Tag: prospects

Red Sox prospect Eddinson Paulino proved to be dynamic with Low-A Salem this season

Eddinson Paulino was among the Red Sox’ top performers in the Florida Complex League last year. He showed why that was no fluke as he made the transition to full-season ball in 2022.

Coming out of minor-league spring training, Paulino was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He then broke camp and spent the entirety of the campaign at Low-A Salem.

In 114 games with the Salem Red Sox, the versatile left-handed hitter batted .266/.359/.469 with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs, 66 RBIs, 96 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, 64 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 539 plate appearances.

When the All-Star break arrived in mid-July, Paulino was hitting just .239/.327/.451 through his first 80 games. From July 22 onward, though, the 20-year-old slashed a stout .331/.432/.559 with 18 extra-base hits in his final 34 games of the season.

Among 51 qualified Carolina League hitters, Paulino ranked 24th in walk rate (11.9 percent), 14th in strikeout rate (19.5 percent), 14th in swinging-strike rate (11.2 percent), fourth in line-drive rate (25.6 percent), 14th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS (.827), fifth in isolated power (.203), fifth in speed score (8.5), and fifth in wRC+ (128), per FanGraphs.

“He can impact the game in several ways,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith in September. “He can launch one if needed. He’s just become a good hitter.”

Defensively, Paulino made appearances at five different positions (not including designated hitter) for Salem this season. The 5-foot, 155-pounder logged 301 innings at shortstop, 289 innings at third base, 243 2/3 innings at second base, 98 1/3 innings in center field, and eight innings in left. Both of his outfield assists came in center.

“Just to have that skillset being a left-handed hitter,” said Romero.

The Red Sox originally signed Paulino for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018. The Santiago native made his professional debut in his home country the following summer but his career was put on hold in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It now turns out that Paulino likely took advantage of the lost 2020 minor-league season by honing his craft in his own way. Whether it be his ability to make hard contact or steal bases at a high rate, the Red Sox were pleased with what they saw from Paulino this year.

“We’ve always liked his hitting ability,” Romero said. “He hits the ball hard in all quadrants. He’s another guy who jumps on fastballs but I think has really increased his recognition skills. He’s made a big jump in that. He’s got a good number of walks. The on-base percentage is good.

“And also the speed element of the game,” he added. “He’s got 26, 27 stolen bases. All that makes him a very dynamic player. … Another player who it’s been really cool to see his development.”

Paulino, who does not turn 21 until next July, is now regarded by Baseball America as the 18th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is Rule 5-eligible this winter, but is not a sure bet to receive protection by being added to the 40-man roster later this month.

While the tools and talent are certainly there, Paulino has yet to play above A-ball. And so the Red Sox may elect to protect prospects who have already reached the upper levels of the minor-leagues like Ceddanne Rafaela, Christian Koss, Enmanuel Valdez, Wilyer Abreu, Brandon Walter, and Thad Ward, among others.

Assuming that Paulino remains in the organization through the winter, he is projected to make the jump to High-A Greenville at the start of the 2023 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Eddinson Paulino: Robert Simmons/RTS Photography)

Red Sox need to add Enmanuel Valdez to 40-man roster this month in order to prevent him from reaching free agency

Enmanuel Valdez is eligible to become a minor-league free agent this offseason. The Red Sox, therefore, have until five days following the conclusion of the World Series to add the versatile 23-year-old to their 40-man roster in order to prevent him from hitting the open market.

Boston acquired Valdez and fellow prospect Wilyer Abreu from the Astros in the August trade that sent veteran catcher Christian Vazquez to Houston. Both players can become eligible for December’s Rule 5 Draft if they are not added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in the coming weeks.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, the Red Sox could elect to re-sign Valdez to a minor-league contract. But that would still leave him (and Abreu) exposed to the Rule 5 Draft if they were not added to the 40-man prior to the November deadline.

