Tag: mlb pipeline

Red Sox OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia recognized for productive week with Double-A Portland

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was named to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week for April 14-20 on Monday.

Garcia, Boston’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, appeared in five of Double-A Portland’s six games on the road against the Hartford Yard Goats this past week. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-19 (.474) with two doubles, one home run, five RBIs, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and two strikeouts.

Batting out of the three-hole in all five games he got into at Hartford’s Dunkin’ Park, Garcia doubled and drove in two runs on Tuesday, recorded three hits and drove in two runs on Wednesday, singled twice on Thursday, sat on Friday, went hitless on Saturday, and homered for the first time this season in Sunday’s series finale.

Through his first 11 games for the Sea Dogs in 2025, Garcia is batting .308/.429/.462 with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 11 strikeouts over 49 plate appearances. Among 84 qualified Eastern League hitters, he ranks eighth in on-base percentage, ninth in walk rate (18.4 percent) and batting average, 10th in wOBA (412), 12th in OPS (.890) and wRC+ (156), 15th in line-drive rate (28.6 percent), 20th in slugging percentage, 29th in swinging-strike rate (10.1 percent), 32nd in strikeout rate (22.4 percent), and 34th in isolated power (.154), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia has seen all his playing time to this point in the season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder has logged 99 errorless innings in center for Portland thus far, recording one outfield assist in the process of doing so. He also has past experience in the corners, with MLB Pipeline grading his field tool as a 50 and his arm tool as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native was a lesser-known prospect at this time a year ago, but he put together a breakout 2024 campaign that saw him soar from Low-A all the way to Double-A while clubbing an organizational-leading 23 home runs in 107 games.

Garcia, the older brother of Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia, was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft and subsequently took part in his first major league camp this spring. Though he was not competing for an Opening Day roster spot, the elder Garcia still had the chance to showcase himself (at the Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South games) and impress manager Alex Cora in Fort Myers.

“Good swing,” Cora said of Garcia when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) back in February. “He moves in the outfield, too. He’s a big dude, but he moves. … So he’s impressive.”

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told Smith in camp that his goal for the season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.” For as lofty as that may seem, it could become feasible if Garcia continues to produce with Portland and forces his way up to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox two-way prospect identified as potential 2025 breakout candidate

The Red Sox have several prospects who could break out in 2025, including those who have yet to make their professional debuts.

Conrad Cason, the club’s eighth-round selection in last summer’s draft, is one such name to watch. MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Sam Dykstra recently identified the two-way talent as a potential breakout candidate within Boston’s farm system this year.

Cason, 18, was taken with the 237th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Greater Atlanta Christian School. The Georgia native forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing with the Red Sox for a well over-slot $1.25 million. However, he did not play for one of Boston’s minor-league affiliates after putting pen to paper at Fenway Park on July 29.

To cap off his high school career at Greater Atlanta Christian, Cason shined as both a pitcher and a shortstop en route to earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Georgia last spring. On the mound, the right-hander posted a 0.48 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 43 2/3 innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitter batted .364/.519/.545 with three home runs, 28 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases.

As a senior, Cason flashed a three-pitch mix that consisted of a 93-95 mph fastball that reached 97-98 mph, a low-80s split-grip changeup, and a tight slider with similar velocity, per his MLB.com scouting report. The athletic 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also possesses solid speed and power potential, which he put on display while showcasing his abilities as a shortstop at the MLB Draft Combine.

Though most teams preferred him as a pitcher during the pre-draft process, the Red Sox will provide Cason with an avenue to develop on both sides of the ball at the outset of his pro career. Devin Pearson, Boston’s director of amateur scouting, made that much clear when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) shortly after Cason was drafted.

“Our group was actually a little bit split on it. We had some guys that liked him better as a pitcher and other guys that liked him better as a hitter,” Pearson said. “On both sides, you have an elite athlete who can throw 100 mph and hit balls very far. We will take that bet and see where he best fits but we’re going to develop him as a two-way player.”

