Tag: portland sea dogs

How did No. 1 Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony fare in 2024?

Roman Anthony will enter the 2025 season as Baseball America’s top-ranked Red Sox prospect. That should come as no surprise after the outfielder secured the No. 1 spot on the publication’s top-100 list earlier this summer.

Anthony, the 79th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.), was among the top performers in Boston’s farm system this past season. The West Palm Beach native began the year at Double-A Portland (where he appeared in 10 games last September), overcame somewhat of a slow start and minor injury concerns, represented the Red Sox at All-Star Futures Game festivities, and earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester all before the 2024 campaign drew to a close.

Out of the gate this spring, Anthony batted .243/.365/.392 with 11 doubles, one triple, 13 RBIs, 20 runs scored, five stolen bases, 29 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 41 games (178 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs) through May 25. The left-handed hitter was then sidelined with rib cage irritation until June 5. Upon returning to action, he slashed .237/.324/.516 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 22 strikeouts over his next 25 games (111 plate appearances) leading up to July’s All-Star break.

Three days before the annual Midsummer Classic in Arlington, Texas, Anthony took center stage in the first-ever Futures Skills Showcase at Globe Life Field on July 13. Competing with seven well-regarded prospects, the 20-year-old overcame some early adversity and ultimately won the competition by crushing six home runs on eight swings in the third and final ‘Swing for the Fences’ stage.

Though he did not play in the Futures Game itself, Anthony kicked things up a notch upon returning to Portland’s lineup on the other side of the All-Star break. From July 19 through August 11, he batted a stout .359/.425/.641 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, 18 RBIs, 22 runs scored, eight stolen bases, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts over 18 games (87 plate appearances). He was then promoted to Worcester alongside Sea Dogs teammates Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel the following day.

Anthony continued his ascent by slashing .344/.463/.519 with 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 33 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) with the WooSox to close out the season. He became Baseball America’s No. 1 overall prospect when Rays infielder Junior Caminero exhausted his prospect eligibility on September 11.

Altogether, Anthony produced a .291/.396/.498 line with 32 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, 93 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 79 walks, and 127 strikeouts over 119 total games (540 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester in 2024. Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Anthony ranked fourth in wRC+ (149), sixth in wOBA (.401), eighth in OPS (.894), ninth in on-base percentage, 14th in walk rate (14.6 percent) and slugging percentage, 22nd in batting average, 25th in isolated power (.207), and 39th in swinging-strike rate (8.7 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in Portland and Worcester this year. With the WooSox in particular, the projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made 21 starts in center, nine starts in left, and four starts in right without committing an error in 71 total defensive chances. His fielding tool currently grades as a 55 on Baseball America’s 20-80 scouting scale.

As far as awards and honors are concerned, Anthony added plenty to his trophy case in the weeks following the conclusion of the minor-league season. In addition to his Futures Game selection, Anthony was named Portland’s Most Valuable Player, an Eastern League season-end All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A and Minor League All-Star, and an All-MiLB Prospect First Teamer.

On the heels of a successful season in which he reached the top ring of the minors, Anthony could very well reach the major leagues before his 21st birthday in May. Barring a trade for a frontline starting pitcher, he is far from a lock to make the Red Sox’ 2025 Opening Day roster given the breadth of left-handed hitting outfield depth ahead of him. Still, Anthony has clearly put himself on the map as a potential franchise cornerstone with an extremely high ceiling.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

After one season in Red Sox organization, hard-throwing pitching prospect Bryce Bonnin signs minor-league deal with Rangers

After spending the 2024 season in the Red Sox organization, free agent right-hander Bryce Bonnin signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers last week, according to the MiLB.com transactions log.

Bonnin, 26, joined the Red Sox on a minors pact just days after being released by the Reds in early March. A former third-round draft selection of Cincinnati in 2020, the Texas Tech product opened the season on High-A Greenville’s 7-day injured list with a rotator cuff issue that cost him the entirety of the 2023 campaign.

Upon being activated in late April, Bonnin proceeded to pitch to a 4.04 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 16 walks over 19 relief appearances (35 2/3 innings) for the Drive in which he held opposing hitters to a .164 batting average against. He spent nearly two weeks on the injured list in May but bounced back after that and was later promoted to Double-A Portland on August 20.

