Tag: prospects

Red Sox OF prospect Eduardo Lopez homers on first pitch he sees this spring

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Eduardo Lope left a strong impression by homering in his first at-bat of the spring.

Called up from minor-league camp for Sunday’s split-squad Grapefruit League contest against the Yankees at JetBlue Park, Lopez came into the game in the top half of the sixth inning as a defensive replacement for starting left fielder Jarren Duran.

An inning and a half later, Lopez stepped up to the plate for the first time to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Hitting from the left side, the switch-hitting 21-year-old wasted little time introducing himself to Yankees pitching prospect Clayton Beeter, as he promptly drilled the first pitch he saw from the righty over the visitor’s bullpen in deep right field for his first-ever home run in a major-league spring training game.

By going deep in his first and only plate appearance of the afternoon, Lopez gave the Red Sox a commanding nine-run lead as they went on to defeat the Yankees by a final score of 12-6.

Unlike other minor-leaguers who have made cameos for the Sox in Grapefruit League action this spring, Lopez is not currently viewed as one of the premier prospects in the organization. The Dominican Republic native was Boston’s top international signing in 2018, as he received a $1.15 million bonus to go pro that July. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June and showed signs of promise there but has not yet lived up to his potential.

That, in part, is due to how often Lopez has been injured. The 2020 minor-league season being wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly did not help things, but Lopez has been hindered by different issues since making his stateside debut three years ago. He was limited to just 11 games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2021 “due to an unspecified injury that may have been to his left hand/wrist,” according to SoxProspects.com. He returned to Salem in 2022 but made three separate trips to the injured list altogether there.

Last season actually represented a breakthrough of sorts for Lopez as he played in a career-high 79 games at High-A Greenville. In those 79 games, he held his own by batting .261/.356/.384 with 16 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 45 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 42 walks, and 81 strikeouts over 315 plate appearances for the Drive before being shut down in early September.

Though his offensive production tapered off to some degree in the second half, it was nonetheless a solid 2023 season for Lopez. Among those in the South Atlantic League who made at least 300 trips to the plate last year, Lopez ranked 15th in walk rate (13.3 percent), 19th in batting average, 20th in on-base percentage, 35th in OPS (.740), 28th in line-drive rate (20.8 percent), 36th in swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), and 33rd in wRC+ (107), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, as he has throughout his career, Lopez saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Greenville. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder logged 147 innings in left, 218 2/3 innings in center, and 229 innings in right while committing a total of three errors in 130 chances. He also made one start at first base last July, which is something he had never done before then.

Lopez, who turns 22 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. With that being said, it may be tough for Lopez to find at-bats if he is behind the likes of Roman Anthony, Corey Rosier, Phillip Sikes, and others on the Sea Dogs’ outfield depth chart to open the year.

(Picture of Eduardo Lopez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke likely to see playing time in outfield this season

The Red Sox optioned two players and reassigned eight non-roster invitees to minor-league camp on Monday. Chief among them was infield prospect Nick Yorke.

Taking part in his second big-league camp, Yorke appeared in 15 Grapefruit League games for Boston this spring. The right-handed hitting 21-year-old went just 2-for-22 (.091) with a pair of singles, three walks, and seven strikeouts. He did, however, go 2-for-2 with a double and RBI in this past Saturday’s Spring Breakout showcase against the Braves at JetBlue Park.

“He didn’t do much offensively,” manager Alex Cora said of Yorke when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) on Monday. “It felt like he was in between the whole camp. He didn’t get too many opportunities because of lack of versatility. He played great at second base. The times he was on the bases, good instincts.

“But the offensive side of it, that was his ticket when he got drafted — he’s going to be an offensive middle infielder,” Cora added. “And we’ve got to get back to that. I think now, slow things down, go do your work wherever he starts. PD (player development), they’ll determine that. Get his at-bats and get back to the hitter the organization envisioned when they drafted him in ‘20.”

Yorke was, of course, originally selected by the Red Sox in the first round (17th overall pick) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. The California native came into the spring ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system after bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2022 at High-A Greenville and batting .268/.350/.435 with 25 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, 74 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 122 strikeouts in 110 games (506 plate appearances) with Double-A Portland last year.

