Tag: prospects

How did Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra fare in stateside debut last year?

After two years in the Dominican Summer League, Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra made his long-awaited stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season.

As a 19-year-old, Sierra got into 30 of the FCL Red Sox’ 53 games in 2023. The right-handed hitter batted .265/.363/.398 with seven doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 30 strikeouts over 113 plate appearances for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Interestingly enough, Sierra played exactly 10 games in June, July, and August. He posted an OPS south of .600 in both June and August, but enjoyed a strong month of July in which he slashed .424/.525/.606 with one homer and six RBIs. It’s also worth noting that 99 of his 113 plate appearances last season came against righties as opposed to lefties.

Among the 96 hitters who made at least 110 trips to the plate in the FCL last year, Sierra ranked 33rd in batting average, 46th in on-base percentage, 37th in slugging percentage, 40th in OPS (.761), 37th in isolated power (.133), and 43rd in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Sierra saw the bulk of his playing time in 2023 come at first base. The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged a team-leading 224 1/3 innings at first, where he committed four errors in 207 total defensive chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on two separate occasions.

Sierra, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. At the time he put pen to paper, the Sabana Grande de Palenque native was viewed as an outfielder and was identified by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a potential sleeper within Boston’s 2021 signing class.

While Badler described Sierra as having “an advanced approach to hitting for his age,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero provided some more background on the signing in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com later that April.

“Armando was a player we scouted later on in his signing year. After scouting him a few times, he stood out for his strong frame and his power,” Romero wrote. “As we continued to see him, it became apparent that not only did he have above average power for his signing class, but he also was developing a stronger approach.”

Sierra made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that July and earned DSL All-Star honors while repeating the level in 2022. He was regularly seeing playing time at both corner outfield spots back then but was used exclusively as a first baseman in the FCL in 2023.

As things stand now, Sierra is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Last June, however, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that he found Sierra “really interesting” because — despite having a “tough” profile — “his feel for contact and the flexibility in his lower half are both very impressive for a corner bat.”

Looking ahead, Sierra is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 campaign. Assuming that is indeed what happens, it will be interesting to see how Sierra adjusts to stiffer competition while playing with a full-season affiliate for the first time in his young career.

(Picture of Armando Sierra: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Versatile Red Sox prospect Nick Sogard set to attend second consecutive MLB spring training camp

Nick Sogard was one of the 13 non-roster invitees the Red Sox added to their 2024 major-league spring training roster on Friday.

Sogard, 26, is entering his fourth season as a member of the Red Sox organization after being acquired from the Rays alongside catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs back to Tampa Bay.

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Rays out of Loyola Marymount in 2019, Sogard spent his first two years as a Red Sox minor-leaguer bouncing around between affiliates. After receiving his first-ever invite to big-league spring training around this time last year, however, the California native settled in with Triple-A Worcester in 2023.

In 112 games (which was good for second on the team behind only Bobby Dalbec’s 114) for the WooSox last season, Sogard batted .266/.370/.391 (97 wRC+) with 20 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 74 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 63 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 460 plate appearances. Though he cooled off in the second half some, the switch-hitter still proved particularly effective against left-handed pitching, as he slashed a stout .319/.441/.517 with four of his seven homers coming off lefties from the right side of the plate.

Among 83 qualified hitters in the International League, Sogard ranked 25th in walk rate (13.7 percent), 16th in strikeout rate (17.2 percent), 24th in on-base percentage, 20th in speed score (6.5), 21st in line-drive rate (26.2 percent), and second in swinging-strike rate (6.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Sogard put his utility on full display by making starts at five different positions for Worcester last year. The versatile 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged 328 innings at third base, 276 innings at second base, 164 innings at shortstop, 80 innings in right field, and 68 1/3 innings in left field. He committed a total of 10 errors in 322 chances, which translates to a .969 fielding percentage.

For his professional career, which spans 380 affiliated games, Sogard has made at least one start at every defensive position besides pitcher, catcher, and first base. To that end, SoxProspects.com describes Sogard as having soft hands, solid instincts in the field, and an advanced feel for the game.

“I love it. I think it kind of keeps things fresh,” Sogard recently told Liam Skiffington on the Sox Stack Podcast. “Being an impact defender at multiple positions is not something that’s super common, so I relish the role.”

