Weekly Notes: Season end awards & front office changes

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The SoxProspects.com community's award polls closed over the weekend. The awards that were up for grabs included: Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, DSL Player of the Year, Graduate of the Year, Homegrown Player of the Year, and Ex-Prospect of the Year. SoxProspects senior staff writer James Dunne breaks down all the winners and highlights the reasons they took home the awards.
• The Red Sox announced their own minor league end of season awards. Winners included Sam Travis (Offensive Player of the Year, pictured, right), Williams Jerez (Pitcher of the Year), Javier Guerra (Defensive Player of the Year), top-ranked prospect Yoan Moncada (Baserunner of the Year), Lorenzo Cedrola (Latin Program Player of the Year), and Denyi Reyes (Latin Program Pitcher of the Year). For more detail on each of the Red Sox minor league award winners Nick Rabasco, SoxProspects staff writer, has you covered.
• The minor league season has wrapped up and it has been an extremely eventful year. Despite a slew of graduates, the Red Sox still finished the year with one of the top ranked farm systems. There was a ton to keep track of and the SoxProspects podcast team begins to wrap up the season with part one of their Season in Review series, including their personal picks for the Red Sox minor league awards and comments on the All-Star selections.

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SoxProspects.com 2015 season-end award winners

Much like with the major league club, 2015 saw several individual players have standout performances that weren't reflected in the team win-loss records. Only one affiliate qualified for the playoffs--though the one that did, the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, won its league championship. The talent was spread throughout the organization, from the several players who began the season with Pawtucket making an impact on the major league team, to a pair of hot-shot rookies who take home the Offensive Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards. The award winners in the nine below categories were selected by the SoxProspects.com community.

Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi

The silver lining in Boston's hugely disappointing 2014 season was the opportunity to select the 2015 Golden Spikes Award winner with the seventh overall pick in the draft. After a standout campaign as a draft-eligible sophomore, Benintendi continued to dominate the baseball world once the Red Sox brought him into the fold. Initially assigned to Lowell, he saw little resistance from New York-Penn League pitching, hitting .290/.408/.540 with seven home runs in 153 plate appearances on his way to being named the top prospect in that circuit by Baseball America. Rewarded with a mid-August promotion to Greenville, facing the more advanced South Atlantic League competition seemed only to get more out of the 21-year-old. He hit an outstanding .351/.430/.581 in 19 games to close out the season.

The .313/.416/.556 line between two levels was dominant enough to get Benintendi recognized as the top offensive performer in the system despite totaling only 239 plate appearances. The former Arkansas Razorback was in a much closer competition in the Rookie of the Year balloting, narrowly topping Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada and 17-year-old right-hander Anderson Espinoza.

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Travis, Moncada highlight Red Sox minor league awards

The Red Sox have announced seven Minor League award recipients. Among them, Sam Travis (pictured, left) was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Williams Jerez (pictured, below) was named the Pitcher of the Year. Javier Guerra was also named the Defensive Player of the Year, while Yoan Moncada was named the Base Runner of the Year.

Travis, currently the 10th-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com, had a breakout year for Salem and Portland. The 22-year old's first 66 ballgames of the year were with Salem, hitting .313/.378/.467 over that stretch. The remaining 65 games for Travis were with Portland, where he did not slow down with the bat, hitting .300/.384/.436 for the Sea Dogs. Travis was a Carolina League All-Star and was honored on SoxProspects.com with two Player of the Week awards this season and Player of the Month for June.

Jerez' 2015 season was split across three different levels. He began the year with Greenville, moved on to Salem for a brief stint, and then closed out the season with Portland. Overall, Jerez made 41 appearances, all out of the bullpen. He posted a 2.54 ERA in 88 2/3 innings to go along with 86 strikeouts and 36 walks. He had a 2.06 ERA in 14 games with Greenville, a 0.73 ERA in five games with Salem, and a 3.65 ERA in 22 games with Portland. Jerez was drafted in the second round in 2011 as an outfielder and began pitching last season for the first time. He is currently ranked 26th on SoxProspects.com.

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Podcast Ep. 86: Season in Review, Pt. 1

In this edition of the SoxProspects.com Podcast

- It’s time to wrap up the season! We start by taking your listener questions. What players would be the best converting to or from the mound? Do the Red Sox promote players more aggressively than they used to?

