Tag: top prospects

Who is Jorge Rodriguez? Red Sox C prospect ‘the FCL’s premier catch-and-throw artist’

In a ranking of the top 25 prospects in the Florida Complex League so far this season by Baseball America’s Josh Norris, Red Sox minor league catcher Jorge Rodriguez claimed the No. 7 spot.

Rodriguez, 19, has opened eyes on both sides of the ball in his first season stateside. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in January 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June but did little to stand out on paper, as he slashed .258/.333/.280 (76 wRC+) with no home runs and seven RBIs in 31 games.

This year has been a different story for Rodriguez. Even when taking a slightly delayed start and a chilly July to this point into consideration, the right-handed hitter is still slashing .296/.367/.420 (114 wRC+) with one double, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 10 runs scored, eight stolen bases, eight walks, and 16 strikeouts through 27 games (90 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox.

Among the 142 FCL hitters who had made at least 90 trips to the plate coming into play on Wednesday, Rodriguez ranked 10th in batting average, 17th in slugging percentage, 26th in OPS (.787), 32nd in wOBA (.385), 35th in strikeout rate (17.8 percent), and 46th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Rodriguez has primarily been splitting time behind the plate with fellow countryman Gerardo Rodriguez for Boston’s FCL affiliate. The 5-foot-10, 147-pound backstop has logged 93 innings there thus far, throwing out 16 of 41 possible base stealers, allowing two passed balls, and committing three errors in 103 chances. He has also made 11 starts at DH.

Rodriguez, Norris wrote on Wednesday, “is the FCL’s premier catch-and-throw artist, with an arm capable of regularly producing pop times well under 1.90 seconds. His pure arm strength is at least double-plus, with the only knock being how well the operation will hold up against the rigors of a full season.

“Despite a smaller stature, Rodriguez does an excellent job of finding the barrel and producing solid or better exit velocities,” added Norris. “In the end, he could be an average hitter with fringe-average power and the kind of arm that puts the brakes on attempted base burglars.”

Rodriguez, who just turned 19 in February, is not currently regarded among Boston’s top prospects by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or FanGraphs. He did, however, recently debut on SoxProspects.com’s top 60 list at No. 44, which ranks third among catchers behind only Johanfran Garcia (No. 36) and Brooks Brannon (No. 41).

In addition to Rodriguez, outfielder Enddy Azocar (No. 13) and right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo (No. 20) made Norris’ top 25 Florida Complex League prospect rankings as well. Both have received promotions to Low-A Salem in recent weeks, and with the FCL season winding down, Rodriguez is likely not too far behind them.

(Picture of Jorge Rodriguez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox inform top prospect Kristian Campbell that he has made Opening Day roster

The Red Sox have informed top prospect Kristian Campbell that he has made the club’s Opening Day roster, as was first reported by Ari Alexander of KPRC 2.

Campbell, who is part of the group traveling to Mexico for an upcoming two-game exhibition series against the Sultanes de Monterrey, was told on Sunday that he will be on the 26-man roster when the Red Sox open the 2025 season against the Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Thursday.

Campbell, one-third of Boston’s “Big Three” alongside outfielder Roman Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, is expected to be the lone player without any prior major-league experience to make the team’s Opening Day roster, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam. The 22-year-old will need to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster before he can officially make his debut.

Unlike Anthony and Mayer, who are also traveling to Mexico but are expected to open the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Worcester, Campbell’s ascension to prospect stardom was rather unforeseen. The Georgia Tech product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2023 draft and signed for $492,700. He debuted professionally in the Florida Complex League that August and reached High-A Greenville before the season ended.

As previously alluded to, Campbell entered his first full professional season with very little fanfare. Before breaking camp with Greenville last spring, the right-handed hitter had impressed on the back fields of Fenway South after spending much of the offseason in Fort Myers to work on improving his bat speed, strength, and swing path. Still, at this time last year, he was not viewed as one of Boston’s premier prospects.

That perception began to change quickly. Seeing the fruits of his labor, Campbell was promoted from Greenville to Double-A Portland in early June and then reached Worcester by late August. Between the three levels, he slashed a stout .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 74 walks, and 103 strikeouts over 115 total games (517 plate appearances). Among other accolades, he was recognized as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, MiLB’s Hitting Prospect and Breakout Player of the Year, and the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.

