Tag: prospects

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)

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)