Cup of Coffee: Devers homers, Shawaryn stays hot

4/30 Cup of Coffee: Greenville was the only affiliate to win last night, as Mike Shawaryn (pictured) delivered a terrific six innings. The PawSox received a pair of nice outings as well in both ends of a doubleheader, but the Pawtucket offense was silent all day. Rafael Devers belted his second home run of the season and Josh Tobias continued to rake.

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Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 1 (Game 1)

Shawn Haviland tossed a seven-inning complete game and allowed just two runs with seven strikeouts in a tough-luck loss. Ryan Court had the only extra-base hit with a double. Sam Travis and Blake Swihart each went 1 for 3. Brock Holt also went 1 for 3 in another rehab game as he works his way back from dealing with vertigo.

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Cup of Coffee: Lakins, Anderson deal, Swihart homers

4/29 Cup of Coffee: Good starting pitching was a theme for Sox affiliates, as Kyle Kendrick, Travis Lakins (pictured), and Shaun Anderson each threw well. Blake Swihart went 2 for 4 with a home run for the PawSox. Run-scoring triples happened throughout the system as well. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 10, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 1

Janzten Witte and Blake Swihart drove in seven of Pawtucket's 10 runs, as Witte went 2 for 4 with a three-run triple, and Swihart homered and singled. Sam Travis was 2 for 4 as well, and Brock Holt went 1 for 3 with a walk in a rehab game. Kyle Kendrick was fantastic, tossing seven shutout frames while allowing just a hit and two walks. Kyle Martin closed it out with a scoreless ninth. 

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Cup of Coffee: Brentz homers in both ends of doubleheader

4/28 Cup of Coffee: Another day, another abbreviated schedule, as Portland had the day off, and it was Salem's turn to be postponed by rain. Pawtucket split its doubleheader after being rained out the last two days, as Bryce Brentz went deep in both contests. A quartet of Greenville hurlers surrendered only four hits as the Drive won their fifth straight.

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Indianapolis Indians (PIT) 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Game 1

In the makeup of Tuesday's rainout, Pawtucket rallied twice but fell in the eighth inning. Brian Johnson made his first start since getting a win for the major league squad on April 18. The lefty allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings, striking out two and walking four. Bryce Brentz evened the game at 3-3 with a solo home run off of old friend Pat Light in the sixth. Deven Marrero singled in the third to halt a 1-for-28 skid.

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Minor Notes: Steen in critical condition after early morning car crash

Here are Thursday's minor league notes:

• Some sad news to start off the notes. Last night pitcher Kevin Steen (pictured, right) was critically injured according to Fox4 while in extended spring training with the team in Fort Myers. Reportedly, another vehicle crossed the median and went airborne before crashing into the vehicle Steen was driving. The other car caught on fire and the driver was declared dead at the scene.  Everyone's thoughts and prayers are with the young man. The 20-year-old was drafted in the 9th round in 2014 and spent all of 2016 with the Lowell Spinners, going 3-5 with a 5.37 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 14 starts.
• You needed some good reading with a slew of rainouts this past week across all levels. Good thing the SoxProspects.com System Restart series marched on this week. The upper-level pitching entry featured two recent graduates in lefties Henry Owens and Brian Johnson, and also included three top-20-ranked prospects - Trey Ball, Jake Cosart, and Ben Taylor. Taylor made the opening day major league roster this spring and made his debut on April 7th, a quick rise for the righty who signed for a mere $10,000 bonus as a senior after being taken in the 7th round in the 2015 draft. He has since moved between Boston and Pawtucket, but over the first 20 days of the season, he has performed quite well, allowing only one run over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and three walks while in Boston. Johnson was also called up to the big-league club earlier this month for a spot start, though his trip was somewhat less successful, allowing four runs over five innings, but he did manage to strike out six and finished with the win.
• Next up was the mid-level pitching, highlighted by two teammates at Salem, Roniel Raudes and Travis Lakins, and two teammates at Greenville, Mike Shawaryn and Shaun Anderson. One player at each level has gotten off to a hot start. In Salem, that pitcher is Travis Lakins who has rebounded after a down 2016 with a 3.38 ERA in his first 17 1/3 innings over four starts. Even more impressively, Anderson has been nearly untouchable for Greenville, only allowing two earned runs over his first 21 2/3 innings while taking home the SoxProspects.com pitcher of the week for April 10-16.

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Scouting Scratch: Rafael Devers

Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Dates Scouted: April 7-9 vs. Reading; April 22 vs. Trenton (Doubleheader)

Over the first few weeks of the season, I’ve had a chance to see five Portland games and get an extended look at most of the position players. Here is the first Scouting Scratch breaking down these players.

Poised to take over the top spot in the SoxProspects rankings on May 1, Rafael Devers has looked the part both at the plate and in the field. Devers is bigger than his listed 6-feet, 195 pounds. Still just 20 years old for the entire season, he is still going to change physically, but at his current weight he showed plenty of agility at third base. Speed will never be a part of his game, but as long as he doesn’t let his body get away from him, his conditioning isn’t a major concern. 

Devers’ calling card will always be his bat, and he showed off his offensive potential over the games scouted. Devers starts his stance slightly open with his hands high. He is very loose pre-load, but after a very short leg lift, he quickly cocks his bat and sets in a good hitting position. The swing is what separates Devers, as his hand and bat speed are elite. The best way to describe his swing, as we have described it here for years, is “controlled violence.” Devers gets his lower half into his swing and does an excellent job clearing his hips before whipping the bat through the zone. His swing path allows him to keep the barrel in the zone for a long time, and he has shown an all-fields approach. This all-fields approach was best illustrated in his second at-bat on April 8, when he got a 2-1 fastball away. Even though he was ahead in the count, he didn’t try to pull the ball but rather stayed on it, driving it off the left field wall for a double. The swing that produced the double is one that will serve him well when he eventually gets to Fenway Park, as with his strength and willingness to go the other way, he should have no problem using the Green Monster to his advantage (below). 