Campbell took part in the Red Sox’ rookie development program over the winter and received his first invite to major-league spring training in January. He arrived at camp as an early favorite to emerge as the club’s everyday second baseman. After splitting time between second base, shortstop, third base, and center field in the minors last year, the versatile 6-foot-3, 210-pounder saw the majority of his reps this spring come at the keystone. Though he struggled some at the plate and batted just .167/.305/.271 in 20 Grapefruit League games (59 plate appearances), Campbell rallied down the stretch by connecting on his first home run of the spring on Saturday and putting together better at-bats over the last week or so.

Despite any concerns they may have about his ability to handle big-league pitching at the moment, the Red Sox — as noted by Cotillo and McAdam — are seemingly prepared to exercise patience with Campbell out of the gate this season as they work to determine his exact role. The possibility remains that Campbell could form a platoon with the left-handed hitting David Hamilton at second base. He is also expected to get some reps in left field after playing there on occasion throughout spring training.

Campbell, who turns 23 in June, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 4 prospect in the sport. Because he is also ranked within ESPN and MLB.com’s top 100 list, Campbell qualifies for the “Prospect Promotion Incentive,” which was introduced by Major League Baseball as part of the collective bargaining agreement that went into effect before the 2022 season.

If Campbell were to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award or finish in the top three of MVP voting this season, the Red Sox would receive a compensatory draft pick after the first round in 2026. If Campbell were not to win Rookie of the Year or finish in the top three of the MVP race in 2025, he would have two more chances to net a pick if he finishes in the top three of MVP voting in 2026 or 2027. He would become ineligible for an additional pick if he were to sign a long-term contract extension before debuting.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell likely done for season after being placed on Triple-A Worcester’s injured list

The 2024 season is likely over for top Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell, who was placed on Triple-A Worcester’s 7-day injured list on Tuesday.

Campbell suffered a left lat strain while running from home to first in the third inning of Worcester’s 7-0 win over the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park last Wednesday. The 22-year-old has not been ruled out entirely in the event that the WooSox advance to the International League playoffs, but the Red Sox will err on the side of caution, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“I think the most important thing for him right now is to go into the offseason fully healthy so he can train this winter,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham told Speier. “I think we need to be smart here. We’re going to make sure we’re thinking about the longer term and bigger picture versus the shorter term.

“We’re going to obviously trust our group and our staff and Kristian to see how he feels and go from there,” added Abraham, “but I would not be surprised if we end up taking the decision out of his hands and making sure that he’s healthy going into the offseason.”

Campbell, the 132nd overall pick in last year’s draft out of Georgia Tech, was not ranked as one of the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline to begin his first full professional season. After working to add strength and bat speed to better impact the baseball over the winter, the right-handed hitter broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring and batted .306/.418/.558 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 40 games (177 plate appearances) before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland in early June.

Playing alongside The Big Three of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel in Portland, Campbell slashed .362/.463/.582 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 56 games (255 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs. He was then promoted again to Worcester on August 20 and posted a .286/.412/.486 line with four homers and 17 RBIs in 19 games (85 plate appearances) before being shut down this week.

So, between his three stops at Greenville, Portland, and Worcester, Campbell — nicknamed ‘Barry Bonds’ by his teammates — batted a stout .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 74 walks, and 103 strikeouts in 115 games (517 plate appearances) this season. On the other side of the ball, the versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder started at least one game at four different positions. To that end, he was named the Sea Dogs Defensive Player of the Year. With the WooSox, he logged 100 innings at shortstop, 26 innings at third base, 19 innings in center field, and 14 innings at second base.

Campbell, who does not turn 23 until next June, is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 24 prospect in the sport. MLB Pipeline has the Georgia native ranked as the Red Sox’ No. 5 prospect and the No. 74 prospect in baseball. Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Keith Law recently tabbed Campbell as his Prospect of the Year.

With the Red Sox already looking ahead to 2025, Campbell has positioned himself as a potential building block for the future alongside the left-handed hitting trio of Anthony, Mayer, and Teel. While that distinction alone may not exclude him from being involved in trade talks in the offseason, it seems as though he could be ready to contribute at the big-league level as early as next summer.

(Picture of Kristian Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Rafaela was informed of the decision following Portland’s 7-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. He did not play in the game.

