Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung Liu led Double-A Portland in strikeouts (145) last season

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung “CJ” Liu put up some of the best strikeout numbers in the entire organization last season.

Liu, 24, spent all of 2023 with Double-A Portland after closing out the 2022 campaign there. In 26 appearances (24 starts) for the Sea Dogs, the right-hander posted a 5.35 FIP and 4.71 FIP with a team-leading 145 strikeouts to 61 walks over a team-leading 114 1/3 innings of work.

After an up-and-down April, Liu made headlines by tossing a seven-inning no-hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on May 5. He then struggled to some degree as the calendar flipped from May to June and wound up spending more than a week on Portland’s development list as a result.

Upon returning to action on July 7, however, Liu put together his first double-digit strikeout game of the season, punching out 10 in seven strong innings as part of a 6-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at home. He one-upped himself in his next time out — which did not come until July 18 because of the All-Star break — by fanning a career-high of 11 over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-8 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

On the heels of racking up 21 strikeouts to kick off his July, Liu owned a respectable 4.25 ERA (4.23 FIP) through his first 16 starts (78 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Unfortunately for the righty, things began to unravel from there as he pitched to an unsightly 8.69 ERA (6.76 FIP) over his next eight starts (29 innings) before moving to Portland’s bullpen in early September.

While pitching in relief, which is something he did with High-A Greenville in 2022, Liu was at least able to end his season on a more encouraging note. He made two appearances out of the ‘pen for the Sea Dogs and allowed three earned runs on six hits, three walks, and 12 strikeouts across seven frames in which he held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average against.

All things considered, it was an inconsistent year for Liu, who gave up more walks and home runs (19) than anyone else on Portland’s staff. Still, among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Liu ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.41), third in strikeout rate (28.4 percent), fifth in groundball rate (41.4 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (16.8 percent), and seventh in xFIP (3.90), per FanGraphs. He also led the pack in batting average on balls in play (3.54), which suggests that he may have been the victim of bad luck and/or poor defense behind him.

In addition to what he did for the Sea Dogs, Liu also pitched for Team Chinese Taipei at the 2022 Asian Games (postponed a year because of COVID-19) back in October. Playing alongside former Red Sox utility man Tzu-Wei Lin, Liu made two scoreless appearances spanning five innings of relief en route to helping Chinese Taipei take home a silver medal.

Altogether, the 2023 season marked Liu’s third in pro ball after he originally with the Red Sox for $750,000 as an international free agent coming out of Taiwan in October 2019. Though a two-way player as an amateur, the Tainan City native has stuck to pitching since making his professional debut in July 2021.

Fast forward nearly three years later, and Liu now stands at 6-feet and 185 pounds. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, he — as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report — operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an 80-82 mph changeup that shows late, downward movement, an 83-86 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, and a get-me-over 78-80 mph curveball.

Liu, who turns 25 in April, was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter after being left off Boston’s 40-man roster. It was even reported that the Red Sox entertained trading Liu before the November deadline, but that obviously never came to fruition and he is still with the organization.

That being said, the same rules will apply to Liu this year. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 54 prospect in Boston’s farm system and is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season, but will likely do so as a reliever as opposed to a starter. If his stuff sticks up and he refines his approach of the bullpen, Liu could be on the fast track to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Chih-Jung Liu: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez has advanced feel, ‘remarkable’ command for his age

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez was one of just eight teenagers to throw 50 or more innings in the Carolina League last season.

Paez, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Wednesday, emerged as a steady presence on the mound for Low-A Salem in 2023. The then-19-year-old right-hander posted a 3.31 ERA and 3.69 FIP with 73 strikeouts to just 12 walks in 18 outings (16 starts) spanning 84 1/3 innings of work.

Trailing only Jose Ramirez, who has since been scooped up by the White Sox in the minor-league phase of last month’s Rule 5 Draft, for the team lead in innings pitched, Paez initially got his year off to a rough start and wound up hitting the injured list with shoulder stiffness after giving up a season-worst nine runs (six earned) in four innings as part of a 13-4 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats in April.