- We recap the 2015 SoxProspects.com All-Stars. Who did our Forum members vote as the best at their positions in 2015? The answers may … actually they probably won’t surprise you really.

- Lastly, we debate our picks for each of the 2015 SoxProspects.com Awards, such as Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, and more! Lots of good debate here, as there were lots of tough choices.

Click through for download links and in-site player!

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Weekly Notes: Moncada to play winter ball in Puerto Rico

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The SoxProspects.com Community voted on the 2015 year-end All-Stars, and the results were released on Friday. James Dunne provided great background on each of the winners, which included nine of the site's top 10 prospects. The only player from the top 10 who did not make the cut was Michael Kopech, who was a lock to make the list before he was suspended 50 games in July. 

• Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported last week that Yoan Moncada (pictured) will play for Caguas in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico) this offseason. Play starts in October, and Moncada will be on the same team that Rusney Castillo played for last winter, which is managed by Alex Cora. 

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2015 SoxProspects.com All-Stars

The 2015 season was one of both great growth and some growing pains. Four different players held the title of the top prospect in the organization during the year, and the major league lineup has shown a decidedly home-grown inclination. System All-Stars from years past, such as Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, and Dustin Pedroia and 2015 graduates Eduardo Rodriguez and Blake Swihart have all played key roles in the Red Sox late-season resurgence. With that in mind, we present the annual year-end All-Stars as voted by the SoxProspects.com community for the 2015 season.

Catcher: Jordan Procyshen

This was the closest contest among position players in the community voting, as Procyshen narrowly beat out Tim Roberson of the Portland Sea Dogs. Procyshen, a product of Okotoks, Alberta via Northern Kentucky University, was a 2014 14th-round pick. Procyshen impressed with his defense all season, showing the tools behind the plate to control a running game and become a reliable backstop. His advanced plate approach helped carry him to a solid .285/.356/.363 in the first half with Greenville en route to being named a starter in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. The 22-year-old met some resistance at the plate after a promotion to Salem, hitting just .209/.309/248 but showing solid walk and strikeout numbers. The Red Sox hope the power Procyshen flashed in college returns: after hitting 25 home runs in his final two years in college, he hit only two in 2015.

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Weekly Notes: Front office moves, Fall Instructs rosters announced

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• 
  With the minor league season over for the Red Sox, SoxProspects.com recently confirmed their Fall Instructional League rosters. The most notable names on the roster include Andrew Benintendi, Yoan Moncada, and Anderson Espinoza. The first game will be on September 22 against the Rays.
• The Red Sox also made some moves in the front office last week. Brian Bannister was named Director of Pitching Analysis and Development, Chris Mears will be the Pitching Crosschecker, and Gus Quattlebaum was named Director of Professional Scouting.
• Episode 85 of the SoxProspects.com podcast also came out this past week. Chris Hatfield, Ian Cundall, and Chaz Fiorino talked about reports from Pawtucket and Salem. They also reviewed the September rankings, and Hatfield interviewed Salem second baseman Wendell Rijo.
• Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald wrote a piece about Moncada and how he is a "star in the making." David Hastings and Ben Crockett weighed in on the Cuban's first season as well.

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Podcast Ep. 85: Final Notes from the Field, Sept. Rankings, Wendell Rijo

In this edition of the Podcast:

- In Notes from the Field, Chris, Ian, and Chaz share their reports on Pawtucket’s Matt Barnes, Marco Hernandez, and William Cuevas; Salem’s Wendell Rijo, Mauricio Dubon, Teddy Stankiewicz, Ty Buttrey; and Lowell’s Logan Allen, Travis Lakins, and Yankory Pimentel.

- Reviewing the September rankings update, we discuss Yoan Moncada overtaking Rafael Devers at the top, and comparing the fast-rising Anderson Espinoza and Andrew Benintendi against the “old guard” of the Top 10.

- Finally, we share Chris’s interview with Salem Red Sox second baseman Wendell Rijo. Wendell discussed his rise through the minors so far, changes he’s made to his swing, the difficulties international players face coming to the U.S., and more.

Click through for download links and in-site player!

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2015 Fall Instructional League rosters and schedule take shape

SoxProspects.com has confirmed the full roster of participants and schedule for the 2015 Fall Instructional League. Players will report to Fort Myers on September 18, followed by the first game on September 22. 