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System Restart '17: Low-level pitching

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the last of seven parts, featuring the system’s low-minors pitching. 

Position at a Glance: While the Red Sox lack the depth they’ve had in arms on the long-term development track in past seasons, there are still some interesting arms in the lower parts of the system, led by left-hander Jay Groome, a consensus top-50 prospect in the game. After that, there is a pretty big drop off, but several promising Latin American pitching prospects slated for short-season ball have upside, if also a long way to go developmentally. – Ian Cundall 

Jay Groome, Greenville (#3)

Groome, arguably the top prospect in the 2016 draft class, fell into Boston's lap at the 12th-overall pick because of off-field and signability concerns. In early looks during his pro debut and Fall Instructional League last year and Spring Training this year, the big lefty has shown why he’s so highly regarded with a fastball that can touch 97 and a curveball with plus-plus potential. With the trades of Anderson Espinoza and Michael Kopech, Groome is unquestionably the top pitching prospect in the system right now. At 18, they sky is the limit for the New Jersey native, with as much upside as any pitcher in all of the minor leagues. However, he comes with risk, not just from the aforementioned off-field question, but also from the inherent hazard of pitching a baseball: Groome left his 2017 debut with a lat injury after 1 1/3 ineffective innings and has now missed more than two weeks after initial reports had him missing 2-3 starts. – James Dunne

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Cup of Coffee: Sexton allows one hit over six innings for Greenville

4/27 Cup of Coffee: It was another light slate on Wednesday as both Pawtucket and Portland were postponed. Greenville won behind a strong outing from Robby Sexton and a home run from Mitchell Gunsolus (pictured), while Salem had no answer for Lynchburg's offense. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox vs. Indianapolis Indians (PIT), PPD

The PawSox were rained out for a second straight night, and the game will be made up as part of a doubleheader during Pawtucket's trip to Indianapolis at the end of July. The two teams are already playing a doubleheader on Thursday to make up Tuesday night's rain out. 

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System Restart '17: Mid-level pitching

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the sixth of seven parts, featuring the system’s mid-minors pitching.

Position at a Glance: Between Greenville and Salem, the Red Sox have several pitching prospects who could advance relatively quickly and have at least a chance of developing into starters at the big league level. That said, none of these prospects have top of the rotation potential. – Ian Cundall

Top Prospects

Roniel Raudes, Salem (#8)

Raudes (pictured, right), an international free agent signed out of Nicaragua in 2014, spent last season in Greenville as one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League at 18 years old. Raudes put up impressive numbers with a 3.65 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 113 1/3 innings, striking out 104 batters and walking just 23. Raudes’ control and command are impressive for a pitcher his age, but he lacks dominating stuff, his fastball sitting around 88-90 mph. He mixes all four of his pitches, with his curve and change flashing average-to-better. Questions remain whether he simply possesses a profile that allows him to succeed at lower levels with better-than-typical command, pitchability, and funky mechanics, or whether he can truly succeed with his unique profile for an age-advanced arm at higher levels of the minors and the majors. Raudes begins the year as the youngest player in the Carolina League, but has been hit hard in two of his three outings, giving up 12 hits including three home runs in nine innings while striking out just six in those contests, with his lone positive start cut short due to a long rain delay. – Nick Rabasco

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Cup of Coffee: Boyd, Rei highlight quiet night in system

4/26 Cup of Coffee: With rain washing out both the Pawtucket and Portland games on Tuesday, it was the seventh day in a row there was not a full slate of games in the Red Sox system. Salem got right back to its winning ways with Austin Rei and Josh Ockimey leading a big inning. Greenville pounded out 13 hits, but Logan Boyd (pictured) was the most impressive Drive player with an excellent outing on the mound.

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Pawtucket Red Sox vs. Indianapolis Indians (PIT), PPD.

The PawSox will make up Tuesday's rainout against Indianapolis on Thursday. Brian Johnson is slated to get the start in Wednesday's series opener.

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System Restart '17: Upper-level pitching

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the fifth of seven parts, featuring the system’s high-minors pitching. 

Position at a Glance: In the high minors, the Red Sox lack potential starting pitching options but boast a bonanza of potential major league relief arms. The top options for spot starts in Boston are technically no longer prospects, and after that the drop off is steep, the departure of Michael Kopech in the Chris Sale trade leaving a hole on the depth chart. The current Portland rotation doesn’t boast any potential starting options unless Trey Ball can take a big step forward. Meanwhile, both levels feature pitchers in the rotation and bullpen who could contribute in a major league bullpen in the near future, the number perhaps approaching double digits. – Ian Cundall

Top Prospects

Henry Owens/Brian Johnson, Pawtucket (graduated)

Now in their sixth and fifth full seasons in the system, respectively, Owens and Johnson (pictured, above) need to prove that they can be relied upon to at least provide serviceable spot starts in order to provide value to the Red Sox, and they need to move forward from there if they want to have major league careers. Owens is overhauling his mechanics out of the wind-up, and so far, returns have been mixed: he has 20 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings over three starts, but has also walked 10 and given up a pair of home runs. Johnson got first crack at a spot start after two strong starts, getting through five innings that weren't great but could have been worse. With Spring Training darling Kyle Kendrick getting hit around in his first three starts—and, without options, in danger of being claimed by another team if called up for only a short-term fill-in role, the 2017 Red Sox probably need one of Owens or Johnson to figure things out in order to have success. – Chris Hatfield

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Cup of Coffee: Shawaryn strikes out nine as Drive cruise

4/25 Cup of Coffee: It was a quiet night on the farm, with two affiliates following the major league club with an off day. A trio of Greenville hurlers, led by Mike Shawaryn (pictured), combined on a 17-strikeout night, while Portland was shut out in their contest.