In three outings (one start) with the Sea Dogs, Bonnin allowed four earned runs on seven hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Altogether the righty forged a 4.29 ERA (4.36 FIP) with 48 strikeouts to 20 walks in 22 appearances (42 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. Opponents batted just .181 against him.

Among the 60 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 40 innings in 2024, Bonnin ranked fourth in batting average against, sixth in swinging-strike rate (18.4 percent), eighth in line-drive rate (18.4 percent), 11th in WHIP (1.12), and 19th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.29) and strikeout rate (27.6 percent). On the flip side, however, he ranked 35th in ERA, 40th in FIP, xFIP (4.32), and walks per nine innings (4.29), and 41st in walk rate (11.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

In the process of putting up those numbers, Bonnin peaked as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per SoxProspects.com’s rankings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound hurler sat in the mid-90s and reached 98-99 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a slider and changeup. He elected minor-league free agency earlier this month and was once again not on the open market for very long.

Bonnin becomes the latest Red Sox minor-league free agent to switch organizations this winter, joining the likes of fellow righties Jason Alexander (who signed a minors pact with the Athletics) and Justin Hagenman (who signed a one-year major-league deal with the Mets). It seems likely that Bonnin will start the 2025 season with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate in Frisco, Texas.

(Picture of Bryce Bonnin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel led organization in RBIs this season

In his first full professional season, top catching prospect Kyle Teel led all Red Sox minor-leaguers in RBIs.

Teel, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, split the 2024 campaign between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts over 112 games spanning 505 plate appearances.

To open his age-22 season, Teel returned to Portland this spring after getting into nine games with the Sea Dogs last September. No stranger to playing in chilly conditions, the New Jersey native overcame a slow April start (.213/.333/.344 line in 16 games) by slashing .357/.443/.560 in May to earn Eastern League Player of the Month honors.

Teel stayed hot at the plate as May turned to June and June turned to July. He was then selected to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Texas, where he went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. He remained with the Sea Dogs after the All-Star break and continued to produce, leading to questions about a possible promotion to Triple-A.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1812529861044363281

Those questions were answered on August 12, as Teel — after batting .298/.390/.462 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 48 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 84 games (382 plate appearances) for Portland — was officially elevated to Worcester alongside fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Kristian Campbell, the other member of Boston’s Big Four, joined the trio the following week.

Similar to how his season started, Teel’s first few weeks with the WooSox were tough and likely served as an adjustment period of sorts. He carried with him a .118/.207/.137 line in his first 13 games at Triple-A through the end of August but ended the year on a strong note by posting a 1.058 OPS in September. Altogether, Teel hit .255/.374/.333 with three doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 23 runs scored, three stolen bases, 20 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 28 games (123 plate appearances) for Worcester.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Teel ranked 18th in on-base percentage, 26th in batting average and wRC+ (134), 32nd in walk rate (13.5 percent), 42nd in wOBA (.376), 46th in OPS (.819), 69th in slugging percentage, 82nd in swinging-strike rate (10.2 percent), and 92nd in line-drive rate (23.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field between Portland and Worcester this year come at catcher. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate for the two affiliates and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

In addition to the Futures Game selection and Player of the Month honor, Teel received a great deal of recognition when season-end awards were being handed out. He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A All-Star, and a SoxProspects.com All-Star. He was also voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. Barring him being included in a surprise trade for starting pitching this winter, it appears as if he will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster this coming spring.

Whether or not he makes the team has yet to be determined and won’t be for a while, but Teel is nonetheless positioned to make his big-league debut at some point in 2025 as the Red Sox’ catcher of the future.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro fare in 2024?

No Red Sox minor-leaguer played in more games this season than outfield prospect Allan Castro.

Castro appeared in 123 total games while splitting the season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. The switch-hitting 21-year-old batted .229/.343/.400 with 23 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, 80 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 74 walks, and 124 strikeouts over 530 plate appearances. That includes a .235/.311/.358 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .228/.350/.409 slash line against righties.

To open the 2024 campaign, Castro broke camp with Greenville this spring. He overcame a slow start at the dish by slashing .243/.363/.449 with 21 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 48 RBIs, 65 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 61 walks, and 94 strikeouts in 95 games (413 plate appearances) for the Drive before being promoted to Portland in mid-August.

