Tag: portland sea dogs

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Luis Perales to High-A Greenville

With Wikelman Gonzalez making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting fellow pitching prospect Luis Perales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 20, posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts spanning 53 1/3 innings of work for Salem this season. The right-hander ended the first half on a strong note, firing five scoreless frames for the second outing in a row as part of an 11-0 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday.

Among 47 Carolina League pitchers who came into play Sunday with at least 50 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Perales ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.98), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.193), first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 15th in ERA, seventh in FIP, and 15th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter and directly ahead of Gonzalez.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty utilizes a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph and complemented by a power slider that sits in the mid-80s as well as a developing changeup that hovers in the upper-80s.

Coming out of the All-Star break later this week, Perales figures to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Bradley Blalock as well as left-hander Dalton Rogers.

As is the case with Gonzalez, Perales — who does not turn 21 next April — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

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

Red Sox promote prospects Blaze Jordan, Wikelman Gonzalez to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting power-hitting infield prospect Blaze Jordan and pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Jordan, 20, batted a stout .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 48 runs scored, two stolen bases, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 73 games (322 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. The right-handed hitting slugger clubbed a three-run homer in the Drive’s 7-3 win over the Rome Braves at Fluor Field on Sunday afternoon.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Jordan ranks first in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.918), eighth in isolated power (.209), third in strikeout rate (14.6 percent), first in extra-base hits (35), and first in total bases (153), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Jordan saw playing time at both first and third base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder logged 300 innings at first and 301 2/3 innings at the hot corner, committing five errors (all at third) in 319 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Southaven, Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Jordan will join a crowded crowded corner infield mix that already includes Niko Kavadas, Alex Binelas, Chase Meidroth, and Matthew Lugo. How Jordan adjusts to more advanced pitching at the Double-A level will be something worth monitoring during the second half of the season.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018.

In 15 starts for Greenville this season, Gonzalez posted a 5.14 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a league-leading 105 strikeouts to 42 walks over 63 innings of work. Prior to getting lit up for seven runs in his last start against Rome this past Wednesday, the 21-year-old right-hander had forged a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts (49 1/3 innings) between May 2 and June 30.

Much like Jordan, Gonzalez will be tested as he goes up against stiffer competition moving forward. The 6-foot, 167-pound hurler possesses an intriguing pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He has had issues with his command of the strike zone in the past, though he appears to be improving on that.

Unlike Jordan, Gonzalez can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Assuming he is still with the organization, the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Luis Guerrero fare in All-Star Futures Game?

Though the American League fell to the National League by a final score of 5-0 at T-Mobile Park, the Red Sox were well represented at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke made up the American League’s starting middle infield while relief prospect Luis Guerrero made an appearance out of the bullpen in the seventh and final inning of the annual showcase.

Mayer, batting second and starting at shortstop for the AL, played only one inning but made the most of his opportunity. After throwing out the speedy Jackson Chourio to retire the side in the top of the first, the left-handed hitting 20-year-old ripped a one-out groundball single in the bottom half of the frame for the game’s first hit.

According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Mayer’s bat at 100.3 mph as it raced through the right side of the infield. Moments after reaching, Mayer took off and successfully stole second base with a feet-first slide. He was, however, stranded at second and was then replaced at shortstop by Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday in the second inning.

Yorke, batting ninth and starting at second base, played all seven innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitting 21-year-old went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout. After grounding out to end the second inning, he led off the bottom of the fifth by by squaring up a 1-1, 89.6 mph cutter from Braves prospect Spencer Schwellenbach and ripping a 102.6 mph double off the base of the left-center field fence.

With a distance of 388 feet, Yorke’s double was the furthest-hit ball of the day for either side. Like Mayer, however, Yorke was stranded at second base in the fifth. He had a chance to come through with two outs and the bases loaded in the following inning, but instead struck out on a foul tip to extinguish the threat.

Defensively, Yorke had just one ball hit his way at second. With two outs in the top of the third, he made a nifty shovel pass with his glove to rob Nationals prospect James Wood of an inning-extending infield single. He also recorded a force out.