Though his production dipped to some degree in the second half, Yorke represented the Red Sox at last July’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle and was later named the Sea Dogs’ 2023 Most Valuable Player. He is now considered by Baseball America to be the best hitter for average in Boston’s farm system, though he struggled to put those bat-to-ball skills on display this spring.

As noted by the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, the Red Sox will use the rest of spring training to determine if Yorke — who turns 22 next month — will return to Portland or make the jump to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign. They will also dispatch the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder at other positions besides second base throughout the season in an effort to add to his defensive versatility.

“I was just talking to Abes (director of player development Brian Abraham). I think they are going to introduce him to left field,” Cora said. “He’s a good athlete. Big, strong and he moves well. He moves really well. So they are probably going to try to do that.”

Yorke, who has been used exclusively as a second baseman since entering the professional ranks, began taking reps in the outfield earlier in camp but saw all of his playing time in games this spring come at either second or DH. He told The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham last month that he hasn’t played outfield since eighth grade but was “happy to give it a shot.”

“I was always an outfielder until I got to high school,” said Yorke. “I never touched the infield until then. I was one of the more athletic kids and they put me there and the rest is history.”

Regardless of where he plays or what level he starts out at, though, Yorke is entering a pivotal season for his development in that he can become Rule 5 eligible for the first time later this year. As such, the Red Sox are surely planning on using these next few months to determine if Yorke, who needs to be added to the 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November, is in their future plans or not.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Despite being unranked by MLB Pipeline, Kristian Campbell earns spot on Red Sox’ Spring Breakout roster

Of the 18 position-playing prospects on the Red Sox’ roster for this weekend’s inaugural Spring Breakout matchup against the Braves at JetBlue Park, Kristian Campbell is the only one who is not currently ranked by MLB Pipeline.

Campbell is one of four 2023 draftees to make the cut for Boston, joining the likes of first-rounder Kyle Teel, second-rounder Nazzan Zanetello, and third-rounder Antonio Anderson. The 21-year-old was, of course, taken by the Red Sox with the 132d overall selection last July, which is the pick the club received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency the prior offseason.

As a result of being redshirted his freshman year, Campbell played just one season at Georgia Tech before going pro as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native signed with Boston for $492,700 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

In eight games with the FCL Red Sox, Campbell went 9-for-23 (.391) with two doubles, one triple, two RBIs, four runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks, and five strikeouts. The right-handed hitter then received a promotion to High-A Greenville on August 24, meaning he would be skipping the Low-A level altogether.

With Greenville, Campbell batted .267/.400/.422 with two more doubles, one more triple, the first home run of his young career, three runs driven in, five runs scored, one stolen base, and seven strikeouts over 14 games (55 plate appearances) to close out the regular season. He then recorded a pair of three-hit games in the playoffs while helping the Drive take home their first South Atlantic Title since 2017.

“The lights were not too bright for him,” Greenville manager Iggy Suarez said of Campbell last September. “First year in pro ball, first season, and he’s in the thick of things. The bigger the moment, he embraced it and he wanted it. It’s almost a veteran approach.”

Including the postseason, Campbell slashed a stout .350/.469/.538 with five doubles, two triples, two homers, 11 RBIs, 12 runs scored, three stolen bases, 11 walks, and 21 strikeouts across 26 total games between the FCL and Greenville last year. The versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder put up those numbers while making starts at second base and both corner outfield spots.

“I was listed as an infielder, mainly a middle infielder, but I can also play the outfield,” Campbell told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last fall. “At Georgia Tech, I just played second base. I’ve always taken reps in the outfield during batting practice and stuff. So it’s always come kind of natural.”

Campbell, who does not turn 22 until late June, got into his first big-league spring training game on February 25 and struck out in his only plate appearance after taking over in center field for top prospect Roman Anthony. He is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign.

Despite not being ranked by MLB Pipeline at the moment, Campbell did receive some attention from Baseball America last month. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who also compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for BA, wrote that Campbell was drafted where he was “based not only on his combination of bat-to-ball skills, strike-zone discipline, and plus speed but also a sense that he could add to his profile with strength gains and by getting exposure to the outfield, where his speed is an asset.”