Cason, who does not turn 19 until August, comes into the new year ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently projected by SoxProspects.com (which has him ranked 16th) to open the 2025 minor-league season at Low-A Salem. How his workload is managed will presumably come into focus closer to Opening Day.

(Picture of Conrad Cason via his Instagram)

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’ David Sandlin tabbed by MLB Pipeline as ‘under-the-radar’ prospect on Boston’s Spring Breakout roster

It has not even been a full month since David Sandlin was traded by the Royals to the Red Sox, yet the pitching prospect already finds himself in a unique position with his new organization.

Dealt by Kansas City in exchange for veteran reliever John Schreiber on February 17, Sandlin was included in the initial roster last week for the Sox’ inaugural Spring Breakout game against top prospects from the Braves organization at JetBlue Park this coming Saturday.

Sandlin, 23, was originally selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of the University of Oklahoma. The right-hander signed with Kansas City for $397,500 and marked his professional debut by making one appearance in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League that August.

Last year, Sandlin went 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA (3.68 FIP) and 87 strikeouts to 18 walks in 14 starts (66 2/3 innings) between Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities. He spent much of the season with Columbia, posting a 3.38 ERA (3.45 FIP) in 12 starts (58 2/3 innings) for the Fireflies before receiving a promotion to Quad Cities in late June.

After making just two starts, in which he allowed four earned runs over eighth innings, for the River Bandits, Sandlin was placed on the injured list due to a oblique strain that would ultimately cut his season short. Still, the righty showed enough promise in that stretch to stick out to interested clubs such as the Red Sox.

“He was someone we had identified early on as someone that we think is on the rise, has the makings of a legitimate starting pitcher,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said of Sandlin when speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) after the trade was made. “And I think we’ve talked for a while about our right-handed relief depth. That’s something we feel strongly about, something we feel confident in. We talked about the need — when the opportunity exists — to create more starting pitching depth. So I think this was one example of a chance to do that.”

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter. As Breslow noted last month, Sandlin has added significant velocity to his heater since entering the pro ranks nearly two years ago.

“[His] fastball as an amateur was kind of low 90s,” explained Breslow. “In pro ball, it’s been up to 98, 99. He pitches at probably 95 to 97. He has a good breaking ball and a change that we see room to optimize. So it was a combination of kind of raw stuff, projection and a chance to maybe tweak the usage a little bit and improve performance.”

To that end, Sandlin is now regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. On Wednesday, he was identified by the outlet as an “under-the-radar” prospect on the Red Sox’ Spring Breakout roster, though his status there could soon change.

When asked by Beyond the Monster’s Chris Henrique last weekend about the significance behind making the Sox’ Spring Breakout roster, Sandlin said that “it means the world to him.”

“Especially being with the team for just over a couple weeks now,” he continued. “It truly is an honor to have the chance to go out in an atmosphere that has so much talent for all the teams, to represent the Boston Red Sox organization.”

Sandlin has yet to pitch in a Grapefruit League game for the Red Sox this spring, so Saturday’s showcase against the Braves represents an opportunity for him to pitch on a major-league mound in front of a sizable crowd for the first time in his young career.

“I think what I am looking forward to the most out of this game is just being in a great atmosphere with fans in a big-league spring training park,” Sandlin told Henrique. “Playing against and with some of the most talented prospects in baseball.”

Looking beyond this weekend and assuming all goes well throughout the rest of the spring in Fort Myers, Sandlin is expected to begin the 2024 minor-league season at High-A Greenville.

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

Roman Anthony tabbed by MLB Pipeline as Red Sox’ top power-hitting prospect

Outfielder Roman Anthony has been tabbed by MLB Pipeline as the top power-hitting prospect in the Red Sox farm system heading into the 2024 season.

Anthony is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 24 prospect in baseball, trailing only shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 15) for the top spot in the organization. The 19-year-old’s power tool is graded by the outlet as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, which translates to above average.

After being selected by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Anthony enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball last year. Across 106 total games at three different minor-league levels, the left-handed hitter slashed .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 491 plate appearances.

