Tag: pitching prospects

Red Sox’ Brayan Bello enters Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings

Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello has entered Baseball America’s latest top 100 prospect rankings. The right-hander now comes in as the 97th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, joining the likes of fellow Red Sox minor-leaguers Marcelo Mayer (No. 14), Triston Casas (No. 18), Nick Yorke (No. 33), and Jarren Duran (No. 84).

Previously, Bello was identified by Baseball America as a prospect who fell just outside the publication’s top 100 list. That came back in January, when Bello was a few months removed from a 2021 season in which he was named the Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and was subsequently added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November.

Bello, who turns 23 later this month, returned to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2022 campaign and has thus far posted a 2.61 ERA and 2.34 xFIP with 32 strikeouts to eight walks over four starts spanning 20 2/3 innings of work.

Among qualified Eastern League pitchers this season, the 22-year-old ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (13.94), fourth in strikeout rate (38.6%), ninth in batting average against (.173), 11th in WHIP (1.02), 12th in ERA, second in xFIP, and first in swinging strike rate (23.6%), per FanGraphs.

Since earning a promotion from High-A Greenville to Portland last June, Bello has pitched to the tune of a 4.16 ERA and 3.19 FIP to go along with 119 strikeouts and 32 walks across 19 starts (84 1/3 innings pitched) with the Sea Dogs.

Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $28,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017, Bello is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Bello operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a high-90s fastball that tops out at 99-100 mph, an 85-89 mph changeup, and an 84-88 mph slider.

Considering the amount of success he is enjoying and the amount of attention he is receiving while pitching at the Double-A level, it seems likely that Bello could be on his way to Triple-A Worcester at some point before the 2022 season ends.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Dominic LoBrutto becomes latest Red Sox pitching prospect to undergo Tommy John surgery

Dominic LoBrutto has become the latest Red Sox pitching prospect to undergo Tommy John surgery. Per his Twitter account, the procedure was recently performed by Dr. James Andrews at the Andrews Institute in Pensacola, Fla.

A native of Florida himself, LoBrutto was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of the 2017 amateur draft out of Florida International University. The left-hander signed with Boston for $100,000 and made his professional debut for the Lowell Spinners that summer.

Fast forward to the 2021 season, and LoBrutto spent the entirety of the year with Double-A Portland. In 33 relief appearances for the Sea Dogs, the 25-year-old posted a 5.35 ERA — but much more respectable 3.88 FIP — with 38 strikeouts to 14 walks over 38 2/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, LoBrutto operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 91 mph, an 86-88 mph cutter, and a 79-82 mph slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He was slated to return to Portland for the start of the 2022 campaign, but was instead placed on the 7-day injured list on April 8 and transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 26.

LoBrutto, who turns 26 later this month, will now be sidelined for the next 12-15 months before returning to the mound at some point in 2023. He becomes the latest Red Sox pitching prospect to undergo Tommy John this year, joining the likes of Bradley Blalock and fellow lefty Jeremy Wu-Yelland.

(Picture of Dominic LoBrutto: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Who is Joey Stock? Red Sox pitching prospect has posted 2.20 ERA in first 7 appearances with Low-A Salem this season

Not including Juan Daniel Encarnacion, Red Sox pitching prospect Joey Stock currently leads Low-A Salem in innings pitched a little less than four weeks into the minor-league season.

In seven appearances (one start) for Salem so far this year, the right-hander has posted a 2.20 ERA and 3.80 xFIP to go along with 19 strikeouts to seven walks over 16 1/3 innings of work.

Among Carolina League pitchers who have accrued at least 10 innings on the mound to this point in 2022, Stock ranks 23rd in batting average against (.161), 22nd in WHIP (0.98), 29th in ERA, and 40th in xFIP, per FanGraphs.

Stock, 24, originally signed with the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent coming out of Division III Saint John’s University (Collegeville, Minn.) in August 2020. The Cold Spring native was slated to attend Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to pursue his master’s degree beginning in the fall, but instead opted to go pro then and there.

After being used as a two-way player in college, Stock transitioned strictly to the mound with Boston. He made his organizational debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last summer before being promoted to Salem in mid-August.