To that end, Campbell should get the opportunity to showcase such skills when he and his fellow Red Sox prospects take on their peers from the Braves in Fort Myers on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time and the seven-inning exhibition will be broadcasted on NESN.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Cutter Coffey homers in first at-bat of spring

Infield prospect Cutter Coffey proved to be the difference maker in the Red Sox’ split-squad win over the Nationals at JetBlue Park on Saturday afternoon.

Called up by the big-league club for the first time this spring, Coffey was inserted into the Grapefruit League contest as a defensive replacement for starting third baseman Rafael Devers in the top of the sixth. A half-inning later, he stepped up to the plate for the first time with two outs and one runner on base following a Tyler Heineman single.

Matched up against Nationals reliever Cole Henry, who was added to Washington’s 40-man roster last November, Coffey worked a 1-0 count before taking the right-hander way deep over the faux Green Monster in left field for a towering go-ahead, two-run home run.

Coffey’s blast lifted the Sox from a 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 lead. Fellow minor-league infielder added some insurance with a solo homer of his own an inning later as Boston went on to defeat Washington by a final score of 4-2 to remain unbeaten at home this spring.

Coffey, who finished the day 1-for-2 after flying out in the eighth inning, is looking to bounce back this year after a relatively underwhelming first full season in pro ball. The 19-year-old was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system at this time last spring but has since dropped from the outlet’s top 30 list completely.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, Coffey forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing with Boston for $1.85 million that July. The California native then made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where he went 4-for-32 (.125) with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in a brief 11-game sample.

After playing his way onto a full-season roster last spring, Coffey broke camp with Low-A Salem to kick off the 2023 campaign. In 81 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, the right-handed hitter batted .226/.341/.348 with 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, a team-high 51 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 349 plate appearances.

Though a .689 OPS may be far from eye-popping, Coffey’s under-the-hood numbers with Salem were more encouraging. Among 44 qualified hitters in the Carolina League last year, for instance, Coffey produced the highest line-drive rate (29.4 percent) and 1oth-lowest swinging-strike rate (8.9 percent). He also ranked 11th in walk rate (12.9 percent), 17th in on-base percentage and isolated power (.122), 15th in speed score (6.6), and 19th in wRC+ (102), per FanGraphs.

In light of that production, Coffey received a promotion to High-A Greenville in early August. Unlike Roman Anthony, who made the jump from Salem about two months prior, Coffey’s production at Greenville did not catch up to his underlying metrics. Instead, Coffey closed out the 2023 season by slashing just .136/.253/.167 with two doubles, five RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 18 games (79 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Altogether, Coffey hit .210/.325/.315 (88 wRC+) with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 35 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 56 walks, and exactly 100 strikeouts over 99 total games (428 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville last year. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder saw playing time at every infield position besides first base with both the Red Sox and Drive. He committed a total of 20 errors in 281 chances between second base (where he logged 69 innings), third base (326 1/3 innings), and shortstop (379 1/3 innings), which translates to a .929 fielding percentage.

Coffey, who does not turn 20 until May, profiles best as a third baseman moving forward given his arm strength (he pitched in high school). Though he has soft hands and adequate body control, there are questions regarding his range as he continues to add size to his frame.

Barring a surprise in the weeks leading up to Opening Day, Coffey is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. There, he should have the chance to get back on track and maybe even work his way up to Double-A Portland before the year is over.

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

Red Sox prospect Brainer Bonaci suspended for 2024 season

Red Sox minor-league infielder Brainer Bonaci has been suspended for the entirety of the 2024 season as a result of violating MiLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Bonaci had been placed on MLB’s restricted list for violating said policy in early October, which resulted in him being pulled from the Arizona Fall League following a brief stint with the Glendale Desert Dogs. The 21-year-old has been away from the Red Sox since then and has been working out at home in Venezuela this spring as opposed to the club’s Fenway South complex in Fort Myers.

A native of Catia La Mar, Bonaci originally signed with the Red Sox for $290,000 as an international free agent in July 2018. He came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system and was a candidate to be added to the 40-man roster at year’s end in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

In 79 total games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland last year, the switch-hitting Bonaci batted .297/.354/.464 with 18 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, 44 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 30 walks, and 80 strikeouts over 350 plate appearances. Defensively, he saw playing time at second base, shortstop, third base, and left field.