“It’s very exciting,” Rafaela told Speier. “I’ve been waiting for this chance. I’m happy I get it. I need to go up there and do the same thing I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been working, developing, and I feel very ready right now.”

In 60 games for the Sea Dogs this season, Rafaela batted .294/.332/.441 (107 wRC+) with 18 doubles, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 40 runs scored, an Eastern League-leading 30 stolen bases, 14 walks, and 55 strikeouts across 266 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old initially got his 2023 campaign off to a slow start, but he has turned it around as of late and is slashing a stout .341/.384/.533 (143 wRC+) in his last 34 games (152 plate appearances) dating back to May 13.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela is considered to be one of the more polished defenders in the Red Sox organization, as evidenced by him being named the club’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. This season alone, the versatile 5-foot-9, 165-pounder made 43 starts at center field and seven at shortstop for Portland. He committed eight errors in 163 defensive chances.

While the defensive abilities are undoubtedly there, there are some concerns when it comes to Rafaela’s plate discipline. He struck out in 20.7 percent and walked in only 5.3 percent of his plate appearances with the Sea Dogs this year, though he has worked to improve both of those marks in recent weeks.

A native of Curacao, Rafaela originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in June 2018. He has since risen through the ranks and was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rafaela, who turns 23 in September, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system behind only Marcelo Mayer, Miguel Bleis, Nick Yorke, and Roman Anthony. He is now slated to join a talented WooSox roster that includes other top prospects such as Shane Drohan, Brandon Walter, Enmanuel Valdez, and Wilyer Abreu.

By earning a promotion to Worcester, Rafaela is one step closer to reaching the major-leagues. To get there, he will need to show that he can handle and succeed against advanced competition at the Triple-A level.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote top outfield prospect Roman Anthony to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect Roman Anthony from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Anthony, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally selected the Florida native in the second round of last year’s draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School. He forwent his commitment to Mississippi by signing with the club for $2.5 million.

In 42 games with Salem this season, Anthony batted .228/.376/.316 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 18 strikeouts over 202 plate appearances. While that slash line is far from eye-popping, the left-handed hitter has caught the attention of evaluators thanks in part to his under-the-hood numbers.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier last week, Anthony has a sound approach at the plate when it comes to pitch recognition and swing decisions. He has also shown that he can hit the ball hard, but his production in that regard has been weighed down by a 49.2 ground-ball rate this year. As such, he is working to put the ball in the air on a more frequent basis.

“He looks like he’s been in pro ball for multiple years versus a guy who’s getting his first full taste of full-season ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Anthony in a recent conversation with Speier. “If you can have those foundational areas as a hitter and you hit the ball hard, you’d like to think it will eventually lead to more baseball-card-type success versus some of the back-end numbers that he’s shown a lot of success with.”

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield positions for Sale. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged nine innings in left, 156 innings in center, and 127 innings in right. He committed just two errors in 61 defensive chances and recorded two outfield assists.

Anthony, who does not turn 20 until next May, becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this season, joining the likes of left-handers Dalton Rogers and Nathan Landry. With the Drive, Anthony will join a crowded outfield mix that already includes Max Ferguson, Miguel Ugueto, Bryan Gonzalez, Nick Decker, Eduardo Lopez, and Kier Meredith.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery

Top Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis has a left shoulder subluxation that will require him to undergo season-ending surgery, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. Chris Henrique of the Boston Sports Journal was first to report his news.

Bleis strained his left shoulder while swinging at a pitch in the eighth inning of Low-A Salem’s 3-2 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans back on May 30. He was immediately taken out of the contest and has not appeared in an affiliated game since.

Instead, Bleis was placed on the minor-league injured list on June 1 and was sent to Fort Myers, Fla. to rehab. In a recent conversation with The Athletic’s Chad Jennings, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham indicated that Bleis was “focusing on building strength rather than baseball at the moment.”

Bleis, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 86 prospect in the sport. The Red Sox originally signed the Dominican Republic native for $1.5 million in January 2021, making him the highest-paid member of the club’s international signing class that year.

After a solid pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, Bleis really burst onto the scene last season. The right-handed hitter broke out to the tune of a .301/.353/.543 slash line with five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases in 40 Florida Complex League games. He also led Boston’s rookie-level affiliate in outfield assists with five.