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Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 0

Despite an eight-hit effort, Portland could not string a rally together. Aneury Tavarez continues to patiently bide his time in Double-A, posting another two-hit night for the Sea Dogs and adding a stolen base. Tavarez has been so good for Portland that the 2-for-4 effort actually dropped his OPS by a point, to 1.023. Tzu-Wei Lin scuffled very early in the season, but he now is riding a seven-game hitting streak after Monday's 2-for-3 evening. Starter Jacob Dahlstrand took the loss, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Jake Cosart pitched a scoreless ninth.

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Minor Notes: Workman dominant in PawSox bullpen

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• SoxProspects.com's System Restart series continues its position-by-position breakdown of Red Sox minor leaguers. The series has now taken a look at catchers, corner infielders, middle infielders, and outfielders. 

• Assistant director of scouting Chaz Fiorino has attended some games in Portland in the first few weeks of the season and discussed starts by Teddy Stankiewicz and Jalen Beeks in his most recent two editions of The Write-Up. 

• The SoxProspects Featured Video contained footage of Victor Garcia facing batters in spring training. 

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The Write-Up: Jalen Beeks

PORTLAND, Me. – Jalen Beeks returns to Portland to start 2017 after earning a mid-season promotion from High A Salem in 2016, splitting his 132 2/3 innings nearly evenly between the two levels in 13 starts at each (67 1/3 in Salem versus 65 1/3 in Portland). Beeks took the mound in the season’s second game as the Sea Dogs took on the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field. Here’s The Write-Up on his start.

Age: 23

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195 lbs.

Throws: Left

How Acquired: Draft, 12th rd., 2014

College: Arkansas

Line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K; 84 pitches, 54 strikes (64%); 14/20 first-pitch strikes (70%); 16 swing-and-misses.

Beeks has an undersized, filled-out frame with a strong lower half. He comes at you from the first base side of the rubber with a high three-quarters arm slot. He comes set with his hands just below his belt and brings them back up with a high leg kick as he turns his back towards the hitter at the height of his delivery. As his hands break, he brings his left arm behind his back leg with a wrist hook. As he delivers, his front foot gets down early and the arm lags behind, creating added stress on the arm and making it difficult to locate. All this movement and rigidness does create deception in the delivery, and coupled with his quick arm out front makes it tough to pick up the ball out of his hand. 

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Cup of Coffee: Olt leads Sea Dogs to walkoff win

4/24 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs rode a furious ninth inning to a walk-off win against Trenton. Mike Olt (pictured) led the charge with a 3-for-5 performance, hitting a homer and the winning single. Salem lost both games of a doubleheader, scoring only one run on the day. Both Pawtucket and Greenville were rained out.

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Pawtucket Red Sox, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) (PPD)

The PawSox and Braves were rained out on Sunday afternoon. The two teams meet again next weekend in Pawtucket and will likely make up the game with a doubleheader then.

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Portland Sea Dogs 6, Trenton Thunder (NYY) 5

Third baseman Mike Olt led the Sea Dogs to a walk-off win with his two-run single, capping a four-run ninth. Olt had a big game for Portland, going 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. Tzu-Wei Lin also recorded three hits, including a home run and a triple. Trey Ball struggled with his control in a shaky performance, allowing five runs and four walks in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Luis Ysla, Austin Maddox, and Jamie Callahan kept Portland in the game with 4 2/3 combined shutout innings of relief.

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Cup of Coffee: Beeks tosses complete-game shutout

4/23 Cup of Coffee: Both Jalen Beeks (pictured) and Darwinzon Hernandez had impressive pitching performances, while Nick Longhi slugged a home run for Portland. Pawtucket continued to struggle at the plate and Greenville was able to squeak out a late win. 

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Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

Pawtucket's offensive woes continued in a loss to the Braves. Blake Swihart went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to lower his average to .189, and Deven Marrero went 0 for 4 with a strikeout as his average dropped to .103. Sam Travis went 2 for 4 but is still hitting only .175 with an OPS of .592. 

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SoxProspects Featured Video: Victor Garcia

Occasionally, we will be featuring videos here from the SoxProspects YouTube page. Today's video is of Dominican right-handed pitcher Victor Garcia. The video features the 19-year-old facing batters on March 15. In this outing, Garcia sat 91-95 mph and utilized both his changeup and curveball. For a more detailed look at his outing, check out the first edition of Notes from the Field from Spring Training featuring Garcia and others.

We plan to incorporate more video this year to supplement our regular scouting material, so check back here and on the YouTube page frequently.

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Cup of Coffee: Ockimey homers twice, Salem sweeps twin bill

4/22 Cup of Coffee: Josh Ockimey (pictured) had a huge day at the plate in game one of Salem's doubleheader with a pair of long balls. Michael Chavis also homered for Salem and Bobby Dalbec had a big night in Greenville's 18-inning loss. Shaun Anderson continued his hot start on the mound for the Drive as well.

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Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 3, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

Rusney Castillo went 3 for 5 atop the PawSox order, including his third steal of the year. He is now batting .321 on the young season. Ryan Court drove in both Pawtucket runs with a fourth-inning two-run homer as part of his 2-for-3 night. Kyle Kendrick delivered seven innings and allowed three earned runs and Kyle Martin finished the game with a pair of strikeouts in his only inning of work.