After receiving a promotion from Greenville to Portland in early August, Bonaci appeared in just 16 games with the Sea Dogs before being placed on the reserve list on Aug. 30. He was then sent home “on administrative leave” while the league began its investigation, but was taken off the reserve list at the end of the minor-league season and permitted to take part in the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers as well as the Arizona Fall League.

Bonaci arrived in Arizona in late September, but appeared in just two games for Glendale (going 1-for-7 with four strikeouts) prior to hitting the restricted list on Oct. 4. When asked about the matter by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey in November, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said that “he was prohibited from commenting on the situation for now.”

As of this writing, it is not yet known how Bonaci violated the minor-league domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. Regardless of that, though, the league’s investigation into the violation led to Bonaci being handed down a season-long suspension that could have further ramifications regarding his future as a member of the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Brainer Bonaci: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Juan Chacon settling back into things after injury-shortened 2023 season

Red Sox outfield prospect Juan Chacon has been settling back into things this spring after suffering a season-ending wrist injury late last June.

As a minor-league call-up, Chacon has appeared in two spring training games for Boston thus far. Last Friday, he scored a run after reaching on an error in the sixth inning of a 7-2 victory over Northeastern. This past Sunday, he came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a triple and run scored as part of a split-squad win over the Twins at JetBlue Park.

For Chacon, this has represented his first in-game action of any kind in quite a while. At this time last year, the then-20-year-old was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. After getting into two Grapefruit League games, he broke camp with Low-A Salem last April.

Out of the gate, Chacon held his own with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Through June 10, the right-handed hitter found himself batting .286/.414/.388 with five doubles, five triples, 12 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 40 strikeouts over his first 44 games (181 plate appearances) of the season. For whatever reason, Chacon hit a speed bump of sorts after that and came into play on June 29 in the midst of a 6-for-51 (.118) slump.

To lead off the first inning of Salem’s contest against the Fredericksburg Nationals that night, Chacon fouled off a pitch and was in visible discomfort after completing his swing. He could be seen favoring his left wrist and was ultimately taken out of the game after leaving the field with a trainer.

On July 2, Chacon was placed on Salem’s 7-day injured list. Eleven days later, he underwent surgery in Boston to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left wrist. He flew down to Fort Myers to begin his rehab shortly thereafter but was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 27 and spent the rest of the season there.

All told, Chacon slashed .241/.353/.332 (102 wRC+) with six doubles, six triples, 18 runs driven in, 22 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 31 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 57 games (235 plate appearances) for Salem last year. His 20 stolen bases ranked second on the team behind only Ahbrahm Liendo’s 30.

On the other side of the ball, Chacon saw playing time at all three outfield positions in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 171-pounder logged 36 innings in center field, 163 2/3 innings in left field, and 190 innings in right field. He recorded two outfield assists (which both came in right) and committed a total of just three errors in 75 total defensive chances.

Chacon, who turned 21 in December, originally signed with the Red Sox for $900,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He had to wait until 2021 to make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since drawn mixed reviews from evaluators. His speed appears to be his carrying tool but the lack of power in his game is quite apparent as well.

Now healthy heading into the 2024 campaign, Chacon is not currently regarded by SoxProspects.com — or any other outlet, for that matter — as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, expected to start his age 21-season at High-A Greenville, where he could benefit from playing in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Roman Anthony tabbed by MLB Pipeline as Red Sox’ top power-hitting prospect

Outfielder Roman Anthony has been tabbed by MLB Pipeline as the top power-hitting prospect in the Red Sox farm system heading into the 2024 season.

Anthony is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 24 prospect in baseball, trailing only shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 15) for the top spot in the organization. The 19-year-old’s power tool is graded by the outlet as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, which translates to above average.

After being selected by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Anthony enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball last year. Across 106 total games at three different minor-league levels, the left-handed hitter slashed .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 491 plate appearances.