The 47-player roster includes four of the top ten prospects in the Red Sox system, as ranked by SoxProspects.com. Top prospect Yoan Moncada (pictured, left) is joined by right-hander Anderson Espinoza (5), 2015 first round draftee Andrew Benintendi (6), and 2014 first rounder Michael Kopech (10). The league is used to develop players in the low minors and includes both classroom training and on-field workouts. The games are frequently open to the public, though the game start times are not necessarily entirely accurate.

Here is the full roster of participants, broken down by position:

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Red Sox announce trio of front office moves

The Red Sox announced the first series of front office personnel moves since the hiring of new Team President Dave Dombrowski. Brian Bannister has been named Director of Pitching Analysis and Development, Chris Mears will be the Pitching Crosschecker, and Gus Quattlebaum has been named Director of Professional Scouting. Quattlebaum takes over for Jared Porter, who left the Red Sox organization to take the same position with the Chicago Cubs.

Bannister, a five-year major league veteran with the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets, originally joined the Red Sox before the 2015 season as a professional scout and analyst. The position was created specifically for Bannister with the plan to take more of an analytical approach to pitching development throughout the system. While a player, Bannister became known for his early embrace of sabermetrics as a way to analyze his own pitching.

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August Players of the Month: Anderson Espinoza and Yoan Moncada

The SoxProspects.com community has voted Anderson Espinoza and Yoan Moncada (pictured) as the Pitcher and Player of the Month for August, respectively.

Espinoza earns his second Pitcher of the Month honor, having also won in June. He was still pitching in the Dominican Summer League for a majority of that month, whereas in August, he pitched in the Gulf Coast League and dominated. In four appearances, Espinoza did not allow an earned run and surrendered just seven hits and one walk. He also struck out 23 in his 16 August innings. His WHIP was 0.50 for the month and batters hit just .125 against him.

Espinoza's performance earned him a promotion to Greenville, which made him the youngest player in the South Atlantic League by more than a year at 17 years old. After beginning the year ranked 30th here at SoxProspects.com, Espinoza has rocketed up to the number five spot.

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Weekly Notes: Wrapping up the 2015 minor league season

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• Monday marked the end of the minor league regular season, with Pawtucket, Portland, Salem, Greenville and Lowell all taking the field for the last time in 2015. Both the PawSox and Sea Dogs finished their respective campaigns well below .500, while Salem managed a 66-73 record to finish last in the Carolina League Southern division. Lowell narrowly missed out on the postseason, getting knocked out of contention on a walk-off last Friday.

• Greenville, which had been in a dogfight with the Asheville Tourists in the South Atlantic League Wild Card race, ended its season in heartbreaking fashion. Needing a win against Savannah and a Tourists loss to eek out a playoff berth on the season's final day, the Drive lost 4-2.
• Venezuelan pitching phenom Anderson Espinoza dominated the headlines once again, earning a promotion from the GCL Red Sox to the Low A Greenville Drive and then making his debut for the team on Saturday. The Drive limited Espinoza's first start to 3 1/3 innings, with the 17-year-old allowing four runs on three hits and fanning four. SoxProspects.com Staff Writer James Dunne detailed Espinoza's promotion as well as a flurry of other GCL-related moves that came after the league's season ended on Sept. 2.

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Cup of Coffee: Minor League season ends as Greenville rally falls short

9/8 Cup of Coffee: The final chapter of the Red Sox 2015 minor league season ended in the most heart-breaking way possible. Needing a win to qualify for the post-season, Greenville put the playoff-clinching run on base in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, the rally fell short, sending the Drive home along with the rest of their minor league compatriots, all of whom had been eliminated from playoff contention previously. 

Pawtucket Red Sox 10, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 2

Several veterans of the organization played key roles as the PawSox ended their season on a high note. William Cuevas got the start and the win, allowing a run on four hits in six innings, striking out three and walking one. The right-hander completed his seventh season in the Sox system setting career highs in wins (11), innings (136 1/3) and strikeouts (128). Madison Younginer, in his sixth season, closed out the win by allowing a run on three hits in two innings. The 2009 seventh-round draft choice had the best season of his career, with a 3.03 ERA across two levels. Those two hurlers' minor league journeys have nothing on that of catcher Matt Spring (pictured, above left). In his 707th career minor league game across 12 seasons without appearing in the majors, the modern Crash Davis blasted a sixth-inning solo home run and was on base four times with a single and two walks. Cuevas, Younginer, and Spring are all minor league free agents who potentially played their final game in the Red Sox organization on Monday.