Sogard, who does not turn 27 until September, is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 season, though it certainly would not be surprising if he played his way into a big-league opportunity at some point this year.

If Sogard were to debut for the Red Sox this season, he would become just the latest member of his family to make it to the show. Sogard is, of course, the younger cousin of longtime MLB infielder Eric Sogard and nephew of both Steve and Dave Sax.

(Picture of Nick Sogard: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Albert Feliz led Low-A Salem in homers (10) last season

Coming into the 2023 season, Red Sox first base prospect Albert Feliz had hit 10 career home runs in 106 professional games. Thanks to a power-filled second half, he was able to match that total with Low-A Salem last year.

As a 21-year-old, Feliz got into 90 games for Salem in 2023. The right-handed hitter slashed .242/.315/.407 with 17 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 29 walks, and 121 strikeouts over 333 plate appearances.

Nine of those team-leading 10 home runs came after the calendar flipped from June to July, as Feliz slugged a stout .497 in his final 48 games (185 plate appearances) of the year. During that impressive stretch, he recorded both the second four-hit game (July 6) and multi-homer game (August 31) of his young career.

Among the 71 hitters who made at least 300 trips to the plate in the Carolina League last season, Feliz posted the 11th-highest slugging percentage, isolated power mark (.165), and line-drive rate (24.4 percent). He also ranked 30th in batting average, 24th in OPS (.723), and 26th in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Feliz saw the majority of his playing time with Salem come at first base, as he made a team-high 48 starts there while only committing six errors in 382 chances. Elsewhere, the burly 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 131 1/3 innings in left field (where he recorded three outfield assists) and 14 innings in right. He also pitched in one game (Aug. 25), which is something he has done in each of the last three seasons.

Feliz, who turns 22 in April, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top-ranked prospects in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2018.

After a strong pro debut in 2019, when he went deep nine times in 66 Dominican Summer League games, Feliz’ career was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result of the pandemic, Feliz did not make his stateside debut until July 2021. His first game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League actually came on the three-year anniversary of his signing date (July 2).

In the time that has passed since then, Feliz has established himself as a bat-first prospect with plus-plus raw power to the pull side and some holes in his swing. Couple those issues to make contact with a limited defensive profile, and it becomes clear that Feliz still has some work to do on the developmental side of things.

With that being said, Feliz is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign. The Drive are fresh off winning their second South Atlantic League title and open their season on the road in early April.

(Picture of Albert Feliz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

How did Red Sox prospect Fraymi De Leon fare in 2023?

Fraymi De Leon received the highest bonus of any prospect the Red Sox signed during the 2022 international signing period. How has the Dominican infielder fared in the professional ranks since putting pen to paper a little over two years ago?

De Leon was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 32 prospect in his class when he signed with Boston for $1.2 million. The Santiago native then made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that June. As a 17-year-old, he batted .218/.332/.268 with one double, one triple, two home runs, 21 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 61 strikeouts in 50 games (214 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Blue.

Though he returned to the DSL for the start of the 2023 season, De Leon appeared in just nine games — going 5-for-21 (.217) with a .419 on-base percentage — there before making the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League for his stateside debut late last June. In 30 games with Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate, the switch-hitter slashed .295/.411/.328 with two doubles, four runs driven in, 17 runs scored, nine stolen bases, nine walks, and 18 strikeouts over 73 plate appearances.

While he was clearly lacking in the power department, De Leon still posted the 25th-highest batting average and 29th-highest on-base percentage among the 171 hitters in the FCL who made at least 70 trips to the plate last season. Using those same parameters, he also ranked 51st in speed score (6.8), 37th in swinging-strike rate (17.9 percent), and 56th in wRC+ (111), per FanGraphs. Some of these numbers can be attributed to a .419 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests that De Leon may have gotten lucky at times.

On the other side of the ball, De Leon was well-regarded for his defense at the time of his signing. Baseball America’s Ben Badler described the 5-foot-10, 155-pounder as “a talented defender at shortstop” who “shines in the field, where he’s smooth with soft hands, nimble footwork, good instincts and anticipation off the bat. He has a good internal clock and a plus arm to make plays from deep in the hole.”