Anthony spent the first two-plus months of the 2023 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he slashed .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run (the first of his professional career), 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games (202 plate appearances). While some of those surface-level numbers may seem uninspiring, the Red Sox were encouraged by the underlying metrics (such as swing decisions and high exit velocities) and elected to move Anthony up to High-A Greenville in early June.

With Greenville, Anthony experienced a surge in both power and striking out. He produced at a .294/.412/.569 clip with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 punchouts over 54 games (245 plate appearances) for the Drive before receiving another promotion to Double-A Portland in early September.

To close out an eventful season, Anthony batted .343/.477/.543 with four doubles, one home run, eight runs driven in, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts in a brief 10-game, 44-plate appearance sample with the Sea Dogs. Between what he did in Salem, Greenville, and Portland, Anthony was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.

Among the 12 Boston minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate in 2023, Anthony ranked second in walk rate (17.5 percent), third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.869), fourth in isolated power (.194), first in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), fourth in swinging-strike rate (8.8 percent), and first in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots last year. With Salem, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made one start in left, 14 in right, and 18 in center. With Greenville, he made four starts in right and 40 in center.  He was used exclusively in center by Portland, where he registered one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 defensive chances.

Coming off a breakout 2023, Anthony — who does not turn 20 until May — is now considered a consensus top 25 prospect in the sport. Barring a surprise, he is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season, though he could work his way to Triple-A Worcester (or even Boston) later in the year if the Red Sox continue to be aggressive with his development.

In the more immediate future, Anthony is not at big-league spring training with the Red Sox in Fort Myers even after taking part in the club’s rookie development program earlier this winter. When speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Thursday, manager Alex Cora said third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson has inquired about bringing Anthony up from minor-league camp for a few games.

“It was a hard no,” Cora said (with a laugh) after asking player development staff about Anthony. “Huddy is trying, but (player development) they’ve got their program over there, he needs to get his reps and we don’t want to take him out of that. Two at-bats here, yeah it’s great for everybody to see him play and all that, but I think there’s a lot of things going on that are more important right now for his development. So whenever they decide we can take him, we’ll take him.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did versatile Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough fare in 2023?

There is a case to be made that versatile Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough got better as the year went on in 2023.

After spending the entirety of his first full professional season at High-A Greenville, McDonough graduated to the upper-minors by breaking camp with Double-A Portland last spring. The 24-year-old struggled out of the gate, slashing just .200/.287/.297 through his first 42 games (168 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

In the midst of a 2-for-23 (.087) skid that dated back to late May, McDonough broke out for two hits and two RBIs as part of a 9-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on June 17. The switch-hitter proceeded to end the month of June on a relatively high note before making a brief one-game cameo with Triple-A Worcester after the calendar flipped to July.

At that point in time, the WooSox found themselves in need of infield depth, and so McDonough spent about a week with the affiliate during their road trip in Buffalo. He made his Triple-A debut against the Bisons on July 3 and went 0-for-3 while serving as Worcester’s starting third baseman.

Shortly after the WooSox returned home from that trip, McDonough was sent back down to Portland. He returned to the Sea Dogs’ lineup on July 5 and began to pick things up offensively from that point forward. Over the next two-plus months, McDonough batted a solid .286/.354/.429 with seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 18 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 50 games (177 plate appearances) through the end of the Eastern League regular season.

With Portland done for the year, McDonough again made the jump to Worcester and joined the WooSox for their final series of the season in Lehigh Valley. He got into three of six possible games and went 3-for-9 (.333) with a double, a triple, a run scored, a walk, and three strikeouts.

Altogether, McDonough slashed .250/.325/.375 with 16 doubles, five triples, five homers, 35 runs driven in, 51 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 100 strikeouts in 101 total games (379 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester last season. While those numbers may not necessarily be eye-opening, it is worth mentioning that — after his second stint with the Sea Dogs commenced in early July — McDonough hit a more respectable .288/.357/.442 over his final 53 games (188 plate appearances) of the year.

Among the 27 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 350 trips to the plate in 2023, McDonough ranked seventh in stolen bases, third in speed score (8.1), sixth in wSB (1.0), ninth in line-drive rate (21 percent), and 12th in swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, McDonough started games at six different positions last year. In total, the 5-foot-8, 180-pounder logged 135 innings at second base, 16 innings at third base, 195 innings at shortstop, 49 innings in center field, 316 innings in left field, and 129 innings in right field. He recorded a team-high six outfield assists while with the Sea Dogs and was used strictly as an infielder by the WooSox.