On the heels of such an impressive campaign, Bleis was tabbed by MLB Pipeline as the Red Sox’ best international prospect since Rafael Devers. He entered the 2023 season as a consensus top-100 prospect and made some waves during spring training by singling off Alek Manoah and throwing out Brandon Belt at home plate in a Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays on March 13.

Bleis broke camp with Salem in April and had gotten off to a relatively slow start, batting just .230/.282/.325 with three doubles, three triples, one home run, 16 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 31 games (142 plate appearances) in his first exposure to full-season ball.

On the other side of the ball, Bleis saw playing time in center and right field for Salem. The 6-foot, 170-pounder logged 92 innings at the former and 110 innings at the latter while racking up four outfield assists and committing just one error in 47 defensive chances between the two positions.

Though it is still too early to determine a recovery timetable for Bleis — who does not turn 20 until next March — it’s certainly possible that this forthcoming surgery will alter his developmental timeline to at least some degree.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top prospect Marcelo Mayer to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Marcelo Mayer from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Mayer will join the Sea Dogs in New Jersey this week for their upcoming series against the Somerset Patriots, the Double-A affiliate of the Yankees. The 20-year-old shortstop would then be on track to make his Hadlock Field debut on June 6, when the Sea Dogs return home to host the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians affiliate) in the first of a six-game set.

The promotion comes at a time when Mayer has been absolutely raking with Greenville. In 18 games with the Drive this month, the left-handed hitter has slashed a stout .321/.357/.641 with seven doubles, six home runs, 23 RBIs, 14 runs scored, two stolen bases, four walks, and 17 strikeouts over 84 plate appearances.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Mayer has batted .290/.366/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, seven homers, 34 runs driven in, 23 runs scored, five stolen bases, 17 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) for Greenville. He missed some time earlier this month due to some left shoulder soreness, but now appears to be fully healthy.

Among qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Mayer currently ranks 15th in batting average, 11th in slugging percentage and OPS (.890), seventh in extra-base hits (19), ninth in total bases (76), and 11th in isolated power (.234), per MiLB.com.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder served as Greenville’s designated hitter on Sunday, but has otherwise logged 279 innings at short while committing a total of seven errors in 99 defensive opportunities.

A native of California, Mayer was originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Eastlake High School. He became Boston’s highest-drafted player since 1967 and signed with the club for $6.664 million.

Less than two full years after signing, Mayer now finds himself one step closer to the major-leagues. As noted by Speier, he is the youngest Red Sox draftee to reach Double-A since 2010, when both Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly made the jump to Portland.

Mayer, who does not turn 21 until December, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in the sport. Barring a surprise, he will likely spend the rest of the season with the Sea Dogs, which could — in theory — put him on track to garner big-league consideration at some point in 2024.

For the time being, though, Mayer will join a talented Sea Dogs roster that includes No. 3 prospect Ceddanne Rafaela, No. 7 prospect Nick Yorke, No. 15 prospect Nathan Hickey, No. 18 prospect Matthew Lugo, No. 23 prospect Niko Kavadas, and No. 27 prospect Chase Meidroth.

Mayer, Meidroth, and Hickey were all on Greenville’s Opening Day roster.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

In midst of rocky 2022 season with High-A Greenville, Red Sox top prospect Nick Yorke appears to be finding his groove again

He may no longer be regarded by Baseball America as one of the game’s top 100 prospects (for now), but it appears as though Red Sox infield prospect Nick Yorke is starting to find his groove again.

In High-A Greenville’s last series against the Hickory Crawdads at Fluor Field, Yorke appeared in all six games and went 8-for-24 (.333) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, five runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts. Those two homers were just his second and third since the beginning of July.

The 2022 season has been a tough one for Yorke from both a performance-related and physical perspective. After being named the organization’s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, the 20-year-old has been limited to just 63 games so far this season due to a plethora of injuries — including turf toe, back stiffness, and left wrist soreness.

Over the course of those 63 games, the right-handed hitting Yorke has batted .237/.306/.376 (85 wRC+) to go along with eight doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 38 runs driven in, 39 runs scored, five stolen bases, 26 walks, and 68 strikeouts across 294 plate appearances.

Defensively, Yorke has unsurprisingly seen all his playing time on the field come at second base. The 6-foot, 200-pounder has logged 453 innings at the keystone position and has yet to commit an error of any sort.