Guerrero, who replaced left-hander Shane Drohan (calf cramp) on the American League roster last week, faced one batter in the top of the seventh. The hard-throwing righty took over for Yankees prospect Clayton Beeter and was matched up against Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez.

After falling behind in a 2-1 count, Guerrero got Fernandez to swing-and-miss at a 91.4 mph cutter on the outer half of the plate. The 22-year-old hurler then dialed it back and got Fernandez to whiff at a 99.7 mph four-seam fastball that was well outside.

In total, Guerrero needed just five pitches (three strikes) to retire the lone hitter he faced. He induced three swings-and-misses while mixing in two four-seamers, two cutters, and a changeup.

All three of Mayer, Yorke, and Guerrero are currently with Double-A Portland. Mayer is ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 5 prospect in the game. Yorke comes in at No. 3 organizationally and No. 83 on the publication’s top 100. Guerrero, on the other hand, is rated as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Brian Van Belle to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Brian Van Belle from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per his agent Gavin Kahn of EnterSports Management.

Van Belle, 26, posted a 3.00 ERA and 4.14 FIP with 69 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 81 innings of work for the Sea Dogs this season. The right-hander was used as a bulk reliever in his last time out against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this past Sunday and allowed five runs over five innings after taking over for the rehabbing Richard Bleier.

So, as a starter to this point in the season, Van Belle has pitched to a 2.61 ERA and 3.98 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 22 walks across 76 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .233 batting average against. Coming into play on Thursday, Van Belle ranked fifth among qualified Eastern League pitchers in walks per nine innings (2.78), per FanGraphs. He also ranked fifth in walk rate (7.6 percent), ninth in batting average against (.240), sixth in WHIP (1.20), eighth in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), third in ERA, and 10th in FIP.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Van Belle originally joined the Red Sox organization as an undrafted free agent in June 2020. Despite being viewed as one of the top college seniors in that summer’s class, the Miami product was passed over in the draft, which was reduced to five rounds on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As he recently explained to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, though, Van Belle received plenty of interest on the open market in the days following the draft’s completion. The Red Sox separated themselves — in part — by offering future tuition money in addition to a league-mandated $20,000 signing bonus.

So along with the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, I have two years of grad school in my back pocket if I ever want to use it,” Van Belle told Smith last month. “Obviously your baseball career only lasts so long. Just having that backup plan there that they provided was awesome.”

In total, Boston signed 16 undrafted free agents in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft. Of the nine who are still in the organization, Van Belle is the first to make it as far as Triple-A and is now just one call-up away from the major-leagues.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Van Belle throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a mid-80s circle changeup, a high-70s curveball that features 12-to-6 break, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Van Belle, who turns 27 in September, becomes the latest prospect to make the jump from Portland to Worcester this season, joining the likes of other pitchers such as Shane Drohan, Theo Denlinger, Ryan Fernandez, Brendan Nail, and Rio Gomez.

It is also worth mentioning that Van Belle can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster ahead of the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Brian Van Belle: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homers in third straight game for Double-A Portland

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homered for the third straight game in Double-A Portland’s 7-3 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting at third base for the Sea Dogs, Binelas put together his first three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run, and two runs scored.

The homer came off Rumble Ponies starter Christian Scott in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a runner on first base following a Matthew Lugo single, Binelas took Scott way deep to right field for his third big fly of July and his 10th of the season overall.

With three more hits on Tuesday, Binelas has now recorded multiple hits in his last three games for the first-place Sea Dogs. Dating back to June 22, the left-handed hitting slugger has batted a respectable .300/.317/.825 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 10 games.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Binelas has slashed .229/.277/.480 with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, 24 runs scored, five stolen bases, 12 walks, and 74 strikeouts across 46 games (188 plate appearances) with Portland. Among Eastern League hitters who have made at least 180 trips to the plate to this point in the season, the 23-year-old currently ranks 13th in isolated power (.251) and 17th in slugging percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Binelas made his 17th start of the season at third base on Tuesday night. The burly 6-foot-1, 225-pound infielder has logged 153 innings at the hot corner as well as 125 1/3 innings at first base. Between the two positions, he has committed just two errors in 157 total chances.

