Tag: prospects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Sox prospect Marvin Alcantara ‘carries himself confidently in the field,’ has everyday shortstop potential

Red Sox infield prospect Marvin Alcantara made a positive first impression this season while transitioning to professional baseball in the United States.

Alcantara, who signed with Boston for just $30,000 as an international free agent coming out Venezuela two years ago next month, enjoyed a strong pro debut in the Dominican Summer League last year. The La Victoria native batted .302/.406/.397 with 15 doubles, one home run, 29 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 53 games (224 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Blue.

On the heels of that performance, Alcantara came into the 2023 season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 31 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter made his stateside debut as an 18-year-old in the rookie-level Florida Complex League this past June and slashed .240/.347/.307 with seven doubles, one homer, 21 runs driven in, 26 runs scored, six stolen bases, 23 walks, and 35 strikeouts over 40 games (176 plate appearances). He then received a promotion to Low-A Salem in early August.

Alcantara’s first taste of full-season ball did not go too well out of the gate. He tallied just two hits (including a double) in his first nine games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate before turning things around and going 13-for-45 (.289) with one home run, three RBIs, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and 13 strikeouts in his final 12 games to end the year on a more encouraging note.

Altogether, Alcantara posted a .228/.324/.290 slash line in 61 games (259 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem Red Sox this past season. While a combined OPS of .615 at the lower levels of the minor-leagues is far from head-turning, Alcantara did draw rave reviews for his defense. The 5-foot-10, 157-pounder split time between shortstop (his primary position) and second base at both stops, logging 377 2/3 innings at the former and 120 innings at the latter. He committed 10 errors in 243 total opportunities (translates to a .959 fielding percentage) and turned 34 double plays.

According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Alcantara is a “fluid defender at shortstop” who has a “quick first step.” He “moves well laterally and is comfortable charging the ball.” With soft hands, he is quick in “transferring the ball from his glove to his throwing hand.” He “carries himself confidently in the field” and — as previously mentioned — is capable of playing both middle infield positions well.

Earlier this summer, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen described Alcantara as “a potential everyday shortstop with very advanced feel to hit and a projectable frame.” Alcantara, per Longenhagen, “tracks pitches with laser-guided precision and moves his barrel all over the zone. It’s especially beautiful when he tucks his hands in and puts the barrel on inner-third pitches, à la Justin Turner. He has the power to spray doubles into the gaps right now and should add strength as his frame fills out.”

Considering that he only turned 19 last month, Alcantara still has room to grow both physically and developmentally. To that end, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall tweeted back in August that Alcantara could have the chance to “move up quickly” next year if he progresses physically this offseason. For now, Alcantara is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in the organization.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter, Alcantara is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Marvin Alcantara: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox lose versatile prospect with intriguing profile to Cardinals in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft

Of the three position players the Red Sox lost in the minor-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, Johnfrank Salazar — who was scooped up by the Cardinals — may have the highest ceiling.

Salazar originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in August 2019. The Barcelona native came into the 2023 season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 37 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Despite making his way to Low-A Salem last year, Salazar began his season in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. That likely had something to do with the fact that the Red Sox were working on converting the 20-year-old infielder into a catcher.

Having already faced FCL competition in 2022, Salazar unsurprisingly batted a stout .374/.408/.593 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and 12 strikeouts in 25 games (103 plate appearances) for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate. The right-handed hitter then earned another promotion to Salem in late July and slashed .228/.307/.374 with three doubles, five homers, 17 runs driven in, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 34 games (137 plate appearances) for the Red Sox.

While a .681 OPS is certainly far from eye-opening, Salazar was at least able to end the 2023 campaign on a strong note by batting .304/.385/.464 with two doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts in his final 18 games (78 plate appearances) of the year.

Among the 171 hitters in the Carolina League who made at least 130 trips to the plate this past season, Salazar most notably ranked 14th in strikeout rate (16.1 percent), 47th in isolated power (.146), and 61st in line-drive rate (22.2 percent), per FanGraphs. He also produced a 49.5 percent pull rate, indicating that he makes plenty of contact.

