Tag: portland sea dogs

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Niko Kavadas accomplished this unique feat in 2023

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Niko Kavadas drew more walks and struck out more times than any other minor-leaguer in the organization last year.

Kavadas, who split the 2023 season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, batted .206/.377/.428 with 16 doubles, 22 home runs, 69 RBIs, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases, 98 walks, and 172 strikeouts over 117 total games (480 plate appearances) while producing eye-popping exit velocities.

Coming off a strong 2022 campaign in which he played at three levels and earned Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year honors, Kavadas returned to Portland for the start of his second full season in pro ball last April. In his second stint with Boston’s Eastern League affiliate, the left-handed hitting 25-year-old slashed .204/.386/.430 with eight doubles, 14 homers, 42 runs driven in, 35 runs scored, two stolen bases, 63 walks, and 110 strikeouts across 69 games spanning 293 trips to the plate.

Kavadas ended the first half of the season with Portland but was promoted to Worcester during the major-league All-Star break in mid-July. He made his WooSox debut shortly thereafter and proceeded to bat .210/.364/.426 with eight doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 35 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 48 games (187 plate appearances) for Boston’s International League affiliate.

Though a .789 OPS is far from spectacular, it is worth mentioning that Kavadas raised that figure by nearly 100 points by slashing a more respectable .246/.339/.597 with an organization-leading six home runs and 15 RBIs in the month of September.

When looking at how he fared after making the jump from Portland to Worcester over the summer, one of the first things that sticks out is how Kavadas lowered both his walk rate (21.5 to 18.7 percent) and strikeout rate (37.5 to 33.2 percent). He hit for a higher average (.204 to .210), but reached base less frequently (.386 to .364 on-base percentage) and did not produce as much power (.430 to .426 slugging percentage, .226 to .216 isolated power) while doing so. Perhaps as a result of that, his wRC+ dropped from 129 with the Sea Dogs to 101 with the WooSox, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Kavadas saw all of his playing time on the field at both of his stops last season come at first base. With Portland, the burly 5-foot-11, 235-pounder made a team-high 64 starts at first without committing an error. With Worcester, he made four errors in 339 chances while logging a team-leading 394 innings at the position.

Kavadas was, of course, originally selected by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Notre Dame. The Indiana-born slugger signed with the club for $250,000 that August and made it to Low-A Salem before his debut season came to a close.

As previously mentioned, Kavadas was promoted twice in 2022 after raking at both Salem and High-A Greenville. His production began to taper off a bit in his first go-around with Portland, but he put up decent numbers in the Arizona Fall League and came into 2023 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

While he has since fallen in those rankings, Kavadas still has a clear path to the big-leagues if he is able to improve in certain areas at the plate. As noted in his Baseball America scouting report from last February, Kavadas is “an intelligent hitter, and if he finds ways to limit his holes, he could be a DH who sees some time at first. If not, he may see time as an up-and-down left-handed bench bat.”

Kavadas, who does not turn 26 until October, is projected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season and will likely provide WooSox manager Chad Tracy with a left-handed hitting option at first base/DH in doing so.

Given the fact that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career later this year, these next eight or so months could be pretty important for Kavadas and his future ambitions.

(Picture of Niko Kavadas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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)

Speedy Red Sox prospect Corey Rosier had an action-packed 2023 season

Before even completing his first full season in pro ball, Corey Rosier had already played for three different organizations as a result of being traded twice.

Rosier, a 12th-round selection of the Mariners in the 2021 draft out of UNC Greensboro, was one of two players traded by the M’s to the Padres for infielder Adam Frazier that November. A little more than eight months later, the young outfielder was dealt to the Red Sox alongside fellow minor-leaguer Max Ferguson and veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer in exchange for pitching prospect Jay Groome.

“I think it’s definitely cool to know I’m sought after and people see me fitting into their system somewhere,” Rosier told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in April. “So that’s cool to know I’ve been a part of two big-league trades. So that’s the way I try to view it. Coming over in the middle of the season last year, it was a big transition.”

