Tag: prospects

How did Red Sox prospect Justin Riemer fare in long-awaited pro debut this season?

After losing qualified free agent Nathan Eovaldi to the Rangers in December 2022, the Red Sox received a compensatory pick that fell between the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2023 amateur draft.

With that pick at No. 133 overall last July, the Red Sox selected Wright State infielder Justin Riemer, who was roughly four months removed from suffering a torn ACL in early March that cost him most of his redshirt sophomore season. As such, the Virginia native signed with Boston for $500,000 but did not make his professional debut until this summer.

Having expended much of last winter and this spring rehabbing in Fort Myers, Riemer opened the 2024 campaign on the 60-day injured list and later began a rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Red Sox on July 11. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old spent two weeks with the rookie-level affiliate, batting .296/.462/.407 with one double, one triple, four RBIs, six runs scored, one stolen base, 10 walks, and five strikeouts in 10 games (39 plate appearances). He was then activated and assigned to High-A Greenville, meaning he would skip Low-A Salem, on July 27.

In his next 28 games for the Drive, Riemer slashed .240/.397/.280 with four doubles, three RBIs, 21 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 126 plate appearances. Among the 180 hitters who made at least 120 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Riemer ranked second in swinging-strike rate (4.1 percent), 12th in on-base percentage, 21st in walk rate (15.1 percent), 29th in strikeout rate (19 percent), 64th in wOBA (.343) and wRC+ (113), and 76th in batting average, per FanGraphs.

Altogether, Riemer produced a .252/.412/.307 line with five doubles, one triple, seven RBIs, 27 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 29 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 38 total games (165 plate appearances) between the FCL and Greenville to cap off his first pro season. At those two stops, the 6-foot, 170-pounder split his playing time between both middle infield positions. He committed five errors in 65 chances across 20 starts (174 innings) at shortstop and two errors in 42 chances across 14 starts (109 innings) at second base.

Riemer, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 36 prospect in Boston’s farm system. While power is not a major part of his game at the moment, he does possess intriguing bat-to-ball skills and solid instincts in the field. Barring a trade or other surprise move this winter, he is projected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season.

(Picture of Justin Riemer: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel led organization in RBIs this season

In his first full professional season, top catching prospect Kyle Teel led all Red Sox minor-leaguers in RBIs.

Teel, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, split the 2024 campaign between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts over 112 games spanning 505 plate appearances.

To open his age-22 season, Teel returned to Portland this spring after getting into nine games with the Sea Dogs last September. No stranger to playing in chilly conditions, the New Jersey native overcame a slow April start (.213/.333/.344 line in 16 games) by slashing .357/.443/.560 in May to earn Eastern League Player of the Month honors.

Teel stayed hot at the plate as May turned to June and June turned to July. He was then selected to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Texas, where he went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. He remained with the Sea Dogs after the All-Star break and continued to produce, leading to questions about a possible promotion to Triple-A.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1812529861044363281

Those questions were answered on August 12, as Teel — after batting .298/.390/.462 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 48 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 84 games (382 plate appearances) for Portland — was officially elevated to Worcester alongside fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Kristian Campbell, the other member of Boston’s Big Four, joined the trio the following week.

Similar to how his season started, Teel’s first few weeks with the WooSox were tough and likely served as an adjustment period of sorts. He carried with him a .118/.207/.137 line in his first 13 games at Triple-A through the end of August but ended the year on a strong note by posting a 1.058 OPS in September. Altogether, Teel hit .255/.374/.333 with three doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 23 runs scored, three stolen bases, 20 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 28 games (123 plate appearances) for Worcester.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Teel ranked 18th in on-base percentage, 26th in batting average and wRC+ (134), 32nd in walk rate (13.5 percent), 42nd in wOBA (.376), 46th in OPS (.819), 69th in slugging percentage, 82nd in swinging-strike rate (10.2 percent), and 92nd in line-drive rate (23.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field between Portland and Worcester this year come at catcher. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate for the two affiliates and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

In addition to the Futures Game selection and Player of the Month honor, Teel received a great deal of recognition when season-end awards were being handed out. He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A All-Star, and a SoxProspects.com All-Star. He was also voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. Barring him being included in a surprise trade for starting pitching this winter, it appears as if he will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster this coming spring.

Whether or not he makes the team has yet to be determined and won’t be for a while, but Teel is nonetheless positioned to make his big-league debut at some point in 2025 as the Red Sox’ catcher of the future.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox OF prospect Natanael Yuten led organization in triples this season

After earning 2023 Florida Complex League All-Star honors, outfield prospect Natanael Yuten hit more triples than any other Red Sox minor-leaguer in 2024.