Upon returning to action in mid-May, however, Paez seemingly turned a corner and carried with him a 3.04 ERA (3.60 FIP) over his next 11 starts (50 1/3 innings) through the end of July. After being selected as SoxProspects.com’s Pitcher of the Month for July, the righty produced a 2.65 ERA in three August starts (17 innings) before moving to Salem’s bullpen for the season’s final stretch.

Operating in a bulk relief role in games against the Fredericksburg Nationals (Aug. 27) and Augusta GreenJackets (September 3), Paez yielded a total of three runs (two earned) on nine hits, zero walks, one hit batsman, and nine punchouts over nine frames.

Altogether, it was a solid showing for Paez, who was recognized as a 2023 SoxProspects.com All-Star. Among the 28 other pitchers who eclipsed the 80-inning threshold in the Carolina League last year, Paez ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.28) and walk rate (3.6 percent), second in WHIP (1.01) and groundball rate (49.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.228), and 10th in swinging-strike rate (14.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Paez originally signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent around this same time three years ago. The Tinaquillo native received the highest bonus ($450,000) of any pitcher Boston brought in during the 2021 signing period and made the most of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League (3.86 ERA in 13 starts) to earn organizational Latin Program Pitcher of the Year honors.

After pitching about once a week in the Florida Complex League in 2022, Paez stuck to a similar schedule with Salem last year and subsequently experienced an uptick in fastball velocity. To complement his fastball, which sits between 89-91 mph and tops out at 92 mph, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound hurler also mixes in a 76-79 mph curveball that features 10-to-5 break and an 82-84 mph changeup that shows late dive.

Paez is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 39 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. Another notable evaluator, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, tabbed Paez as his 35th-ranked Red Sox prospect over the summer and compared him to a former big-leaguer.

“Paez is Vance Worley with a shorter arm action,” Longenhagen wrote last June. “An athletic little righty with a sinking/tailing fastball that runs off the hip of lefty batters and back into the zone. He doesn’t throw very hard, he isn’t especially projectable, and he’s already liberally mixing in his secondaries just to get by in the lower levels of the minors, but Paez has remarkable command for a 19-year-old and his fastball/changeup duo diverge from his slider in a way that keeps the baseball off the barrel.”

Barring a trade or other surprising move, Paez is expected to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. As others have pointed out, Paez would benefit from adding more velocity to his arsenal as he continues to rise through the prospect ranks. Given how the Red Sox have overhauled their pitching infrastructure under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow this winter, that could be within reach.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Coffey fare in first full pro season?

Of the 13 pitchers the Red Sox drafted in 2022, no one pitched more innings in their first full professional season than 10th-round selection Isaac Coffey.

Coffey, the 309th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Oral Roberts, received a modest signing bonus of $7,500 and made just two relief appearances in the rookie-level Florida Complex League as part of his pro debut. The right-hander then broke camp with High-A Greenville last spring to kick off his 2023 campaign.

In 11 starts for the Drive, Coffey posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.90 FIP with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 60 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .223 batting average against. He recorded three double-digit strikeout games in that stretch before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland in late June.

Coffey debuted for the Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on his 23rd birthday (June 21) and put together one of his shortest outings of the year, allowing four runs over the first two-plus innings of a 5-4 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils. He rebounded to the tune of six scoreless, three-hit frames in a winning effort against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats eight days later and wound up producing a 3.92 ERA (4.93 FIP) with 72 strikeouts to 23 walks in 12 total appearances (11 starts) spanning 57 1/3 innings with Portland.

Among the 106 hurlers who accrued 50 or more innings in the Eastern League last season, Coffey ranked 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.3), 44th in walks per nine innings (3.61), 20th in strikeout rate (28.7 percent), 42nd in walk rate (9.2 percent), 20th in batting average against (.215), 21st in WHIP (1.20), 47th in swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent), 45th in ERA, and 48th in xFIP (4.15), per FanGraphs.