In 2016, the Red Sox saw Josh Rutledge leave for the Rockies via minor-league free agency. They then re-acquired Rutledge by selecting him from Colorado in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The following year, they added Bryce Brentz to the 40-man roster after the 2017 World Series in order to block him from reaching minor-league free agency. These are just a few past examples provided by Smith.

Valdez, who turns 24 next month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Dominican originally signed with Houston for $450,000 as an international free agent coming out San Juan de la Maguna in July 2015.

At the time the three-player trade between the Red Sox and Astros was made this summer, Valdez was batting .327/.410/.606 with 26 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs, 77 RBIs, 66 runs scored, five stolen bases, 45 walks, and 73 strikeouts in 82 games (378 plate appearances) between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his career, the left-handed hitter proceeded to slash .237/.309/.422 with nine doubles, one triple, seven homers, 30 runs driven in, 26 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 48 strikeouts over 44 games (195 plate appearances) for Triple-A Worcester.

Though his production dropped off with the WooSox, Valdez still posted a 131 wRC+ on the 2022 season as a whole and was named to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Year as a result.

Defensively, Valdez saw the majority of his playing time in Worcester come in left field. The 5-foot-9, 191-pounder logged 330 innings at the keystone and 24 innings at third. He also made three starts in left field and has limited experience in right field as well.

Given that he is only one promotion away from the big-leagues, it seems unlikely that the Red Sox would risk losing Valdez this winter and will instead add him to their 40-man roster sooner rather than later. It is also worth mentioning that, after outrighting Tyler Danish on Monday, Boston currently has 39 players on its 40-man roster. Perhaps that spot will go to Valdez.

In the meantime, Valdez has been playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. Coming into play on Tuesday, he has gone 6-for-28 (.214) with one double, two RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and six strikeouts in nine games with the Toros del Este.

(Picture of Enmanuel Valdez: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Miguel Bleis tabbed by MLB Pipeline as ‘Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers’

On Wednesday night, MLB.com’s Jim Callis identified Miguel Bleis as the Red Sox’ best international prospect since Rafael Devers.

Bleis, 18, originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.5 million (the same amount Devers received in 2013) as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, the San Pedro de Macoris native made the jump to the Florida Complex League this summer.

In 40 games with Boston’s rookie-level, Fort Myers-based affiliate, the right-handed hitting outfielder batted .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 45 strikeouts over 167 plate appearances.

Among qualified FCL hitters this season, Bleis ranked seventh in batting average, 24th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.896), 12th in line-drive rate (22.3 percent) second in isolated power (.242), tied for first in speed score (9.3), and sixth in wRC+ (142), per FanGraphs.

While he was undoubtedly one of the top hitters in the lower minors this year, Bleis did struggle a bit when it came to plate discipline, as noted by Callis. In simpler terms, he only walked six percent of the time while striking out at 26.9 percent clip. He also posted the ninth-highest swinging-strike rate (33.8 percent) in the FCL.

Defensively, Bleis saw the majority of his playing time this season come in center field. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder logged 310 1/3 innings in center and just five innings in right while recording a team-high five outfield assists.

Taking that statistic into consideration, Callis adds that Bleis should be able to stick in center on account of his arm strength. If not, he has the offensive upside and defensive profile to shift over to right.

As the 2022 FCL season drew to a close in August, the Red Sox began promoting several of their younger prospects — such as Mikey Romero and Roman Anthony — to Low-A Salem. Bleis very well could have been part of that group, but the club opted to have him stay in Fort Myers since he was dealing with some back soreness.

Back in September, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham told The Athletic’s Chad Jennings that had Bleis been healthy, he would have joined Anthony, Romero, and the like in Salem for the remainder of the minor-league campaign.

“He certainly would have been with that group (that was promoted to Salem),” Abraham said. “We let him know that he would have been with that group. But I think being healthy going into the offseason was the primary concern. So, he stayed in Fort Myers and made sure we got that (back issue) right and then we sent him home. There’s no doubt he had earned a promotion to Salem if not at the end of the year, earlier. He is aware of that.”

