked prospect but has since moved up to No. 6 in Baseball America’s latest rankings.

Earlier Thursday evening, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall tweeted that Bleis is “the prospect generating the most buzz in the Red Sox system right now,” citing that “his batted ball data is off the charts.”

“Multiple scouts have told me he’s easily the best player in the FCL and a true five-tool talent,” tweeted Cundall, who added that Bleis could start garnering top-100 prospect consideration as soon as this winter.

Bleis, who does not turn 19 until next March, is regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 5 prospect in the organization. The site best describes him as having “the highest upside of any Latin American prospect in the system.”

Taking into account how much success Bleis has enjoyed in his first professional season stateside, one would have to think the speedster could be on the verge of earning a late-season promotion to Low-A Salem. To say that would be exciting is an understatement.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis catching fire in Florida Complex League

Like right-hander Luis Perales, Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis has also been opening eyes and turning heads in the Florida Complex League this summer.

Last week, Bleis appeared in four games for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and went 8-for-17 (.471) at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, three runs scored, four stolen bases, zero walks, and four strikeouts. Both of those homers came in the same game against the FCL Rays in Port Charlotte on July 11.

As a result of all that production, Bleis was included in Baseball America’s latest Hot Sheet — which highlights the game’s 20 hottest prospects from the previous week — on Tuesday.

“One of the top young talents in Boston’s system, Bleis started a little slow out of the gate this season but has been on fire in July,” Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes wrote. “He’s a speedy center fielder with a knack for the barrel and solid plate approach considering his age and level. His in-game power is starting to show, with strong exit velocity numbers that would compare well against a majority of major-league hitters.”

After batting just .156 through the first two weeks of the FCL season, the right-handed-hitting 18-year-old has since turned things around and is now slashing .298/.337/.511 (124 wRC+) with seven doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, five walks, and 25 strikeouts over 24 games spanning 101 trips to the plate.

Among qualified FCL hitters, Bleis ranks 13th in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in OPS (.847), ninth in isolated power (.213), fourth in speed score (9.2), fifth in line-drive rate (29.2%), and 18th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder has seen all of his playing time come at center field so far this season. He has logged 195 1/3 innings at the position and has yet to record an error while also registering a team-high of four outfield assists.

The Red Sox originally signed Bleis as an international free-agent out of the Dominican Republic last January. Boston gave the San Pedro de Macoris native a lucrative $1.5 million bonus, making him the highest-paid member of its 2021 signing class.

Since then, Bleis — who does not turn 19 until next March — has played in both the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues and is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Bleis is best described by SoxProspects.com as having “the highest upside of any Latin American prospect in the system,” and it’s easy to see why. Between the athleticism, the potential, and the talent, Bleis will more than likely emerge as a top-100 prospect in baseball sooner rather than later.

In the near-term, Bleis could very well earn a promotion to Low-A Salem before long if he continues to impress down in Fort Myers. That would certainly be an exciting development within the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Bryan Green/Flickr)

What to expect from Red Sox outfield prospect Armando Sierra heading into 2022 season

It was exactly 14 months ago Tuesday when the Red Sox signed outfielder Armando Sierra for $150,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic.

Although he was not the headliner of Boston’s 2021 international signing class (hello, Miguel Bleis), Sierra still received some attention from evaluators within the industry.

Last April, Baseball America’s Ben Badler identified Sierra as a potential sleeper prospect within the Sox’ international ranks, noting that the then-17-year-old had “an advanced approach to hitting for his age” as well as the ability to hit for power.

As a follow-up to that, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero all but confirmed Badler’s observations in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“Armando was a player we scouted later on in his signing year. After scouting him a few times, he stood out for his strong frame and his power,” Romero said at the time. “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.”

In the months following his signing, Sierra continued to work out at the Sox’ Dominican academy in El Toro before making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last July.

Across 53 games for the club’s DSL Blue affiliate, the young right-handed hitter batted a respectable .284/.373/.379 (117 wRC+) to go along with 10 doubles, two home runs, 35 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 21 walks, and 41 strikeouts over 193 plate appearances.

Against left-handed pitching, Sierra slashed .296/.424/.370. Against right-handed pitching, he slashed .284/.365/.383 with both of his home runs and 33 of his 35 runs driven in.

Among all Dominican Summer League hitters who made at least 190 trips to the plate last year, Sierra ranked 27th in batting average, 48th in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, 51st in OPS (.752), and 54th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Sierra was labeled as a corner infielder even before signing with Boston. In his introductory course to pro ball, the 6-foot-2, 189 pounder logged 95 innings in left field and 115 innings in right while recording a total of two outfield assists. He also appeared in eight games (seven starts) as a first baseman.

Shortly before the 2021 DSL summer came to a close last fall, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall wrote in September that Sierra’s “power potential is impressive. He is a below-average athlete and does not project to add much defensive value, but he has big-time raw power. He gets his whole body into his swing, but there are significant questions with his hit tool that could limit his power utility against more advanced pitching.” 

Sierra, who turned 18 in January, is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Given his age, the Sabana Grande de Palenque presumably still has room to grow physically and as a baseball player.