Yuten, who turned 20 in October, spent the entirety of his age-19 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he got into 18 games towards the end of last season. In 101 games this year, the left-handed hitter batted .243/.304/.380 with 20 doubles, an organizational-leading seven triples, six home runs (including an inside-the-parker), a team-high 50 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 418 plate appearances for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

While a .684 OPS on the season is far from eye-popping, it is worth noting that Yuten slashed a more respectable .287/.338/.402 with 10 doubles and 16 RBIs in his final 33 games (133 plate appearances) from July 20 through September 7. He also produced better results against left-handed pitching (.278/.365/.519 line in 63 plate appearances) than against right-handed pitching (.237/.293/.357 line in 355 plate appearances).

Of the 26 Carolina League hitters who made at least 400 trips to the plate in 2024, Yuten ranked eighth in isolated power (.137), 10th in slugging percentage, 11th in batting average, and 13th in OPS, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Yuten saw an almost equal amount of playing time at both corner outfield spots for Salem. Across 404 2/3 innings in left field, the lean 6-foot-3, 143-pounder recorded one assist and committed four errors in 68 defensive chances. Across 419 innings in right field, he recorded four assists and committed one error in 96 defensive chances. He also started seven games at DH without seeing any time in center field for the first time in his young career.

Yuten, who hails from the Dominican Republic, originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. The La Romana native spent some time on SoxProspects.com’s Top 60 list earlier this season but is not currently regarded as one of the premier prospects in Boston’s farm system.

To that end, Yuten — should he remain with the organization through the winter — is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem out of the gate in 2025. With that being said, it would not be terribly surprising if he received an early-season promotion to High-A Greenville in that scenario since he already has close to 500 career plate appearances at the Low-A level under his belt.

(Picture of Natanael Yuten: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias fare in stateside debut this season?

Behind only Miguel Bleis, infielder Franklin Arias stole more bases (35) than any other Red Sox prospect in 2024. As such, he was named the organization’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year last month.

Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. After putting together a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League last year, the Caracas native embarked upon his stateside debut by making the jump to the Florida Complex League this season.

In 51 games for the FCL Red Sox, Arias batted a stout .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 36 strikeouts over 206 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old then received a promotion to Low-A Salem in late July.

Though he struggled some out of the gate with Salem, Arias turned things around as the calendar flipped from August to September and slashed a respectable .257/.331/.378 with nine doubles, three home runs, 26 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 36 games (166 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Altogether, Arias posted a .309/.409/.487 slash line with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 54 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 35 stolen bases (in 41 attempts), 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 87 total games (372 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem. That includes a .290/.401/.454 line against right-handed pitching and a .422/.460/.689 line against lefties.

Among the 27 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 370 trips to the plate this season, Arias ranked first in wSB (3.0), third in batting average, OPS (.896), speed score (7.1), and wOBA (.427), fourth in on-base percentage and wRC+ (150), fifth in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (17.5 percent), seventh in isolated power (.178) and swinging-strike rate (9.6 percent), and 10th in walk rate (13.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias saw playing time at both middle infield positions between his stops in the FCL and Salem this year. In 57 total starts at shortstop, the projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed 10 errors in 243 chances. In 20 total starts at second base, he committed just two errors in 78 chances. He also started nine games at DH.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

In addition to being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Baserunner of the Year, Arias was recognized as the 2024 Florida Complex League MVP, an FCL All-Star, and the FCL’s top prospect. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 91 prospect in the sport.

Should he remain in the organization through the winter, Arias — who turns 19 in November — will likely return to Salem for the start of the 2025 season. If he continues to be a stolen-base threat moving forward, it will presumably have more to do with his approach than his speed. Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a conversation last month with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

“I would put him in the category of a kid who has really good instincts and can do things at a very mature level on the base paths,” Romero said. “Because I don’t think he’s a plus runner by any means. I think he’s got good speed and he’s very advanced at timing things, taking advantage, and preparing before the game. He’s just got a very mature way about going into it for his pregame. He’ll know pitcher moves. He’ll know catcher arm strength. I think he’s advanced in that area. He’s got good speed. He’s not a Jarren Duran. But I think it’s that he uses his IQ to help him steal a lot of bases.”

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes taking swings after undergoing hand surgery this summer

Red Sox infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes posted a video of himself taking some swings in a batting cage to his Instagram story earlier Thursday afternoon.

Cespedes, the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, is approximately four months removed from undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. The issue first popped up for the 19-year-old after he was promoted from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem in late June.

Though he was initially considered day-to-day, the soreness in Cespedes’ left hand lingered and led to further testing being done. Those tests ultimately resulted in the diagnosis of a hamate fracture, as Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham explained to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July.