Bleis, who turns 19 in March, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He has yet to crack the publication’s top 100 list, but that could happen sooner rather than later.

Considering what Abraham already told Jennings, it seems likely that Bleis will kick off his first full professional season in Salem next spring. After all, his potential is through the roof and he has the tools to back it up.

“He has five tools. That’s the reality,” said Abraham. “You don’t see that too often. What those five tools will ultimately (become), how they will pan out, not sure. But in terms of the tools, and in terms of the ability to impact the game in various ways, he does that. 

“I think whenever you have a player who does those types of things, he’s someone you want to pay attention to and watch,” added Abraham. “Whether he’s on the bases, whether he’s in the field, whether he’s in the batter’s box, you know something special is going to happen, and I think that’s something he showed during his short time in the states.”

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox added to their 2021 draft class with August trades; how did the newcomers perform?

In August, the Red Sox swung two trades that landed them three prospects from the 2021 amateur draft.

On Aug. 2, they acquired infielder Max Ferguson and outfielder Corey Rosier from the Padres in the same trade that sent veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer to Boston and pitching prospect Jay Groome to San Diego.

On Aug. 31, they acquired right-hander Taylor Broadway from the White Sox as the player to be named later from the Aug. 1 trade that sent catcher Reese McGuire to Boston and veteran reliever Jake Diekman to Chicago.

Dating back to last December, the Red Sox have now traded for four different 2o21 draftees when you include former Brewers third-round pick Alex Binelas from the Jackie Bradley Jr.-Hunter Renfroe swap. According to one team official, though, there is no specific reasoning behind this pattern. In other words, it is just a mere coincidence.

As things stand now, Binelas is the highest-rated prospect of the four. For the purposes of this exercise, however, let us focus on the three minor-leaguers who saw their first full professional seasons interrupted by noteworthy — albeit not blockbuster — trades.

Max Ferguson

Ferguson, 23, was originally selected by the Padres in the fifth round of last year’s draft out of The University of Tennessee. He appeared in 37 games between the Arizona Complex League and California League to close out his debut season before returning to Low-A Lake Elsinore this spring.

At the time of the trade, Ferguson had already been promoted to High-A Fort Wayne and was batting .162/.271/.343 in 27 games (125 plate appearances) with the Tin Caps. The left-handed hitter remained at the High-A level upon switching organizations and proceeded to slash .181/.368/.250 in 23 games (95 plate appearances) with the Greenville Drive.

Between the three Class-A affiliates, Ferguson finished with a .214/.366/.339 line (98 wRC+) to go along with 15 doubles, eight triples, seven home runs, 60 RBIs, 95 runs scored, 61 stolen bases, 96 walks, and 127 strikeouts over 114 total games (527 plate appearances). His 61 swiped bags were the ninth-most in all of Minor League Baseball.

Defensively, Ferguson proved to be quite versatile as an amateur and that has continued to be the case in pro ball. With the Drive specifically, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder logged 83 1/3 innings at shortstop, 53 innings at second base, and 63 innings in center field. He committed just one error at shortstop and recorded one outfield assist in center.

Corey Rosier

Rosier, also 23, was first taken by the Mariners in the 12th round of the 2021 draft out of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was then dealt to the Padres last November as part of the trade that sent All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier to Seattle.

In similar fashion to Ferguson, Rosier played at both the Arizona Complex League and Low-A level last year. Unlike Ferguson, though, he began his first full season in the Padres organization at Fort Wayne. In his tenure with the Tin Caps, the left-handed hitter batted .263/.381/.396 across 85 games (373 plate appearances) before being traded.

Ferguson and Rosier made their Drive debuts on the same day — Aug. 4. Rosier also struggled at the plate, as he posted a .163/.272/.275 slash line in 23 games (93 plate appearances) with Greenville.

All told, Rosier hit .242/.359/.371 (109 wRC+) with 13 doubles, eight triples, seven homers, 41 runs driven in, 77 runs scored, 40 stolen bases, 65 walks, and 99 strikeouts over 108 total games (466 plate appearances) between the Tin Caps and Drive this season.