Though he was riding a relatively hot bat at the time of his promotion, Castro struggled to get things going offensively upon making the jump from the South Atlantic League to the Eastern League. He produced a .180/.274/.230 line with two doubles, one home run, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, six stolen bases, 13 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 28 games (117 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Castro ranked 24th in walk rate (14 percent), 58th in speed score (6.6), 70th in isolated power (.171), 75th in wRC+ (114), and 84th in swinging-strike rate (11.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Castro saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Greenville and Portland this year. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder logged 256 innings in left field, 413 2/3 innings in center field, and 251 innings in right field, committing just one error and recording seven assists in 202 total chances. Interestingly enough, 27 of his 28 starts for the Sea Dogs came in left field.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League until 2021 but was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

While he may not get as much shine as some of the other position-playing prospects in Boston’s farm system, Castro is still accounted for on several publications’ Red Sox Top 30 lists. At present, Baseball America has him ranked 23rd, MLB Pipeline has him ranked 19th, and SoxProspects.com has him ranked 16th.

Castro, who does not turn 22 until May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season. He can, however, become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster before next month’s protection deadline.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early fare in first full pro season?

Connelly Early was the lone member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to pitch more than 100 innings this season.

Early, Boston’s fifth-round pick in last year’s draft out of the University of Virginia, made 23 starts between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2024. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 3.99 ERA and 3.24 FIP with 138 strikeouts to 39 walks over 103 2/3 innings. Opponents batted just .214 against him as he held right-handed hitters to a .221 average and left-handed hitters to a .195 average.

Selected 151st overall, Early signed with the Red Sox for $408,500 last July and marked his professional debut by making one start for Low-A Salem before the 2023 campaign ended. The Virginia native then broke camp with Greenville this spring and pitched to 3.72 ERA (3.56 FIP) with 90 strikeouts to 24 walks in 15 starts (67 2/3 innings) for the Drive.

Following the MLB All-Star break, Early received a promotion to Portland in late July. To close out his first full professional season, the lefty produced a 4.50 ERA (but a much more encouraging 2.66 FIP) with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks in eight starts (36 innings) for the Sea Dogs. It is worth noting that he yielded six unearned runs in his final outing of the year on September 12.

Among the 163 pitchers who threw at least 35 innings in the Eastern League this season, Early ranked second in groundball rate (58.9 percent), sixth in FIP, seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.4 percent), eighth in xFIP (2.95), 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.0), 16th in strikeout rate (30.6 percent), 71st in batting average against (.225), and 81st in walk rate (9.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Early throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. The athletic southpaw operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95-96 mph, an 80-82 mph whiff-inducing changeup, a 79-81 mph curveball, and a cutter-slider hybrid that sits between 87-88 mph.

Lauded for his pitchability, Early is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 13th among pitchers in the organization. As far as other publications are concerned, MLB Pipeline has him ranked 24th on its Top 30 Red Sox prospects list while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 25.

“It’s been really cool to watch his continued development this year,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (via text) last month. “He has been the epitome of what we have been pushing as a player development group and has succeeded on reaching every goal we have put in front of him.”

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Early — who turns 23 in April — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 minor-league season. He explained some of the challenges of going up against hitters at the Double-A level when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this summer.

“They’re kind of like sitting on one of your pitches,” Early said. “Obviously they do a very good job of just going in-depth on scouting reports on the pitchers they are going to face. So it’s still making your pitches, executing them as well as you can. Don’t give the hitter too much credit but they are up there trying to find a spot where you’re going to make a mistake and you’ve just gotta keep them off balance.”

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin reached triple-digits with his fastball this season

In his first year with the Red Sox, pitching prospect David Sandlin emerged as one of the hardest throwers in the organization.

Sandlin was one of 90 prospect-eligible pitchers to reach triple-digits in the minor leagues this season, according to Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes. The 23-year-old right-hander accomplished that feat by maxing out at 100.4 mph with his four-seam fastball.

Acquired from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber in February, Sandlin broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring. The former 11th-round draft selection out of Oklahoma posted a 5.17 ERA (5.73 FIP) with 21 strikeouts to eight walks in his first four starts (15 2/3 innings) for the Drive before being placed on the 7-day injured list on May 14.