SoxProspects.com projects that Sierra will return to the Dominican Summer League for the start of the 2022 minor-league season. That being said, a promotion to the Florida Complex League later in the year certainly seems plausible.

(Picture of Red Sox cap: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Red Sox catching prospect Enderso Lira ‘showed promise both offensively and defensively’ in Dominican Summer League last year

Of the 30 free agents the Red Sox have signed during the 2020-2021 international signing period, only one is listed as a catcher.

That catching prospect would be none other than Enderso Lira, who signed with Boston for approximately $850,000 last winter, making him the second-highest paid member of the club’s international signing class behind only Miguel Bleis.

At the time of his signing, Lira — then 17 — was heralded by Baseball America as one of the top young catchers to come out of Venezuela. With the help of signing scout Angel Escobar, he officially inked his first professional contract on January 15 and subsequently made his way to the Sox’ Dominican academy in El Toro.

A little less than six months after signing, Lira made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League on July 13 — batting third and starting behind the plate for the DSL Red Sox Red affiliate in their contest against the DSL Royals Blue.

From that point forward, the right-handed hitting backstop proceeded to slash .246/.414/.336 with seven doubles, three triples, 15 RBIs, 16 runs scored, one stolen base, 32 walks, and 18 strikeouts over 41 games spanning 162 plate appearances.

Among hitters in the Dominican Summer League who made at least 160 trips to the plate last year, Lira ranked 10th in walk percentage (19.8%), 17th in strikeout percentage (11.1%), 26th in on-base percentage, and 57th in wRC+ (125), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, 32 of Lira’s 41 appearances last season came at catcher. In the process of logging 246 2/3 innings behind the plate, the San Felipe native was credited with 225 putouts, 34 assists, eight errors committed, three double plays turned, and four passed balls allowed. He also threw out 27 of the 70 (39%) of the base runners who attempted to steal against him.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Lira — like most prospects his age — still has plenty of room to grow both on and off the field. The 18-year-old is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 32 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among catchers in the organization.

Back in September, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall identified Lira as “the most intriguing position player prospect in the DSL” besides the aforementioned Bleis.

“Lira has a great frame for a catcher, with projection remaining, and is athletic enough that one scout suggested to me he could even handle third base if he outgrows catcher,” Cundall wrote. “He has looked good behind the plate though and has an above-average arm already.

“Offensively, he has a very advanced approach for his age,” added Cundall. “His swing is short and direct, and he has quick hands. Right now, he mostly hits hard line drives, but he should grow into some power in the future, especially given his frame.”

As alluded to by Cundall, the Red Sox have had a tough time as of late when it comes to developing catchers. The additions of Lira and 2021 fifth-round draft pick Nathan Hickey could change the club’s fortunes in that area, though.

On that note, Lira — who does not turn 19 until October — is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 season as the Sox’ top backstop in the Florida Complex League.

(Picture of Enderso Lira via his Instagram)

Reviewing the 2021 season Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis had in the Dominican Summer League

With the 2021-2022 international signing period opening later this week, now feels like as good as time as any to look back at what the Red Sox were doing around this time last year.

It was one year ago next Saturday when the Sox made Miguel Bleis the highest-paid member of their 2020-2021 international signing class, as they inked the Dominican-born outfield prospect to a lucrative $1.8 million deal.

Officially signed by Jonathan Cruz on January 15, Bleis received plenty of praise heading into his first season in the pro ranks.

In an appearance on the SoxProspects.com podcast in February, Red Sox executive vice president and assistant general manager Eddie Romero described Bleis as “premium center field talent” who possesses all five tools and is “extremely exciting.”

After celebrating his 17th birthday in March and continuing to develop at the club’s academy in El Toro, Bleis made his highly-anticipated professional debut in the Dominican Summer League on July 27.

Across 36 games spanning 136 plate appearances for the DSL Red Sox Red affiliate, the right-handed hitting outfielder batted a solid .252/.331/.420 to go along with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 17 RBIs, 17 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 12 walks, and 25 strikeouts.

When going up against right-handed pitching, Bleis slashed .269/.361/.398. Against left-handed pitching those numbers dipped down to .095/.091/.238, though it was a much more limited sample.

Among hitters in the Dominican Summer League who racked up at least 130 trips to the plate last year, Bleis ranked 65th in slugging percentage, 53rd in isolated power (.168), and 160th in wRC+ (109), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Bleis made all 34 of his defensive appearances in center field in 2021. He committed a total of four errors and recorded seven outfield assists as well as one double play while logging 245 1/3 innings at the position.

Currently listed at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Bleis obviously still has room to grow both physically and developmentally. The San Pedro de Macoris native does not turn 18 for another two months.

Taking that sort of projection into consideration, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall wrote back in September that even though Bleis “is still early in his career,” he has already garnered positive reviews from scouts. One scout even told Cundall that Bleis “is the real deal.”

Coming into the new year, Bleis is presently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 campaign in the rookie-level Florida Complex League in Fort Myers and would presumably attract a lot of attention going stateside.

(Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)