To that end, De Leon saw the bulk of his playing time (40 of 48 starts) in 2022 come at shortstop, but last year was a different story. Between his stops in the DSL and FCL, the suddenly-versatile 19-year-old logged 83 2/3 innings at second base, 55 innings at shortstop, 53 1/3 innings at third base, 31 2/3 innings in center field, and 7 1/3 innings in left field while committing a total of just three errors altogether.

As far as De Leon’s versatility and future position is concerned, Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero addressed that subject in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“Regarding Fraymi, we have strong conviction that he can play shortstop well,” Romero wrote. “So, as we’ve done with a few other players, we wanted to expose him to other positions where he didn’t have as much experience so he’d learn to get comfortable there and provide more positional versatility. We also wanted to share the shortstop innings among other infielders like Freili Encarnacion (pre-injury), Marvin Alcantara, Angel Pierre, and — later in the season — Nazzan Zanetello (in addition to a few others in the DSL).”

De Leon, who does not turn 20 until September, is not currently ranked by any major publications as one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’ farm system. One such publication, SoxProspects.com, lists De Leon as a second baseman/infielder/center fielder on its organizational depth chart and projects that he will return to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

(Picture of Fraymi De Leon: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Blaze Jordan ranked by MLB Pipeline as one of top first base prospects in baseball

Blaze Jordan has been ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 7 first base prospect in baseball heading into the 2024 season, the publication revealed on Friday.

Jordan played more games (122) than any other Red Sox minor-leaguer in 2023. The 21-year-old split the season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, batting .296/.350/.481 with 32 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs, 86 RBIs, 67 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 strikeouts over 525 total plate appearances.

After closing out the 2022 campaign in Greenville, Jordan returned to the Drive for the start of his third full professional season last April. The right-handed hitter spent the entire first half with Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate, slashing a stout .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, 12 homers, 55 runs driven in, 48 runs scored, two stolen bases, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 73 games (322 plate appearances). He then received a promotion to Double-A Portland alongside top pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez during the All-Star break in July.

For Jordan, the transition from High-A to Double-A was not a smooth one. Nearly four years younger than the average player in the Eastern League, Jordan struggled out of the gate and mustered just a .579 OPS with one home run and six RBIs in his first 13 games with the Sea Dogs through the end of July. Things began to look up as the calendar flipped to August (.761 OPS in 25 games), however, and Jordan then ended the season by reaching base in eight of his final nine games in September.

All told, Jordan batted .254/.296/.402 with six home runs, 31 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 12 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 49 games (203 plate appearances) with Portland. Among the 135 other hitters in the Eastern League who made at least 200 trips to the plate last season, Jordan posted the fourth-lowest strikeout rate (13.8 percent) and 16th-highest line-drive rate (23.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan saw playing time at both corner infield spots between his two stops in 2023. After making 35 starts each at first and third base with Greenville, though, the 6-foot-2 infielder shifted more towards first base with Portland. He logged 249 2/3 innings there compared to 139 innings at the hot corner, committing a total of five errors in 216 defensive chances.

To that end, part of Jordan’s MLB Pipeline scouting report reads as follows: “He has soft hands and decent arm strength, but his well-below-average speed and substandard range limit his effectiveness at the hot corner. He’s an adequate if not especially rangy defender at first.”

Jordan, who just turned 21 last month, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall pick) in the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Mississippi. After reclassifying and graduating early, the Southaven native forwent his commitment to Mississippi State and — at 17 years old — signed with Boston for $1.75 million that July.

Because of the aforementioned COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan did not make his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League until the following June. He mashed there (1.075 OPS in 19 games) and quickly made his way to Low-A Salem before the end of the 2021 season, though he spent roughly two weeks on the injured list in September for what was, at the time, an undisclosed reason.

This past October, however, Jordan revealed on social media that he had been dealing with severe anxiety and depression around that time and was left hospitalized as a result. He was able to get the help he needed and is “definitely” doing better today, though he noted he still has his ups and downs.

“While I’m still struggling with some of the weight gain issues I’ve had caused by some of this and dealing with things mentally, I’m working through it and getting the help I need to come back better and better each year dealing with this,” Jordan wrote. “… I wanted to come on here and give my story so whoever is dealing with something knows they’re not alone and will learn from my story to reach out to someone way sooner than I did.”