Since that time, Stock has produced a 2.15 ERA and 4.01 FIP with 34 punchouts and 13 walks across 16 outings (29 1/3 innings) at the Low-A level. The 6-foot-5, 210 pound hurler has yielded such results while working with a 91-93 mph fastball that can reportedly reach 96 mph, a 79-81 mph curveball, and an 80-81 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Stock, who turns 25 in September, is older for his level and seems to be taking advantage of that by pitching well for Salem. Because of this, one has to wonder if the righty could be on the verge of a new challenge in the form of a promotion to High-A Greenville sooner rather than later.

(Picture of Joey Stock: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Daniel Encarnación faces minimum of 15 batters over 5 scoreless innings for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Daniel Encarnacion kicked off his month of May with an impressive performance for Low-A Salem on Sunday.

Going up against the Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians affiliate) at Bank of the James Stadium in Virginia, Encarnacion scattered just two hits and no walks to go along with four strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work.

After taking a perfect game bid into the fourth inning, Encarnacion gave up a one-out single to Dayan Frias, but immediately negated that hit by picking off Frias at first base. The same thing happened an inning later when Milan Tolentino reached base via a leadoff single. He was picked off at first for the second out of the fifth before Encarnacion picked up his fourth and final punchout to retire the side.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 71 (47 strikes), Encarnacion wound up facing the minimum of 15 batters across his five nearly-perfect frames. The right-hander earned the winning decision on Sunday while leading Salem to a 2-0 shutout victory over Lynchburg.

Through four starts this season, Encarnacion has posted a 4.00 ERA, .219 batting average against, and 1.17 WHIP to go along with 20 strikeouts to seven walks over 18 total innings pitched.

This is Encarnacion’s first full season of pro ball. The 21-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in September 2018. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 and spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign pitching in the Florida Complex League.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Encarnacion’s current arsenal is made up of three pitches: a 90-93 mph fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a 76-81 mph slider, and an 84-85 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Encarnacion, who hails from the city of San Pedro De Macoris, is not yet regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. That could soon change if he continues doing what he did on Sunday afternoon.

(Picture of Juan Daniel Encarnacion: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Hard-throwing Red Sox relief prospect Franklin German ‘is very much on the Alex Cora watchlist’

Red Sox pitching prospect Franklin German’s first season as a full-time reliever is off to a promising start.

In six relief appearances for Double-A Portland so far this in 2022, the right-hander has allowed one unearned run on two hits, no walks, one hit batsman, and 15 strikeouts over eight innings of work.

Among Eastern League pitchers who have accrued five or more innings on the mound, German ranks second in strikeout rate (57.7%), tied for first in walk rate (0.0%), sixth in batting average against (.080), third in WHIP (0.25), first in FIP (0.27), and second in xFIP (1.36), per FanGraphs.

It’s obviously a small sample size, but still noteworthy nonetheless. German, of course, was the prospect the Red Sox acquired from the Yankees alongside fellow righty Adam Ottavino in January 2021.

While Ottavino provided Boston with experienced bullpen depth at the big-league level last year, German struggled to find his footing as a starter in Portland. The former 2018 fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Florida posted a 5.45 ERA over his first 19 outings (18 starts) of 2021 before permanently moving to the Sea Dogs’ bullpen in late August.

Since moving to the ‘pen on a full-time basis, German has surrendered just three hits and one walk while striking out 22 of the 43 batters he faced going back to last season. One reason behind the success he has enjoyed as a reliever is as simple as an uptick in fastball velocity.

As The Athletic’s Peter Gammons wrote on Friday, German “threw in the mid-90s” in 2021. But “he showed  up in Fort Myers this spring throwing 98-100, and says when he was moved to the bullpen for five appearances last September, he was far more excited and velocity picked up.”

Per Gammons, German has been clocked at 99-102 mph so far this season while putting up big swing-and-miss numbers. Because of the stuff he has displayed, the hard-throwing hurler ” is very much on the Alex Cora watchlist.”

German, who turns 25 in September, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 25 prospect in Boston’s farm system. In addition to his high-octane fastball, the 6-foot-2, 195 pounder also works with a changeup and slider.

Seeing how he is currently dominating at Double-A, one has to wonder how long it will be until German earns a promotion to Triple-A Worcester, or perhaps even the major-leagues. For what it’s worth, he will need to be added to the Sox’ 40-man roster by late November if the club intends to protect him from the 2022 Rule 5 Draft.

(Picture of Franklin German: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland undergoes Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2022 season as a result. The left-hander had the procedure done in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday.

Wu-Yelland, 22, came into the 2022 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 31 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 12th among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the Seattle-area native in the fourth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of the University of Hawaii.

