Tag: red sox

Red Sox select Canisius right-hander Matt Duffy with fourth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have taken their first pitcher in the 2023 MLB Draft, selecting Canisius University (Buffalo, N.Y.) right-hander Matt Duffy with their fourth-round pick at No. 115 overall.

Duffy, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 474 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Ontario, Canada native is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he posted a 4.13 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 119 strikeouts to 28 walks in 14 starts (80 2/3 innings) for Canisius, earning MAAC Pitcher of the Year honors as a result. The junior also made three starts for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer and struck out 16 of the 53 batters he faced over 14 1/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Duffy “consistently filled the strike zone” throughout his college career, per his Baseball America scouting report. His pitch mix consists of a below-average fastball that sits between 88-92 mph and tops out at 94 mph, a 78-81 mph changeup, and a slider that sits in the mid-to-upper 70s.

Duffy took to Instagram on Friday to announce that he would be transferring to South Carolina for his senior season next spring. It remains to be seen if that will impact his chances of turning professional and signing with the Red Sox, though the recommended slot value for the 115th overall pick in this year’s draft is $580,200.

Given that Baseball America projected Duffy as a later-round pick, Boston may be able to sign the righty to an under-slot deal prior to the July 25 deadline and save some money for other picks.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox select high school shortstop Antonio Anderson with third pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected North Atlanta High School shortstop Antonio Anderson with their third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 83 overall.

Anderson, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 68 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Peach State native is currently committed to play college baseball at Georgia Teach.

A switch-hitter, Anderson batted .438/.522/.723 with 10 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 51 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 34 games for North Atlanta this spring, per his MaxPreps page.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Anderson “is a polished hitter who understands the strike zone and recognizes pitches well,” according to his Baseball America scouting report. He “has a smooth stroke from both sides with good rhythm and balance. He shows more in-game power from the left side, but scouts think he has more raw power as a righthanded hitter. He’s got a chance for above-average on-base skills with above-average power potential as he fills out a frame that should get taller and stronger.”

Defensively, Anderson may have to eventually move off shortstop on account of being a “fringy runner who projects to be below-average in the future.” Because of the lack of quick-twitch actions, Anderson “might profile better at third base. He has solid arm strength and has been into the low 90s as a pitcher, with reliable hands and actions as well that could suit the hot corner.”

Anderson, who does not turn 19 until next May, becomes the second straight high school infielder drafted by the Red Sox. Boston closed out Day 1 of the draft on Sunday night by taking Christian Brothers College High School (St. Louis, Mo.) shortstop Nazzan Zanetello with its second-round (50th overall) pick.

Assuming he signs by the July 25 deadline, Anderson will likely join Zanetello in beginning his professional career at the rookie-level Florida Complex League in Fort Myers. The slot value for the 83rd overall selection in this year’s draft is $846,800.

The Red Sox have nine more picks to make on Monday. They will be making their fourth-round selection at No. 115 overall momentarily.

(Picture of Antioni Anderson: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Luis Perales to High-A Greenville

With Wikelman Gonzalez making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting fellow pitching prospect Luis Perales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 20, posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts spanning 53 1/3 innings of work for Salem this season. The right-hander ended the first half on a strong note, firing five scoreless frames for the second outing in a row as part of an 11-0 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday.

Among 47 Carolina League pitchers who came into play Sunday with at least 50 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Perales ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.98), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.193), first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 15th in ERA, seventh in FIP, and 15th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter and directly ahead of Gonzalez.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty utilizes a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph and complemented by a power slider that sits in the mid-80s as well as a developing changeup that hovers in the upper-80s.

Coming out of the All-Star break later this week, Perales figures to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Bradley Blalock as well as left-hander Dalton Rogers.

As is the case with Gonzalez, Perales — who does not turn 21 next April — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote prospects Blaze Jordan, Wikelman Gonzalez to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting power-hitting infield prospect Blaze Jordan and pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Jordan, 20, batted a stout .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 48 runs scored, two stolen bases, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 73 games (322 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. The right-handed hitting slugger clubbed a three-run homer in the Drive’s 7-3 win over the Rome Braves at Fluor Field on Sunday afternoon.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Jordan ranks first in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.918), eighth in isolated power (.209), third in strikeout rate (14.6 percent), first in extra-base hits (35), and first in total bases (153), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Jordan saw playing time at both first and third base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder logged 300 innings at first and 301 2/3 innings at the hot corner, committing five errors (all at third) in 319 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Southaven, Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Jordan will join a crowded crowded corner infield mix that already includes Niko Kavadas, Alex Binelas, Chase Meidroth, and Matthew Lugo. How Jordan adjusts to more advanced pitching at the Double-A level will be something worth monitoring during the second half of the season.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018.