Altogether, Coffey went 11-6 with a 3.37 ERA (4.40 FIP) and 155 strikeouts to 33 walks in 23 outings (22 starts, 117 2/3 innings pitched) between Greenville and Portland. For his work with the Drive specifically, he was named a 2023 South Atlantic League All-Star alongside teammates Blaze Jordan and Roman Anthony.

A former two-way player in college, Coffey stands at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. The California native throws from a deceptive sidearm slot and — as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report — operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a 77-79 mph slider that features 10-to-4 break, and an 83-84 mph changeup.

As for how his unique delivery came into existence, Coffey explained to FanGraphs’ David Laurila last June that it dates back to his early days at Oral Roberts, where — in addition to pitching — he saw limited playing time at both middle infield positions.

“I was always a three-quarters guy, never straight over the top, and in my freshman year I had 14 starts while also playing some third base,” Coffey said. “Then, in my junior year [Coffey’s sophomore year coincided with the pandemic], I was fielding ground balls at third base and kind of throwing it over to first sidearm. Doing that felt natural. Our pitching coach saw that and was like, ‘Hey, let’s get you on the mound and play with some different arm slots.’ We did that, dropping way down to going higher up, and settled on the where I’m at right now. It felt comfortable, and my velo and movement both ticked up from where they had been.”

Coming into his age-24 season, Coffey is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 44 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 18th among pitchers in the organization. Barring a trade, he is projected to return to Portland’s starting rotation this spring.

Because he does not light up the radar gun, Coffey will need to show signs of improvement when it comes to handling more mature hitters in the upper-minors. He was solid with the Sea Dogs during the latter half of the 2023 season, but the Red Sox may be looking for more when it comes to evaluating Coffey’s development and future as a starter or reliever.

To that end, Coffey also told Laurila over the summer that he would be willing to do “whatever they want me to do” as it pertains to his future role and potential path to the big-leagues.

“I’ll dive into that role as best as I can,” said Coffey. “Right now it’s being a starter. It’s what I’ve always done. I came out of the ‘pen once in high school and not at all in college. I threw two innings in the [Florida Complex League] after I got drafted, but that’s it as far as relieving. But again, whatever they want in the future, I’ll dive right into it.”

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

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Nicholas Judice throws fastball that has reached triple digits, whiff-inducing slider

The Red Sox added to their 2023 draft class earlier this month by trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees.

In exchange for Verdugo, who is eligible for free agency next winter, Boston received three right-handers from New York who are all at different points in their respective careers. While Greg Weissert — with two seasons of big-league experience under his belt — and Richard Fitts — the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year — have each established themselves to varying degrees, Nicholas Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch.

Judice, the youngest of the four players involved in the rare swap between division rivals, was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of this past summer’s draft out of Louisiana-Monroe. A native of the Pelican State himself, the 22-year-old signed with New York for $185,500 in July but did not see any action with a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper.

In his fourth and final season at Louisiana-Monroe this spring, Judice posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts to 15 walks in 21 appearances (three starts) spanning 53 innings of work for the Warhawks. Baseball America tabbed the righty as the 420th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class while MLB Pipeline gave a much more favorable ranking at No. 175.

Based off scouting reports from both publications, Judice has drawn rave reviews for his athleticism and projectability. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Judice throws from a three-quarters arm slot and relies primarily upon two pitches: a low-90s fastball that reportedly touched 100 mph this spring and a whiff-inducing, mid-80s slider that was singled out by Baseball America as the best secondary offering in the Yankees’ 2023 draft class.

Although the bulk of his work in college came out of the bullpen, Judice made three straight Friday night starts for the Warhawks to close out their 2023 campaign and then started three more games for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer. Given his experience in both roles, Judice could be stretched out into a starter or fast-tracked as a reliever depending on how the Red Sox plan on utilizing him.