Looking ahead now, Jordan is already in Fort Myers ahead of the official start of spring training. He is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season and figures to once again split reps between first and third base. Additionally, Jordan can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career at year’s end, so he has the chance to emerge as intriguing 40-man roster candidate if he proves he can handle pitching in the upper levels of the minors.

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

Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke got back on track in 2023

A bounceback 2023 season for Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke culminated in him being named Double-A Portland’s Most Valuable Player.

Coming off an injury-riddled 2022 campaign in which he struggled to a .668 OPS in 80 games with High-A Greenville, Yorke faced a fair amount of skepticism going into his third full professional season. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, however, the 21-year-old second baseman seemingly carried over that momentum into the spring and broke camp with Portland.

Tasked with facing upper-minors pitching for the first time in his career, Yorke got off to a fast start with the Sea Dogs. Through the end of May, the right-handed hitter found himself batting a stout .290/.412/.490 with seven doubles, three triples, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 35 runs scored, five stolen bases, 29 walks, and 43 strikeouts in his first 40 games (187 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate.

Though his production dropped off to some degree in June, Yorke joined Sea Dogs teammates Marcelo Mayer and Luis Guerrero in representing the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. There at T-Mobile Park, he went 1-for-3 with a hard-hit, 388-foot double and strikeout while serving as the American League’s starting second baseman.

Upon returning from the Emerald City, Yorke returned to form in August by slashing .310/.396/.517 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 22 games. He then managed just eight hits in 11 September contests, though he was honored as Portland’s 2023 MVP alongside Guerrero (Pitcher of the Year), Chase Meidroth (Defensive Player of the Year), and Tyler Dearden (Citizen of the Year) before the Sea Dogs’ final game of the season at Hadlock Field.

All told, Yorke batted .268/.350/.435 with a team-leading 25 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, a team-leading 61 RBIs and 74 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 122 strikeouts in a career-high 110 games (506 plate appearances) for Portland last season. Among 42 other qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Yorke ranked 19th in strikeout rate (24.1 percent), fifth in batting average, 13th in on-base percentage, 14th in slugging percentage, 11th in OPS (.785), 18th in isolated power (.167), fifth in speed score (6.9), 18th in line-drive rate (19.6 percent), 21st in swinging-strike rate (12 percent), and 15th in wRC+ (116), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Yorke established himself as the Sea Dogs’ primary second baseman early on and wound up making a team-high 96 starts at the keystone. Over 839 2/3 innings at second, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound infielder committed just six errors in 373 total chances, which translates to a .984 fielding percentage. To that end, Yorke was identified as the best defensive second baseman in the Eastern League by league managers in Baseball America’s 2023 Best Tools survey.

Named an organizational All-Star by both MiLB.com and SoxProspects.com, Yorke did well to put himself back on the map last season. The California native was, of course, originally taken by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Though a surprising selection at the time for various reasons, Boston swayed Yorke away from his commitment to Arizona by signing him for $2.7 million.

In the time that has passed since he was drafted, Yorke has experienced both the highs and lows of pro ball. After a stellar debut between Low-A Salem and Greenville in 2021, he was recognized Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. As previously mentioned, a plethora of injuries — including turf toe, back stiffness, and left wrist soreness — limited Yorke to just 80 games with Greenville in 2022 and created some questions regarding his future.

On the heels rebounding nicely in 2023, Yorke comes into the new year ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently taking part in the Red Sox’ rookie development program after working with several other Boston infielders in the Dallas-area last week as part of an offseason camp put together by native Texan Trevor Story.

Yorke, who turns 22 in April, could either return to Portland or make the jump to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2024 minor-league season . That decision, as noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, will likely depend on how much playing time is available for Yorke at Worcester given the influx of middle infield depth the Red Sox have.

Speier, who also contributes to Baseball America’s Red Sox coverage, reported late last week that both Yorke and outfield prospect Miguel Bleis are among those in the organization who have drawn some level of trade interest this winter as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. scour the market for starting pitching.

Unlike Bleis, who is still years away from big-league consideration and has a higher ceiling as a result, Yorke can be viewed as a more rational trade target after the Red Sox acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Braves for Chris Sale and cash considerations in late December.