As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, though, Salazar rarely misses pitches in the strike zone but still “needs to improve his pitch recognition and quality of contact.” That being the case because he “gets caught out in front too easily by secondary pitches” and “has the tendency to get himself out” as a result.

On the other side of the ball, Salazar made his professional debut as a shortstop in the Dominican Summer League two years ago but has since diversified his defensive profile. In 2022, for instance, the 6-foot-1, 159-pounder started games at all four infield positions. This past season, he started four games at catcher in the FCL and threw out two of seven would-be base stealers while allowing two passed balls. According to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Salazar mainly played first base, second base, and third base upon moving up to Salem because of his struggles behind the plate. At the Red Sox’ fall performance program in September, he was treated as a super-utility player.

To that end, it remains to be seen how the Cardinals will utilize Salazar moving forward. Salazar, who does not turn 21 until next August, had been projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem in 2024, so he could be headed for St. Louis’ Low-A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla. when the minor-league season begins in April.

Salazar is the older brother of Kleyver Salazar, a 17-year-old catcher who signed with the Red Sox for $175,000 back in January. A right-handed hitter like his big brother, Kleyver batted .240/.378/.347 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 36 games (151 plate appearances) for Boston’s DSL Blue affiliate. He put up those numbers while gunning down 20 of 55 potential base stealers.

(Picture of Johnfrank Salazar: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox infield prospect Franklin Arias has the makings of a ‘true shortstop’

The Red Sox had a number of young, international prospects make their respective professional debuts in the Dominican Summer League this past season, including infielder Franklin Arias.

Arias, who just turned 18 last month, signed with Boston for $525,000 coming out of Venezuela back in January. In May, Ben Badler of Baseball America noted that the Caracas native was a “high baseball IQ player with good rhythm at the plate” and “easy arm strength” on the field.

Nearly four months after putting pen to paper, Arias debuted for DSL Red Sox Red on June 18. The right-handed hitter immediately made his impact felt by going 4-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk in an 11-9 victory over DSL Tigers 1.

Arias recorded two more four-hit games in June (the first of which he notched his first pro home run) before cooling off to the tune of a .191/.261/.262 slash line in 12 July contests. He then ended the year on a strong note by going 14-for-34 (.412) with five extra-base hits in August.

All told, Arias batted a stout .350/.440/.453 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 15 runs driven in, a team-high 32 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 37 games (159 plate appearances) for Boston’s DSL Red affiliate. Going even deeper, Arias posted a 1.036 OPS against lefties and an .854 OPS against righties.

Among the 276 hitters in the Dominican Summer League who registered at least 150 plate appearances this season, Arias ranked fifth in strikeout rate (8.8 percent), fourth in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, 57th in slugging percentage, 37th in OPS (.893), 57th in line-drive rate (23.3 percent), 12th in swinging-strike rate (14.8 percent), and 33rd in wRC+ (144), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Arias saw all of his playing time on the field this summer come at shortstop. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder logged a team-leading 260 1/3 innings at the position, committing nine errors in 121 chances (.926 fielding percentage) while also turning 16 double plays.

Arias, who was not ranked by SoxProspects.com at the start of the minor-league season in April, is now regarded by the site as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Similarly enough, MLB Pipeline currently has Arias ranked 28th on its Red Sox-centered top prospects list.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, unsurprisingly excluded Arias from his preseason top-10 list heading into 2024. He did, however, have encouraging things to say about Arias in a virtual chat with BA subscribers on Friday.

“Yeah, he’ll start to get attention next year,” Speier wrote of Arias. “There’s a strong consensus that he’s a true shortstop, with enough bat-to-ball that he should have some offensive value. His physical development will determine how much, but he has an unusually clear path to being a big-leaguer for someone who has yet to play in the United States.”

To that end, Arias is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the States and play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League next season. As things stand now, he would seemingly be in a competition for playing time at shortstop with top prospect and fellow 2023 international signee Yoeilin Cespedes.