This marks Binelas’ second full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The Oak Creek, Wis. native was originally selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisville and was then dealt to Boston alongside speedy infielder David Hamilton that December as part of the Hunter Renfroe/Jackie Bradley Jr. trade.

Known primarily for his power and propensity to hit the ball hard, Binelas has not had the easiest of times transitioning to competition at the Double-A level. Since making the jump from High-A Greenville last June, Binelas has hit just .194/.264/.425 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs in 101 games with Portland. In that time, he has struck out in more than 35 percent of his plate appearances while only taking ball four at an 8.6 percent clip.

Taking those peripherals into consideration, Binelas is no longer considered by publications such as Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system.

Time, however, is still on Binelas’ side. He does not turn 24 until next May and will not become Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 season. In the more immediate future, Binelas will likely be gunning for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the 2023 campaign comes to a close.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez caps off impressive month of June with another strong start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez put the finishing touches on an impressive month of June on Friday night.

Gonzalez made his 14th start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 8-0 win over the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field. The young right-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks to go along with 10 strikeouts to mark his second straight double-digit strikeout game and third of the year overall.

After retiring the first five batters he faced, Gonzalez issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the second. He then worked his way around a leadoff double in the third before stranding another base runner in the fourth and facing the minimum in the fifth. In the sixth, he recorded two quick outs before issuing a two-out walk to the last Tourist hitter he faced in Ryan Clifford. Gonzalez was then relieved by Casey Cobb, who ended the inning on four pitches.

Gonzalez himself finished with 90 pitches (58 strikes), inducing 17 swings-and-misses in the process of picking up his sixth winning decision of the season. In five June starts, the 21-year-old hurler went 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 2.38 FIP to go along with 43 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 innings of work.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.50 ERA (3.41 FIP) with a South Atlantic League-leading 97 strikeouts to 40 walks in 58 innings for Greenville. Coming into play on Saturday, Gonzalez ranked first among qualified Sally League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (15.05) and strikeout rate (38 percent). He also ranked third in batting average against (.192), fifth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), fifth in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (3.67), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Gonzalez is in the midst of his fourth professional season after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. The 6-foot, 167-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Gonzalez, who does not turn 23 until next March, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the deadline to do so in November. Assuming that he is not traded away within the next month, Gonzalez could be a candidate to make the jump from Greenville to Double-A Portland on the other side of the All-Star break — if not sooner.

Promoting Gonzalez would allow the Red Sox to evaluate how he fares against more advanced competition at the Double-A level. It would also give Gonzalez the opportunity to show other teams what he is capable of if he is made available later this month or down the road in December.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Luis Guerrero selected to participate in All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Guerrero has been selected to participate in next weekend’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.

Guerrero, one of the top young relievers in Boston’s farm system, will replace fellow Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan, who left his start for Triple-A Worcester this past Sunday with a calf cramp. Drohan was pushed back for precautionary reasons but is expected to pitch next week, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Guerrero, 22, will join infielders Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke in representing the Red Sox and suiting up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The hard-throwing right-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

In 26 appearances for Double-A Portland this season, Guerrero has posted a 1.19 ERA and 3.82 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 18 walks over 30 1/3 innings of work. He has put up those numbers while recording 13 saves in 15 opportunities and holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .147 batting average against.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee as an infant and now walks with a limp as a result. He told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this spring that he has limited mobility in his knee since the muscles in that area did not grow like the others.

“[But] for pitching, you just need to bend [the back knee] a little bit,” Guerrero explained. “My knee bends just as much as I need it to.”

Guerrero moved to the Boston-area as a child and then to Miami, Fla. for his senior year of high school. He was selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Chipola College and signed with the club for $122,500.

After not making his professional debut until last June, Guerrero made his way to High-A Greenville before the 2022 season came to a close. He was expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign, but he showed increased fastball velocity and wound up breaking camp with Portland as a result.

Prior to leaving Fort Myers, though, Guerrero appeared in five Grapefruit League spring training games as a minor-league call-up and left an impression on Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“It’s impressive what he can do on a mound. Impressive,” Cora said of Guerrero when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto. “He has his limitations and for him to throw 100 (mph) with that split (is impressive). I saw him in spring training walking around one day after a workout. And I didn’t know the whole story. I saw him walking and I was like, ‘Are you OK?’ And then he told me what happened.