Grissom, who just turned 23 and comes with six years of club control, is all but certain to open the 2024 season as Boston’s starting second baseman. Yorke, meanwhile, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time at the end of the year if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Because of that, the Red Sox could look to deal Yorke between now and this summer’s trade deadline if they view him as expendable and if Grissom — or another in-house option, perhaps — proves that they can handle the bulk of responsibilities at second base moving forward.

If Yorke does remain with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, though, he could put himself in position to make his big-league debut at some point before the 2024 season draws to a close.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer ‘a full go’ for upcoming rookie development program

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer is a “full go” and will be part of the club’s rookie development program that gets underway next week, according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.

Mayer missed the final six-plus weeks of the 2023 minor-league season due to a left shoulder injury he suffered much earlier in the year and attempted to play through. As the 21-year-old shortstop explained to Bradford back in September, it occurred on the road in early May, while he was still playing with High-A Greenville.

“It was May 7, we were playing in High-A in Asheville,” Mayer recalled on Audacy’s ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ podcast. I was 3-for-3 and I needed a triple for the cycle. I ended up hitting a ball in the gap. I tried to leg it out for the triple. I ended up stumbling past second base and fell. I didn’t really feel it on impact and then the next day I wake up and can’t lift my shoulder at all. I ended up taking that week off, come back playing a little too soon because the competitor in me wanted to play and didn’t want to rest. So I got used to playing hurt and ever since then it became a cycle and never really got better.”

As he alluded to, Mayer took some time off following that game in Asheville and did not return to action until May 14. To that point in the season, the left-handed hitter had batted a stout .337/.414/.582 with 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 23 RBIs, 17 runs scored, four stolen bases, 13 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 23 games (111 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Upon being inserted back into Greenville’s lineup, however, Mayer went just 9-for-47 (.192) with three homers and 11 runs driven in over his next 12 games. Despite those struggles, he was promoted to Double-A Portland on May 30. Things did not get any easier from there.

Facing more advanced pitching in the upper-minors for the first time in his professional career, Mayer slumped to a .189/.254/.355 slash line in 43 games with (190 plate appearances) with Boston’s Eastern League affiliate. He still managed six home runs and 20 RBIs in that stretch, but something was clearly amiss.

After representing the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, for instance, Mayer managed just 10 hits in 14 games with the Sea Dogs. Once the calendar flipped from July to August, he went 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in what would go down as his final two games of the year against the Bowie BaySox.

“It’s a good learning lesson on my end,” Mayer said. “Looking back at it, I should have definitely taken care of it. You’re here to play and obviously it didn’t work out for me because I thought it was going to get better over time, but it just kept getting worse and worse and worse so I decided to say something to the trainers.”

On August 5, Mayer was placed on Portland’s 7-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. A little over a month later, the Red Sox elected to shut down Mayer for the remainder of the year, with the goal of getting him back to 100 percent for a normal offseason the main motivator behind that decision.

“When it comes to my swing, my swing was just giving out every single time,” explained Mayer. “The littlest thing can impact your swing and you start compensating somewhere else, which is not a good thing, which is why I think I learned a lot from this experience. But as a player there is one place you want to be and it’s on the field.”

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who also compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, Mayer was ultimately diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement, which required a pain-killing injection in September.

In a conversation with The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, Red Sox director of player development said that playing in the Arizona Fall League was “a possibility or option” for Mayer, but the club decided against it. Instead, as noted by Speier, the California native spent the fall rehabbing in Fort Myers before returning home to Chula Vista on a strength program.

To that end, it now appears as though Mayer is back at full strength. That being the case because — in the words of Bradford — his shoulder is “not a hindrance.”

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Eastlake High School, Mayer comes into the new year ranked by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

While the 2023 campaign ended on a down note offensively, Mayer still managed to impress in other areas of the game. In separate polls ran by Baseball America, the 6-foot-2, 188-pound infielder was tabbed by league managers as the best defensive shortstop in both the Eastern and South Atlantic Leagues after committing a total of 10 errors over 602 innings at the all-important position between his stops at Greenville and Portland last season.