On the other side of the ball, Ferguson saw playing time at all three outfield positions in Greenville. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Maryland native accrued 143 innings in left, 44 1/3 innings in right, and eight innings in center while registering one outfield assist.

Both Ferguson and Rosier are projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Double-A Portland next year.

Taylor Broadway

Broadway, 25, was selected by the White Sox in the sixth round out of The University of Mississippi after emerging as one of the top closers in the Southeastern Conference last spring. The native Texan began his pro career in the Arizona Complex League and had already pitched across four different levels when he was officially traded to the Red Sox over the summer.

After compiling a 5.02 ERA in 40 relief appearances between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham to kick off the 2022 campaign, Broadway remained at the Double-A level when he switched organizations.

Since the move came towards the end of the minor-league season, Broadway appeared in just five games for the Sea Dogs. Still, the righty allowed just one run on two hits over six innings of work while striking out 10 of the 19 batters he faced.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Broadway throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph four-seam fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 85-87 mph slider, a 79-82 mph curveball, and a changeup that is still considered a work in progress.

Broadway, who turns 26 in April, is also projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland next spring. Considering how fast he has been moved, though, it would not be surprising if he were promoted to Triple-A Worcester at some point in 2023.

(Picture of Max Ferguson: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox prospects Stephen Scott, Nick Yorke off to hot starts in Arizona Fall League

Red Sox prospects Stephen Scott and Nick Yorke were named to Baseball America’s Arizona Fall League Hot Sheet on Monday.

Playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions out west, both Scott and Yorke enjoyed productive weeks at the plate. The former went 4-for-11 (.364) with two home runs, four RBIs, four runs scored, one walk, and three strikeouts. The latter went 7-for-17 (.412) with three doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Since the Arizona Fall League season began on October 3, Scott has batted .400/.432/.800 with one triple, four homers, 12 runs driven in, 13 runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and seven strikeouts over nine games spanning 37 trips to the plate.

Among qualified AFL hitters coming into play on Monday, the left-handed hitting 25-year-old ranks fifth in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, first in slugging percentage, second in OPS (1.303), and second in isolated power (.400). He is currently in a three-way tie for the league lead in home runs.

Defensively, Scott has split time at catcher with the Giants’ Andy Thomas and Adrian Sugastey in his brief tenure with the Scorpions. The 5-foot-11, 207-pound backstop has logged a team-leading 64 innings behind the plate and has thrown out three of 17 base stealers.

Scott, who does not turn 26 until next May, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Vanderbilt University. After splitting the 2022 minor-league season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, the North Carolina native is a candidate to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November since he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this winter.

Yorke, meanwhile, is also enjoying offensive success in Arizona. The right-handed hitting infielder is now slashing .340/.439/.472 to go along with a league-leading seven doubles, 10 RBIs, 14 runs scored, 10 walks, and 11 strikeouts across 14 games (66 plate appearances) for the Scorpions.

Coming into play this week, Yorke ranks first among qualified AFL hitters in doubles and runs scored, 11th in RBIs, fifth in walks, 15th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage, 21st in walk rate (15.2 percent) and 21st in OPS (.911), per MLB.com.

On the other side of the ball, Yorke has shared second base responsibilities with the Angels’ Kyren Paris and the Braves’ Cade Bunnell in Scottsdale. In similar fashion to Scott, the 6-foot, 200-pounder has logged a team-high 99 innings at the keystone and has committed just one error.

At just 20 years old, Yorke is one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League this year. The native Californian was originally taken by the Sox with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. He spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign at Greenville and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Both Scott and Yorke figure to have a good chance to represent the Red Sox in the Fall Stars Game, which takes place on Sunday, November 6. The Arizona Fall League regular season runs through Nov. 10 and the championship game will take place two days later.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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

Last month, Andy Lugo was named the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player of the Year after a successful debut season in the Dominican Summer League.

