Tag: worcester red sox

How did No. 1 Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony fare in 2024?

Roman Anthony will enter the 2025 season as Baseball America’s top-ranked Red Sox prospect. That should come as no surprise after the outfielder secured the No. 1 spot on the publication’s top-100 list earlier this summer.

Anthony, the 79th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.), was among the top performers in Boston’s farm system this past season. The West Palm Beach native began the year at Double-A Portland (where he appeared in 10 games last September), overcame somewhat of a slow start and minor injury concerns, represented the Red Sox at All-Star Futures Game festivities, and earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester all before the 2024 campaign drew to a close.

Out of the gate this spring, Anthony batted .243/.365/.392 with 11 doubles, one triple, 13 RBIs, 20 runs scored, five stolen bases, 29 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 41 games (178 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs) through May 25. The left-handed hitter was then sidelined with rib cage irritation until June 5. Upon returning to action, he slashed .237/.324/.516 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 22 strikeouts over his next 25 games (111 plate appearances) leading up to July’s All-Star break.

Three days before the annual Midsummer Classic in Arlington, Texas, Anthony took center stage in the first-ever Futures Skills Showcase at Globe Life Field on July 13. Competing with seven well-regarded prospects, the 20-year-old overcame some early adversity and ultimately won the competition by crushing six home runs on eight swings in the third and final ‘Swing for the Fences’ stage.

Though he did not play in the Futures Game itself, Anthony kicked things up a notch upon returning to Portland’s lineup on the other side of the All-Star break. From July 19 through August 11, he batted a stout .359/.425/.641 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, 18 RBIs, 22 runs scored, eight stolen bases, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts over 18 games (87 plate appearances). He was then promoted to Worcester alongside Sea Dogs teammates Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel the following day.

Anthony continued his ascent by slashing .344/.463/.519 with 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 33 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) with the WooSox to close out the season. He became Baseball America’s No. 1 overall prospect when Rays infielder Junior Caminero exhausted his prospect eligibility on September 11.

Altogether, Anthony produced a .291/.396/.498 line with 32 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, 93 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 79 walks, and 127 strikeouts over 119 total games (540 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester in 2024. Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Anthony ranked fourth in wRC+ (149), sixth in wOBA (.401), eighth in OPS (.894), ninth in on-base percentage, 14th in walk rate (14.6 percent) and slugging percentage, 22nd in batting average, 25th in isolated power (.207), and 39th in swinging-strike rate (8.7 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in Portland and Worcester this year. With the WooSox in particular, the projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made 21 starts in center, nine starts in left, and four starts in right without committing an error in 71 total defensive chances. His fielding tool currently grades as a 55 on Baseball America’s 20-80 scouting scale.

As far as awards and honors are concerned, Anthony added plenty to his trophy case in the weeks following the conclusion of the minor-league season. In addition to his Futures Game selection, Anthony was named Portland’s Most Valuable Player, an Eastern League season-end All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A and Minor League All-Star, and an All-MiLB Prospect First Teamer.

On the heels of a successful season in which he reached the top ring of the minors, Anthony could very well reach the major leagues before his 21st birthday in May. Barring a trade for a frontline starting pitcher, he is far from a lock to make the Red Sox’ 2025 Opening Day roster given the breadth of left-handed hitting outfield depth ahead of him. Still, Anthony has clearly put himself on the map as a potential franchise cornerstone with an extremely high ceiling.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

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.

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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 prospect Chase Meidroth snubbed from International League All-Star team

Somewhat surprisingly, Red Sox infield prospect Chase Meidroth was left off Minor League Baseball’s 2024 International League All-Star team, which was unveiled on Wednesday.

Meidroth, Boston’s No. 11 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, enjoyed a productive season at Triple-A Worcester. The right-handed hitting 23-year-old was recognized as the WooSox’ Most Valuable Player after batting .293/.437/.401 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 57 RBIs, 87 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 105 walks, and 71 strikeouts over 122 games (558 plate appearances). That includes a .304/.457/.430 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .266/.387/.328 slash line against lefties.

Among 85 qualified hitters in the International League this year, Meidroth led in walk rate (18.8 percent), on-base percentage, and swinging-strike rate (3.2 percent). He also ranked fourth in strikeout rate (12.7 percent) and wRC+ (132), eighth in batting average, 18th in OPS (.838), and 26th in line-drive rate (25.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Meidroth — Double-A Portland’s 2023 Defensive Player of the Year — once again saw playing time at every infield position besides first base while with Worcester in 2024. The versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder (listed height and weight) logged 412 innings at shortstop, 275 1/3 innings at third base, and 137 2/3 innings at second base. He committed 10 total errors (seven at shortstop, three at third base) in 340 chances.