Though his name has frequently come up in trade rumors this winter, Mayer — who does not turn 22 until December — is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season. If he remains in the organization and stays healthy, Mayer could be on the fast track to making his major-league debut at some point later this year depending on how things shake out.

In the interim, Mayer and several other top prospects will take part in the Red Sox’ aforementioned rookie development program, which is scheduled to begin at Fenway Park next Monday. This annual five-day program typically consists of workouts at an indoor facility at Boston College, media training, and community service around the city, among other endeavors.

To complement the program, Mayer and nine other invitees (Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, Richard Fitts, Chase Meidroth, Nick Yorke, Wikelman Gonzalez, Luis Perales, Nathan Hickey, and Justin Slaten) are also scheduled to attend Winter Weekend — the Red Sox’ annual fan fest — at the end of the week in Springfield.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/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)

Is Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis primed to break out in 2024?

The 2023 season was supposed to serve as a launching point of sorts for Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis.

Bleis, Boston’s top international signee in 2021, came into the season with high expectations after turning heads in his domestic debut the year prior. The Dominican Republic native posted a .895 OPS in 40 Florida Complex League games and was named a 2022 FCL post-season All-Star, leading to him tabbed by MLB.com’s Jim Callis as the Red Sox’ best international prospect since Rafael Devers.

On the heels of such a promising campaign, Bleis entered Baseball America’s top 100 list as the 88th-ranked prospect in the sport last January. Shortly after celebrating his 19th birthday in March, Bleis made headlines in spring training by ripping a two-run single off Alek Manoah and throwing Brandon Belt out at home in a Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Bleis broke camp with Low-A Salem in April and served as the Red Sox’ Opening Day center fielder. The right-handed hitter got off to a fast start in his first taste of full-season ball, recording at least one hit in his first seven games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. He then began to taper off to some degree as the calendar flipped from April to May and wound up missing nearly two weeks of action after injuring his left shoulder on May 11.

Upon returning to Salem’s lineup on May 23, Bleis went just 1-for-18 over his next four games before re-aggravating his left shoulder on a swing in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on May 30. Bleis, in visible pain at that moment, was immediately removed from the contest and placed on the minor-league injured list shortly thereafter.

Later diagnosed with a left shoulder subluxation, Bleis underwent season-ending surgery in late June. All told, he slashed .230/.282/.325 with three doubles, three triples, one home run, 16 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 31 games (142 plate appearances) with Salem. On the other side of the ball, the 6-foot, 170-pounder made 11 starts in center field and 13 in right, registering two outfield assists at each spot while only committing one error in 47 total defensive chances.

In the time that has passed since going under the knife, Bleis has resumed baseball activities at the Red Sox’ Dominican academy in El Toro. As noted by 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tyler Milliken, the San Pedro de Macoris product looks to be back at full strength, as he has been posting videos to Instagram of him swinging a bat throughout the offseason.

To that end, both Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic and Alex Speier of The Boston Globe wrote in November that, based on separate conversations with Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham, Bleis should be ready for a normal spring training.

“He’s in full rehab, focusing on time in the weight room, strengthening his shoulder. He went back to the DR for a bit, was at the Dominican academy and just returned to Fort Myers,” Abraham told McCaffrey. “You never want someone to get hurt, but I think it’s a good opportunity for him to improve the mental and physical side and really put a focus on adding really good weight and strength to a body and frame that’s able to do so.”

Coming into the new year, Bleis is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 72 prospect in the sport. In similar fashion, MLB Pipeline has Bleis as its fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect as well, though the outlet excluded him from its season-ending top 100 list.

Earlier this week, MLB Pipeline picked Bleis as the Red Sox prospect most likely to break out in 2024, citing that the soon-to-be 20-year-old “is a center fielder with the potential for at least solid tools across the board.”

Because of the aforementioned shoulder surgery, Bleis’ future is somewhat clouded. As noted by Speier, who also compiles the Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, “any shoulder surgery carries some risk of altering a player’s swing and approach.” This procedure in particular, per Speier, could amplify Bleis’ tendency to be a free-swinger if it results in him losing any extension or looseness in his swing.

Regardless of the uncertainties there, Bleis still possesses five-tool potential and “franchise-changing upside.” He is expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season and — assuming he remains healthy and in the organization — should have the chance to make the jump to High-A Greenville by the end of the year.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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)