Cup of Coffee: Espinal solid again as WooSox win

9/30 Cup of Coffee: After saying goodbye to Polar Park for the winter, Worcester kicked off the final series of 2021 down in Allentown with a victory over the IronPigs. 

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Worcester Red Sox 2, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 1

In what will likely be his final start of 2021, Raynel Espinal (pictured) locked up with Phillies prospect Colton Eastman on a pitchers' duel. The opposing starters combined to allow just one run in 12 2/3 innings, with former first overall pick Mickey Moniak connecting on a homer off Espinal in the sixth. Espinal finished with the one run allowed on four hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked two, and lowered his ERA to 3.44. 

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Cup of Coffee: DSL affiliates sweep on Tuesday

9/29 Cup of Coffee: Three DSL games filled the slate, with the Red Sox affiliates notching a clean sweep. There were solid pitching performances across the teams, with Michael Valera and Barbaro Pinero having the two best. 

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DSL Red Sox Blue 6, DSL Pirates Black 2

The Red Sox pulled away late in the completion of a suspended game. Yordanny Monegro pitched well before the rain came, striking out three over three shutout innings. Barbaro Pinero started things back up on Tuesday and struck out five over 3 1/3 scoreless frames. Alexis Hernandez went 2 for 4 with a home run while playing first base, left field, and right field. After the Pirates inched within one run in the eighth, Johnfrank Salazar gave the Red Sox some cushion by lacing a two-run double. 

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Minor Notes: Munoz, Espinal receive awards from WooSox

 

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• On the newest episode of the SoxProspects.com podcast, episode No. 227, Chris and Ian discuss some of the promotions to Worcester that occurred due to other teams' seasons coming to an end. One of those includes top prospect Triston Casas. They also talk about Ian's trip to Salem and what he saw there. They wrap up by talking about Bobby Dalbec's second-half breakout as well as answering some email questions.

• Another Scout Chatter piece is out, where Ian details some reports received from the FCL and DSL teams. The post is highlighted by 17-year old Miguel Bleis, who was the Red Sox most expensive international free agent signing since 2017-2018. The Sox have loved what they've seen from him so far, and apparently the sports card market has taken notice as well, as his autographed "First Bowman" baseball cards have recently sold for around $100 on eBay. Ian also talks about catcher Enderson Lira, outfielder Juan Chacon, right-handed pitcher Yizreel Burnet, shortstop Johnfrank Salazar, as well as seven more young prospects. 

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Cup of Coffee: A good day for Lyonell and Axel James

9/28 Cup of Coffee: Only the Dominican Summer League played yesterday. The Red team blew away their opposition while the Blue team dropped a close one. Both squads got their fair share of offense out of the James brothers.

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DSL Pirates Black 4, DSL Red Sox Blue 3

Starting pitcher Jean Carlos Reyes surrendered three runs over three innings but the Blue team offense kept things close with Lyonell James driving in two runs in the top of the third inning with a single, and Armando Sierra knocking in James later on in the in the top of the fifth on a fielder's choice to tie the game. Faysel Gregorio pitched a pair of scoreless innings in relief but with the game tied in the sixth inning, Railin Perez allowed a solo home run that decided the seven inning game.

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Cup of Coffee: Duran homers in Polar Park finale

9/27 Cup of Coffee: Sunday was the last game of the season at Polar Park, with the WooSox falling just short. It was still a great inaugural season in Worcester, with 9,508 fans showing up for the home finale. Connor Seabold struggled in his limited action, while Jarren Duran and Ronaldo Hernández led the offense.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 5, Worcester Red Sox 4

Connor Seabold was pulled after 2 1/3 innings and only 49 pitches in the WooSox loss to the Red Wings. The team says they want to keep Seabold fresh in case he is needed in Boston, though reports from the game state that he was tended to by the team trainer. He walked three and allowed three runs on three hits. Daniel Gossett followed with four innings of one-run ball, and Colten Brewer struck out three over 2 2/3 shutout innings. 