Due to right forearm tightness, Sandlin was sidelined for over a month and did not return to the mound until June 15. He then pitched to a 5.06 ERA (2.93 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to just three walks in his next six starts (16 innings) for Greenville before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland on July 23. With the Sea Dogs, he produced a 5.61 ERA (5.36 FIP) with 32 strikeouts to seven walks in eight starts (25 2/3 innings) to close out the 2024 campaign.

Altogether, Sandlin forged a 5.34 ERA and 4.78 FIP with 82 strikeouts to 18 walks in 18 total starts (57 1/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. Opposing hitters batted .269 against him, though his 33.2 percent strikeout rate, 15.9 percent swinging-strike rate, 7.3 percent walk rate, and 3.10 xFIP were among the top marks for those in the system who eclipsed the 50-inning plateau, per FanGraphs.

“David did join the Fuego club,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard said of Sandlin reaching triple-digits when speaking with NESN’s Tom Caron and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier on NESN’s ‘310 To Left’ Podcast last month. “He hit 100 and was sitting 96. It’s unreal stuff. Really excited about his development this year, again really raising the floor to give him a shot to be an elite starter.”

To complement his high-octane heater, Sandlin mixes in three other pitches: an 85-88 mph sweeping slider, an 86-90 mph splitter, and a 77-81 mph curveball. The athletic 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty throws those offerings from a three-quarters arm slot while incorporating a high leg kick into his delivery.

Sandlin, who turns 24 this coming February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization. He is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season but will need to show that he can go deeper into his outings to fully tap into his starter potential.

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

Red Sox OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia recognized by Baseball America for breakout season

Earlier this week, Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was named a 2024 Second Team Minor-League All-Star by Baseball America.

Garcia came into the 2024 season with very little fanfare and was not ranked by Baseball America as one of the top 30 prospects in Boston’s farm system. The 21-year-old returned to Low-A Salem this spring and batted .258/.365/.517 with six doubles, one triple, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 15 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 24 games (104 plate appearances) before being promoted to High-A Greenville in late May.

Upon joining Greenville, Garcia turned things up a notch offensively and slashed a stout .311/.371/.627 to go along with 14 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 37 RBIs, 44 runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 53 games (229 plate appearances) for the Drive. The right-handed hitter then received another promotion to Double-A Portland in mid-August and closed the year by posting a .263/.320/.386 line with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 14 runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and 24 strikeouts in 30 games (126 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Altogether, Garcia hit .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, an organizational-leading 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 99 strikeouts in 107 total games (459 plate appearances) across three different levels in 2024. That includes a .274/.347/.506 slash line in 405 plate appearances against right-handed pitching and a .380/.426/.760 slash line in 54 plate appearances against lefties.

Among the 386 minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate this season, Garcia ranked fifth in wRC+ (151), ninth in isolated power (.250), 10th in slugging percentage, 15th in OPS (.892), 53rd in batting average, 80th in speed score (7.1), and 127th in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Salem, Greenville, and Portland this year. With the Sea Dogs in particular, the 6-foot-215-pounder made 27 of his 30 starts in center field, where he recorded one outfield assist and committed two errors in 61 defensive chances.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his unique first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela in July 2019. His younger brother, Johanfran, signed with Boston in January 2022 and is still viewed as one of the organization’s premier catching prospects even after tearing his right ACL in early May and undergoing season-ending surgery.

The elder Garcia, meanwhile, is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system. If not for Kristian Campbell, the argument could be made that he was the organization’s top breakout performer this year. That is noteworthy when considering Garcia can become Rule 5-eligible this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox in some capacity, though, Garcia — who turns 22 in December — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland in 2025.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox sidearm prospect Isaac Coffey named Double-A Portland’s Pitcher of the Year

Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Coffey has been named Double-A Portland’s Pitcher of the Year, the Sea Dogs announced prior to their season finale against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Sunday.

Coffey, 24, appeared in 24 games (made 21 starts) for the Sea Dogs this season. The sidearming right-hander posted a 3.17 ERA and 3.81 FIP with 148 strikeouts to 51 walks over a team-leading 113 2/3 innings of work. That includes a 1.42 ERA (2.59 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to eight walks in six outings (31 2/3 innings) after the calendar flipped from July to August.

Among 35 qualified pitchers at the Double-A level in 2024, Coffey ranked second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.72) and strikeout rate (30 percent), fifth in batting average against (.215), seventh in ERA, 11th in WHIP (1.23), 12th in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (3.90), per FanGraphs. While the strikeout numbers are impressive, Coffey also ranked 28th in walk rate (10.3 percent) and 29th in walks per nine innings (4.04) while hitting more batters (25) than anyone else at his level.

