Here are this week's minor league notes:
The 2015 MLB Draft took place June 8-10 and SoxProspects.com had you covered from start to finish, with round-by-round pick recaps, daily previews and more.
Headlining the Red Sox' draft was the selection of University of Arkansas outfielder Andrew Benintendi (pictured) with the seventh overall pick. The draft-eligible sophomore was named Player of the Year by both Baseball America and the Southeastern Conference, and won the Dick Howser Trophy – college baseball's Heisman Trophy – after posting a .380/.489/.715 slash line with 19 home runs in the regular season.
With its second pick, Boston selected University of Washington catcher Austin Rei in the third round. SoxProspects.com Staff Writer Jim Crowell recapped the selection, writing that Rei is an athletic defensive catcher with some power hitting ability.
SoxProspects.com Staff Writer Nick Rabasco recapped Day 3 of the draft, which saw Boston make its final 30 picks in rounds 11 through 40. The Red Sox continued their trend of selecting players that are still in school. On the draft's final day, 19 of their 30 picks came from college.
SoxProspects.com Editor-in-Chief Mike Andrews gave his predictions for the 2015 signing season, including some potential early signings and a projection of how much bonus money Boston might spend on each of its draft picks.
SoxProspects.com Executive Editor Chris Hatfield, Director of Scouting Ian Cundall and Managing Editor Matt Huegel reacted to the Benintendi pick on Episode 77 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast. Topics of discussion included the outfielder's meteoric rise this spring, where he might debut in the rankings and where he'll be sent this summer to start his minor league career.
In non-draft news, the Greenville Drive had a flurry of All-Star selections, and will be sending a league-high eight players to the South Atlantic League All-Star game on June 23, writes SoxProspects.com Staff Writer Jackson Mitchell. SoxProspects.com Staff Writer Nick Rabasco writes Salem first baseman Sam Travis will represent his team at the Carolina League All-Star Game.
Right-hander Pat Light was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on June 9 and wasted no time getting to work as the team's closer, posting two saves and touching 98 MPH with his fastball. WEEI.com's Ken Laird chronicled how the converted starter has come into his own in the bullpen.
Alex Speier of The Boston Globe writes the Red Sox were drawn to Benintendi's combination of power and speed, and that the outfielder's impressive all-around skill set ultimately led to a deviation from the team's recent trend of drafting high school players in the first round.
Ricky Doyle of NESN.com writes Boston's front office staff have known about Benintendi since his days at Madeira High School in Cincinnati, where he was named ACBA/Rawlings National High School Player of the Year in 2013.
Stephen Sellner of NCAA.com profiled Benintendi, who overcame a rocky freshman season at Arkansas to become one of the most dominant offensive players in the nation as a sophomore, rocketing up draft boards in the process.
Arkansas posted a highlight video of Benintendi – dubbed "Benny Baseball" – in the wake of the 21 year old being named SEC Player of the Year last month.
Boston also selected several local products in this year's draft, including Bridgewater-Raynham catcher Andrew Noviello in the 25th round. ESPN Boston's Brendan C. Hall writes being drafted by his hometown club was "a dream come true" for the 18-year-old, who capped off the day by going 4 for 5 and beating Super 8 rival Xaverian.
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Players of the Week 6/8-6/14
Trey Ball, LHP, Salem Red Sox
2 G, 1-0, 9 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 12 K
Ball (pictured, right) turned in one of his best weeks as a member of the Red Sox' system, a stretch that included posting a career-high nine strikeouts in his start on June 9. The 20-year-old first-round pick hasn't been credited with an earned run since May 29, and was key in a pair of shutout wins for Salem last week.
Season stats: 12 G, 5-5, 3.73 ERA, 26 ER, 56 H, 28 BB, 40 K
Marco Hernandez, SS, Portland Sea Dogs
6 G, 26 PA, 11 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, .423/.464/.731
Hernandez' top performances from last week came in back-to-back games on June 12 and 13, in which the 22-year-old shortstop went 7 for 9 with three doubles, a triple and an 3 RBI. The Dominican Republic native is enjoying an excellent offensive campaign this season for Double-A Portland, his first in the Red Sox' minor league setup since being acquired from the Cubs in December 2014.
Season stats: 41 G, 163 PA, 52 H, 16 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 7 BB, 28 K, .319/.347/.460
Photo Credit: Andrew Benintendi by Whole Hog Sports and Trey Ball by Kelly O'Connor