The PawSox also got contributions from players who have been with the organization a shorter time. Offseason acquisition Marco Hernandez capped his 2015 return to prospect status with a monster game, going 4 for 5 with a home run, double, four RBI and two runs scored. Aneury Tavarez was on base four times, going 2 for 2 with a double, two walks, two runs, and two RBI. Every Pawtucket player reached as the offense totaled 21 baserunners in the romp. 

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Cup of Coffee: Margot hits for the cycle

9/7 Cup of Coffee: It was a great day for some of the Red Sox' top prospects, but no performance was better than Manuel Margot's (pictured), who hit for the cycle for the first time in his career. Andrew Benintendi kept his hitting streak alive with a multi-hit day, and Teddy Stankiewicz ended his season on a high note. The Drive kept their playoff hopes alive with a victory as their wild card race goes down to the wire.

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Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 7, Pawtucket Red Sox 0

Four runs driven in by former PawSox outfielder Alex Hassan sunk Pawtucket as they stranded 10 men on base and went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Garin Cecchini reached three times with three singles, but the PawSox were unable to gather an extra base hit.

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Cup of Coffee: Espinoza makes Greenville debut, Spruill strong for Pawtucket

9/6 Cup of Coffee: Venezuelan pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza took the next step in his rise through the Red Sox minor league system last night, making his much-anticipated Low A debut after being promoted from the Gulf Coast League earlier in the week. Battling for a wild card spot, the Drive split its doubleheader against playoff-bound Savannah. PawSox starter Zeke Spruill (pictured) turned in his best outing of the season, helping his team to a 6-2 victory by throwing seven scoreless innings. Portland failed to keep up with New Britain's offensive onslaught, while Lowell opened its final series of 2015 in disappointing fashion.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 6, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 2

The PawSox put together a strong night at the dish to kick off their final series of the season, with the lineup combining to reach base 17 times (11 hits, six walks) in 33 plate appearances. Right fielder Aneury Tavarez turned in one of Pawtucket's four multi-hit games, finishing 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored. Shortstop Marco Hernandez reached base four times, going 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs scored. Third baseman Carlos Rivero chipped in two RBI, finishing 1 for 4 with a double and a walk.

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Cup of Coffee: Rijo powers Salem, Lowell's hopes dashed in heartbreaking loss

9/5 Cup of Coffee: Salem was the lone affiliate to pick up a victory Friday evening, as Pawtucket and Portland could not get their offenses going in their losses. Greenville's pivotal contest vs. Savannah was postponed due to rain, and Lowell suffered another crushing loss as their playoff hopes were finally extinguished. 

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 1

Shawn Haviland dropped to 5-10, despite hurling 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out five. Madison Younginer added 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in his PawSox debut. It was a quiet night offensively for Pawtucket, who mustered only five hits and only moved three runners into scoring position all evening. The PawSox lone run of the evening came in the bottom of the eighth on a Jonathan Roof RBI single. Pawtucket begins their final series of the season on Saturday against Buffalo. 

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Cup of Coffee: Benintendi walk-off bomb keeps Drive in hunt

9/4 Cup of Coffee: Andrew Benintendi snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a monster walk-off home run on Thursday to keep Greenville a half-game out of the South Atlantic League Wild Card with four games to play. The Spinners, meanwhile, were on the opposite end of a walk-off, putting them on the brink of elimination from playoff contention. A wacky play sank a Portland comeback attempt. Wendell Rijo had arguably his biggest game of the year for Salem, while the newly acquired Luis Ysla was impressive in relief for the High-A Red Sox.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 5, Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 4

The PawSox escaped a ninth-inning rally by the Red Wings with Deven Marrero playing a tough hop to get the final out at third. Marrero played third base for just the second time in his career, according to the PawSox website. Dayan Diaz was credited with the save, but allowed an inherited runner to score and was helped out by Marrero's defense. Rochester's two ninth-inning runs were charged to Jonathan Aro. The PawSox got a quality start out of Edwin Escobar, who allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. He struck out a pair, but also struggled with walks, allowing four free passes. Jonathan Roof blasted a two-run home run in the sixth that gave Pawtucket a 4-2 lead at the time. Humberto Quintero drove in the eventual game-winning run on a RBI single in the seventh

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Updated: Espinoza to Greenville, Allen to Lowell highlight GCL promotions

With the Gulf Coast League season concluding Tuesday with the Red Sox repeating as champions, the organization has promoted four players from that team. Reportedly highlighting the group is right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (pictured), whose promotion to the Low A Greenville Drive was first reported by Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. Hannable also first reported that left-hander Logan Allen will be making the trip north to join the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners. SoxProspects sources confirm Allen's promotion, and that he will be joined by right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins and outfielder Tyler Hill. Those sources also say that there may be further promotions, but no others are known at press time.