As he alluded to, Rosier struggled with High-A Greenville to close out the 2022 campaign, amassing a .547 OPS in 23 games. Despite the difficulties he endured there, though, the speedy 24-year-old broke camp this past spring with Double-A Portland and fared well in his first taste of life in the upper-minors.

“I think going through spring training with the Sox, getting more acclimated with the staff, getting comfortable,” Rosier said. “I think that’s really played a part in the early success that I’ve had in a small sample size.”

In his first 49 games with Portland in 2023, Rosier batted a stout .307/.354/.452 with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 26 stolen bases, 13 walks, and 43 strikeouts over 182 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter then earned his first promotion to Triple-A Worcester on June 22. Though his stay there (which was related to Worcester’s lack of outfield depth at the time) lasted less than a week, Rosier seemingly made the most of the opportunity by reaching base four times and recording one outfield assist in three games with the WooSox at Polar Park. He then re-joined the Sea Dogs for the start of their series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on June 29.

Rosier was a mainstay in Portland’s lineup for the next two-plus months. He slashed .266/.346/.427 with 10 doubles, three triples, five homers, 21 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 20 walks, and 43 strikeouts across 55 more games (218 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate before making yet another jump to Worcester in mid-September.

To close out the 2023 minor-league season, Rosier went 10-for-33 (.303) with three doubles, two runs driven in, four runs scored, two walks, and seven strikeouts in nine games. Altogether, he batted .285/.349/.439 in 104 games (400 plate appearances) with Portland and .282/.364/.359 in 12 games with Worcester, combining for 25 doubles, six triples, seven home runs (all at Double-A), 41 RBIs, 70 runs scored, 49 stolen bases, 37 walks, and 96 strikeouts between the two affiliates.

In the process of stealing the second-most bases among minor-leaguers in the organization (trailing only David Hamilton’s 57), Rosier was named the Red Sox’ Minor League Base Stealer of the Month once (April) and Minor League Baserunner of the Month twice (May, July). Defensively, the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder started at least one game at all three outfield spots for Portland and Worcester last season. Though the bulk of his playing at both stops time came in right field (652 2/3 combined innings), he recorded seven outfield assists and committed just three errors in 228 total chances.

While Worcester’s season drew to a close in the final week of September, Rosier and seven other Red Sox prospects headed out west to play in the Arizona Fall League. Suiting up for the Glendale Desert Dogs, who were led by a familiar face in Greenville manager Iggy Suarez, Rosier went 24-for-93 (.258) with four doubles, two triples, eight RBIs, 14 runs scored, a team-leading eight stolen bases, 13 walks, and 19 strikeouts over 23 games while, again, getting the chance to play all three outfield positions. Like left-hander Zach Penrod, Rosier also earned AFL All-Star honors.

On the heels of such an eventful 2023, Rosier comes into the new year ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 50 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Barring a trade, the Maryland native — who does not turn 25 until September — is expected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

Given his elite speed, which FanGraphs grades as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, Rosier could certainly emerge as a candidate for a big-league call-up later in the year if the Red Sox find themselves in the hunt for a postseason spot and in need of some wheels off the bench.

In the interim, one has to wonder if Rosier is in line to receive a non-roster invitation to major-league spring training, which — for the Red Sox — gets underway from Fort Myers in a little over a month.

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

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)

Red Sox prospect Eddinson Paulino was a stabilizing force for High-A Greenville in 2023

Red Sox infield prospect Eddinson Paulino proved to be one of the organization’s more durable minor-leaguers in 2023.

Paulino, 21, spent this entire past season with High-A Greenville. The sweet-swinging left-handed hitter slashed a respectable .257/.338/.420 and led the affiliate in games played (115), hits (113), doubles (28), home runs (12, tied with two other players), RBIs (58) and runs scored (68, tied with one other player). He also finished second on the team in triples (4), stolen bases (26), and walks (50) en route to being named an MiLB.com organizational All-Star for the second straight year.

While a .758 OPS (and 108 wRC+) on the season in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League is not exactly eye-popping, Paulino ended the year on a strong note by batting .306/.359/.472 with one homer and three RBIs in nine September contests. He then recoreded two doubles and drove in a total of five runs in the SAL playoffs to help the Drive win their first league title since 2017 and second in franchise history.