Having said that, Judice, who turns 23 in April, is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 57 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 26th among pitchers in the organization. He is currently projected by the site to begin the 2024 season — and therefore make his pro debut — with Low-A Salem.

(Picture of Nicholas Judice: University of Louisiana-Monroe Athletics)

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo saw his stock rise in 2023

Angel Bastardo was one of 11 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox organization to reach the century mark in strikeouts this past season.

Bastardo, 21, split the 2023 campaign between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, posting a 4.68 ERA and 4.16 FIP with 149 punchouts to 55 walks over 24 total starts (119 1/3 innings pitched) in which he held opposing hitters to a .221 batting average against.

After spending all of 2022 at Low-A Salem, Bastardo broke camp with Greenville this spring. The right-hander initially got off to a rough start with the Drive and finished the month of April with a 6.63 ERA through his first four outings of the year. He began to turn a corner as the calendar flipped to May, however, and lowered his ERA by nearly two runs before going on a tear in July.

In his final full month for Greenville, Bastardo went 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA (1.48 FIP) and 42 strikeouts to just five walks across five starts spanning 28 innings of work. He threw back-to-back complete game shutouts (the second of which he struck out a season-high of 14 batters over seven innings) in that stretch and was unsurprisingly named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month as a result.

Shortly after earning that honor, Bastardo spent some time on the development list before receiving a promotion to Portland in late August. Tasked with facing more advanced competition in the Eastern League, the righty closed out his season by allowing nine earned runs on 12 hits, nine walks, and 10 strikeouts in three starts (16 innings) for the Sea Dogs.

While the ending may have been underwhelming to some degree, it was still a breakout year of sorts for Bastardo. Among the 177 minor-leaguers who accrued at least 110 innings on the mound this season, Bastardo ranked 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.24), 14th in strikeout rate (29.4 percent), 25th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (15.5 percent), and 42nd in xFIP (3.98), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Bastardo originally signed with the Red Sox for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that has topped out at 97 mph, an 84-88 mph changeup that he has an advanced feel for, an 81-84 mph curveball that features 11-to-5 break, and an 85-88 mph slider that has tight gyro-spin, according to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall.

Unlike fellow righties Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales, who also recorded 100-plus strikeouts this season, Bastardo was not added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November and was therefore eligible to be picked up by another team in last month’s Rule 5 Draft. But while other notable arms like Shane Drohan (White Sox) and Ryan Fernandez (Cardinals) were plucked by other teams, Bastardo was not.

That, for all intents and purposes, likely had something to with Bastardo’s lack of experience in the upper-minors as well as his struggles when it comes to commanding the strike zone. As noted by Cundall, Bastardo currently “lacks the fastball quality and command to stick as a starting pitcher.” And while his secondary offerings are ahead of his fastball, he “needs to further refine his two breaking balls, which can run into each other at times.”

Bastardo, who does not turn 23 until next June, ended the 2023 season ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 17 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Baseball America had him listed 28th on its list while SoxProspects.com currently has him ranked 27th (ninth among pitchers) in the organization.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, Bastardo is projected to return to Portland for the start of the Sea Dogs’ 2024 season in early April.

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

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts was named 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year

Richard Fitts, one of the newest members of the Red Sox organization, is coming off a very impressive 2023 season.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in Tuesday night’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the Eastern League after putting up solid numbers for New York’s Double-A affiliate in Somerset, N.J. In a team-leading 27 starts for the Patriots, the 23-year-old right-hander went 13-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 152 2/3 innings of work.

Among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League this year, Fitts ranked sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.61) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent), second in walks per nine innings (2.53), walk rate (6.8 percent), and batting average against (.227), first in WHIP (1.14), fifth in swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent) and FIP (3.92), third in ERA, and fourth in xFIP (3.55), per FanGraphs.

Fitts, who turns 24 later this month, was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn, where he was teammates with Red Sox draftees Hayden Mullins and Tyler Miller. The Alabama native had briefly pitched for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League prior to being drafted and later signed with New York for $346,800. He took the rest of the year off and then made his professional debut at the Low-A level last April.