Anthony spent the first two-plus months of the 2023 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he slashed .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run (the first of his professional career), 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games (202 plate appearances). While some of those surface-level numbers may seem uninspiring, the Red Sox were encouraged by the underlying metrics (such as swing decisions and high exit velocities) and elected to move Anthony up to High-A Greenville in early June.

With Greenville, Anthony experienced a surge in both power and striking out. He produced at a .294/.412/.569 clip with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 punchouts over 54 games (245 plate appearances) for the Drive before receiving another promotion to Double-A Portland in early September.

To close out an eventful season, Anthony batted .343/.477/.543 with four doubles, one home run, eight runs driven in, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts in a brief 10-game, 44-plate appearance sample with the Sea Dogs. Between what he did in Salem, Greenville, and Portland, Anthony was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.

Among the 12 Boston minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate in 2023, Anthony ranked second in walk rate (17.5 percent), third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.869), fourth in isolated power (.194), first in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), fourth in swinging-strike rate (8.8 percent), and first in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots last year. With Salem, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made one start in left, 14 in right, and 18 in center. With Greenville, he made four starts in right and 40 in center.  He was used exclusively in center by Portland, where he registered one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 defensive chances.

Coming off a breakout 2023, Anthony — who does not turn 20 until May — is now considered a consensus top 25 prospect in the sport. Barring a surprise, he is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season, though he could work his way to Triple-A Worcester (or even Boston) later in the year if the Red Sox continue to be aggressive with his development.

In the more immediate future, Anthony is not at big-league spring training with the Red Sox in Fort Myers even after taking part in the club’s rookie development program earlier this winter. When speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Thursday, manager Alex Cora said third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson has inquired about bringing Anthony up from minor-league camp for a few games.

“It was a hard no,” Cora said (with a laugh) after asking player development staff about Anthony. “Huddy is trying, but (player development) they’ve got their program over there, he needs to get his reps and we don’t want to take him out of that. Two at-bats here, yeah it’s great for everybody to see him play and all that, but I think there’s a lot of things going on that are more important right now for his development. So whenever they decide we can take him, we’ll take him.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Is Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis primed to break out in 2024?

The 2023 season was supposed to serve as a launching point of sorts for Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis.

Bleis, Boston’s top international signee in 2021, came into the season with high expectations after turning heads in his domestic debut the year prior. The Dominican Republic native posted a .895 OPS in 40 Florida Complex League games and was named a 2022 FCL post-season All-Star, leading to him tabbed by MLB.com’s Jim Callis as the Red Sox’ best international prospect since Rafael Devers.

On the heels of such a promising campaign, Bleis entered Baseball America’s top 100 list as the 88th-ranked prospect in the sport last January. Shortly after celebrating his 19th birthday in March, Bleis made headlines in spring training by ripping a two-run single off Alek Manoah and throwing Brandon Belt out at home in a Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Bleis broke camp with Low-A Salem in April and served as the Red Sox’ Opening Day center fielder. The right-handed hitter got off to a fast start in his first taste of full-season ball, recording at least one hit in his first seven games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. He then began to taper off to some degree as the calendar flipped from April to May and wound up missing nearly two weeks of action after injuring his left shoulder on May 11.

Upon returning to Salem’s lineup on May 23, Bleis went just 1-for-18 over his next four games before re-aggravating his left shoulder on a swing in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on May 30. Bleis, in visible pain at that moment, was immediately removed from the contest and placed on the minor-league injured list shortly thereafter.

Later diagnosed with a left shoulder subluxation, Bleis underwent season-ending surgery in late June. All told, he slashed .230/.282/.325 with three doubles, three triples, one home run, 16 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 31 games (142 plate appearances) with Salem. On the other side of the ball, the 6-foot, 170-pounder made 11 starts in center field and 13 in right, registering two outfield assists at each spot while only committing one error in 47 total defensive chances.

In the time that has passed since going under the knife, Bleis has resumed baseball activities at the Red Sox’ Dominican academy in El Toro. As noted by 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tyler Milliken, the San Pedro de Macoris product looks to be back at full strength, as he has been posting videos to Instagram of him swinging a bat throughout the offseason.