Among 56 qualified South Atlantic League hitters in the regular season, Paulino ranked 18th in strikeout rate (22.6 percent), 21st in batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, 19th in slugging percentage, 20th in OPS, 18th in isolated power (.164), 20th in speed score (6.7), and 23rd in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Paulino saw playing time at every infield position besides first base for Greenville. The versatile 5-foot-10, 155-pounder logged a team-high 474 innings at shortstop, 253 innings at second base, and 243 innings at third base, committing a total of 19 errors in 359 defensive chances. He did not see any time in the outfield, which is notable considering the fact that he made 11 starts in center and one in left while with Low-A Salem last season.

Paulino was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system coming into the 2023 season and ended it ranked 16th. The native of the Dominican Republic originally signed with the Red Sox for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santiago in July 2018, officially putting pen to paper on his 16th birthday.

Since making his domestic debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League a little more than two years ago, Paulino has been able to elevate his profile thanks in part to his hand-eye coordination, pitch recognition skills, and ability to make hard contact. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, however, Paulino “struggled to make consistent contact on pitches in the zone at times” in 2023. He also drew walks less frequently, reached base at a lower clip, and struck out more often this year compared to last.

Though he could be traded at some point before spring training begins in February, Paulino — SoxProspects.com’s 17th-ranked Red Sox prospect — is currently projected by the site to make the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. If that is indeed the case, it will certainly be worthwhile to see how Paulino fares against more advanced pitching in the Eastern League.

(Picture of Eddinson Paulino: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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)

How did Red Sox infield prospect Chase Meidroth fare in first full professional season?

Of all the Red Sox prospects who made it up to Double-A Portland this year, Chase Meidroth is far from the most highly touted. Still, the 22-year-old infielder made the most of his time with the Sea Dogs and ended the first full season of his professional career on an encouraging note.

Meidroth, Boston’s fourth-round selection in the 2022 amateur draft out of San Diego, made the jump to High-A Greenville this spring after playing in the Florida Complex League and at Low-A Salem in his pro debut. The right-handed hitter promptly got off to a quick start, batting .338/.495/.460 with three doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, and 20 strikeouts over 20 games (97 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Shortly after being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Hitter of the Month for April, Meidroth earned a promotion to Portland alongside catching prospect Nathan Hickey in early May. Though he proceeded to record at least one hit in his first four games with the Sea Dogs, life in the Eastern League proved to be more challenging for Meidroth. By the time the calendar flipped from July to August, the native Californian found himself slashing a pedestrian .259/.380/.381 in his first 55 games (237 plate appearances) against upper-level pitching.

The first few weeks of August proved to be somewhat laborious as well, but Meidroth began to turn a corner offensively as September approached and rode that momentum into the final month of the 2023 season. In his last 19 games of the year, Meidroth went 19-for-63 (.302) with five doubles, one homer, eight RBIs, 17 runs scored, two stolen bases, 19 walks, and 13 strikeouts. His .519 on-base percentage in September was the top mark in the Eastern League.

All told, Meidroth slashed .255/.386/.375 with 16 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 43 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 59 walks, and 78 strikeouts in 91 games (396 plate appearances) for Portland. Among qualified hitters in the Eastern League this season, Meidroth ranked sixth in walk rate (14.9 percent), eighth in strikeout rate (19.7 percent), eighth in batting average, second in on-base percentage, 17th in OPS (.762), first in swinging-strike rate (5.7 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (119), per FanGraphs.

“My game is to put the ball in play and have competitive at-bats to help give our team the best chance to win,” Meidroth said of his offensive approach when speaking with FanGraphs’ David Laurila earlier this summer. “I’m trying to provide opportunities for the guy behind me to drive me in, whether that’s by hitting a single, walking, or getting hit by a pitch. It’s kind of the whole pass-the-torch mentality, which I’ve had my whole life. In college, we really zoned in drawing our walks and staying in our zone. That’s kind of created the hitter I am, and that I want to be.