Between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley last year, Fitts forged a 3.70 ERA and 3.52 FIP with 131 strikeouts to 20 walks across 22 starts (112 innings). He was recognized by MiLB.com as an organizational All-Star and came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. At that time, his scouting report read, in part:

“The improvement [from Low-A to High-A in 2022] was due in large part to a delivery alteration that allowed him to keep his front side firm so he could better drive the ball down in the zone. The change also helped his velocity increase and made his slider sharper. His four-seamer sat around 93 mph, touched 96 and posted an excellent average spin rate of 2,439 rpms. Fitts backed the four-seamer with his typical nasty slider, which sat in the low 80s and peaked at 88 while flashing plus potential. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that could get to average with increased usage.”

Following Tuesday’s four-player trade between the Red Sox and Yankees, Fitts is now regarded by another prominent publication in MLB Pipeline as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler “shows the potential for two plus pitches that have intriguing metrics. His 91-97 mph four-seam fastball features natural cutting and riding action, as well as quality induced vertical break that gives it tremendous carry up in the zone, while his 83-86 slider features the big sweep that the Yankees covet. He also can turn his slider into a harder cutter and occasionally will use an upper-80s two-seamer to give hitters a different look.

“Fitts doesn’t completely trust his fading mid-80s changeup, which shows promise but also needs more work,” it continues. “He has a sound arm action and a delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to pound the strike zone and average just 2.1 walks per nine innings in his first two years as a pro. The next step toward becoming a possible mid-rotation starter will be refining his command because he’s hittable when he doesn’t locate his pitches well.”

Fitts has been assigned to Double-A Portland for the time being but should be a candidate to start the 2024 season out with Triple-A Worcester depending on how things shake out the rest of the winter and into the spring. He can become eligible for next year’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

In addition to Fitts, the Red Sox also acquired righties Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice from the Yankees on Tuesday night. While Weissert has major-league experience as a reliever, Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch after being drafted by New York in the eighth round out of Louisiana-Monroe this past June.

(Picture of Richard Fitts courtesy of the Somerset Patriots)

Red Sox pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins knows how to control the zone

Which pitching prospect within the Red Sox organization possesses the best control? According to one prominent publication, it’s Hunter Dobbins.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, recently identified Dobbins as having the best control of any Boston pitching prospect heading into 2024.

Dobbins ended the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect (ninth among pitchers) in Boston’s farm system after going 9-6 with a 3.67 ERA and 122 strikeouts to 31 walks in 20 appearances (19 starts) spanning 112 2/3 innings between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland.

Though his season debut was delayed until early May, Dobbins fared quite well with Greenville. The 24-year-old right-hander forged a respectable 2.63 ERA (2.49 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to just five walks in seven starts (41 innings) for the Drive. He held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average against during that stretch and was then rewarded with a promotion to Portland in late June.

Facing more advanced competition in the Eastern League, Dobbins initially got off a to a rough start, struggling to a 5.70 ERA in his first seven outings (36 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs before settling in some as the calendar flipped from August to September. Altogether, the righty produced a 4.27 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 78 strikeouts to 26 walks in 13 appearances (12 starts, 71 2/3 innings) for Portland to close out the 2023 campaign.

One of eight Red Sox minor-leaguers to eclipse the century mark in total innings pitched this year, Dobbins led that group in walks per nine innings (2.48), walk rate (6.6 percent), and FIP (3.30). He also ranked second in xFIP (3.69) and WHIP (1.19), third in ERA, ground-ball rate (44.1 percent) and swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent), fourth in line-drive rate (19.1 percent), and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.75), strikeout rate (26.1 percent), and batting average against (.240), per FanGraphs.

Dobbins was originally selected by Boston in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Tech. At the time he signed with the club for $197,500, though, the former Red Raider was recovering from Tommy John surgery that came as a result of a UCL injury suffered during a preseason scrimmage earlier that spring. As such, he did not make his professional debut until last June with Low-A Salem, where he pitched to a 5.22 ERA over 17 starts and 69 innings of work.