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The Write-Up: Teddy Stankiewicz

PORTLAND, Me. -- Teddy Stankiewicz returned to Double-A Portland to start 2017, taking the ball in the Sea Dogs’ home opener on April 7 against the Reading Fightin Phils. Here’s The Write-Up on his start.

Age: 23

Height: 6-4

Weight: 215 lbs.

Throws: Right

How Acquired: Draft, 2nd Rd., 2013

College: Seminole State (OK)

Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K; 74 pitches, 42 strikes (57%); 13/24 first-pitch strikes (54%); 7 swing-and-misses

Stankiewicz has a lean, lanky, athletic build and is most likely fully developed. He has a semi-wind-up, rhythmic delivery in which he drops his hands to belt and brings them back up with his high leg kick before dropping and driving towards the plate. The ball comes from a low three-quarters arm slot. He repeats his delivery well, which helps his ability to throw strikes consistently with a four-pitch mix (fastball, curveball, slider, changeup). 

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System Restart '17: Catcher

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the fourth of seven parts, featuring the system’s catchers. 

Position at a Glance: Catcher is perhaps the weakest position in the Red Sox system, especially if one does not include Blake Swihart (pictured, right), who has exhausted his prospect eligibility although he begins 2017 with Pawtucket. After Swihart, who still features a considerable ceiling and could be a significant major league contributor this season, the drop-off is precipitous. The system’s catching prospects project as future backup options at best and all have issues that could keep them from even reaching that ceiling. However, with Swihart and the current major league combination of Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez, the Red Sox ideally should be set at the catcher position for the foreseeable future. While the lack of depth isn’t an issue now, it could be if the club is unable to bring in some new talent in the next few years and neither Vazquez nor Swihart pans out as a long-term stalwart behind the dish. – Ian Cundall 

Top Prospects

Blake Swihart, Pawtucket (Graduated)

After being drafted 26th overall in the 2011 draft, Swihart steadily rose up the rankings and became SoxProspects.com’s top-ranked prospect by the end of the 2014 season. Swihart made his major league debut the next year, taking over as the club's primary backstop after injuries to Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan. Entering 2016 as the starting catcher, but only a short leash, he was sent back to Pawtucket after just about a week in favor of Vazquez. He re-emerged about a month later as the team's new primary left fielder, but an ankle injury ended his season after just 13 starts. During his abbreviated 2016, the 24-year-old hit .243/.344/.311 over 29 games at Triple-A and .258/.365/.355 in 19 games for Boston in what became a lost season due to the position shuffling and injury woes. Now recovered, Swihart has the benefit of the team recommitting to him as a catcher. The odd man out in Boston because neither Leon and Vazquez had options remaining, Swihart will get the lion's share of the playing time behind the plate to work on improving his defense, especially consistency and framing. His ability to shore up those parts of his game will be key to finishing his development and approaching the lofty expectations that still follow the former top prospect. – Will Woodward

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Cup of Coffee: Mother nature delays Chavis; Moncada stomps PawSox

4/21 Cup of Coffee: Inclement weather caused a shortened schedule, as both Portland and Salem had their contests postponed. On a day where Chris Sale showed why the Red Sox were willing to give up so much for him, Yoan Moncada (pictured) dominated against the PawSox with the sort of performance that made the White Sox willing to part with their ace. 

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 4

Starter Henry Owens got off to a shaky start, surrendering a solo homer to the second batter of the game, old friend Yoan Moncada. While he allowed only one run after that point, efficiency was a major issue for the left-hander, as he needed 107 pitches just to get through 4 2/3 innings. He struck out eight, walked four, and uncorked a wild pitch. Ben Taylor made his first appearance of the season with the PawSox after making four appearances with the major league club. He surrendered a pair of runs in 1 1/3 innings. Bryce Brentz hit his first home run of the season, a ninth inning solo shot. Moncada was the catalyst for the Knights. The former SoxProspects.com top-ranked prospect scored three times and stole two bases on top of the solo home run.

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Minor Notes: Chavis turns heads in three-homer game

Here are Thursday's minor league notes:

• Since the SoxProspects notes are now released twice a week, welcome to the newly renamed "Minor Notes."
• After a year off, SoxProspects.com is pleased to present the return of its System Restart series. The position-by-position pieces take a look at who to keep an eye on this season. So far, you can read about the Red Sox organization's corner infielders, middle infielders, and outfielders.
• SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall released his first Scouting Scratch of the season, taking a look at the depth of the Portland bullpen.

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System Restart '17: Outfield

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the third of seven parts, covering the outfield. 

Position at a Glance: After the graduation of the entire starting outfield for the current Red Sox—for the purposes of this series, we are going to treat the consensus top prospect in the game, Andrew Benintendi (pictured, far right), as graduated, especially given that he has already literally graduated as of this date—and the trades of several other high-end prospects, the farm system is bereft of high-end talent in the outfield. Ironically, this has been an issue for some time despite the youth and talent in the current major league outfield—consider that Mookie Betts is a converted second baseman and Benintendi tore through the system in a little over a year. As it now stands, no player in the farm system projects as a surefire starting outfielder, but there are a handful of intriguing prospects, headlined by Aneury Tavarez and followed up by a pair of 2015 draftees and a pair of interesting prospects in Greenville. – Ian Cundall

Top Prospects

Aneury Tavarez, LF/RF, Portland (#28)