Because of the surgery, Cespedes will have to wait until next April at the earliest to make his Low-A debut. Still, there is no denying that the Dominican native put together a strong first season stateside in 2024 after originally signing with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-touted international free agent last January. He then kicked off his professional career by earning 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and being named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

After being slowed by a quadriceps strain in spring training, Cespedes debuted for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox on May 9 and took off from there. In 25 games, the young right-handed hitter batted stout .319/.400/.615 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (105 plate appearances). That includes a .317/.374/.622 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .333/.571/.556 slash line against lefties.

Among the 139 hitters who made at least 100 trips to the plate during the FCL season, Cespedes ranked first in slugging percentage and isolated power (.297), second in OPS (1.015), fourth in wOBA (.464) and wRC+ (163), 11th in batting average, 34th in on-base percentage, and 42nd in strikeout rate (18.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Cespedes saw most of his playing time in the FCL come at either shortstop or second base. In 10 starts at short, the projectable 5-foot-8, 181-pounder committed five errors in 36 defensive chances. In seven starts at second, he did not commit a single error in 30 defensive chances. He also started eight games at DH, five of which came in succession to ease him back into things out of the gate in May.

Cespedes, who just turned 19 last month, has already shown that he has top-100 prospect potential when healthy. Given the breadth of position-playing prospects the Red Sox have in their system at the moment, it would not be surprising if Cespedes emerged as a possible trade candidate as the club looks to address other areas of need this winter. Assuming he remains in the organization, though, Cespedes seems likely to open the 2025 campaign at Salem.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Brooks Brannon among top performers early on in Arizona Fall League

Red Sox catching prospect Brooks Brannon was among the top performers in Week 2 of the 2024 Arizona Fall League season.

Appearing in three games for the Mesa Solar Sox last week, Brannon went 7-for-12 (.583) with one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout. The right-handed hitter is now slashing a stout .357/.419/.500 through seven games (31 plate appearances) this fall.

Defensively, Brannon has started three of Mesa’s 11 games at catcher while splitting time behind the plate with teammates Moises Ballesteros of the Cubs and Daniel Susac of the Athletics. In that small sample, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has thrown out one of five possible base stealers without committing an error.

Brannon, 20, is one of eight Red Sox minor-leaguers playing in Arizona this fall. The former 2022 ninth-round draft selection out of Randleman High School (Randleman, N.C.). is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 27 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Though he received an above-slot $712,500 signing bonus from the Red Sox to forego his commitment to the University of North Carolina, Brannon has struggled to stay on the field since entering the professional ranks due to various injuries. He was limited to just 17 games in 2023 because of a low back strain, then missed the first seven weeks of the 2024 campaign while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

After completing an eight-game rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, Brannon was added to Low-A Salem’s roster in early June. He then batted 251/.326/.396 with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 22 runs scored, five stolen bases, 23 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 54 games (230 plate appearances) while making 21 starts at catcher and 13 starts at first base.

As MLB.com’s Jim Callis highlighted last week, Brannon’s development as a catcher has been hindered by the amount of time he has missed. Brannon, for instance, possesses eye-popping raw power and plus arm strength, but he could stand to improve his swing decisions as well as his blocking and framing abilities. He told Callis that those are areas of focus for him in Arizona.

“I’m learning how to hit pro pitching and I’m learning how to catch it too and how to call it,” said Brannon. “Catching is a very cerebral position, so learning how to be an intelligent pitch caller has been a major thing for me. Learning guys, being able to be personable with guys, being able to handle the bullpen … It’s been hard but I feel like I’m growing and maturing more as a player.”

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

How did Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro fare in 2024?

No Red Sox minor-leaguer played in more games this season than outfield prospect Allan Castro.

Castro appeared in 123 total games while splitting the season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. The switch-hitting 21-year-old batted .229/.343/.400 with 23 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, 80 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 74 walks, and 124 strikeouts over 530 plate appearances. That includes a .235/.311/.358 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .228/.350/.409 slash line against righties.

To open the 2024 campaign, Castro broke camp with Greenville this spring. He overcame a slow start at the dish by slashing .243/.363/.449 with 21 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 48 RBIs, 65 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 61 walks, and 94 strikeouts in 95 games (413 plate appearances) for the Drive before being promoted to Portland in mid-August.

Though he was riding a relatively hot bat at the time of his promotion, Castro struggled to get things going offensively upon making the jump from the South Atlantic League to the Eastern League. He produced a .180/.274/.230 line with two doubles, one home run, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, six stolen bases, 13 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 28 games (117 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Castro ranked 24th in walk rate (14 percent), 58th in speed score (6.6), 70th in isolated power (.171), 75th in wRC+ (114), and 84th in swinging-strike rate (11.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Castro saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Greenville and Portland this year. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder logged 256 innings in left field, 413 2/3 innings in center field, and 251 innings in right field, committing just one error and recording seven assists in 202 total chances. Interestingly enough, 27 of his 28 starts for the Sea Dogs came in left field.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League until 2021 but was later recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

While he may not get as much shine as some of the other position-playing prospects in Boston’s farm system, Castro is still accounted for on several publications’ Red Sox Top 30 lists. At present, Baseball America has him ranked 23rd, MLB Pipeline has him ranked 19th, and SoxProspects.com has him ranked 16th.