To that end, both Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe wrote in November that, based on separate conversations with Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham, Bleis should be ready for a normal spring training.

“He’s in full rehab, focusing on time in the weight room, strengthening his shoulder. He went back to the DR for a bit, was at the Dominican academy and just returned to Fort Myers,” Abraham told McCaffrey. “You never want someone to get hurt, but I think it’s a good opportunity for him to improve the mental and physical side and really put a focus on adding really good weight and strength to a body and frame that’s able to do so.”

Coming into the new year, Bleis is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 72 prospect in the sport. In similar fashion, MLB Pipeline has Bleis as its fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect as well, though the outlet excluded him from its season-ending top 100 list.

Earlier this week, MLB Pipeline picked Bleis as the Red Sox prospect most likely to break out in 2024, citing that the soon-to-be 20-year-old “is a center fielder with the potential for at least solid tools across the board.”

Because of the aforementioned shoulder surgery, Bleis’ future is somewhat clouded. As noted by Speier, who also compiles the Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, “any shoulder surgery carries some risk of altering a player’s swing and approach.” This procedure in particular, per Speier, could amplify Bleis’ tendency to be a free-swinger if it results in him losing any extension or looseness in his swing.

Regardless of the uncertainties there, Bleis still possesses five-tool potential and “franchise-changing upside.” He is expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season and — assuming he remains healthy and in the organization — should have the chance to make the jump to High-A Greenville by the end of the year.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

First MLB Pipeline mock draft of 2023 has Red Sox taking Florida righty Hurston Waldrep

The Red Sox have not used a first-round draft pick on a college pitcher since 2017. Could that change this summer?

In his first mock draft of the year for MLB.com, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline has the Red Sox taking Florida right-hander Hurston Waldrep with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft.

Waldrep, 21, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 11 draft-eligible prospect, which ranks fourth among pitchers in this year’s class. The junior righty owns a 5.07 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 102 strikeouts to 40 walks in 12 starts (65 2/3 innings) for the Gators so far this season. Opponents are batting .227 against him.

A native of Georgia, Waldrep began his college career at Southern Mississippi after going undrafted out of Thomasville High School in 2020. He compiled a 3.22 ERA in two seasons with the Golden Eagles before transferring to Florida last July.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Waldrep operates with “a legitimate three-pitch power mix, with all three offerings having the potential to be at least above-average,” per his MLB Pipeline scouting report. He sits between 95-99 mph with his four-seam fastball, which is complemented by a whiff-inducing split-changeup and an upper-80s slider.

Mechanically, there are some concerns when it comes to Waldrep’s delivery. MLB Pipeline notes that “while Waldrep is generally around the strike zone, there is a little effort in his up-tempo delivery, causing some inconsistencies with his command and control, which led to an uptick in his walk rate this spring.”

To that end, Waldrep had an uneven start for the Gators on Saturday. Going up against Texas A&M on the road, he allowed four earned runs on two hits and five walks to go along with a season-high six walks over three innings of work in a 15-2 loss to the Aggies.

Because of those aforementioned command issues, Waldrep could project as a reliever as opposed to a starter in the long-run. Even so, Waldrep will almost certainly come off the board early on account of his potential and arsenal. Whichever team drafts him will probably do so with the idea that they can help him throw strikes more consistently.

The last time the Red Sox took a college pitcher in the first round of a draft was 2017, when righty Tanner Houck was selected out of Missouri at No. 24 overall. Since Chaim Bloom took over as Boston’s chief baseball officer in late 2019, the club has exclusively drafted high school infielders (Nick Yorke, Marcelo Mayer, and Mikey Romero) with their top pick.

The Red Sox landed the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft in the first-ever MLB Draft Lottery back in December. It did not come as much of a surprise since Boston finished with the 14th-worst record in baseball last season.

The 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft, which takes place from July 9-11, comes with a slot value of $4,663,100 (up from $4,243,800 last year). The Red Sox as a team have a bonus pool of $10,295,100.

(Picture of Hurston Waldrep: James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer earns South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of May 1-7, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer went 16-for-31 (.516) at the plate with six doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, zero walks, and four strikeouts in all six of High-A Greenville’s games on the road against the Asheville Tourists last week.