In 15 starts for Greenville this season, Gonzalez posted a 5.14 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a league-leading 105 strikeouts to 42 walks over 63 innings of work. Prior to getting lit up for seven runs in his last start against Rome this past Wednesday, the 21-year-old right-hander had forged a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts (49 1/3 innings) between May 2 and June 30.

Much like Jordan, Gonzalez will be tested as he goes up against stiffer competition moving forward. The 6-foot, 167-pound hurler possesses an intriguing pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He has had issues with his command of the strike zone in the past, though he appears to be improving on that.

Unlike Jordan, Gonzalez can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Assuming he is still with the organization, the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

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

Red Sox select Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with top pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with their top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 14 overall.

Teel, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in this year’s class, which ranked first among draft-eligible catchers. The left-handed hitting junior is coming off a 2023 season in which he batted .407/.475/.655 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, 67 runs scored, five stolen bases, 32 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 65 games (297 plate appearances) with the Cavaliers.

On the other side of the ball, Teel made 65 starts at catcher this spring and caught all but 23 innings for Virginia. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound backstop threw out 15 of 24 would-be base stealers. Between what he did at and behind the plate, Teel was named the 2023 ACC Player of the Year as well as a consensus first team All-American.

“Kyle is a guy that we had very high on our board for obvious reasons,” Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said of Teel in a statement released by the club. “He had an unbelievable 2023 season offensively and is arguably one of the best college athletes in the draft. We think he’s going to be really valuable for us. We’re excited to add an athletic catcher to the system, and we were thrilled to get him with the 14th pick.”

A native of New Jersey, Teel was regarded as a top-100 talent coming out of high school in 2020, but he took himself out of draft consideration and honored his commitment to Virginia after the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely ended his prep career. Upon arriving in Charlottesville, Teel made an immediate impact as a true freshman while splitting time between catcher and the outfield. He moved into a full-time catching role in 2022 and wasted little time in emerging as the top catching prospect in this year’s draft class.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Teel ” has plenty of bat speed and takes extremely aggressive, violent hacks with plenty of moving parts in his setup. He has a large leg kick with a significant hand hitch in his load, but has also developed a solid track record of both contact and on-base skills. Teel has homered to all fields in college, but he has more fringe-average power projections in pro ball.

“Teel’s standout athleticism should give him every opportunity to stick behind the plate, and he has easy plus arm strength that should be an asset at the position as well. He’s thrown out 33.3% of basestealers for his career and turns in pop times around 1.90 seconds at his best, though his footwork and accuracy could be improved. He folds up well behind the plate and is a quick lateral mover on dirt balls, and he’s improved significantly as a receiver since his freshman year. He’s a good runner for a catcher and is the consensus top college catcher in the class.”

Teel, who does not turn 22 until next February, becomes the first catcher the Red Sox have taken in the first round of a draft since Blake Swihart was taken 26th overall in 2011. This is the earliest Boston has drafted a backstop since 1984, when it took John Marzano out of Temple at No. 14. Interestingly enough, longtime Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek was also taken 14th overall by the Mariners back in 1994.

By taking Teel when they did, the Red Sox put an end to a three-year run in which they exclusively drafted California-born high school infielders (Mikey Romero, Marcelo Mayer, and Nick Yorke) in the first round. Teel is also the first college player Boston has selected in the first round of a draft since 2017, when Missouri right-hander Tanner Houck was taken with the 24th overall pick.

Assuming he signs by the July 25 deadline, Teel will likely become the top catching prospect in Boston’s farm system, surpassing the likes of 18-year-old Johanfran Garcia, 19-year-old Brooks Brannon, and 23-year-old Nathan Hickey, among others. The slot value for the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft is $4,663,100.

The Red Sox have one more pick to make before Day 1 of the MLB Draft comes to a close on Sunday night. They will be making their second-round selection at No. 50 overall momentarily.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Luis Guerrero fare in All-Star Futures Game?

Though the American League fell to the National League by a final score of 5-0 at T-Mobile Park, the Red Sox were well represented at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke made up the American League’s starting middle infield while relief prospect Luis Guerrero made an appearance out of the bullpen in the seventh and final inning of the annual showcase.

Mayer, batting second and starting at shortstop for the AL, played only one inning but made the most of his opportunity. After throwing out the speedy Jackson Chourio to retire the side in the top of the first, the left-handed hitting 20-year-old ripped a one-out groundball single in the bottom half of the frame for the game’s first hit.

According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Mayer’s bat at 100.3 mph as it raced through the right side of the infield. Moments after reaching, Mayer took off and successfully stole second base with a feet-first slide. He was, however, stranded at second and was then replaced at shortstop by Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday in the second inning.