A native of Torrance, Calif., Meidroth was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 2022 draft out of San Diego. He signed with Boston for an under-slot $272,500 that July and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League shortly thereafter. In the two-plus years since then, Meidroth has utilized his contact skills and plate discipline to compensate for his lack of power, making him one of the organization’s more unique talents.

Despite being snubbed by Minor League Baseball, Meidroth was named to Baseball America’s 2024 Triple-A All-Star team last week. He is currently regarded as the Red Sox’ 13th-ranked prospect by the publication, which hypothesizes that he “could emerge as a bottom-of-the-order regular if he gains strength and bat speed.”

Meidroth, who does not turn 24 until next July, does not need to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster for Rule-5 purposes this offseason. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Worcester for the start of the 2025 campaign but may surface in trade talks over the winter if the Red Sox use their breadth of position-playing prospects to address other areas of need at the major-league level.

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

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Ed Hand.

This promotion comes after Dobbins put together another strong start for Portland in Tuesday night’s series opener against the Somerset Patriots at Hadlock Field. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out seven and walked only one while scattering three hits over six scoreless innings. He threw 86 pitches (56 strikes) and induced 17 swings-and-misses.

In 21 starts for the Sea Dogs this season, Dobbins posted a 3.17 ERA and 2.98 FIP with 98 strikeouts to 39 walks over 105 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average. That includes a 1.79 ERA (2.68 FIP) in his last nine outings (45 1/3 innings) dating back to June 30.

Among 23 qualified Eastern League pitchers coming into play on Wednesday, Dobbins ranks first in FIP, third in ERA, sixth in batting average against, seventh in WHIP (1.23), ninth in groundball rate (40.9 percent) and swinging-strike rate (12.3 percent), and 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.4), strikeout rate (22.5 percent), and xFIP (4.02), per FanGraphs.

Dobbins, who turns 25 next week, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The Texas Tech product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 draft but did not make his professional debut until the following June, as he was still recovering from the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of his junior season.

Since making his pro debut at Low-A Salem a little more than two years ago, Dobbins has emerged as an intriguing arm while working his way up the minor-league ladder. As recently highlighted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound hurler has sat in the mid-to-upper 90s and topped out at 99 mph with his fastball this year. He has also mixed in a splinker (a splitter-sinker hybrid), a sweeper, a slider, and a curveball for his secondaries.

With this promotion, Dobbins figures to join a WooSox starting rotation that — at the moment — includes Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester, Brad Keller, Jason Alexander, and Shane Drohan. Like Fitts, Dobbins will need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter if the Red Sox intend to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. How he fares at the minors’ top level could play a role in that decision.

“The front office knows what they’re doing,” Dobbins told Smith. “We’ve got some really good people in charge of us. So whenever they see me ready, I’ll be there.”

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote rising prospect Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting fast-rising prospect Kristian Campbell from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Chase Ford of MiLB Central.

Campbell is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 98 prospect in the sport. The 22-year-old will reunite with fellow recently-promoted top-100 prospects Marcelo Mayer (No. 10), Roman Anthony (No. 18), and Kyle Teel (No. 31) after spending the last two-plus months with “The Big Three” in Portland.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of last year’s draft out of Georgia Tech, Campbell opened his first full professional season at High-A Greenville after turning heads at spring training. The right-handed hitter proceeded to bat .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 40 games (177 plate appearances) for the Drive. He then earned a promotion to Portland in early June.

With the Sea Dogs, Campbell turned things up a notch and slashed a stout .362/.463/.582 with 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 35 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 56 games (255 plate appearances). He was named Eastern League Player of the Week twice (June 10-16, August 5-11) and the Eastern League Player of the Month for June.

Defensively, Campbell has seen playing time at four different positions so far this season. With Portland specifically, the versatile 6-foot-3, 191-pounder made 21 starts at shortstop, 15 at second base, 11 in center field, and one at third base. He is considered a fringe-average fielder despite possessing plus speed.

Given the fashion in which Campbell has broken out to the point where he is now only one call away from the major leagues, the case can be made that the Red Sox have a Big Four in Worcester as opposed to just a Big Three. Regardless of that, the WooSox are off on Monday and are slated to open a six-game road series against the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday night.

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

Red Sox to promote top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting their top three prospects — shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, and catcher Kyle Teel — from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Mayer, Anthony, and Teel are currently regarded by Baseball America as the Nos. 10, 18, and 31 prospects in the sport, respectively. Dubbed “The Big Three” within Boston’s farm system, the talented trio represented the organization at last month’s All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas. They are expected to join the WooSox and make their Triple-A debuts on Tuesday, when the club opens a six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park.