Of course, the Red Sox will more than likely find a way to accommodate both infielders so they each get plenty of at-bats in Fort Myers. Still, this can be viewed as a good problem to have if it means one or both of Arias and Cespedes get exposure at a new position next year.

(Picture of JetBlue Park: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe fare in 2023?

Red Sox relief prospect Alex Hoppe certainly made his impact felt on the mound during his first full professional season in 2023.

Hoppe, who was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of UNC Greensboro, signed with Boston for just $32,250 last July after earning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as a fifth-year senior.

Having logged 66 2/3 innings in his final season with the Spartans, Hoppe did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate in the closing weeks of the 2022 campaign. The 24-year-old Iowan instead made the jump to High-A Greenville right out of spring training in early April and made his pro debut shortly thereafter.

Hoppe got off to a rough start with the Drive but began to turn things around for the better as the calendar flipped to May. By the end of July, the right-hander owned a 3.93 ERA and 3.38 FIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks in 31 relief appearances (34 1/3 innings) for Greenville.

Wanting to see more, the Red Sox promoted Hoppe to Double-A Portland on August 1. With the Sea Dogs, Hoppe pitched to a 4.50 ERA and 4.42 FIP with 16 strikeouts to just three walks over 12 outings (14 innings) in which he converted two saves in three opportunities. He closed out his season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-3 win over the Hartford Yard Goats on Sept. 12 at Hadlock Field.

All told, Hoppe posted a 4.10 ERA (3.68 FIP) to go along with 64 strikeouts to 17 walks across 43 appearances spanning 48 1/3 innings of work between Greenville and Portland. Among the 59 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox system who threw 40 or more innings this season, Hoppe ranked ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.92) and strikeout rate (30.3 percent), 15th in walks per nine innings (3.17), 14th in walk rate (8.1 percent), 10th in groundball rate (48.4 percent), 16th in swinging-strike rate (15.3 percent), 25th in ERA, 11th in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (3.13), per FanGraphs.

On the flip side of that, though, is the fact that Hoppe gave up 52 hits in 48 1/3 innings, leading to a WHIP of 1.43 and opponents’ batting average of .271. While neither of those figures are eye-popping, it should be noted that Hoppe also yielded a .374 batting average on balls put in play this year, which suggests that luck was not exactly on his side.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Hoppe throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a pitch arsenal that is headlined by a 96-99 mph fastball that can reach triple digits. The hard-throwing righty also mixes in an 84-87 mph slider and a rarely-used 85-87 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Hoppe, who turns 25 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 32 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization. Ian Cundall, the site’s director of scouting, wrote in September that Hoppe is “one of the top true relief prospects in the system for me.”

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, Hoppe is projected to return to Portland’s bullpen for the start of the 2024 season. His development moving forward will likely hinge on his ability to refine the command and control of his secondary offerings. If he can do that, he could be a fast riser next year.

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

Top Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony enjoyed a breakout 2023 season

Not only did Roman Anthony emerge as the top young outfielder in the Red Sox farm system in 2023; he also established himself as one of the premier prospects in all of baseball.

Anthony, who the Red Sox took with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.), began his first full professional season with Low-A Salem after signing with Boston for $2.5 million last July.

Having closed out the 2022 campaign in Salem, Anthony somewhat surprisingly got off to a slow start in his second go-around with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. In the month of April, for instance, the left-handed hitter went a mere 12-for-60 (.200) at the plate with three extra-base hits and six RBIs in his first 16 games.

Anthony began to turn a corner offensively as the calendar flipped from April to May, most notably hitting the first home run of his pro career on May 19, but he then came back down to earth in the early weeks of June. After going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in a 4-2 loss to the Columbia Fireflies on June 11, the 19-year-old found himself batting just .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games with Salem.

For as underwhelming as a .693 OPS may seem, though, Anthony still found ways to separate himself. As Baseball America’s Josh Norris noted in May, “scouts who have seen him believe the ingredients are there for a potentially special player. He has a gorgeous swing from the left side, an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone and raw power that belies his meager slugging output this year.”