Yorke, batting ninth and starting at second base, played all seven innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitting 21-year-old went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout. After grounding out to end the second inning, he led off the bottom of the fifth by by squaring up a 1-1, 89.6 mph cutter from Braves prospect Spencer Schwellenbach and ripping a 102.6 mph double off the base of the left-center field fence.

With a distance of 388 feet, Yorke’s double was the furthest-hit ball of the day for either side. Like Mayer, however, Yorke was stranded at second base in the fifth. He had a chance to come through with two outs and the bases loaded in the following inning, but instead struck out on a foul tip to extinguish the threat.

Defensively, Yorke had just one ball hit his way at second. With two outs in the top of the third, he made a nifty shovel pass with his glove to rob Nationals prospect James Wood of an inning-extending infield single. He also recorded a force out.

Guerrero, who replaced left-hander Shane Drohan (calf cramp) on the American League roster last week, faced one batter in the top of the seventh. The hard-throwing righty took over for Yankees prospect Clayton Beeter and was matched up against Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez.

After falling behind in a 2-1 count, Guerrero got Fernandez to swing-and-miss at a 91.4 mph cutter on the outer half of the plate. The 22-year-old hurler then dialed it back and got Fernandez to whiff at a 99.7 mph four-seam fastball that was well outside.

In total, Guerrero needed just five pitches (three strikes) to retire the lone hitter he faced. He induced three swings-and-misses while mixing in two four-seamers, two cutters, and a changeup.

All three of Mayer, Yorke, and Guerrero are currently with Double-A Portland. Mayer is ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 5 prospect in the game. Yorke comes in at No. 3 organizationally and No. 83 on the publication’s top 100. Guerrero, on the other hand, is rated as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Brian Van Belle to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Brian Van Belle from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per his agent Gavin Kahn of EnterSports Management.

Van Belle, 26, posted a 3.00 ERA and 4.14 FIP with 69 strikeouts to 25 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 81 innings of work for the Sea Dogs this season. The right-hander was used as a bulk reliever in his last time out against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this past Sunday and allowed five runs over five innings after taking over for the rehabbing Richard Bleier.

So, as a starter to this point in the season, Van Belle has pitched to a 2.61 ERA and 3.98 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 22 walks across 76 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .233 batting average against. Coming into play on Thursday, Van Belle ranked fifth among qualified Eastern League pitchers in walks per nine innings (2.78), per FanGraphs. He also ranked fifth in walk rate (7.6 percent), ninth in batting average against (.240), sixth in WHIP (1.20), eighth in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (14.7 percent), third in ERA, and 10th in FIP.

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Van Belle originally joined the Red Sox organization as an undrafted free agent in June 2020. Despite being viewed as one of the top college seniors in that summer’s class, the Miami product was passed over in the draft, which was reduced to five rounds on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As he recently explained to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, though, Van Belle received plenty of interest on the open market in the days following the draft’s completion. The Red Sox separated themselves — in part — by offering future tuition money in addition to a league-mandated $20,000 signing bonus.

So along with the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, I have two years of grad school in my back pocket if I ever want to use it,” Van Belle told Smith last month. “Obviously your baseball career only lasts so long. Just having that backup plan there that they provided was awesome.”

In total, Boston signed 16 undrafted free agents in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft. Of the nine who are still in the organization, Van Belle is the first to make it as far as Triple-A and is now just one call-up away from the major-leagues.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Van Belle throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a low-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a mid-80s circle changeup, a high-70s curveball that features 12-to-6 break, and a newly-implemented cutter.

Van Belle, who turns 27 in September, becomes the latest prospect to make the jump from Portland to Worcester this season, joining the likes of other pitchers such as Shane Drohan, Theo Denlinger, Ryan Fernandez, Brendan Nail, and Rio Gomez.

It is also worth mentioning that Van Belle can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster ahead of the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Brian Van Belle: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox reliever Wyatt Mills undergoes Tommy John surgery

Injured Red Sox reliever Wyatt Mills underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, the club announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas.

Mills was shut down from throwing in mid-March due to a flexor issue and opened the season on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation as a result. The 28-year-old sidearmer was then transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 16.

Prior to being shut down, though, Mills had shown signs of promise during spring training, striking out 10 of the 32 batters he faced in five Grapefruit League appearances.

Acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for minor-league reliever Jacob Wallace in December, Mills was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2017 amateur draft out of Gonzaga. The Washington state native broke in with Seattle in May 2021 and was then dealt to Kansas City last March.