Now standing at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dobbins throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and — according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report — operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, an 84-90 mph slider that “improved considerably” in 2023, an 81-85 mph splitter that evolved from a previously-used changeup, and a 76-82 mph curveball that features long, 12-to-6 break.

Dobbins, who does not turn 24 until next August, is projected to return to Portland’s rotation for the start of the 2024 season. Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, the Lone Star State native could be a beneficiary of the Red Sox implementing new strategies when it comes to developing pitching under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign former Mariners pitching prospect Jorge Benitez to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Jorge Benitez to a minor-league contract, per MiLB Central on X/Twitter. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

Benitez, 24, was originally selected by the Mariners in the ninth round of the 2017 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. The San Juan native signed with Seattle for $150,000 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona League that June.

After splitting the 2022 campaign between Low-A Modesto and High-A Everett, Benitez earned All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League while forging a 2.08 ERA in nine appearances (13 innings) for the Peoria Javelinas. The lefty then broke camp with Everett this past spring before receiving a promotion to Double-A Arkansas in late April.

With the Travelers, Benitez posted a 2.14 ERA and 4.24 FIP with 74 strikeouts to 39 walks across 40 outings (59 innings) out of the bullpen. He also converted his lone save opportunity on the year while holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .190 batting average against.

Among the 92 Texas League pitchers who accrued 50 or more innings this season, Benitez ranked 17th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.29), 21st in strikeout rate (28.6 percent), fifth in opponents’ batting average, first in line-drive rate (14.4 percent), 16th in groundball rate (47 percent), 20th in swinging-strike rate (14.4 percent), third in ERA, and 29th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

While the punchout numbers and the like are certainly encouraging, Benitez also ranked 86th in walks per nine innings (5.95), 86th in walk rate (15.1 percent), and 59th in xFIP (4.92) when using those same parameters. That in itself suggests that the southpaw has had some issues when it comes to his command of the strike zone.

As Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser noted back in March, Benitez “annihilates left-handed batters with a 90-93 mph fastball from a low arm slot and a high-spin curveball in the mid 70s.” The 6-foot-2 hurler’s “tough angle also plays against righties and gives him a chance to be a low-leverage reliever.”

Benitez, who does not turn 25 until next June, is the second notable young lefty to sign a minors pact with the Red Sox this month, joining ex-Rockies prospect Helcris Olivarez. Like Olivarez, Benitez figures to provide Boston with high-upside pitching depth from the left side at Triple-A Worcester in 2024.

In the meantime, Benitez has been pitching for the Criollos de Caguas of the Puerto Rican Winter League this winter. Coming into play on Friday, he had yet to allow a run through his first six appearances (7 2/3 innings) of the season for the club.

(Picture of Jorge Benitez: John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Rockies pitching prospect Helcris Olivarez to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed former Rockies pitching prospect Helcris Olivarez to a minor-league contract, per the club’s transactions log. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training, according to Ari Alexander of Houston’s KPRC 2.

Olivarez, 23, spent the first seven-plus years of his professional career in the Rockies organization after originally signing with the club for $77,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in August 2016. The left-hander debuted in the Dominican Summer League the following June and spent parts of three seasons in rookie ball through the end of 2019.

While the 2020 minor-league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Olivarez impressed at Colorado’s alternate training site and fall instructional league. The Rockies then added the lefty to their 40-man roster that November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Olivarez came into the 2021 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Colorado’s farm system. But he struggled in his first taste of full-season ball, posting a 6.05 ERA (5.71 FIP) with 112 strikeouts to 68 walks in 22 appearances (21 starts) spanning 99 2/3 innings of work for High-A Spokane. As such, he fell four spots to No. 15 in the system entering 2022.