“I felt so bad because I didn’t know,” Cora added. “But then it’s like a lot of respect for him because he was the first one in the gym when we were there and he didn’t have to. He was always available when we brought him in as a backup pitcher.”

As Cora alluded to, Guerrero regularly throws in the upper-90s and can reach triple digits with his fastball. The 6-foot, 215-pound righty also features a mid-80s, whiff-inducing splitter as well as an 88-91 mph slider.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Cora. “For him to have the stuff that he has, you have to have not only the ability but you’ve got to have the heart and the courage to overcome what he has overcome and be a guy in that platform.”

Guerrero, who turns 23 in August, will presumably be a candidate to make the jump from Portland to Worcester on the other side of the All-Star break.

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

Red Sox outfield prospect Corey Rosier returns to Double-A Portland after getting first taste of Triple-A action

Red Sox outfield prospect Corey Rosier got his first taste of baseball at the Triple-A level last week.

In need of outfield depth at Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox promoted Rosier from Double-A Portland on Thursday. The speedy 23-year-old was well aware that his first stint with the WooSox was going to be short-lived, telling reporters (including Tommy Cassell of The Telegram & Gazette) at Polar Park that he was just looking “to take the opportunity and run with it.”

Rosier made his WooSox debut later that night, coming on as a defensive replacement for starting outfielder Wilyer Abreu in the eighth inning. He popped out in his lone plate appearance. On Friday, Rosier made his first start, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and two strikeouts out of the nine-hole. He also threw out a runner at second base in the fifth inning to make up for an earlier fielding error.

After sitting on Saturday, Rosier made one more start in right field for Sunday’s series finale against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Batting out of the nine-hole yet again, the left-handed hitter went 0-for-2 with a walk, a run scored, and a strikeout. He was also hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, which preceded a two-run home run off the bat of Nick Sogard.

All told, Rosier went 1-for-6 (.167) with a single, two runs scored, two walks, and three strikeouts in his first three games with the WooSox. He reached base in four of his nine trips to the plate. Defensively, the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder recorded one outfield assist and one fielding error while logging 20 innings between left and right field.

On the heels of his first go-around in Worcester, Rosier was added back to Portland’s roster on Wednesday, effectively switching places with the recently-promoted Ceddanne Rafaela. With the Sea Dogs this season, Rosier has batted a stout .307/.354/.452 (117 wRC+) to go along with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 26 stolen bases, 13 walks, and 43 strikeouts across 182 plate appearances. He has also registered four outfield assists in 408 1/3 cumulative innings between the two corner spots.

Rosier, who turns 24 in September, is in his first full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The Maryland native was acquired from the Padres alongside fellow prospect Max Ferguson and veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer in the trade that sent pitching prospect Jay Groome to San Diego last August.

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Mariners out of UNC Greensboro in 2021, Rosier is well-regarded for his speed. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen went as far to rate Rosier’s speed tool as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale in his latest Red Sox prospects rankings.

“Rosier has several catalytic qualities: he’s an 80 runner with a good idea of the strike zone and he’s difficult to make miss within it,” Longenhagen wrote earlier this month. “Though he’ll occasionally ambush a middle-in pitch, Rosier mostly rips grounders to the right side and then hauls ass to first base. Despite his speed, he’s a poor outfield defender who makes a lot of routine plays look difficult and adventurous.”

Longenhagen also noted that he “loves the edge” Rosier (his No. 38 Boston prospect) plays with and “thinks his speed and contact ability will make him rosterable, but he basically has no position, which is going to severely limit his role.”

Outside of Longenhagen’s list for FanGraphs, Rosier is not currently regarded by any other notable publication (Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, SoxProspects.com) as one of the top 40 or so prospects in Boston’s farm system. That likely has to do with how much he relies on his speed in all aspects of his game.