Receiving Tavarez (pictured, left) back at the end of spring training from the Baltimore Orioles, who had selected the talented Dominican in December's Rule 5 draft, was a potential godsend for the Red Sox outfield depth in the upper minors. Tavarez just turned 25 years old and is coming off a tremendous year in Portland that saw him hit .335/.385/.506 in 106 games. He has continued to hit throughout the winter in the Dominican Professional Baseball League, where he hit .283/.349/.362 in 46 games, and the early going in 2017, as he his currently hitting .342/.409/.447 for the Sea Dogs. While Tavarez has spent much of his time in the Red Sox system since first signing in October 2010 flying under the radar, he is forcing his way into what should be an imminent promotion to Pawtucket and, perhaps, into the picture should an outfielder be needed in case of injury at the major league level. – Nick Rabasco

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Cup of Coffee: Chavis blasts three home runs for Salem

4/20 Cup of Coffee: A walk-off home run for Michael Chavis (pictured) was the highlight of Wednesday's slate, as the former first-round pick had a career-night. Jackie Bradley Jr. went deep for Pawtucket, Brandon Workman continued to pitch lights out in relief, and Roniel Raudes struggled again for Salem. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 4, Charlotte Knights (CWS) 0

With the help of some reinforcements, Pawtucket got to Lucas Giolito for two home runs as they shut out the Knights. Jackie Bradley Jr., who turned 27 years old last night, went 1 for 3 with a home run and two walks in his second rehab appearance. Matt Dominguez also took Giolito deep as part of a 2-for-4 night that included a double. Blake Swihart and Sam Travis did not have the same success, combining to go 0 for 7 with five strikeouts.

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Scouting Scratch: First Look at the Portland Bullpen

Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Dates Scouted: April 7-9 vs. Reading

The Sea Dogs' season-opening three-game sweep of Reading provided a look at the almost the entire bullpen. Here is my Scouting Scratch on Portland's deep corps of relievers.  

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Right-hander Ty Buttrey is in his sixth season with the organization, but his first full season as a reliever after transitioning to that role late in 2016. The 2012 fourth-round pick showed off an interesting two-pitch mix that was able to miss bats, something he had not done as a starter. Buttrey has a large pitcher’s frame, listed at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds with minimal remaining projection. His delivery has some effort, including a long arm swing behind that results in him coming directly over the top. His delivery would be difficult to repeat over longer stints, but out of the bullpen that isn’t much of an issue anymore. He was working very quickly in this outing, too quickly at times, and got called for two balks. The quick pace looked intentional and allowed him to get into a good rhythm when the bases were empty. 

Buttrey’s fastball sat 92-95 mph, topping out at 96. The pitch was on the straight side but had some life. He struggled with his command but was working in the zone, something he has been unable to do in the past (see his 5.4 walks per nine in 2016). 

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System Restart '17: Middle Infield

The SoxProspects.com writing staff presents the System Restart, our season-opening, position-by-position preview of the Boston Red Sox farm system for 2017. This is the second of seven parts, covering the middle infield. 

Position at a Glance: With the middle infield positions secured at the major league level by Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia for the foreseeable future, the Red Sox have traded the majority of the system’s depth at these positions over the past year-plus, with players such as Yoan Moncada, Mauricio Dubon, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje, and Luis Alejandro Basabe shipped out for major league talent. The end result is that only one prospect from either side of the keystone remains in the top 30 of the system—one, sixth-ranked Marco Hernandez, currently in Boston—although there are several interesting prospects in the low minors that could take a step forward. – Ian Cundall

Top Prospects

CJ Chatham, SS, injury rehab (projection: Greenville) (#7)

Chatham (pictured, above) was considered one of the top defensive shortstops in the country when the Red Sox selected him with the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2016 draft. But at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, there were questions about whether he could stick at short with his larger-than-average frame, but Chatham showed a strong arm and surprising quickness to the ball in his professional debut in Lowell. Chatham struggled at the plate after returning from rehab for a broken thumb, but finished strong, hitting .303/.378/.530 with all four of his home runs over his final 16 games. Chatham strained a hamstring at the end of spring training, which kept him from being assigned to an affiliate out of camp, but he should join the Greenville Drive once he is healthy. – Eric Gendron

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Cup of Coffee: Chavis, Dalbec club first homers of 2017

4/19 Cup of Coffee: It was a night of close games, with three of the four affiliates pulling out wins. Michael Chavis hit his first home run of the season for Salem, who walked off to a win. Meanwhile, Bobby Dalbec also collected his first round-tripper of the 2017 campaign. Portland pitchers, including Teddy Stankiewicz (pictured), held their opponent off the scoreboard for ten innings. And an old friend showed off his power against the PawSox.

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 3, Pawtucket Red Sox 1

Pawtucket struggled to get any offense going in a game that saw Jackie Bradley Jr. and Josh Rutledge making rehab starts for the Triple-A club. Bradley went 0 for 2 before being lifted in the sixth. Rutledge provided all of Pawtucket's offense with a solo home run in the first inning. Rusney Castillo went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .318 and stole his second base of the season. Shawn Haviland was the tough-luck loser, recovering after a tough first inning to strike out eight over seven innings of work. Old friend Yoan Moncada hit his third home run of the season to lead off the first for Charlotte. Pawtucket hit into four double plays and left the tying run on base in the ninth.

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System Restart '17: Corner Infield

After a one-year hiatus, the SoxProspects.com writing staff is pleased to present the return of the System Restart, our season-opening series that takes a position-by-position look at who to watch in the Boston Red Sox farm system this season. In the first of seven parts, we’ll begin with the corner infielders.