Though it initially appeared as if McDonough’s season ended in September, he was actually a late addition to the group of prospects the Red Sox sent out west to play in the Arizona Fall League. He effectively took the place of infielder Brainer Bonaci, who was placed on the restricted list in October for violating MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy, but certainly made the most of the opportunity.

In 16 games with the Glendale Desert Dogs, McDonough batted .254/.366/.424 with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, 11 runs scored, five stolen bases, 11 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 71 plate appearances while seeing playing time at second base, shortstop, and left field.

In its entirety, the 2023 season was an eventful one for McDonough, who was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (75th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft out of North Carolina State. The Ohio native signed with the club for an under-slot $828,600 and was viewed by outlets like Baseball America as “perhaps the most polished player drafted” by Boston that year.

After putting forth a strong debut season (.884 OPS) in a 31-game sample between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2021, however, McDonough has struggled to reach that same level of success in recent years. He was able to take a step forward last year after posting a .667 OPS in 114 games with Greenville in 2022, so that represents a positive development.

McDonough, who turns 25 in April, comes into 2024 ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently projected by the site to return to Portland for the start of the upcoming minor-league season, though it would not be surprising if he were to make his way back to Worcester at some point given his speed and versatility.

With that being said, McDonough can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career next winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. As such, McDonough has the opportunity to elevate his profile over these next seven or so months.

(Picture of Tyler McDonough: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Why rising Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes figures to make stateside debut earlier than originally expected

Thanks to a scheduling update, one of the top prospects in the Red Sox farm system will likely make his stateside debut a little earlier than expected later this year.

Infielder Yoeilin Cespedes, who enjoyed a strong debut season in the Dominican Summer League last year, is expected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2024.

In years past, the rookie-level Florida and Arizona Complex Leagues typically get underway in early June and wrap up in late August. As Baseball America’s JJ Cooper reported on Tuesday, though, both complex league seasons this year will begin on May 4 and finish on July 25.

According to Cooper, all 30 big-league clubs “discussed changes to the complex leagues with MLB all last season. Farm directors voted to move the season up after considering multiple proposals for different tweaks. In the end, the decision changes the leagues from ones heavily populated by new draftees to ones that will largely be filled with players making the jump from the Dominican Summer League.”

Cespedes, Boston’s top international signee out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, fits that description. After putting pen to paper and receiving a lucrative $1.4 million bonus, the Azua native made his professional debut for DSL Red Sox Blue last June and proceeded to put up impressive numbers at the plate.

In 46 games with Blue last season, Cespedes slashed a stout .346/.392/.560 with a team-high 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 38 RBIs, 37 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 209 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old earned DSL All-Star honors in July and was named the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player of the Year in September.

Among the 66 DSL hitters who made at least 200 trips to the plate in 2023, Cespedes ranked sixth in strikeout rate (11.5 percent), third in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, fifth in slugging percentage, seventh in OPS (.953), eighth in isolated power (.215), first in line-drive rate (28.3 percent), 21st in swinging-strike rate (21.6 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (145), per FanGraphs.

“He’s put up some numbers we haven’t seen very much from that level,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Cespedes when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last July. “Obviously the numbers down there speak for themselves. A lot of contact. A lot of hard contact. I think he’s working on being a little bit more patient at the plate.

“He’s not pull-oriented,” added Romero. “He uses the whole field. He hits the ball hard everywhere. And he hits the ball hard to a lot of quadrants that are pitched to him too, which is good. He doesn’t strike out much. He makes a lot of contact. There’s a lot of good, positive indicators there.”

Defensively, Cespedes saw all of his playing time on the infield dirt last season come at shortstop. The projectable 5-foot-9, 181-pounder logged a team-high 294 innings at short and committed seven errors in 139 chances, which translates to a .950 fielding percentage. He also helped turn 14 double plays.