Still, Rosier is undoubtedly an intriguing prospect who has been recognized by the Red Sox’ player development staff for his efforts so far in 2023. That much was made evident by him getting the opportunity to make a brief cameo with the WooSox, though that probably won’t be the last we see of him in Worcester this year.

(PIcture of Corey Rosier: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Rafaela was informed of the decision following Portland’s 7-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. He did not play in the game.

“It’s very exciting,” Rafaela told Speier. “I’ve been waiting for this chance. I’m happy I get it. I need to go up there and do the same thing I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been working, developing, and I feel very ready right now.”

In 60 games for the Sea Dogs this season, Rafaela batted .294/.332/.441 (107 wRC+) with 18 doubles, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 40 runs scored, an Eastern League-leading 30 stolen bases, 14 walks, and 55 strikeouts across 266 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old initially got his 2023 campaign off to a slow start, but he has turned it around as of late and is slashing a stout .341/.384/.533 (143 wRC+) in his last 34 games (152 plate appearances) dating back to May 13.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela is considered to be one of the more polished defenders in the Red Sox organization, as evidenced by him being named the club’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. This season alone, the versatile 5-foot-9, 165-pounder made 43 starts at center field and seven at shortstop for Portland. He committed eight errors in 163 defensive chances.

While the defensive abilities are undoubtedly there, there are some concerns when it comes to Rafaela’s plate discipline. He struck out in 20.7 percent and walked in only 5.3 percent of his plate appearances with the Sea Dogs this year, though he has worked to improve both of those marks in recent weeks.

A native of Curacao, Rafaela originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in June 2018. He has since risen through the ranks and was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rafaela, who turns 23 in September, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system behind only Marcelo Mayer, Miguel Bleis, Nick Yorke, and Roman Anthony. He is now slated to join a talented WooSox roster that includes other top prospects such as Shane Drohan, Brandon Walter, Enmanuel Valdez, and Wilyer Abreu.

By earning a promotion to Worcester, Rafaela is one step closer to reaching the major-leagues. To get there, he will need to show that he can handle and succeed against advanced competition at the Triple-A level.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Isaac Coffey, Hunter Dobbins to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Coffey, who turns 23 on Wednesday, has posted a 2.83 ERA and 3.92 FIP with a South Atlantic League-leading 83 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 11 starts (60 1/3 innings) for the Drive this season. The right-hander fanned eight over 5 2/3 frames in his last time out against the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field this past Thursday.

Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, Coffey ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.38), second in strikeout rate (34.4 percent), second in walks per nine innings (1.49), second in walk rate (4.1 percent), 10th in batting average against (.222), third in WHIP (1.01), seventh in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), 10th in ERA, 13th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.78), per FanGraphs.

Coffey was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of last year’s draft out of Oral Roberts. The California native signed with the club for a mere $7,500 yet is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 22nd among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Coffey throws from a sidearm slot and operates with a four-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 that is considered to be a work in progress. He becomes the second member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Greenville to Portland this season, joining fourth-rounder Chase Meidroth.

Dobbins, meanwhile, has forged a 2.63 ERA and 2.52 FIP with 44 strikeouts to just five walks in seven starts (41 innings) for the Drive this season. The 23-year-old righty also struck out eight across six two-run frames in his last time out against Greensboro this past Friday.

Among the 57 South Atlantic League pitchers who have accrued at least 40 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Dobbins ranks first in walks per nine innings (1.10) and walk rate (3.1 percent). He also ranks 20th in strikeout rate (27.3 percent), fourth in WHIP (0.95), and sixth in swinging-strike rate (16.8 percent) after not making his first start of the year until May 7.

Dobbins was selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Teach. After undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier that spring, the Lone Star State native signed with Boston for $197,500 and did not make his professional debut until last July. He currently is not rated by SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in the system.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dobbins — who turns 24 in August — throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and works with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 74-78 mph curveball, an 83-85 mph circle changeup, and a high-80s slider that is rarely used.

Both Coffey and Dobbins figure to join a starting rotation mix in Portland that includes C.J. Liu, Brian Van Belle, Sterling Sharp (who is currently on the injured list), Grant Gambrell, and Wyatt Olds. The Sea Dogs open a six-game series against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Isaac Coffey: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)