In his first full professional season, Wu-Yelland posted a 4.03 ERA and 4.29 FIP to go along with 77 strikeouts to 36 walks over 20 starts (67 innings pitched) for Low-A Salem. He then earned a promotion to High-A Greenville last September and pitched to the tune of a 3.00 ERA and 4.99 FIP in three starts (9 innings of work) with the Drive.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Wu-Yelland operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-96 mph fastball that can reach 97 mph, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 81-83 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Wu-Yelland, who turns 23 in June, was slated to return to Greenville for the start of the 2022 season but was instead placed on the 7-day injured list earlier this month. Now that he has undergone Tommy John, the lefty will be sidelined for the next 12 to 15 months and should be able to return to the mound again at some point in 2023.

(Picture of Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Chris Murphy finishes month of April with 2.25 ERA in 4 starts for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Chris Murphy wrapped up his month of April with yet another impressive performance for Double-A Portland on Tuesday night.

Working against the Somerset Patriots (Yankees affiliate) at TD Bank Ballpark, Murphy scattered just two hits and one walk to go along with six strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work. The left-hander retired each of the final nine batters he faced as 50 of the 81 pitches he threw went for strikes.

Through his first four starts of the season with the Sea Dogs, Murphy has posted a 2.25 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 24 strikeouts to seven walks across 20 innings pitched.

Among qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Murphy ranks 15th in strikeout rate (30.8%), 24th in walk rate (9.0%), seventh in batting average against (.171), 12th in WHIP (0.95), 13th in ERA, and 14th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Murphy, 23, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally took the California-born southpaw in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of San Diego.

Since being promoted from High-A Greenville to Portland last July, Murphy owns a 4.25 ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio of 71:20 over 11 appearances (10 starts) spanning 53 total innings of work at the Double-A level.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, the 6-foot-1, 175 pound hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96-97 mph, an above-average changeup, a curveball, and a changeup. He is also very open when it comes to pitch design and pitch tunneling.

Murphy, who turns 24 in June, is set to become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this December. With that, it would not be surprising if the Red Sox elect to promote the lefty to Triple-A Worcester at some point this season to further evaluate and determine if he is worthy of a spot on the club’s 40-man roster come late November.

(Picture of Chris Murphy: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Latest Baseball America mock draft has Red Sox selecting University of Florida ace Hunter Barco with top pick

Note: Barco underwent Tommy John surgery in early May.

In the first installment of their 2022 MLB Staff Draft, Baseball America has the Red Sox selecting University of Florida ace left-hander Hunter Barco with its first-round pick at No. 24 overall.

Baseball America writer Tom Lipari was the one who made the selection, and he noted that Barco is a “solid, pitchability lefty with a history of success in the SEC” who would be a “safe pick and quick mover through any system.”

Barco, 21, was originally selected by the Mets in the 24th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of The Bolles School — the same high school New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones attended.

The Jacksonville native did not sign with New York, however, and instead opted to honor his commitment to Florida. After his freshman season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Barco earned All-SEC Newcomer honors in 2021.

Through nine starts with the Gators this season, Barco has posted a 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and .187 batting average against to go along with 69 strikeouts to 11 walks over 50 1/3 innings of work. He was forced to leave his last outing against Vanderbilt on April 15 after just two innings due to illness and is now questionable for his next start against Tennessee on Friday.

Barco, who does not turn 22 until December, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 23 draft-eligible prospect in this year’s class, ranking 14th among collegiate players and seventh among pitchers. MLB Pipeline, meanwhile, has Barco coming in at No. 53, which ranks 20th among hurlers who could be drafted in July.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Barco operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a sweeping slider in the low-80s that can give off the appearance of a curveball, and a changeup that typically clocks in at the low-80s.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, “Barco throws from a low slot that adds deception and helps his stuff play up.” MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, notes that Barco “has done an excellent job of consistently finding the strike zone in college, though there’s improvement that can be made in terms of command within the zone with that funky delivery tough to repeat at times.”

While you have to go back to 2017 to find the last time the Red Sox used a first-round pick on a pitcher (Tanner Houck), the club certainly has not shied away from taking players out of Gainesville in recent years. Jud Fabian (who did not sign), Nathan Hickey, and Wil Dalton stick out there.