After going 2-for-5 with a pair of singles in Tuesday’s series opener at McCormick Field, Mayer finished a triple shy of the cycle as part of a four-hit effort on Wednesday. The left-handed hitting shortstop then had one hit on Thursday, two hits on Friday and three hits on Saturday before closing out the weekend with another four-hit performance on Sunday afternoon.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, McCormick Field is considered to be one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in all of Minor League Baseball given its favorable dimensions. That being said, it was nonetheless an impressive week of work for Mayer.

Though his first full season in Greenville got off to a slow start, Mayer has picked things up as of late. He is now batting a stout .337/.414/.582 (161 wRC+) with 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 23 RBIs, 17 runs scored, four stolen bases, 13 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 23 games (111 plate appearances) with the Drive in 2023.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Mayer ranks eighth in batting average, 14th in on-base percentage, 10th in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.996), 17th in isolated power (.245), 23rd in strikeout rate (21.6 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (161), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field to this point in the season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder has logged 193 innings at short thus far and has committed six errors in 72 defensive chances.

Mayer, 20, is regarded by most publications as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system. As far as top-100 rankings are concerned, Baseball America has him at No. 13 while MLB Pipeline pegs him as the seventh-best prospect in the sport.

A native of Chula Vista, Calif., Mayer was originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Eastlake High School. Though he grew up a Yankees fan, Mayer forwent his commitment to Southern California and signed with Boston for a lucrative $6.664 million that July

As the Sox’ highest-selected player since 1967, Mayer entered the professional ranks with plenty of hype surrounding him. In a relatively small sample size of 140 minor-league games between the Florida Complex League, Low-A Salem, and Greenville, Mayer has shown why he is worthy of such attention.

Mayer, who does not turn 21 until December, is bilingual and has shown leadership qualities in the clubhouse. He has the ability to connect with both English- and Spanish-speaking teammates on and off the field, which only adds to his value within the organization.

As the Drive prepare to open a 12-game homestand at Fluor Field on Tuesday, more people have begun to wonder when Mayer will make the jump from Greenville to Double-A Portland. For Mayer himself, he is focused on the present as well as the challenge at hand.

“For me, I’m going out there and playing and I’m being where my feet are,” Mayer recently told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I’m not really going to be thinking about Fenway when I’m in Portland. If I’m in Portland, I’m thinking about being in Portland.

“Obviously, my goal is to be a big leaguer. I want to be there as soon as possible,” he added. “There’s a lot of great players in this organization. So it’s not as easy as just saying, ‘Oh, I want to be in the big-leagues this year.’ But I’m really excited. I worked my tail off in the offseason. I’m super excited for this season.”

Liu named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

After tossing a seven-inning no hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on Friday, Portland Sea Dogs right-hander C.J. Liu was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.

Liu, 24, becomes the second Sea Dogs pitcher to earn the honor this season, joining lefty Shane Drohan. You can read more about Liu’s stellar outing — and his 2023 campaign as a whole — by clicking here.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

David Hamilton identified by MLB Pipeline as fastest prospect in Red Sox farm system

Infielder David Hamilton has unsurprisingly been identified by MLB Pipeline as the fastest prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system heading into the 2023 season.

Hamilton, 25, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally acquired the speedster from the Brewers with infield prospect Alex Binelas and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. in the December 2021 trade that sent outfielder Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee.

After receiving his first invite to big-league spring training last year, Hamilton spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with Double-A Portland. To go along with a franchise-record 70 stolen bases, the left-handed hitter batted .251/.338/.402 with 16 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, 81 runs scored, 56 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 119 games (531 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Hamilton ended his season on a strong note by posting a 1.029 OPS in the month of September. Shortly after being named the 2022 Red Sox Minor League Baserunner of the Year, the Texas product was somewhat surprisingly added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November in order to receive protection from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

With bigger bases, pitch clocks, shift restrictions, and pickoff limits on the horizon, the Red Sox prioritized speed and elected to protect Hamilton as opposed to one of their talented pitching prospects (such as Thad Ward, A.J. Politi, and Noah Song), who were later scooped up by the Nationals, Orioles, and Phillies, respectively.