While the Red Sox could have elected to exhibit patience when it came to Anthony’s development, they chose to move him up to High-A Greenville on June 13. He debuted for the Drive that same night at Fluor Field and went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. He also struck out twice and committed three errors in center field, but the performance nonetheless served as a jumping off point of sorts for Anthony.

Over the next 12 weeks, Anthony shined as a key cog in Greenville’s lineup, slashing a stout .294/.412/.569 with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 54 games (245 plate appearances). Interestingly enough, he went 0-for-4 with three punchouts in his final game with the Drive on September 2 before making the jump to Double-A Portland alongside top catching prospect Kyle Teel.

With that promotion, Anthony became the first Red Sox teenage prospect to make it to Portland since Xander Bogaerts did so in 2012, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. In 10 games with the Sea Dogs, Anthony went 12-for-35 (.343) with four doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts. He put the finishing touches on an impressive season by recording three hits and driving in two runs as part of a historic 24-2 win over the Hartford Yard Goats at Hadlock Field on Sept. 17.

Altogether in 2023, Anthony batted .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 homers, 64 runs driven in, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts in 106 total games (491 plate appearances) between Salem, Greenville, and Portland. Among the 599 minor-leaguers who made at least 400 trips to the plate this season regardless of level, Anthony ranked 23rd in walk rate (17.5 percent), 39th in on-base percentage, 33rd in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), 47th in wOBA (.402), and 25th in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

Going beyond that, Anthony “was the only hitter under 28 years old in the minor-leagues to meet the following thresholds: A 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph or higher, a contact rate above 74 percent, an in-zone contact rate of 83 percent or higher, and a chase rate of 20 percent or below,” according to Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes and Dylan White.

Defensively, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield positions this season. Though he only made one start in left field with Salem on Opening Day in April, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 573 innings in center field and 161 2/3 innings in right. He was used exclusively as a center fielder in Portland, where he recorded one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 chances.

In the time since the minor-league season ended, Anthony has seen the accolades come rolling in. In addition to being honored as Boston’s 2023 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year at Fenway Park last month, Anthony was named a postseason South Atlantic League All-Star, an MiLB.com organizational All-Star, a Baseball America first-team minor-league All-Star, and BA’s Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year.

After not being included in Baseball America’s preseason top 100 rankings, Anthony is now regarded by the publication as the No. 19 prospect in the sport. He trails only shortstop Marcelo Mayer for the top spot within Boston’s farm system.

Anthony, who does not turn 20 until next May, will likely be a popular name in trade talks this winter if the Red Sox (who are still without a new head of baseball operations after firing Chaim Bloom last month) opt to deal from their prospect capital in order to upgrade the major-league roster after back-to-back last place finishes in the American League East.

Assuming he remains in the organization, though, Anthony is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season. He could, of course, put himself in position to make his major-league debut at some point next year if he continues to make improvements and hone his craft.

“I think I just want to get bigger, get stronger, put on good weight,” Anthony said of his goals for 2024 when speaking with MLB.com’s Ian Browne in September. “Going into next year, try to steal more bags, be better defensively, and be better offensively, too. There’s always room for improvement. Always room to get better. So going into the offseason, not just really focusing on one thing in particular. Just focusing on everything. Like I said, try to be a five-tool player in MLB.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Brainer Bonaci placed on restricted list for violating MLB policy

Red Sox infield prospect Brainer Bonaci was placed on Major League Baseball’s restricted list earlier this month for violating the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Bonaci, 21, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $290,000 as an international free agent coming out of Catia La Mar in July 2018.

In 79 games (350 plate appearances) between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland this past season, 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 while seeing the majority of his playing time come at either second base or shortstop. The switch-hitter made the jump from Greenville to Portland over the summer but only appeared in 16 games for the Sea Dogs before being placed on the reserve list in late August.

Around that same time, per Speier, Bonaci was sent home to Venezuela for the rest of the minor-league campaign “due to what one league source at the time called administrative leave.” He was then taken off the reserve list at season’s end and was permitted to take part in the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers as well as the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Bonaci, however, appeared in just two games for Glendale, going 1-for-7 with four strikeouts before being placed on the restricted list by MLB on October 4. His roster spot was effectively taken by fellow Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough, who reported to the Desert Dogs on Tuesday.