Despite all of the struggles he has endured this season, Yorke is still ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox originally selected the native Californian with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.

Yorke, who does not turn 21 until next April, does not seem like a candidate to get promoted to Double-A Portland at the moment. That could potentially change if he continues to stay hot at the plate for Greenville.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas set to rejoin Triple-A Worcester this weekend

Top Red Sox prospect Triston Casas is expected to return to Triple-A Worcester’s lineup for its series against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park this weekend, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Casas, 22, has spent the last two months on Worcester’s injured list after suffering a high right ankle sprain while running the basepaths in a game on May 17.

At that time, the Red Sox were optimistic that Casas would not be sidelined for long and would be able to return to action in a matter of weeks. But due to the nature of his injury, the 6-foot-4, 252-pound left-handed hitter struggled to put weight on his landing foot.

It was only just recently that Casas was able to once again swing a bat pain-free while working out at the Sox’ spring training complex in Fort Myers. The Miami-area native then began a rehab assignment with the club’s Florida Complex League affiliate last Tuesday.

In four games — the last of which came on Saturday — with the FCL Red Sox, Casas went 6-for-14 (.429) with three doubles, one home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, three walks, and two strikeouts. As noted by Speier, he tested his ankle by playing three straight days.

With the WooSox this season, Casas is batting .248/.359/.457 (115 wRC+) to go along with nine doubles, six homers, 22 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 23 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 36 games and 156 plate appearances. Beyond those numbers, he was hitting the ball hard and playing solid defense at first base.

Were it not for his ankle injury, the hulking first baseman very well could have been on the verge of making his major-league debut right about now. Instead, his two-month absence has all but certainly pushed back his call-up window.

That being said, the Red Sox have struggled to find consistent production from their first basemen throughout the 2022 season. In the month of July alone, Franchy Cordero has posted a .446 OPS in his last 15 games while Bobby Dalbec has an OPS of .689 in his last 13 contests.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Boston is going to look for upgrades at first base ahead of the August 2 trade deadline. While trade candidates such as Washington’s Josh Bell or Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier are possibilities, Casas could emerge as a possible solution for the Sox’ first-base woes now that he is healthy.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis catching fire in Florida Complex League

Like right-hander Luis Perales, Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis has also been opening eyes and turning heads in the Florida Complex League this summer.

Last week, Bleis appeared in four games for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and went 8-for-17 (.471) at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, three runs scored, four stolen bases, zero walks, and four strikeouts. Both of those homers came in the same game against the FCL Rays in Port Charlotte on July 11.

As a result of all that production, Bleis was included in Baseball America’s latest Hot Sheet — which highlights the game’s 20 hottest prospects from the previous week — on Tuesday.

“One of the top young talents in Boston’s system, Bleis started a little slow out of the gate this season but has been on fire in July,” Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes wrote. “He’s a speedy center fielder with a knack for the barrel and solid plate approach considering his age and level. His in-game power is starting to show, with strong exit velocity numbers that would compare well against a majority of major-league hitters.”

After batting just .156 through the first two weeks of the FCL season, the right-handed-hitting 18-year-old has since turned things around and is now slashing .298/.337/.511 (124 wRC+) with seven doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, five walks, and 25 strikeouts over 24 games spanning 101 trips to the plate.

Among qualified FCL hitters, Bleis ranks 13th in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in OPS (.847), ninth in isolated power (.213), fourth in speed score (9.2), fifth in line-drive rate (29.2%), and 18th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder has seen all of his playing time come at center field so far this season. He has logged 195 1/3 innings at the position and has yet to record an error while also registering a team-high of four outfield assists.

The Red Sox originally signed Bleis as an international free-agent out of the Dominican Republic last January. Boston gave the San Pedro de Macoris native a lucrative $1.5 million bonus, making him the highest-paid member of its 2021 signing class.

Since then, Bleis — who does not turn 19 until next March — has played in both the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues and is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Bleis is best described by SoxProspects.com as having “the highest upside of any Latin American prospect in the system,” and it’s easy to see why. Between the athleticism, the potential, and the talent, Bleis will more than likely emerge as a top-100 prospect in baseball sooner rather than later.

In the near-term, Bleis could very well earn a promotion to Low-A Salem before long if he continues to impress down in Fort Myers. That would certainly be an exciting development within the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Bryan Green/Flickr)