Position at a Glance: Even with all the trades Dave Dombrowski has made since becoming President of Baseball Operations, one area where the system still has depth is the corner infield. This likely isn’t a coincidence—at the big league level, first base and third base are among the few spots where the club should have opportunities in the near future. In the high minors, each of the corners features a top-four prospect in the system, and each is followed by two other top 11 prospects. There isn’t a lot of depth after that, but with corner infielders making up six of the top 11 season-opening prospects in the SoxProspects.com rankings, it is arguably the strongest area in the system. – Ian Cundall

Top Prospects

Rafael Devers, 3B, Portland (#2) – The highly regarded third baseman has steadily advanced through the system and up the rankings since signing for $1.5 million as an international free agent in 2013. 2016 was another successful year, as Devers (pictured, above) hit .282/.335/.443 over 503 at-bats with Salem while being 3 1/2 years younger than the average Carolina League position player. Devers has the potential to hit for both average and power in the majors, his bat having always been his calling card, but the Red Sox have shown faith in his defensive abilities at third after initial questions if he would grow too much to stay at the position. His performance, particularly last year, has quieted much of the speculation of a positional change. Devers will once again open the season as one of the youngest players in his league, as he began the season as the second-youngest player in the Eastern League. Devers is the lone holdover at the top of the rankings after a slew of promotions and trades, and he opens 2017 as probably the surest thing in the organization not yet in the majors. – Will Woodward

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Cup of Coffee: Chavis returns, Matheny, Rei stay hot in Salem romp

4/18 Cup of Coffee: Michael Chavis (pictured, left) returned from the disabled list to provide a boost to Salem hot hands Tate Matheny, Austin Rei, and Josh Ockimey as the Sox ripped 15 hits in their victory. Portland pitching issued nine walks in their loss, while a tough fifth inning spoiled another otherwise solid start for Greenville's Darwinzon Hernandez.

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Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 8, Portland Sea Dogs 3

Control issues bedeviled Kevin McAvoy the last two seasons and they reared their head again on Monday. The sinkerballer walked seven in his 3 1/3 innings of work, resulting in four runs allowed despite surrendering only one hit. Ty Buttrey continues to show an increased ability to miss bats out of the bullpen, punching out four in 1 1/3, but three hits and a pair of wild pitches resulted in a pair of runs. Luis Ysla struck out two in a perfect ninth. At the plate, Nick Longhi went deep for the first time in 2017 with a ninth-inning solo shot. Rafael Devers ripped his fourth double of the young season as part of a 1-for-4 night.

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Weekly Notes: Salem impresses, Groome suffers lat strain

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall posted his latest Notes from the Field last week, covering several intriguing prospects in the lower minors who he saw during spring training. Two of the bigger names discussed were Roniel Raudes (pictured, right) and Darwinzon Hernandez, two young pitchers who have potential to stick in the rotation. Raudes has gotten off to a bit of a rough start in Salem, while Hernandez has struck out 15 and allowed only two earned runs over his first nine innings in Greenville. 

• Departing Managing Editor Matt Huegel talked with Shaun Anderson about his transition from coming out of the bullpen for the University of Florida to being a starting pitcher as a professional. Anderson came across as confident in the interview and his early results back that up. In three starts he has allowed two runs on eleven hits over 15 2/3 innings, walking five while striking out 19. 

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Cup of Coffee: Ockimey, Sermo power Salem bats

4/17 Cup of Coffee: Only two Red Sox affiliates were active as Pawtucket and Portland each had off days on Easter Sunday but Salem and Greenville each won in convincing fashion. Salem put together a slugfest win with big days from Josh Ockimey (pictured), Jose Sermo, and Tate Matheny backing a solid start by Travis Lakins. Shaun Anderson pitched well and earned the win for Greenville, with Nick Lovullo picking up three hits. 

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Salem Red Sox 9, Down East Wood Ducks (TEX) 2

The first four batters in Salem's lineup each recorded multiple hits as the Red Sox waltzed to victory over the Wood Ducks. Leadoff hitter Tate Matheny was 2 for 4 with a walk, homer, and three runs scored. Josh Ockimey was 2 for 4 with a walk, a double, and two RBIs. Jose Sermo was 4 for 5 with a double and two RBIs. Starting pitcher Travis Lakins continued his strong start to the season, allowing two runs and striking out four in five innings. Adam Lau and Yankory Pimentel each threw two shutout frames to close out the game. 

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Cup of Coffee: Tobias, Matheny lead Salem attack, Travis homers

4/16 Cup of Coffee: Josh Tobias (pictured) and Tate Matheny helped lead a 17-hit Salem attack on Saturday with the High-A team pounding out seven extra-base hits. Joseph Monge contributed the biggest hit of the night for Portland in a late rally. Sam Travis notched his first long ball of the season on a day that did not end well for Pawtucket.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 0 (Game 1)

It was a tough Saturday for Pawtucket, with little to write home about in game one. Matt Dominguez went 3 for 3, but the PawSox could only manage two other hits aside from their cleanup hitter. Kyle Kendrick pitched a seven-inning complete game, surrendering all six runs and three home runs. He did strike out seven batters and did not walk anyone.

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Cup of Coffee: Owens, Boyd lead PawSox, Drive

4/15 Cup of Coffee: Henry Owens (pictured) backed up a strong first outing with an even better one last night. Logan Boyd and Trey Ball also turned in solid outings, with some terrific relief appearances mixed in as well. Blake Swihart, Danny Mars, and Austin Rei played well offensively.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 6, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 1

The PawSox won behind a strong start from Henry Owens, who struck out 10 in six innings while allowing just one unearned run. The tall left-hander has been using a new delivery and now has a 0.82 ERA in two starts. Chandler Shepherd also impressed on the mound, striking out five in two scoreless innings. Blake Swihart stroked a three-run double in the third inning, and Rusney Castillo and Ryan Court each went 2 for 4.