Appearing in 56 games for the club’s DSL Blue affiliate, Lugo batted an impressive .318/.368/.414 to go along with 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 30 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 11 walks, and 35 strikeouts. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old led his team in hits (70), total bases (91), runs scored, and stolen bases.

Among those in the Dominican Summer League who made at least 200 trips to the plate this season, Lugo ranked ninth in batting average, 19th in strikeout rate (14.5%), 10th in speed score (8.4), 33rd in line-drive rate (21.8%), and 47th in wRC+ (114), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Lugo saw playing time at four different positions over the summer. The versatile 5-foot-11, 160-pounder logged 18 innings at second base, 51 innings at third base, 123 2/3 innings in left field, and 179 innings in center. His six outfield assists were tied for second-most on the DSL Red Sox Blue behind only Albertson Asigen’s eight.

The Red Sox originally signed Lugo as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic last July. The San Cristobal native netted a modest $10,000 signing bonus, which pales in comparison to what the club’s top signee from the 2021 class — fellow countryman Miguel Bleis — received ($1.5 million). Bleis was signed by Jonathan Cruz while Lugo was signed by Esau Medina.

Given that his professional career has only just begun, there is not too much information available when it comes to Lugo’s scouting profile. He is unsurprisingly not yet regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system.

While that could certainly change with time, Lugo does not turn 19 until next March and presumably still has room to grow both physically and developmentally. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2023, so perhaps he will benefit from more exposure stateside.

(Picture of Andy Lugo via his Instagram)

How did Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer fare in first full pro season?

Marcelo Mayer, arguably the top prospect in the Red Sox farm system and one of the brightest young talents in all of baseball, wrapped up his first full professional season last month.

Originally selected by Boston with the fourth overall pick in last summer’s amateur draft out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., Mayer appeared in four Grapefruit League games earlier this spring before breaking minor-league camp with Low-A Salem.

With the Salem Red Sox, the 19-year-old infielder batted .286/.406/.504 with 26 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 40 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 78 strikeouts over 66 games (308 plate appearances). Despite missing a significant chunk of time with a sprained right wrist in late April and most of May, Mayer earned a promotion to High-A Greenville in early August.

Making the jump from Salem to Greenville alongside fellow top prospect Blaze Jordan, Mayer initially got off to a rough start with the Drive and was batting just .179 in his first 17 games as the calendar flipped to September. But the left-handed hitter ended the year on a strong note by registering multiple hits in six of the eight games he played in.

All told, Mayer slashed .265/.379/.449 with four doubles, one triple, four homers, 13 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, one stolen base, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 25 games (116 plate appearances) with Greenville. Between the two Class-A affiliates, he hit a respectable .280/.399/.489 to go along with 30 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, 61 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 107 strikeouts across 91 games spanning 424 total trips to the plate.

As a result of such a productive season, Mayer was recently named to Baseball America’s Age 19 Prospect All-Star Team. He and fellow 2021 draftees Harry Ford, Jordan Lawlar, and James Wood were all recognized for what they did during their age-19 seasons.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer was coming off a debut season in the Florida Complex League in which he committed 10 errors in just 177 2/3 innings at shortstop. He later told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey that improving defensively had “been a focal point of his offseason work” and he put that on display this year.

In Salem, Mayer made 10 errors over 505 1/3 innings at his primary position and was named the best defensive shortstop in the Carolina League. In Greenville, the 6-foot-3, 188-pounder logged 189 innings at short and committed just two errors there. While defensive metrics for minor-leaguers are not made public, Mayer did see his fielding percentage rise from .956 with the Red Sox to .974 with the Drive.

Mayer, who turns 20 in December, is currently regarded by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and SoxProspects.com as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system. In terms of top-100 prospect rankings, Baseball America has him at No. 12, MLB Pipeline has him at No. 7, and FanGraphs has him at No. 19.