9/3 Update: In addition to the above-listed players, right-handed pitcher Yankory Pimentel, third baseman/catcher Roldani Baldwin, shortstop Carlos Tovar, and left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus are also being added to the Lowell roster.

Espinoza, 17, is having an excellent first season in professional baseball. Signed to a $1.8 million bonus out of Venezuela in July 2014, doubling the previous record for a native of that country, Espinoza was assigned to the Dominican Summer League to start 2015. He made quick work of that circuit, allowing only two earned runs on 13 hits in 15 innings across four appearances before earning a promotion stateside to the GCL Red Sox. Instead of finding himself challenged, Espinoza was even more dominant there, giving up just three earned runs in 40 innings, good for a 0.68 ERA to go with a .170 opponents batting average and 40 strikeouts against nine walks. Espinoza would be the youngest player to appear in a South Atlantic League game this season, and would be the youngest player in the circuit at present time by more than 13 months.

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Scouting Scratch: Javier Guerra, Michael Chavis, Nick Longhi

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Greenville Drive lineup is the deepest in the system prospect-wise. After looking at the pitchers (Part 1, Part 2), as well as the system’s top two prospects in Yoan Moncada and Rafael Devers, this edition of the Scouting Scratch, written by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall looks at three other position players based on this four-game look.

- Javier Guerra started the season at number 16 prospect in SoxProspects.com rankings, but in hindsight that was too low. Guerra had shown significant upside in the field at shortstop, but questions remained at the plate, specifically with his approach and power projection. This year, Guerra has greatly exceeded expectations at the plate, hitting both for average and power, putting up a .277/.324/456 slash line with 15 home runs and 22 doubles. In the four-game look, Guerra came as advertised in the field, but his improvement at the plate showed as well.

The 19-year-old Panamanian has an athletic, average-sized frame for the position. He is listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, but is still on the skinny side with a decent amount of projection left as he matures and gets stronger. At the plate, he starts with his feet square and his hands high by his ear. He utilizes a toe-tap timing device and has solid bat speed from the left side. He has good hand-eye coordination, strong wrists, and quick hands.

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Cup of Coffee: GCL Red Sox capture second straight league title

9/3 Cup of Coffee: The GCL Red Sox edged out the Blue Jays 1-0 in seven innings to complete a sweep of the Blue Jays for the championship. Roniel Raudes was terrific again on the mound for the GCL Sox. The PawSox and Sea Dogs both won dramatic games that got tight late. Sam Travis had a huge game, reaching base five times. The Spinners and Salem Red Sox also had big offensive nights.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 5

The PawSox were able to overcome a big blow in the top of the eighth inning. With a three-run lead, Robby Scott surrendered a three-run home run to tie the game in the eighth. However, Pawtucket scratched out a run in the bottom half of the eighth to seal the win. William Cuevas turned in a nice outing, going six innings and allowing two earned runs. He struck out six and walked just one. His ERA is now 2.83 in six games with Pawtucket. Scott blew the save in the eighth, but Jorge Marban closed it out in the ninth. He ended up getting the final out of the eighth, along with his scoreless ninth.

The PawSox got their eighth inning rally going with two outs and nobody on base. Luis Martinez walked, Deven Marrero singled, and Marco Hernandez walked to load the bases for Carlos Rivero. He worked the count full before drawing a walk to force in the go-ahead run. Rivero ended the game with a hit, two walks, and two RBI. Marrero and Chris Marrero each had two hits as well.  Jonathan Roof went 3 for 4 with a double.

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Notes from the Field: Spruill, Marrero, Hernandez in Allentown

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - I had the opportunity to watch the Pawtucket Red Sox take on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on August 14 at Coca-Cola Park. Here are my scouting/journalistic observations from what I saw.