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Trenton Thunder (NYY) 4, Portland Sea Dogs 1

The Sea Dogs dropped this one despite a solid effort from starter Trey Ball. He allowed just one earned run in six innings on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Ty Buttrey struck out two and allowed a run in the final inning. Danny Mars provided most of the offense, collecting three of Portland's four hits with a 3-for-3 day that included a triple and a stolen base. He's batting .474 in the early going.

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Podcast Ep. #116: I'm a Bad Person, What Can I Tell Ya

Ian and Chris welcome Chaz Fiorino to the Podcast and go deep on Portland. We have an update on Rafael Devers. We go into the intrigue of Aneury Tavarez spend more time as a Sea Dog. Chaz and Ian play bullpen bingo with the Portland 'pen. We peer into the mailbag to find out just what we have in both Ben Taylor and Jamie Callahan and we bid a parting tribute to our friend and now former colleague Matt Heugel.

Listen In!

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Cup of Coffee: Shawaryn rebounds in second start

4/14 Cup of Coffee: The Red Sox affiliates got some strong starting pitching on Thursday night, though they got little support from their lineups. Greenville's Mike Shawaryn (pictured) bounced back from a very rough 2017 debut by throwing five innings of one-hit ball, while Brian Johnson and Daniel McGrath were nearly as dominant for Pawtucket and Salem. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 2, Syracuse Chiefs (WAS) 1

Brian Johnson left his first start of the season in the fifth after being struck in the head with a comebacker. Five days later he showed no ill after-effects, turning in 6 2/3 innings and allowing only a run on four hits. The left-hander struck out eight while walking one. Not to be outdone by his fellow 2012 first-round pick, Deven Marrero delivered the decisive hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, driving home Matt Dominguez. Brandon Workman earned the win in relief, striking out four in 2 1/3 hitless frames. Rusney Castillo had his third consecutive multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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After initial stumble, Shaun Anderson settling into starting role

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Shaun Anderson started just one game for the University of Florida over his collegiate career, a number he has already blown past—relatively at least—as a professional, having made his fourth career start Tuesday evening. After that six-inning gem, he has allowed just one run on eight hits and two walks in 10 2/3 innings this season, striking out 13.

But based on his first two professional starts, one might have wondered if the Red Sox had the right idea selecting the right-hander in the third round of last June’s draft with the idea of making him a starter.

Anderson had starred as the Gators’ closer as a junior. He saved 13 games, posting a 0.97 ERA in 46 1/3 innings over 36 appearances. He struck out 60 and walked just 7 batters. That success and his five-pitch mix had MLB clubs thinking he had the stuff to start as a pro. An unexpectedly quick exit from the NCAA Tournament allowed Anderson to sign with the Red Sox on July 3, and he made his first start with the Lowell Spinners on July 30. It did not go well.

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Cup of Coffee: Hernandez strikes out eight for Greenville

4/13 Cup of Coffee: Shawn Haviland, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Darwinzon Hernandez (pictured) all had solid outings on the mound, while Rusney Castillo and Tyler Hill each launched home runs. Josh Ockimey finally cooled off, and Jake Cosart continued to struggle with his control. 

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Pawtucket Red Sox 6, Syracuse Chiefs (WAS) 0

Shawn Haviland, Robbie Ross Jr., and Kyle Martin combined to throw a four-hit shutout against the Chiefs. Haviland improved to 2-0 as he allowed four hits over six innings, striking out four. Ross tossed a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance as he works his way back from the flu, and Martin struck out four over two perfect innings. Rusney Castillo went 2 for 4 with his second home run of the season, Ryan Court went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple, Bryce Brentz notched three singles in four at-bats, and Dan Butler went 2 for 4 with a double. 

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Cup of Coffee: Lakins impresses on mound, Tavarez hits walk-off

4/12 Cup of Coffee: Two Red Sox affiliates got stellar starts from their pitchers, as Travis Lakins (pictured) and Shaun Anderson propelled Salem and Greenville to wins, respectively. The Portland Sea Dogs walked off to their best start since 2005 thanks to Aneury Tavarez. Pawtucket rode a hot night from Blake Swihart to a win, but a scary moment on the field overshadowed his performance.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 5, Syracuse Chiefs (WAS) 4

Blake Swihart continued his hot start to the season with a 2-for-3 night with three RBI and his first home run of the season. But, he collided hard with Sam Travis in the ninth inning, according to multiple Twitter reports, and Travis had to be removed with a cut on his chin. Rusney Castillo went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Edgar Olmos, Erik Cordier, and Noe Ramirez combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

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Notes from the Field: Raudes, Hernandez and more from Day Five

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- On Saturday of the staff trip to minor league spring training, Director of Scouting Ian Cundall and the rest of the SoxProspects contingent took in the High A and Low A games in Fort Myers against the Baltimore Orioles. Here are his Notes from the Field.

- The number eight prospect in the SoxProspects rankings, Nicaraguan right-hander Roniel Raudes, started for the High A squad. Raudes’ command was off in the first and he got punished for it, giving up four hits including a double and a triple. 

Raudes sat 88-90 mph, topping out at 91 mph, with the pitch showing some cut on occasion. He showed the ability to locate it at times, but when he missed up, it was very hittable. Raudes mixed in all of his secondaries, a short slider at 84-86 mph, changeup at 82-84 mph, and curveball at 74-76 mph. His curveball and changeup both flashed average-to-better during this outing, but his slider lagged behind. His feel for his curveball has improved since he entered the organization; he has solid feel for it and snaps it off well with long, 12-to-6 break. He also showed feel for his changeup, which showed late fade, throwing the pitch with deceptive arm speed. His slider had short break but lacked depth and was inconsistent. 