Barco could become the latest former Gator to join Boston’s organizational ranks, though plenty could — and likely will — change between now and Day 1 of the 2022 draft in Los Angeles on July 17.

(Picture of Hunter Barco: AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung Liu strikes out 9 over 5 scoreless innings for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Chih-Jung Liu dazzled in his second start of the season for High-A Greenville on Tuesday night.

Matched up against the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox affiliate), Liu scattered just two hits and one walk to go along with nine strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work at Fluor Field. The Drive went on to defeat the Dash, 5-4, courtesy of a walk-off home run from Stephen Scott.

Liu took a perfect game into the fourth inning before yielding a leadoff walk to Cuban sensation Oscar Colas that was followed by a one-out single off the bat of Bryan Ramos. The right-hander ultimately retired 14 of the 18 batters he faced while finishing with a final pitch count of 75.

Of those 75 pitches, 55 went for strikes. According to Chris Clegg of Fantrax, Liu sat at 94-95 mph with his fastball and topped out at 97 mph with the pitch while also mixing in a slider, curveball, and changeup. The majority of his swings-and-misses came on either the fastball or slider, per Clegg.

Through his first two starts of the year for the Drive, Liu has posted an ERA of 3.00, a WHIP of 1.00, and batting average against of .156 across nine total innings pitched. The 23-year-old has struck out 12 of the first 36 batters (33%) he has faced in 2022 and has walked four of them.

Liu, who turned 23 earlier this month, came into the 2022 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the No. 32 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 13th among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally signed the Taiwanese-born hurler as an international free agent coming out of Tainan City in October 2019.

With the 2020 minor-league season being wiped out as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liu did not make his organizational debut until last July and only has 15 career starts as a professional under his belt.

So, even though he has been with the Red Sox for nearly two years, there is still a lot of intrigue when it comes to what Liu’s development as a pitcher could look like. He is currently listed at 6-foot and 182 pounds, so there could be room for additional growth physically. Whether he will pan out as a starter or reliever in the long-term has yet to be determined.

(GIF of Chih-Jung Liu via the Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Gabriel Jackson needs just 44 pitches to toss 4 scoreless innings in second start of season for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Gabriel Jackson was extremely efficient in his second start of the minor-league season for Low-A Salem on Saturday night.

Going up against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros affiliate) at SEGRA Stadium in North Carolina, Jackson tossed four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and no walks to go along with four strikeouts.

Both hits allowed by the right-hander came in the bottom of the third, but he escaped that jam and proceeded to retire each of the final five batters he faced before making way for Blake Loubier in the middle of the fifth. The Salem Red Sox ultimately defeated the Woodpeckers by a final score of 5-3.

Of the 44 pitches Jackson threw on Saturday, 34 went for strikes. Through two starts with Salem now, the 20-year-old has yet to allow a run and is holding opponents to a .130 batting average against over his first seven innings of work this season.

The Red Sox originally signed Jackson for $350,000 as an international free agent out coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018. At that time, Baseball America’s Ben Badler noted that the Samana native was “a strong, thick-boned pitcher” who featured heavy life on a fastball that reached 93 mph.

Upon signing with Boston in 2018, Jackson made his professional debut the following year in the Dominican Summer League, where he posted a 3.49 ERA and 3.97 FIP with 38 strikeouts to 27 walks across 14 starts spanning 59 1/3 innings pitched.

While the 2020 minor-league season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson was at least able to participate in the Sox’ fall instructional league in Fort Myers. He spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and produced a 3.57 ERA, 4.83 FIP, and 17:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 10 appearances (two starts) and 17 2/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Jackson still has some room to grow physically and developmentally since he is still just 20 years old and does not turn 21 until September. Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty currently works with three different pitches: a 90-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 84-88 mph slider, and an 87-89 mph changeup.

Although he is not yet and may never be regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system, Jackson will undoubtedly get to pitch plenty with Salem this season. Boston’s director of player development, Brian Abraham, said as much in a recent conversation with The Athletic’s Chad Jennings.

More specifically, Abraham told Jennings that Jackson and fellow right-hander Tyler Uberstine will get “a lot of innings as piggyback starters coming out of the bullpen and making occasional starts of their own.”

As previously mentioned, Jackson’s first two appearances of 2022 have come in the form of starts. With that, it should be interesting to see how long it will be until the Dominican-born hurler is used by Salem as a multi-inning or bulk reliever out of the bullpen.

(Picture of Gabriel Jackson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)