It goes without saying that Mayer is an exciting player who possesses All-Star potential. While the native Californian is still a ways away from making it to the major-leagues, he is projected to return to Greenville next spring. Depending on how things go there, he could make it up to Double-A Portland by the end of the 2023 campaign.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Speedy Red Sox prospect David Hamilton named Eastern League Player of the Month for September

Red Sox infield prospect David Hamilton has been named the Eastern League Player of the Month for the month of September, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

In 14 games for Double-A Portland, Hamilton batted .429 (24-for-56) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, nine walks, and 14 strikeouts. The left-handed hitter led the Eastern League in batting average, hits, runs, stolen bases, and on-base percentage (.508). He also ranked fifth in slugging percentage (.643) and second in OPS (1.151), per MiLB.com.

On the 2022 campaign as a whole, Hamilton slashed .251/.338/.402 (104 wRC+) to go along with 16 doubles, nine triples, 12 homers, 42 RBIs, 81 runs scored, a franchise high 70 stolen bases, 56 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 119 games (531 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs. His 81 runs scored and 70 stolen bases ranked tops among all Eastern League hitters this season.

Defensively, Hamilton saw the vast majority of his playing time this year come in the middle infield. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder out of the University of Texas logged 543 2/3 innings at second base and 460 1/3 innings at shortstop. But he also made two starts in center field, a position he had never played before in his professional career.

Speed is undoubtedly Hamilton’s top tool. According to FanGraphs, Hamilton possesses 60-grade speed on the 20-80 scale. His 9.4 Speed Score with the Sea Dogs this season ranked first among qualified Double-A hitters. Back in August, he was recognized by Eastern League Managers for being the fastest baserunner in the league. Less than a month later, the Red Sox named Hamilton their  Minor League Baserunner of the Year for 2022.

Hamilton, 25, was acquired from the Brewers alongside fellow prospect Alex Binelas in the December 2021 trade that saw Hunter Renfroe go to Milwaukee and Jackie Bradley Jr. return to Boston. The Brewers originally selected the former Longhorn in the eighth round of the 2019 amateur draft.

It’s been an interesting journey for Hamilton since then. He missed the entirety of his junior season after slicing his Achilles tendon while riding an electric scooter in Austin. That raised questions about whether he would be able to regain his elite speed. But he has gone 122-for-139 in stolen base attempts since making his pro debut last May.

Because of his speed, Hamilton could soon play into the Red Sox’ future plans. Beginning next season, the bases across Major League Baseball will increase in size from 15 to 18 inches square. The league is hopeful that this change will encourage more teams to be more aggressive and steal more bases since the distance between the bases will be reduced by approximately 4.5 inches.

Hamilton, who played in the Arizona Fall League last year, already has experience when it comes to these stolen base. He told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this month that he does not think the size increase “plays that much into base stealing.”

“The bases aren’t too much bigger to make that big of a difference,” Hamilton said. “I guess close plays, it will make a difference. … I love it, stealing bases. For them to try to bring it back, it’s exciting for me.”

If chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom does envision Hamilton being a part of Boston’s future, the club has a fascinating decision to make regarding the speedster’s role moving forward.

Hamilton can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this winter. The Red Sox will have until November 20 to add him — and all other eligible minor-leaguers — to their 40-man roster. If left unprotected, Hamilton would become available to other teams during December’s Rule 5 Draft. His speed could make him an appealing target for rebuilding clubs in search of quickness off the bench.

If Hamilton remains in the Red Sox organization through the winter, he would likely receive an invite to major-league spring training and open the 2023 season with Triple-A Worcester.

(Picture of David Hamilton: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Enmanuel Valdez makes MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Year

MLB Pipeline revealed their Prospect Team of the Year for 2022 on Thursday. The Red Sox had one representative in infielder Enmanuel Valdez.

Valdez was named the first team’s starting second baseman after batting .296/.376/.542 with 35 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs, 107 RBIs, 92 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 64 walks, and 124 strikeouts in 126 games (573 plate appearances) between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

Among qualified minor-league second basemen, Valdez posted the highest slugging percentage, the second-highest OPS (.918), the third-highest isolated power (.246), the third-most homers, and the second-most RBIs, per FanGraphs.