Between the two stops, Mills posted a 4.60 ERA and 3.62 FIP with 26 strikeouts to 13 walks in 27 relief appearances (29 1/3 innings) last season. For his career, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty owns a 6.21 ERA in 38 outings (42 innings) at the major-league level.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Boston brought in Mills hoping that he could replicate the same sort of success John Schreiber enjoyed out of the Red Sox bullpen last year. Like Schreiber, Mills throws from a similar arm angle and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a sinker. He had also been planning on adding a changeup to his arsenal, per Smith.

Now, Mills will be sidelined for all of 2023 and most — if not all — of 2024 as well since Tommy John surgery typically takes anywhere between 14 to 18 months to recover from.

Mills, who turns 29 in January, has one minor-league option remaining and is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2026.

Wallace, who turns 25 next month, has pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 4.47 FIP with 31 strikeouts to 20 walks in 28 relief appearances (25 2/3 innings) for the Royals’ Double-A affiliate in Northwest Arkansas so far this season.

(Picture of Wyatt Mills: Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homers in third straight game for Double-A Portland

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homered for the third straight game in Double-A Portland’s 7-3 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting at third base for the Sea Dogs, Binelas put together his first three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run, and two runs scored.

The homer came off Rumble Ponies starter Christian Scott in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a runner on first base following a Matthew Lugo single, Binelas took Scott way deep to right field for his third big fly of July and his 10th of the season overall.

With three more hits on Tuesday, Binelas has now recorded multiple hits in his last three games for the first-place Sea Dogs. Dating back to June 22, the left-handed hitting slugger has batted a respectable .300/.317/.825 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 10 games.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Binelas has slashed .229/.277/.480 with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, 24 runs scored, five stolen bases, 12 walks, and 74 strikeouts across 46 games (188 plate appearances) with Portland. Among Eastern League hitters who have made at least 180 trips to the plate to this point in the season, the 23-year-old currently ranks 13th in isolated power (.251) and 17th in slugging percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Binelas made his 17th start of the season at third base on Tuesday night. The burly 6-foot-1, 225-pound infielder has logged 153 innings at the hot corner as well as 125 1/3 innings at first base. Between the two positions, he has committed just two errors in 157 total chances.

This marks Binelas’ second full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The Oak Creek, Wis. native was originally selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisville and was then dealt to Boston alongside speedy infielder David Hamilton that December as part of the Hunter Renfroe/Jackie Bradley Jr. trade.

Known primarily for his power and propensity to hit the ball hard, Binelas has not had the easiest of times transitioning to competition at the Double-A level. Since making the jump from High-A Greenville last June, Binelas has hit just .194/.264/.425 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs in 101 games with Portland. In that time, he has struck out in more than 35 percent of his plate appearances while only taking ball four at an 8.6 percent clip.

Taking those peripherals into consideration, Binelas is no longer considered by publications such as Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system.

Time, however, is still on Binelas’ side. He does not turn 24 until next May and will not become Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 season. In the more immediate future, Binelas will likely be gunning for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the 2023 campaign comes to a close.

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

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez caps off impressive month of June with another strong start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez put the finishing touches on an impressive month of June on Friday night.

Gonzalez made his 14th start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 8-0 win over the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field. The young right-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks to go along with 10 strikeouts to mark his second straight double-digit strikeout game and third of the year overall.

After retiring the first five batters he faced, Gonzalez issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the second. He then worked his way around a leadoff double in the third before stranding another base runner in the fourth and facing the minimum in the fifth. In the sixth, he recorded two quick outs before issuing a two-out walk to the last Tourist hitter he faced in Ryan Clifford. Gonzalez was then relieved by Casey Cobb, who ended the inning on four pitches.

Gonzalez himself finished with 90 pitches (58 strikes), inducing 17 swings-and-misses in the process of picking up his sixth winning decision of the season. In five June starts, the 21-year-old hurler went 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA and 2.38 FIP to go along with 43 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 innings of work.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.50 ERA (3.41 FIP) with a South Atlantic League-leading 97 strikeouts to 40 walks in 58 innings for Greenville. Coming into play on Saturday, Gonzalez ranked first among qualified Sally League pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (15.05) and strikeout rate (38 percent). He also ranked third in batting average against (.192), fifth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), fifth in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (3.67), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Gonzalez is in the midst of his fourth professional season after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. The 6-foot, 167-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization.

Gonzalez, who does not turn 23 until next March, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the deadline to do so in November. Assuming that he is not traded away within the next month, Gonzalez could be a candidate to make the jump from Greenville to Double-A Portland on the other side of the All-Star break — if not sooner.

Promoting Gonzalez would allow the Red Sox to evaluate how he fares against more advanced competition at the Double-A level. It would also give Gonzalez the opportunity to show other teams what he is capable of if he is made available later this month or down the road in December.

(Picture of Wikelman Gonzalez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)