“He’s become a lot more fundamentally sound,” said Romero, referencing how Cespedes improved on the defensive side of things as the year progressed. “In his base, being more flexible, being more athletic. He’s always had the arm strength. For us, it was working on his range, working on his first step, his agility side to side.”

Coming into the spring, Cespedes is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, up 14 spots from where he was a year ago. He also received at least one vote to be included in BA’s 2024 preseason top 100 list, which was released last month.

Elsewhere, Keith Law of The Athletic recently tabbed Cespedes as his eighth-ranked Red Sox prospect heading into the 2024 season. Law wrote on Monday that Cespedes, his sleeper pick, could be Boston’s “next superstar hitting prospect if what we saw in the DSL carries over to the US.”

With the 2024 FCL campaign set to begin and end a month earlier than before, Cespedes should have an opportunity to make it to Low-A Salem for what would be his full-season debut well before his 19th birthday in September. There could be some struggles along the way, but Cespedes undoubtedly has tantalizing potential at this early stage in his career.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas led Double-A Portland in homers (16) last season

Despite playing just 82 games, Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas led Double-A Portland in home runs last season.

Binelas, who spent all of 2023 with Portland after closing out his first full season as a member of the Red Sox organization there, entered the year ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 35 prospect in Boston’s farm system. In those 82 games for the Sea Dogs, the left-handed hitting corner infielder batted .223/.296/.460 (102 wRC+) with 18 doubles, a team-high 16 homer runs, 52 RBIs, 47 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 115 strikeouts over 328 plate appearances.

After posting a .633 OPS across 55 games in his first exposure to competition at the Double-A level in 2022, Binelas saw those struggles carry over to the start of the 2023 campaign last spring. Through the end of May, the 23-year-old found himself slashing just .180/.246/.342 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in his first 29 games. He then began to turn a corner offensively as the calendar flipped to June and wound up enjoying an extremely productive July (.986 OPS in 17 games) as well.

While his production dipped a bit again in August (.658 OPS in 16 games), Binelas ended the season on a high note by going 7-for-23 (.304) with one double, one homer, six runs driven in, seven runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and seven strikeouts in seven September contests.

Altogether, it was a year of ups and downs for Binelas, who proved far more effective against right-handed pitching (.237/.304/.494, 15 home runs in 270 plate appearances) than left-handed pitching (.157/.259/.294, one home run in 58 plate appearances). He also evidently enjoyed hitting at Portland’s Hadlock Field more than anywhere else, as his home OPS of .955 was more than 400 points higher than his OPS on the road.

Among the 75 hitters in the Eastern League who made at least 300 trips to the plate in 2023, Binelas produced the 12th-highest slugging percentage, the 29th-highest OPS (.755), the sixth-highest isolated power mark (.236), and the ninth-highest speed score (7.0). On the flip side of that, however, he also ranked 54th in walk rate (9.1 percent) and dead last in both strikeout rate (35.1 percent) and swinging-strike rate (19.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Binelas mainly split time between both corner infield spots for the Sea Dogs last season. The sturdy 6-foot-1, 225-pounder logged 291 1/3 innings at first and 229 2/3 innings at third, committing a total of just two errors (one at each position) in 289 total defensive chances. He also made 20 starts at DH.

Binelas, a Wisconsin native, was originally selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisville. Less than four months after making his professional debut, Binelas was traded to the Red Sox alongside fellow prospect David Hamilton and old friend Jackie Bradley Jr. in exchange for outfielder Hunter Renfroe that December. The deal was met with shock, as it was made right before the old collective bargaining agreement expired and a three-month long lockout began.

Since then, Binelas has shown that he has plenty of power by clubbing 41 homers in 195 games dating back to the start of the 2022 season, tying Ceddanne Rafaela for the second-most by a Red Sox minor-leaguer in that same time frame.

With that being said, though, Binelas has also shown that he is vulnerable to striking out at high rates, especially since graduating past A-ball a few years ago. As such, Binelas will need to continue working on reducing the number of times he punches out, which is something he did down the stretch last season, if he is intent on reaching his full potential.

Binelas, who turns 24 in May, is no longer regarded by SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in the organization. He is, however, projected by the site to once again return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. To that end, hese next few months could prove to be quite meaningful for Binelas, as he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career next winter.

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