- Marco Hernandez has really struggled at the plate over the last calendar month, batting just .198/.219/.317 in his last 105 plate appearances. I think the most alarming thing in those numbers is the lack of walks. He has just three walks in those 105 plate appearances, and it was easy to see why in this particular game. Hernandez goes up there hacking; he loves to swing the bat. During his first at-bat, Hernandez swung at the first pitch and turned on a 90 mph (on the stadium gun) fastball, roping it down the right field line and off the high outfield wall for a double. His bat speed was very impressive, as Hernandez demonstrated a very simple, short, compact path to the ball. He does not have much of a stride and has very little unnecessary movement in his stance and swing, which are good things for a guy like Hernandez.

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Cup of Coffee: Reign delay for the GCL Red Sox

9/2 Cup of Coffee: After winning the first game of a best-of-three series on Monday, the GCL Red Sox saw the potential clinching game get washed away due to rain. They will look to defend their title today after a thrilling comeback win in game one. The Pawtucket and Greenville offenses were red-hot yesterday, with Chris Marrero, Garin Cecchini, and J.T. Watkins all impressing at the plate. Rich Hill turned in another dominant start, and Franklin Guzman (pictured) single-handedly tried to carry Salem to victory.

Greenville got some help with Asheville losing, and the Drive now have a half-game lead on the final playoff spot. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 10, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 2

The PawSox were firing on all cylinders last night, as they pummelled the IronPigs. Rich Hill got the start, striking out nine while giving up two runs over seven innings. His ERA since joining the PawSox is only 1.37 over 26 1/3 innings. Dayan Diaz and Pat Light each tossed scoreless innings of relief, with neither pitcher allowing a hit. 

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Sam Travis highlights six announced for Arizona Fall League

The 2015 rosters for the Arizona Fall League were announced Tuesday. Six members of the Red Sox organization have been assigned to the Surprise Saguaros: first baseman Sam Travis (pictured), second baseman Carlos Asuaje, shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin, and pitchers Chandler Shepherd, Kyle Martin, and Aaron Wilkerson. 

Travis is the most highly regarded player in the group. The 2014 second-round draft pick out of the University of Indiana has lived up to his reputation as an advanced college hitter. He has risen quickly in the system, playing at four levels in only a season and a half and reaching Double-A Portland just a little over a year after originally signing. He has hit at every level, including a .294/.366/.429 line in 61 games with the Portland Sea Dogs. Travis is currently ranked the 10th-best prospect in the system by SoxProspects.com and was named the site's Player of the Month in June.

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Moncada's big year nets him multiple South Atlantic League honors

Greenville Drive second baseman Yoan Moncada (pictured) has been named to the South Atlantic League All-Star Team as well as being selected as the league's Most Outstanding MLB Prospect, the league announced Tuesday. The honors were voted on by the league's managers, coaches, general managers, media relations directors and broadcasters. Moncada is the first Drive player ever to be named the league's Most Outstanding MLB Prospect and the fifth Drive player selected to the All-Star team.

Moncada came into 2015 with sky-high expectations and, after an adjustment period, has delivered. The 20-year old Cuban signed as an international free agent in March for $31.5 million. The Red Sox took it slow at the beginning of the year with Moncada to give him time to adjust to a new country and shake off the rust of a long layoff. After struggling out of the gate for Greenville, Moncada took off after the All-Star break at the end of June. The switch-hitter batted just .200/.287/.289 during his first 101 plate appearances, but has hit .328/.432/.540 since, spanning 231 plate appearances. His overall batting line stands at .287/.388/.459 with eight home runs and a whopping 45 stolen bases in 48 attempts. There are seven games to go before the regular season ends, but Moncada is in great shape to become the first player since the franchise began its affiliation with the Red Sox in 2005 to swipe at least 45 bases while posting an OPS north of .840.

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Cup of Coffee: Perez leads GCL Sox to walk-off win in finals opener

9/1 Cup of Coffee: The Gulf Coast League finals got off to a thrilling start, with the GCL Red Sox scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to walk-off with the win. After surrendering the lead in the eighth inning, Portland thundered back with five runs in the ninth for a comeback win. Pawtucket lost in a tough test against a top pitching prospect, Greenville's rally fell short, and Lowell dropped a slugfest.

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

It was a stiff test for the PawSox lineup, with Red Wings ace and Twins top pitching prospect Jose Berrios (MIN) on the mound. Chris Marrero reached Berrios for his second home run since joining the PawSox, part of a 2-for-4 night for Marrero. Younger brother Deven Marrero chipped in with a hit and Allen Craig notched a pair of singles.

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