Coffey just put the finishing touches on his second full professional season after originally being selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Oral Roberts. The California native received a modest $7,500 signing bonus at that time and is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 58 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 30th among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Coffey threw from a three-quarters arm slot as a two-way player in college but has since settled in as a sidearmer. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 92 mph, a 76-78 mph changeup that is considered his best secondary offering, an 82-84 mph sweeping slider, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Should he remain with the Red Sox through the winter, Coffey — who does not turn 25 until next June — is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester in 2025. A lack of velocity limits his upside, but he still has intriguing potential moving forward.

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

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Blake Wehunt to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Blake Wehunt from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Wehunt, 23, is on the move for the second time this year. The right-hander opened his first full professional season at Low-A Salem, forging a 2.16 ERA (2.76 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox before receiving a promotion to Greenville in early June.

In 13 starts for the Drive, Wehunt posted a 4.42 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks over 59 innings. That includes a 2.37 ERA (2.82 FIP) in his last four outings (19 innings) dating back to August 16. Opposing hitters batted just .143 against him in that stretch.

Among the 84 pitchers who came into play Sunday having thrown at least 55 innings in the South Atlantic League this season, Wehunt ranks 19th in WHIP (1.10), 23rd in batting average against (.213), 26th in walks per nine innings (2.90) and xFIP (3.66), 27th in FIP, 28th in walk rate (7.8 percent), 38th in strikeout rate (26.7 percent), 39th in groundball rate (41.8 percent), and 41st in strikeouts per nine innings (9.92), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turns 24 in November, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State. The Georgia native signed for $100,000 and marked his pro debut by making a scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, who saw Wehunt pitch in Greenville on August 22, the burly righty sits between 93-94 mph and reaches 96 mph with his fastball. He can also mix in an 87-89 mph cutter, an 81-86 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-86 mph splitter.

Wehunt is slated to join a rotation mix in Portland that includes the likes of Wikelman Gonzalez, Juan Encarnacion, Connelly Early, David Sandlin, and Isaac Coffey. While Greenville’s season ended on Sunday, the Sea Dogs have six games remaining on their schedule and currently hold a 1 1/2-game lead in their division.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote infield prospect Mikey Romero to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Mikey Romero from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Chase Ford of MiLB Central.

Romero is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The left-handed hitting 20-year-old batted .271/.319/.498 with 20 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 59 games (276 plate appearances) for Greenville this season.

Among the 85 South Atlantic League hitters who have made at least 275 trips to the plate this year, Romero ranks fifth in slugging percentage, seventh in isolated power (.227), ninth in OPS (.817), 12th in batting average, 16th in wRC+ (126), 21st in strikeout rate (21 percent), and 34th in line-drive rate (22.7 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Romero saw all of his playing time on the field with the Drive come at either shortstop or second base. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder logged 307 2/3 innings at short and 134 innings at second, committing eight errors in 179 total chances. He also started eight games at DH.

A native of Southern California, Romero was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with the club for $2.3 million that July but has struggled to stay on the field since entering the professional ranks.

After a strong pro debut between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2022, Romero was limited to just 34 games between three affiliates last year. He received a promotion from Salem to Greenville on August 15 but appeared in only three games for the Drive before being shut down for the rest of the season with “persistent lower-back issues.”

To that end, Romero did not make his 2024 debut until early May, as he opened the season on the injured list and completed a three-game rehab assignment in the FCL before rejoining the Greenville lineup on May 15. He initially got his second stint with the Drive off to a slow start but turned in a monster July (.354/.382/.781 with seven homers and 19 RBIs in 19 games) and was recognized as the South Atlantic League Player of the Month.

Leading up to Sunday’s promotion, Romero had slashed .260/.327/.360 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 12 August contests for Greenville. He suffered a concussion earlier this month after taking a bad hop to the face in the infield but returned to action on August 14 following a brief seven-day stint on the injured list.

Romero, who does not turn 21 until January, should help fill the void in the Portland lineup that was created when top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, and Kristian Campbell were promoted to Triple-A Worcester within one week of each other. In doing so, he will be getting the opportunity to face more advanced pitching in the upper minors for the first time in his young career.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)