As noted by Speier, it is not yet known how Bonaci violated the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy; nor is it known how much time he will spend on the restricted list before a potential resolution is reached.

Bonaci, who does not turn 22 until next July, was a candidate to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster next month as a result of being eligible for December’s Rule 5 Draft. Looking beyond that, he is not slated to reach minor-league free agency until after the 2025 season.

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

Who is Yoeilin Cespedes? Get to know the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player of the Year

Red Sox infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes reached plenty of milestones in 2023.

In January, Cespedes inked his first professional contract and received a hefty $1.4 million signing bonus, making him the highest-paid member of Boston’s 2023 international free agent class. The Dominican native then made his pro debut as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League and was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Cespedes entered the professional ranks as the No. 24 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per Baseball America’s preseason rankings. Even before debuting with DSL Red Sox Blue in June, Cespedes had already generated plenty of buzz on account of what he was doing in extended spring training games at the club’s academy in El Toro.

“He definitely stands out offensively,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this year. “He’s been one of the better offensive players that we’ve had there in a while.”

Cespedes earned in-season DSL All-Star honors by batting a stout .338/.391/.552 with 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, 30 runs scored, one stolen bases, 14 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 37 games (169 plate appearances) from June 5 through July 28. After drawing a walk and swiping one bag in the All-Star game itself on July 30, the right-handed hitter closed out the 2023 campaign by going 14-for-37 (.378) with one homer and 10 RBIs in his final nine games.

Altogether, Cespedes slashed .346/.392/.560 with 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 38 runs driven in, 37 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 46 total games (209 plate appearances). Among 66 hitters in the DSL who made at least 200 trips to the plate this season, Cespedes ranked 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 (28.1 percent), sixth in strikeout rate (11.5 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (145), per FanGraphs.

“He’s put up some numbers we haven’t seen very much from that level,” Romero said of Cespedes when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in 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.”

On the other side of the ball, Cespedes saw all of his playing time on the field this season come at shortstop. There, the 5-foot-10, 181-pounder logged 294 innings and committed seven errors in 139 chances, culminating in a .950 fielding percentage. He also turned 14 double plays.

“He’s become a lot more fundamentally sound,” Romero said of Cespedes’ improving defensive prowess. “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.”

Cespedes, who celebrated his 18th birthday last month, was honored alongside Gilberto Batista — Boston’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year — and several other Red Sox minor-league award winners on Sept. 28. When speaking with reporters (including Smith) in the home dugout that night, Cespedes was asked about how Baseball America described him as “one of the top hitting prospects to come through the organization’s academy since Rafael Devers a decade ago.”

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be compared to him,” Cespedes said of his fellow countryman through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez. “He’s someone I admire and follow a lot. For me to be compared with him, it’s very, very special.”

As a shortstop, however, Cespedes acknowledged that he grew up idolizing Xander Bogaerts and still tries to emulate the former Red Sox star to this day. Bogaerts, of course, left Boston via free agency by signing an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres about one month before Cespedes put pen to paper himself.

“One of the reasons was because Xander was here,” Cespedes said when asked about why he signed with the Red Sox. “And another one is because I love Boston. I love the Red Sox.”

Coming off a self-described “learning year” in his first season of pro ball, Cespedes is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 13th on its Red Sox-centered list while SoxProspects.com slots him in at No. 10 on its list.

Still a ways away from the big-leagues, Cespedes is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024. Even though the FCL season does not start until next June, Cespedes already knows what he needs to work on in order to get better.

“Definitely swing decisions is something I need to improve on because that aggressiveness makes me swing at pitches that might not be in the zone,” said Cespedes, who described his hit tool as a “super power” of sorts. “So that’s something I need to improve on and I’m already working on that.

“I improved on my defense,” he continued while reflecting on his 2023 . “I think it was day and night the difference compared to where I started and how I finished.”