The 23-year-old out of the Dominican Republic began the 2022 campaign with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A affiliate of the Astros. He then earned a promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land in early June. Less than two months later, he and fellow prospect Wilyer Abreu were traded to the Red Sox for catcher Christian Vazquez.

While Abreu was assigned to Double-A Portland, Valdez joined Triple-A Worcester. The left-handed hitter made his organizational debut on August 3 and slashed .237/.309/.422 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 26 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 44 games (195 plate appearances with the WooSox.

Valdez’s second-half homers came in bunches. He hit two in his first three games at Polar Park from Aug. 3-5 and enjoyed a two-homer game on Aug. 9. His next big fly did not come until the 28th and his final two came on September 3-4. Over the last three weeks of the minor-league season, Valdez hit just .238 with a .565 OPS across 16 games to close out his year.

Defensively, Valdez saw playing time at three different positions in Worcester. The 5-foot-9, 191-pounder logged 330 innings at second base, 24 innings at third base, and 25 innings in left field.

Originally signed by the Astros for $450,000 as an international free-agent in July 2015, Valdez can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and minor-league free agency this winter. The Red Sox will have until late November to decide if they want to protect Valdez from the Rule 5 by adding him to their 40-man roster.

With that being said, it seems unlikely that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. would part ways with an established veteran such as Vazquez just to risk losing part of the return for him the following winter. For what it is worth, Abreu can also become Rule 5-eligible in the coming months, though he is under club control through 2024.

Valdez, who turns 24 in December, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system. If he remains in the organization through the off-season, Valdez could very well make his major-league debut at some point in 2023. He possesses intriguing power and can play multiple positions, so there is potential for him to undertake a utility role in the not-so-distant future.

(Picture of Enmanuel Valdez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Allan Castro takes another step forward in first season stateside

Allan Castro can no longer be called the reigning Red Sox Latin Program Position Player of the Year. That distinction now falls to infielder/outfielder Andy Lugo, who received the honor on Monday.

Castro, however, put together a strong first season in the United States after being named the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year in 2021.

Following a 2021 campaign in which he posted a .756 OPS in the Dominican Summer League, Castro made the jump to the Florida Complex League for the start of the 2022 season. In 39 games with Boston’s rookie-level affiliate in Fort Myers, the switch-hitter slashed a respectable .279/.355/.451 with four doubles, four triples, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 13 walks, and 32 strikeouts over 141 plate appearances.

Though he may have been overshadowed by fellow outfielder Miguel Bleis, Castro still ranked 11th in batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.805), 11th in isolated power (.172), 13th in speed score (7.8), and 11th in wRC+ (122) among FCL hitters who made at least 140 trips to the plate this season, per FanGraphs.

Not long after the Florida Complex League season came to a close, Castro and several other Red Sox minor-leaguers earned a promotion to Low-A Salem. He registered just one hit in his first five games with Salem but ended the year by going 5-for-18 (.278) with a double, a triple, four RBIs, and five runs scored in his final five games.

“Castro took a significant step forward this season,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told BloggingtheRedSox.com via email. “He’s continued to grow and gained a lot of strength. Additionally, he found ways to make his swing more efficient and started using the whole field more often.”

Between the two affiliates, Castro logged 232 1/3 innings in left field, 84 innings in center field, and 24 innings in right field. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder recorded four outfield assists and committed just one error all year.

“His athleticism is starting to show itself more on the field,” Romero said. “He is sort of a sleeper prospect who we expect will do more things in 2023.”

Castro, 19, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 53 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally signed the native Dominican for $100,000 as an international free-agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019.

At that time, Castro was a middle infielder, but he has since made the transition to the outfield and figures to stick there moving forward. Taking into account that he does not turn 20 until next May, Castro is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem for the start of the 2023 season.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Bryan Green/Flickr)