At that time, Baseball America described Olivarez’s raw stuff as “electric,” noting that the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder “has easy fastball velocity up to 100 mph and usually sits in the high 90s. But his command is questionable and his off-speed pitches need honing, with an average changeup and a curveball that can be flat. Cleaning up and simplifying his delivery will help him achieve the release-point consistency needed to become a bona fide starter. He already creates uncomfortable at-bats from either side, but to complement his plus heat, Olivarez needs to keep a better lid on his emotions on the mound.”

Unfortunately, Olivarez ran into injury troubles last year. He opened the season on Double-A Albuquerque’s injured list and was then transferred to the Rockies’ 60-day injured list with a left shoulder strain in late May. After making one two-inning rehab start for Colorado’s Arizona Complex League affiliate in mid-July, Olivarez was ultimately shut down and later underwent major shoulder capsule surgery.

The Rockies waived and outrighted Olivarez off their 40-man roster right around this time a year ago. He remained in the organization but did not pitch in any organized games this past season. As noted by MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, though, Olivarez returned to action this fall by pitching in a couple of instructional league games and impressed while flashing 93-96 mph with his fastball.

Olivarez, who does not turn 24 until next August, provides the pitching-needy Red Sox with an intriguing left-handed arm who was once viewed as a standout prospect. It remains to be seen if the club views Olivarez as a starter or reliever moving forward, but the southpaw nonetheless possesses tantalizing stuff and — if healthy — could make his impact felt at the big-league level next season.

(Picture of Helcris Olivarez: Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

How did Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe fare in 2023?

Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe certainly made his impact felt on the mound during his first full professional season in 2023.

Hoppe, who was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of UNC Greensboro, signed with Boston for just $32,250 last July after earning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as a fifth-year senior.

Having logged 66 2/3 innings in his final season with the Spartans, Hoppe did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate in the closing weeks of the 2022 campaign. The 24-year-old Iowan instead made the jump to High-A Greenville right out of spring training in early April and made his pro debut shortly thereafter.

Hoppe got off to a rough start with the Drive but began to turn things around for the better as the calendar flipped to May. By the end of July, the right-hander owned a 3.93 ERA and 3.38 FIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks in 31 relief appearances (34 1/3 innings) for Greenville.

Wanting to see more, the Red Sox promoted Hoppe to Double-A Portland on August 1. With the Sea Dogs, Hoppe pitched to a 4.50 ERA and 4.42 FIP with 16 strikeouts to just three walks over 12 outings (14 innings) in which he converted two saves in three opportunities. He closed out his season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-3 win over the Hartford Yard Goats on Sept. 12 at Hadlock Field.

All told, Hoppe posted a 4.10 ERA (3.68 FIP) to go along with 64 strikeouts to 17 walks across 43 appearances spanning 48 1/3 innings of work between Greenville and Portland. Among the 59 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox system who threw 40 or more innings this season, Hoppe ranked ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.92) and strikeout rate (30.3 percent), 15th in walks per nine innings (3.17), 14th in walk rate (8.1 percent), 10th in groundball rate (48.4 percent), 16th in swinging-strike rate (15.3 percent), 25th in ERA, 11th in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (3.13), per FanGraphs.

On the flip side of that, though, is the fact that Hoppe gave up 52 hits in 48 1/3 innings, leading to a WHIP of 1.43 and opponents’ batting average of .271. While neither of those figures are eye-popping, it should be noted that Hoppe also yielded a .374 batting average on balls put in play this year, which suggests that luck was not exactly on his side.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Hoppe throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a pitch arsenal that is headlined by a 96-99 mph fastball that can reach triple digits. The hard-throwing righty also mixes in an 84-87 mph slider and a rarely-used 85-87 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Hoppe, who turns 25 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 32 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization. Ian Cundall, the site’s director of scouting, wrote in September that Hoppe is “one of the top true relief prospects in the system for me.”

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Hoppe is projected to return to Portland’s bullpen for the start of the 2024 season. His development moving forward will likely hinge on his ability to refine the command and control of his secondary offerings. If he can do that, he could be a fast riser next year.

(Picture of Alex Hoppe: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)