Mayer, the longest-tenured of the three, was originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.). The left-handed hitting 21-year-old batted .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 77 games (335 plate appearances) for Portland this season. As noted by Speier, he was recently sidelined by minor hip soreness but was activated from the injured list over the weekend and should be ready to play.

Defensively, Mayer saw the vast majority of his playing time with Portland this season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder logged 543 innings at short for the Sea Dogs, committing 10 errors in 212 chances. He also started one game at third base and nine at DH.

Anthony, meanwhile, was taken by the Red Sox with the 79th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla). The left-handed hitting 20-year-old slashed .269/.367/.489 with 20 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 45 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 48 walks, and 96 strikeouts in 84 games (376 plate appearances) for Portland this season. He is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony had been serving as the Sea Dogs’ primary center fielder leading up to Sunday’s promotion. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 489 1/3 innings in center for Portland, committing three errors in 132 chances. He also made two starts in left field (where he recorded two outfield assists), one start in right field, and 15 starts at DH.

Unlike Mayer and Anthony, Teel is in just his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of the University of Virginia. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old batted .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 this season.

From behind the plate, Teel started 57 games at catcher for the Sea Dogs and threw out 18 of 91 would-be base stealers. The 6-foot, 190-pound backstop has shown “major improvement in his receiving, game-calling, and throwing since the beginning of July,” according to Speier.

After spending the better part of the last four months at Double-A, Mayer, Anthony, and Teel will make the highly-anticipated jump to Triple-A this week. Put another way, they are all just one call away from reaching the major leagues.

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

Red Sox promote top prospect Nick Yorke to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted second baseman/left fielder Nick Yorke from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Yorke, 22, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter had been with Portland since the start of the 2023 season, batting .263/.343/.415 with 33 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, 88 RBIs, 95 runs scored, 26 stolen bases, 69 walks, and 158 strikeouts over 155 total games (703 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

After representing the Red Sox in last summer’s All-Star Futures Game and being named the Sea Dogs’ 2023 Most Valuable Player, Yorke somewhat surprisingly returned to Portland for the start of the 2024 campaign. He batted .251/.325/.366 with eight doubles, four homers, 27 RBIs, 21 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 18 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 45 games (197 plate appearances) leading up to Wednesday’s promotion.

While a .691 OPS does not necessarily jump off the page, Yorke has cut down his strikeout rate from 24.1 percent last year to 18.3 percent this year. He has also been swinging a hotter bat as of late and has gone 8-for-27 (.296) with one double, one home run, and four RBIs over his last six games dating back to May 29. He went 2-for-4 with one run scored, one walk, and two strikeouts in Portland’s series-opening win over Akron at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

On the other side of the ball, Yorke has added some versatility to his profile this season after coming up strictly as an infielder. In addition to making 33 starts at second base for Portland, the 6-foot, 200-pounder started 11 games and logged 98 1/3 innings in left field, where he recorded one outfield assist without committing an error.

Yorke was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School. The California native signed for $2.7 million and burst onto the scene in 2021 en route to being recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. He entered Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings and peaked at No. 31 in 2022 but has since fallen out of the national spotlight to some degree.

With that being said, Yorke now finds himself just one call away from the major leagues. He will make his Triple-A debut on Wednesday night, as he is slated to start at second base and bat sixth for the WooSox in the second game of their six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Polar Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. eastern time.

Yorke, who does not turn 23 until next April, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his career this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster this winter. He could, of course, emerge as an intriguing trade candidate later this summer if he draws interest from other clubs.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote Rule 5 pickup Mickey Gasper to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted minor-league catcher Mickey Gasper from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Gasper, 28, joined the Red Sox via the minor-league phase of last December’s Rule 5 Draft. Before that, the New Hampshire native had spent the first six seasons of his professional career in the Yankees organization after being selected by New York in the 27th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Bryant.

In 44 games for Portland to begin the 2024 campaign, the switch-hitting Gasper batted .282/.403/.458 with 13 doubles, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 28 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 22 strikeouts over 176 plate appearances. That includes a .205/.279/.256 slash line against left-handed pitching and a far more encouraging .311/.444/.534 slash line against righties.

Among 88 qualified hitters in the Eastern League coming into play on Tuesday, Gasper ranks eighth in walk rate (14.8 percent) and OPS (.861), second in strikeout rate (12.5 percent), 17th in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 19th in isolated power (.176), first in swinging-strike rate (4.4 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (146), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Gasper has seen all his playing time on the field to this point in the season come at either catcher or first base. In deference to top catching prospect Kyle Teel in Portland, the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder has made 16 of his 43 starts behind the plate while throwing out six of 29 possible base stealers.

Gasper is not in Worcester’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Rochester but does have past experience at the Triple-A level. He appeared in 22 games across two separate stints for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last year and hit .191/.295/.265 with one homer and four RBIs.

