Minor Notes: Chavis continues to rake after promotion

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• Top-ranked prospect infielder Michael Chavis has continued to rake this season (see below for more detail) and was promoted to Triple-A as a result. Despite that, NESN's Dakota Randall argues that fans might have to wait a while before a big league call-up.
• In that article, Randall quotes SoxProspects.com director of scouting Ian Cundall on his thoughts and he says, “with Devers locked in at third base, I guess (Chavis stays at) first, but neither are ready for a call-up at this point. Longterm, Chavis has more upside at first base than [Josh] Ockimey does if everything clicks.”
• Both Chavis and teammate Josh Ockimey earned a spot on MLB.com's Top Prospect Performers on Saturday and Chavis also made it on Friday and incredibly on Sunday as well.
• After Chavis' 80-game suspension to start the season, he knows the PED talk follows him and he's dealing with it as The Boston Globe's Alex Speier writes.
• Bobby Dalbec has put his impressive power potential on display in 2018. Split between Salem and Portland, Dalbec now has 32 home runs and 35 doubles. That rare power has helped make a name for himself writes The Athletic's Harold Rivera.
• CJ Chatham had strong offensive numbers in college while at Florida Atlantic and that combined with his strong defense led to the Red Sox selecting him in the second round in 2016. In his first full professional season in 2017, he hit .316 over an injury-shortened season. This year he has continued to post strong averages between Greenville and Salem, posting averages over .300 at each level. MiLB.com's Marisa Ingemi takes notice and writes that Chatham keeps crushing in Salem.
• The nominees for the Greenville Drive's Player of the Year are outfielders Victor Acosta and Marino Campana, right-handers Kutter Crawford and Denyi Reyes, lefties Enmanuel De Jesus and Jhonathan Diaz, shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald, and third baseman Tanner Nishioka. You can vote here.

Players of the Week

Michael Chavis, 1B/3B, Portland Sea Dogs & Pawtucket Red Sox

8 G, 33 AB, 14 H, 4 2B, 3 HR, 11 R, 8 RBI, 00 BB, 9 K, 0 SB, .424/.441/.818

Chavis had a busy week, playing in all eight games combined between the Sea Dogs and PawSox, but clearly, the full schedule did not wear him down. Chavis only picked up speed when he was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox. Over his three games there to end the week, Chavis went 8-for-14 with 3 doubles and 2 home runs.

It was not as though Chavis was struggling before the promotion. His five games for the Sea Dogs this week brought his final line at Double-A this season to .303/.388/.508 with 6 home runs in only 122 at-bats. His scorching hot performance combined with injuries to other highly-ranked prospects has the 23-year-old firmly locked into the top spot in the SoxProspects.com rankings.

Hunter Haworth, RHP, Lowell Spinners

2 G, 10 1/3 IP, 1-0, 1.74 ERA, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 15 K, 0.58 WHIP

Haworth was selected in the 22nd round out of Chico State this year. Haworth was assigned to Greenville to start the season and struggled over his first five appearances. On June 16th, he was moved to the Lowell Spinners and he has been much more successful while both starting games and acting as a piggyback starter.

This week Haworth acted as the piggyback starter in both appearances, pitching innings 5 through 9 as a piggyback starter on Tuesday and then coming in after two outs in the first and pitching through the 6th. Those two strong outings lowered his ERA at Lowell to 3.25 and WHIP to 1.08 compared to Greenville where he had a 10.07 ERA and 2.29 WHIP.

Photo Credit: Michael Chavis and Hunter Haworth by Kelly O'Connor.

Will Woodward is a Co-Owner and Senior Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPWill.

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