Castro, who does not turn 22 until May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season. He can, however, become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster before next month’s protection deadline.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Who is Anderson Fermin? ‘Dynamic’ Red Sox prospect was named Dominican Summer League All-Star in first professional season

Justin Gonzales was not alone in representing the Red Sox at the 2024 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game earlier this year. He was also joined by fellow countryman Anderson Fermin.

Like Gonzales, Fermin signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January. Even before making his professional debut in June, the Puerto Plata native was identified by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a name to know from Boston’s signing class given his speed and athleticism.

A switch-hitter, Fermin batted .293/.408/.337 with six doubles, one triple, 23 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 49 regular season games (224 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Red. The 18-year-old outfielder then went 9-for-30 (.300) with four RBIs in seven playoff contests to help the organization secure its first DSL title since 2016.

Among the 57 DSL hitters who made at least 200 trips to the plate during the regular season, Fermin ranked third in swinging-strike rate (13.3 percent), fourth in strikeout rate (9.8 percent), 16th in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, and 20th in walk rate (15.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Fermin was scouted as a shortstop but was used almost exclusively as a center fielder with DSL Red Sox Red in 2024. The projectable 5-foot-11, 174-pounder logged a team-leading 339 1/3 innings in center, where he recorded three outfield assists and committed one error in 92 defensive chances. He also made one start in left field and eight at DH.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Fermin when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier last month. “Really good feel for finding ways to get on base via walk, using his speed, spraying line drives around, and can really play center field.”

Fermin, who just turned 18 in September, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Though there are questions about whether or not he will be able to tap into his power, Fermin is expected to make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League next year.

(Picture of Anderson Fermin via his Instagram)

Red Sox release prospect Brainer Bonaci after season-long suspension

The Red Sox have released minor-league infielder Brainer Bonaci, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Bonaci, 22, did not play affiliated ball in 2024 after being handed down a season-long suspension in February for violating the minor-league domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. The nature of the violation remains unknown.

Bonaci originally signed with the Red Sox for $290,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2018. The switch-hitter entered the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He 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 in 79 games (350 plate appearances) between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland while seeing playing time at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field.

Shortly after being promoted from Greenville to Portland last August, Bonaci was placed on the reserve list and sent home to Venezuela “on administrative leave” while Major League Baseball began an investigation. He was reinstated in September to play in the Arizona Fall League but appeared in just two games for the Glendale Desert Dogs before being placed on the restricted list in October for violating the policy.

Though he was subsequently suspended for the entire 2024 minor-league season, Bonaci caught on with Los Senadores de Caracas of the Venezuelan Major League (Liga Mayor de Béisbol Profesional) this year. The Catia La Mar native then represented his country in last month’s WBSC U-23 World Cup and was named to the All-World Team after slashing .360/.480/.414 in eight games.

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

In Dominican Summer League, Red Sox prospect Avinson Pinto showed ‘the strong baseball IQ and defensive skills to stick at shortstop’

Before the 2024 Dominican Summer League season began, Baseball America’s Ben Badler identified infielder Avinson Pinto as a potential sleeper from the Red Sox’ most recent international signing class.

Pinto, Badler wrote, “didn’t get a ton of attention as an amateur player” before signing with Boston for $25,000 as a 16-year-old free agent in January. The native Venezuelan celebrated his 17th birthday on May 29 and made his professional debut for DSL Red Sox Red five days later.

In 44 regular-season games, Pinto batted .320/.407/.393 with four doubles, two triples, one home run, 16 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 172 plate appearances. The young switch-hitter then went 7-for-27 (.259) with one triple, four RBIs, and a team-leading eight runs scored in seven playoff games to help the organization claim its first Dominican Summer League title since 2016.

Pinto hit the first home run of his professional career on June 21.

Among the 197 DSL hitters who made at least 170 trips to the plate in the regular season, Pinto posted the seventh-lowest swinging-strike rate (12.9 percent) and ninth-lowest strikeout rate (8.7 percent). He also ranked 15th in batting average, 54th in on-base percentage, 58th in wRC+, 64th in OPS (.800), 69th in slugging percentage, and 87th in speed score (7.2), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Pinto saw all of his playing time on the field this year come at shortstop. In the process of logging 328 innings at short, the athletic 5-foot-11, 150-pounder committed six errors in 193 chances while “showing the strong baseball IQ and defensive skills to stick” at the position, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Pinto is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 53 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Like Justin Gonzales and Edwin Brito, he is also projected to make his stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League next year.

(Picture of Avinson Pinto via his Instagram)