“It’s not so much that as I view at-bats as there being a lot of ways to win them,” he added. “For instance, if you see 10 pitches, that extends the inning for the pitcher. As for [Luis] Arraez, I’d like to say him [as a comp], but that guy is on a whole other level. Obviously, you’re seeing what he’s doing this year. But I mean, I grew up watching guys like Dustin Pedroia and Justin Turner. They’re both very smart hitters with great approaches, so I’ve always tried to try to model my game after theirs. Obviously, I’ve got a long ways to go to be at that level.”

On the other side of the ball, Meidroth started games at every infield position besides first base between his two stops this season. With the Sea Dogs specifically, the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder logged 133 2/3 innings at second base, 461 1/3 innings at third base, and 144 innings at shortstop, committing a total of seven errors in 214 defensive chances. In addition to being named Portland’s Defensive Player of the Year, he was also tabbed as the best defensive third baseman in the Eastern League by league managers in Baseball America’s Best Tools survey.

Meidroth, who does not turn 23 until next July, ended the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline had him slightly lower at No. 20 on its list while SoxProspects.com has him ranked 13th heading into the new year.

Along with 10 other Red Sox prospects, Meidroth has been invited to participate in the club’s 2024 rookie development program in Boston next month. He is also scheduled to take part in Winter Weekend at the end of that week in Springfield.

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter and into the spring, Meidroth is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to move up to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2024 campaign in late March.

While that is still months away, one thing to watch with Meidroth moving forward, regardless of the level, will be how he fares against advanced pitching in the upper-minors. There is some concern when it comes to his ability to impact the ball, so he will need to show that he can make hard contact more often and, in turn, do damage against pitches in the strike zone.

(Picture of Chase Meidroth: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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)

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)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer shut down for rest of season

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been shut down for the remainder of the minor-league season, director of player development Brian Abraham told MLB.com’s Ian Browne on Wednesday.

Mayer, who has been on Double-A Portland’s injured list with left shoulder inflammation, will not suit up for the Sea Dogs again this year. The 20-year-old shortstop will instead head to Fort Myers, Fla. to continue his rehab and focus on having “a full, normal offseason,” per Abraham.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Mayer was expected to return to action at some point last month. But upon resuming baseball activities, the left-handed hitter reaggravated the injury — which affects his ability to swing a bat — and has been idle ever since.

Abraham told Speier that Mayer is expected to ramp things back up in the coming days, adding that Boston’s No. 1 prospect will likely take part in the club’s fall instructional program at the Fenway South complex beginning next week.

“We just didn’t want him to play when he’s less than 100 percent,” Abraham said of Mayer. “Ultimately, we felt like having him be 100 percent during all activities was really important for him and for us.”

Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.), earned a promotion to Portland in late May after batting .290/.366/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 23 runs scored, five stolen bases, 17 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) for High-A Greenville to kick off his second full professional season.

Upon being inserted into the Sea Dogs’ lineup, though, Mayer struggled to a .189/.254/.355 slash line with eight doubles, one triple, six homers, 20 runs driven in, four stolen bases, 15 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 43 games (190 plate appearances). He was in the midst of a 1-for-21 slump at the plate prior to hitting the injured list.

Despite the poor offensive numbers in Portland, Mayer showed signs of promise in other areas and represented the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in July. On the other side of the ball, for instance, he committed just three errors across 323 innings at shortstop with the Sea Dogs. To that end, the 6-foot-2, 188-pound infielder was recently identified by Baseball America as the best defensive shortstop in both the South Atlantic (High-A) and Eastern League (Double-A) this year.

“It was a really positive [year], getting all the way up to Double-A at his age,” said Abraham. “He was probably a little unlucky. He put the ball in play, hit the ball hard, and played a really good defensive shortstop.

“Overall,” Abraham continued, “the chance to get to Double-A where he had a chance to be an impactful player on a team that was having a lot of success, it was a really good opportunity for him to play with some upper-level talent, see upper-levels pitching, and really play as if he belongs.”

It remains to be seen if Mayer, who turns 21 in December, will play in the Arizona Fall League, which gets underway next month. That being said, Speier notes that an AFL assignment “would be a consideration” if the California native gets back to 100 percent health-wise.

As things stand now, Mayer is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in the sport. MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, has him ranked 11th. Barring a surprise, Mayer is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season next spring.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)