Hamilton was in major-league camp again this spring and went 7-for-24 (.292) with one double, four RBIs, three runs scored, five stolen bases, three walks, and nine strikeouts in 13 Grapefruit League games before being optioned to Triple-A Worcester on March 13.

Right around that same time, Hamilton sat down for a one-on-one interview with MLB.com’s Ian Browne in which he discussed his speed, the new rules coming to Major League Baseball, and what he wants to improve on, among other things.

When asked if the size of the bases increasing is a good thing for players such as himself, Hamilton said: “The bases by themselves, no. But I think the pitch clock, the disengagements, the bases, all that plays into it.”

When asked about what type of things he is working on to maximize his offensive potential, Hamilton said: “I’m just trying to hit more line drives, trying to stay inside the ball a little bit more and put the ball in play. I’m a fast guy, so I put pressure on the defense as soon as I’m on base.”

As a follow-up to that question, Hamilton was also asked about what a good season would look like for him this year.

“If I can just hit line drives, put more pressure on the defense, play good defense, take away runs and score runs,” said Hamilton, “that’s my game right there.”

Speaking of defense, Hamilton saw playing time at three different positions with the Sea Dogs last year. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder logged 543 2/3 innings at second base, 460 1/3 innings at shortstop, and 18 innings in center field for the first time in his professional career.

“I’ve always played short growing up, so I’m comfortable there,” Hamilton told Browne when asked about his versatility. “I like second [base]. I’ve played center. Wherever they put me, I can play.”

Hamilton, who does not turn 26 until September, is expected to open the 2023 season with the WooSox. Given the fact that he possesses 70-grade speed (using the 20-80 scouting scale) and is already on the 40-man roster, he is in position to make his major-league debut, potentially as a speed threat off the bench, at some point this year.

(Picture of David Hamilton: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Luis Perales identified by MLB Pipeline as having best fastball of any Red Sox pitching prospect

Luis Perales was recently identified by MLB Pipeline as having the best fastball of any Red Sox pitching prospect. The 19-year-old is currently regarded by the publication as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

The Red Sox originally signed Perales for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. Shortly after signing that summer, the hard-throwing right-hander was clocked at 95 mph with his heater.

Fast forward nearly four years later, and Perales is coming off a strong stateside debut in which he posted a 1.77 ERA and 3.24 FIP with 50 strikeouts to 20 walks in 13 appearances (11 starts) spanning 35 2/3 innings of work between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

Perales opened the 2022 minor-league season with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and forged a 1.08 ERA (2.31 FIP) in eight outings (seven starts, 25 innings) before earning a promotion to Salem in late August. The Guacara native closed out the year by putting up a 3.37 ERA (5.44 FIP) over 10 2/3 innings with the Red Sox of the Carolina League.

On the heels of such an impressive campaign, it is not surprising to see that Perales was tabbed by MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra as a potential breakout candidate within the Red Sox’ system heading into 2023.

“The 6-foot-1 right-hander was able to dominate the FCL and Salem in ‘22 because of his mid-90s heater that can touch 99 and features impressive ride at the top of the strike zone,” Dykstra wrote of Perales earlier this week. “[Red Sox director of player development Brian] Abraham mentioned in one extended game that 50 of Perales’ 60 pitches were fastballs, leading to only one hit and seven strikeouts over nine batters faced. He’ll need more than that if he’s going to leap in 2023, but the building blocks are there, especially with his mid-80s slider.”

Perales, who turns 20 next month, is expected to return to Salem for the start of the upcoming season. There, the 6-foot-1, 160-pounder will need to hone in on improving his command of the strike zone as he continues to adjust to more advanced competition in the minors.

“I think number one is slowing things down and really challenging the strike zone with the stuff he has,” Abraham said of Perales. “He has really good stuff. Now, we want him to challenge the strike zone, challenge hitters because it’s really hard to hit what he has. From there, it’s continuing to develop a slider and a changeup so he has a mix.”

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)