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

Red Sox infield prospect Starlyn Nuñez named Dominican Summer League All-Star

Red Sox infield prospect Starlyn Nunez has been named a 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Nunez makes up an All-Star infield that includes Rockies prospects Ronny Ugarte (1B), Bairon Ledesman (2B), and Kelvin Hidalgo (SS). The switch-hitting 17-year-old is coming off a debut season in which he batted .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 49 games (215 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue.

Among 66 hitters in the Dominican Summer League who made at least 200 trips to the plate in 2023, Nunez ranked 14th in strikeout rate (13.5 percent), 10th in batting average, 30th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 16th in OPS (.870), 22nd in isolated power (.155), 23rd in line-drive rate (21.9 percent), and 16th in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Nunez saw the majority of his playing time come at either second or third base this season. In 161 innings at the keystone, the projectable 6-foot, 155-pounder committed just two errors in 75 defensive chances. In 210 innings at the hot corner, he committed nine errors in 71 chances for a far-less favorable .873 fielding percentage.

Nunez, who turns 18 next week, is less than nine full months removed from signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic last January. A native of San Pedro de Macoris (the same city Miguel Bleis is from) Nunez received a bonus of $52,500 and is said to have above-average speed.

Other than that lone nugget, Nunez does not have an extensive prospect profile quite yet. That could change soon, though, as he is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the United States and the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024.

(Picture: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell powers High-A Greenville to South Atlantic League title

Versatile Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell put the finishing touches on a strong debut season by helping High-A Greenville take home the 2023 South Atlantic League championship.

After drawing a walk and driving in a run in a Game 1 road win over the Hudson Valley Renegades on Sunday, Campbell recorded three hits in Greenville’s series-clinching victory at Fluor Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting in left field for the Drive, Campbell went 3-for-4 with a massive three-run home run. The right-handed hitter struck out in his first plate appearances, then proceeded to reach base in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings.

After registering a pair of singles for his first two hits of the night, Campbell came through in a big way in the bottom half of the seventh. Tyler Miller had just driven in Allan Castro to give Greenville a 4-2 lead and put runners at second and third with only one out.

Matched up against Hudson Valley reliever Matt Keating, Campbell worked a 2-1 count before clobbering a line-drive, three-run blast to deep left-center field. He then let out a celebratory yell as he rounded first base and pointed to the sky before crossing home plate to put Greenville up, 7-2, going into the eighth inning.

The Drive went on to defeat the Renegades by a final score of 7-3, claiming their first South Atlantic League title since 2017 and their second since becoming affiliated with the Red Sox in 2005.

Campbell played a major role for Greenville as it swept Hickory in the division series and Hudson Valley in the championship series en route to a perfect postseason. In four games against the Crawdads and Renegades, Campbell went 7-for-12 (.583) with one double, one home run, six RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and three strikeouts. He also flashed the leather over the weekend by making an impressive diving catch in the left-center field gap.

“The lights were not too bright for him,” Drive manager Iggy Suarez said of Campbell when speaking with MiLB.com’s Allison Mast on Tuesday night. “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.”

Campbell, 21, was selected by the Red Sox with the 132nd overall pick in this summer’s draft, which Boston received as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency over the winter. The drat-eligible sophomore out of Georgia Tech signed for $492,700 and debuted in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last month.

A native of the Peach State himself, Campbell posted a 1.082 OPS (189 wRC+) in eight games for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate before making the jump to Greenville (and skipping Low-A Salem) on August 24. He then batted .267/.400/.422 (132 wRC+) with two doubles, one triple, one homer, three runs driven in, five runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in 14 regular season games (55 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Defensively, Campbell saw playing time at second base and both corner outfield spots at his two stops this year. With Greenville specifically, the 6-foot-3, 191-pounder logged 81 innings at second base, 17 innings in left field, and nine innings in right field. He did not commit a single error and recorded one outfield assist by throwing top Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford out at second base back on August 27.

Campbell, who does not turn 22 until next June, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He possesses an intriguing profile based on his athleticism and power potential and is projected by the website to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign in April.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)