May Players of the Month: Johan Mieses and Brayan Bello

Even with some of the top prospects getting hurt, there were several very strong performances across the minor leagues in May. The two winners are at very different stages of their career, with Johan Mieses in his eighth minor league season while Brayan Bello (pictured) is in his third. Mieses formed a formidable middle-of-the-order in Portland with Triston Casas and Joey Meneses, but he will now take his talents to Worcester. Bello is part of a talented Greenville rotation that has three prospects in the top 23, but he has stolen the show early on. 

Mieses was signed as a minor league free agent in February of 2020 after he hit .233/.319/.440 across 118 games in Double-A and Triple-A with the Cardinals in 2019. The powerful right-hander hit 22 home runs and seemed to get a bit unlucky with a .254 batting average on balls in play. The Red Sox started Mieses in Portland, but he's already hit his way to Worcester. He leads the system with 11 home runs and ended May hitting .288/.374/.725. He struck out in 20 percent of his plate appearances while alternating between left field and right field. The 25-year-old now joins a crowded outfield that includes Jarren Duran, Franchy Cordero, Marcus Wilson, and Michael Gettys. If Mieses keeps hitting it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup no matter who is in front of him. 

The biggest riser in the system in the June rankings update, Brayan Bello has been phenomenal to start the year for Greenville. He has pitched to a 2.39 ERA over 26 1/3 innings while walking just 7 and striking out 36. The 22-year-old entered the year ranked 24th in the system and has jumped up to ninth. You can make a strong case that he is the top active pitcher that Boston has on the farm. Bello had a 5.43 ERA in Low-A in 2019, but he was identified as a breakout candidate before the 2021 season due to his strong performance at the 2020 Fall Instructs. With a fastball that tops out in the high-90s, a potential above-average changeup, and an improving slider, Bello has as much helium as any prospect in the system. 

Photo Credit: Brayan Bello by Kelly O'Connor

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