Fall/Winter League Roundup: Velazquez continues to shine; updates on new signees

We continue our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of December 16 through 22.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

After a lot of action last week things slowed down a bit in the Puerto Rican league this week. Only four players saw action, led by Jantzen Witte who went 2 for 10 with a double, three walks, and four strikeouts. Rusney Castillo had a down week, going 4 for 15 (all singles) while striking out twice without recording a walk. Alan Marrero struck out in his only at-bat, and Josh Tobias went 3 for 8 with a double and four walks. 

Mexican Pacific League

It was another stellar week for Hector Velazquez (pictured, above) as his ERA sits at 1.80 over 10 innings. He made three one-inning appearances this week, with two coming out of the bullpen and one coming as an opener. In his three innings, he allowed one run on three hits, walking one while striking out four. After walking six batters over his first five innings this winter, he has regained his control and walked only one over his last five innings.

While neither player appeared in a game this week, the Red Sox did re-sign Robinson Leyer and they added Mike Kickham, who was previously with Miami, on December 20. Leyer last appeared in a game on December 11 but he was dominant up until that point, striking out 22 and allowing four runs over 14 2/3 innings. Kickham has not pitched since November 19, and he holds a 1.96 ERA over 41 1/3 innings, striking out 32 while walking 10. Both pitchers played for Hermosillo.

Dominican Winter League

It was another week with minimal action for Red Sox prospects. Marco Hernandez appeared in three games (two starts) and went 1 for 11 with a double and four strikeouts. On the 18th he came in as a pinch-hitter for Hanley Ramirez but lined out. It has been a rough offseason for Hernandez as he is now hitting .194/.227/.290 over 62 at-bats.

Chris Mazza was claimed off waivers from the Mets on December 20, and he had appeared in six games for Este earlier this winter. He struck out 13 over 12 innings, though he did allow six runs on 19 hits. Mazza is now on Boston's 40-man roster, but he has not pitched in the Dominican since December 6.

Domingo Tapia appeared in a game for only the second time since November 12, allowing one hit in a scoreless inning. Jhon Nunez also saw his first game action since November 22, going 0 for 1 as a pinch-hitter.

Panama Winter League

Though his team is currently in last place, Jonathan Arauz continues to play well for Aguilas. This week he went 4 for 9 with three walks and a strikeout. He is currently second in the league in runs scored. 

Australia Baseball League

In three games this week outfielder Colin Willis continued his scorching start with the Melbourne Aces. Willis went 4 for 9 to raise his average to .417, and he drew four walks to lift his on-base percentage to .500. He scored four times, drove in three runs, and added a sacrifice fly while striking out just once. The 27-year-old is currently projected to open next year with the Portland Sea Dogs. 

Photo Credit: Hector Velazquez by Kelly O'Connor

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