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Cup of Coffee: Groome leaves Greenville debut with lat injury

4/11 Cup of Coffee: The highly-anticipated 2017 debut of top pitching prospect Jay Groome (pictured, left) did not go as hoped on Monday night. The 2016 first-round pick surrendered nine runs in 1 1/3 inning before leaving with what Alex Speier of the Boston Globe is reporting as a lat injury. Rafael Devers and Josh Ockimey powered Portland and Salem to wins, while Kyle Kendrick was roughed up in his Pawtucket debut. 

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Syracuse Chiefs (WAS) 13, Pawtucket Red Sox 5

Following a strong spring training in which he made a push for a major league roster spot, Kyle Kendrick struggled in his regular season debut. The veteran righty surrendered 10 runs (nine earned) in six innings. Rusney Castillo led off the contest by blasting his first home run since June 29 of last season, but it was pretty much all Chiefs from then on. Blake Swihart notched a pair of hits in the loss. 

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Weekly Notes: Taylor impresses in Boston, Devers homers in first at-bat

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• Minor league games are officially underway. In case you missed it, check out Thursday's notes column from Staff Writer Will Woodward for more on how you can stay up to date with all things Red Sox minor leagues.
• The 115th episode of the SoxProspects.com podcast was released this past Thursday as well. Executive Editor Chris Hatfield and Director of Scouting Ian Cundall talk about the upcoming season, including discussion on each affiliate's rosters.
• The Cup of Coffee is back with recaps and notes on the previous night's games. Check out the Cup on the SoxProspects.com news page. You should also be sure to follow Cundall and Assistant Director of Scouting Chaz Fiorino on Twitter, who have been able to provide in-depth scouting details and analysis on the Portland Sea Dogs first series of the year.

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Cup of Coffee: Dalbec and Tubbs lead the charge for Drive

4/10 Cup of Coffee: The lineups broke out for the Sea Dogs and Drive on Sunday, with both teams taking wins in high-scoring games. Fifth-ranked prospect Bobby Dalbec was 3 for 4 and Tucker Tubbs (pictured) was 4 for 5, each collecting a pair of doubles for Greenville. Danny Mars led the Sea Dogs in a one-run victory with a 3-for-4 game and a two-run homer. The PawSox bats were unable to show up in each game of their doubleheader, dropping both. Roniel Raudes' first start of the season was rough as Salem lost in a blowout. 

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 3, Pawtucket Red Sox 1

The PawSox put together a run in the first on an RBI single by Bryce Brentz but were unable to generate much offense in game one of their doubleheader. Henry Owens pitched well, allowing a run in five innings with two strikeouts and two walks. Kyle Martin was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs in the sixth inning. 

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 5, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

Marcus Walden struggled in his first start with Pawtucket, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Brandon Workman looked strong in relief with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, punching out one. As in the first game of the doubleheader, the PawSox recorded only three hits: singles by Matt Dominguez, and Bryce Brentz and a double by Tim Roberson.

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Cup of Coffee: Beeks dominates in Portland victory

4/9 Cup of Coffee: The upper levels of the minors received strong starting pitching as Jalen Beeks (pictured) and Brian Johnson impressed for Portland and Pawtucket, respectively. On the offensive side, Josh Ockimey recorded three hits for Salem and Ryan Scott was 2 for 4 with a double, triple, and four RBIs for Greenville. Rafael Devers and Bobby Dalbec were each 1 for 4 with a double.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (PHI) 2

Southpaw Brian Johnson made the start for Pawtucket, going four innings and allowing a run on five hits and three walks while punching out seven. Third baseman Matt Dominguez had a strong day at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk, a run, and an RBI. Allen Craig was 1 for 3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI.

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Cup of Coffee: Devers homers in first Double-A at-bat

4/8 Cup of Coffee: Top hitting prospects made some noise last night, as Sam Travis (pictured), Rafael Devers, and Bobby Dalbec each played well offensively. Shawn Haviland, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Darwinzon Hernandez provided solid starts as all four affiliates won.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 14, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 7

Sam Travis had a terrific night in his first Triple-A game since tearing his ACL by going 2 for 4 with two doubles and two walks. Six PawSox hitters had multiple hits and Blake Swihart looked comfortable at the plate despite an 0-for-4 showing. Shawn Haviland was solid in his first start of the year, and Chandler Shepherd had four strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless frames. Jason Varitek was at the ballpark with the PawSox.

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Portland Sea Dogs 4, Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 2

Rafael Devers launched a home run in his first Double-A at-bat as part of a 1-for-4 night. Aneury Tavarez also homered in the win. Teddy Stankiewicz threw six solid frames, allowing just two runs, and Ty Buttrey and Austin Maddox closed it out with five strikeouts and no runs combined in three innings. SoxProspects.com's Director of Scouting Ian Cundall and Assistant Director of Scouting Chaz Fiorino were in attendance and shared some observations on Twitter.

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Matt Huegel moving on from SoxProspects

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Managing Editor Matt Huegel has stepped away from SoxProspects.com, effective as of the outset of the 2017 season, in order to focus on his professional career.  He has provided us with over seven years of devoted service and we are really going to miss his contributions. 

Matt joined the site as a Staff Writer in March 2010, and soon thereafter he was promoted to Editor.  In 2013 he was promoted again to Managing Editor and became a part owner of the site.  During his time here, Matt has served as an editor for SoxProspects News, been one of the regulars on the Podcast, and contributed as a web editor, contributor for ESPN Boston, regular presence at McCoy Stadium, and a feature writer.  A cross-section of the players that Matt has interviewed includes Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec, Michael Kopech, Brian Johnson, CJ Chatham, Sam Travis, Travis Shaw, Andrew Benintendi, Austin Glorius, Garin Cecchini, Jose Iglesias, Mauricio Dubon, Matt Barnes, Brandon Workman, and Steven Wright.

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