With Gasper making the jump to Worcester, Elih Marrero has been sent down to Portland. This shakeup comes after fellow catcher Tyler Heineman was recalled by the Red Sox as a corresponding move for rookie outfielder Wilyer Abreu going on the 10-day injured list with a right ankle sprain.

(Picture of Mickey Gasper: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote prospect Matthew Lugo to Triple-A Worcester amid bounce-back season

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

Lugo, 23, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 50 prospect in Boston’s farm system after beginning the year unranked. The right-handed hitter batted a stout .315/.405/.664 with 10 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, 27 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 20 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 43 games (171 plate appearances) for Portland this season.

Among 88 qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Lugo leads the way in total bases (97), batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.069), and isolated power (.349). He also ranks fifth in on-base percentage, 31st in walk rate (11.7 percent), and 28th in strikeout rate (21.1 percent), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Lugo has seen the majority of his playing time this season come in left field, where he has committed two errors and has recorded two outfield assists over 318 innings. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has also made one start in center field and has prior experience at every infield position besides first base.

A former 2019 second-round draft selection out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico, Lugo was trending in the wrong direction coming into the 2024 campaign. He was ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox’ No. 18 prospect around this time last year after receiving a non-roster invite to major-league spring training. But he struggled to a .242/.297/.381 slash line over 83 games (318 plate appearances) with Portland in 2023 and saw his stock plummet as a result.

As noted by Speier, though, Lugo worked diligently this past offseason to improve his approach at the plate. Those efforts have seemingly paid off thus far, as Lugo has nearly doubled his walk rate from last year while lowering his strikeout rate by almost six percent. With that, it will be fascinating to see how Lugo fares against more advanced pitching in Triple-A.

Lugo, who just turned 23 last month, is likely to see time in both the infield and outfield with Worcester, according to Speier. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so this promotion should serve as a new challenge of sorts while the Red Sox determine what kind of role he will play in the organization moving forward.

(Picture of Matthew Lugo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts flirts with perfection in latest start for Triple-A Worcester

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts flirted with perfection in his latest start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night.

Going up against the Charlotte Knights on the road at Truist Field, Fitts retired the first 21 batters he faced through seven perfect innings before surrendering a leadoff single to Oscar Colas in the bottom of the eighth. The right-hander was then relieved by lefty Lucas Luetge, who allowed Colas and an additional runner to score as a result of a two-out throwing error committed by shortstop Nick Sogard.

As such, neither Fitts nor Luetge were charged with earned runs. Instead, Fitts ended the night having only allowed one unearned run on one hit and zero walks to go along with seven strikeouts over seven-plus dominant innings. The 24-year-old threw 82 pitches (65 strikes) and elicited 15 swings-and-misses. He averaged 94.4 mph and topped out at 96.3 mph with his four-seam fastball while also mixing in a mid-80s slider and changeup, per Baseball Savant.

Fitts ultimately notched the winning decision on Wednesday as the WooSox defeated the Knights by a final score of 5-2 to snap a six-game losing streak. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler is now 4-1 with a 3.72 ERA and 41 strikeouts to 15 walks in 10 outings (nine starts) spanning 48 1/3 innings for Worcester this season. Opposing hitters are batting .246 against him.

Among 33 qualified International League pitchers coming into play on Thursday, Fitts ranks ninth in walks per nine innings (2.79), 10th in walk rate (7.4 percent), seventh in batting average against, eighth in WHIP (1.22), 13th in swinging-strike rate (11.7 percent), seventh in ERA, and third in FIP (3.65), according to FanGraphs.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in last December’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Fitts was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn. The Alabama native signed with New York for $346,800 the following March and made his professional debut in the Florida State League. He earned 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts (152 2/3 innings) for Double-A Somerset last season.

When he was dealt from New York to Boston alongside Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice over the winter, Fitts was attending a facility Christmas party at Tinsley Performance in Pelham, Ala. Garrett Whitlock and Cooper Criswell, who later signed with the Red Sox as a free agent, were on hand as well. The three righties spent the rest of the offseason throwing together before reporting to spring training.

Unlike Whitlock and Criswell, though, Fitts was not at big-league camp in Fort Myers and is not currently on Boston’s 40-man roster. With that being said, Fitts can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this year, meaning he would need to be added to the 40-man by the November protection deadline if the Red Sox do not want to risk losing him.

Fitts, who does not turn 25 until December, could be added to the 40-man roster before then if he makes his major league debut at some point later this season. That is a legitimate possibility if the need for a starter arises, as he represents one of the top rotation depth options the Red Sox have available to them in Worcester.

(Picture of Richard Fitts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)