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Cup of Coffee: Hart leads Worcester to win after Seabold scratch

9/26 Cup of Coffee: There was one fewer game than usual on Saturday as the two DSL squads had their weekly intra-organizational showdown. It was a game that was dominated by Blue, which led 9-0 after the third inning. The victors were led by Armando Sierra, who was 3 for 3 with a trio of RBI. The other contest on the docket was in Worcester, as the Red Sox took down Rochester. Franchy Cordero went deep for the 12th time in Worcester this season, while in a spot start replacing the healthy scratch Connor Seabold, Kyle Hart (pictured) did not surrender an earned run across 5 2/3 innings of work. 

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 1

It was a pitchers' duel, as Worcester and Rochester combined for just nine hits on Saturday. Rochester struck first, leading in the fourth, but Franchy Cordero drilled a solo home run and Jack Lopez had a two-RBI single as part of a three-run seventh that proved to be the difference for Worcester. Kyle Hart took to the mound in Connor Seabold's stead, the latter of whom was scratched as major league depth, should they need an arm that is fully stretched out. Hart surrendered just an unearned run across 5 2/3 innings in his spot start. He scattered three hits and a walk while striking out six. Stephen Gonsalves pitched two no-hit innings, while Austin Brice closed it out for the save.

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Cup of Coffee: Winckowski takes no-hitter into 6th

9/25 Cup of Coffee: Worcester continues to play out the Triple-A "Final Stretch," as Josh Winckowski (pictured) was saddled with the tough-luck loss despite not allowing a hit until the sixth inning. The DSL squads swept the two Royals affiliates with the Team Blue win boosting them into the division lead. 

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3, Worcester Red Sox 0

Thursday night at Polar Park featured a pitchers' duel between two hurlers making their Triple-A debut. Josh Winckowski was outstanding in his maiden WooSox voyage, going 5 1/3 no-hit innings before the Red Wings reached him for a pair of runs in the sixth. Overall, the right-hander allowed two runs on three hits in six frames, striking out six without walking a batter. 

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Podcast Ep. #227: Scouting Salem and Late Season promotions

While Worcester continues through the final stretch, the rest of the minors have wrapped up their seasons. With the near end of the season, we have a final round of promotions to Worcester to discuss. In addition, Ian had a long strange trip getting to Salem, and shares his notes on the interesting prospects. As promised Chris and Ian talk about Bobby Dalbec's breakout. The guys run down the system awards that the Red Sox announced recently. And finally we get to your emails, which were exceptional, as always. 

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Cup of Coffee: Crawford, Casas lead Worcester to win

9/24 Cup of Coffee: Worcester was again the only game in action stateside last night, as they made it back-to-back wins against Rochester. The offense recorded eight runs on 12 hits, led again by Triston Casas and his three-RBI night. Kutter Crawford (pictured) also racked up the strikeouts, picking up his third win since his promotion. The DSL teams split on Thursday, with the Blue squad getting the win to move 1/2 a game out of first place.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 4

Kutter Crawford started this one and impressed, going the first five innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out nine and walked just one hitter. Colten Brewer had a very nice outing out of the bullpen tossing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no free passes. John Schreiber finished it off by striking out the side in the ninth inning. 

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Scout Chatter: Miguel Bleis, Enderso Lira and more DSL prospects

The Red Sox Florida Coast League has wrapped up, but the Dominican Summer League teams are still playing and it's time for the final Scout Chatter with reports we've received on those affiliates. The data we’ve collected will be up on the News Page for your reading pleasure before we use it to update player page scouting reports, so forgive any inconsistencies until that point. Today, we focus on the players from the Red Sox Dominican Summer League teams. 

The early returns on outfielder Miguel Bleis—who signed in January for $1.5 million, making him the Red Sox’ most expensive international signee since 2017-2018—have been very encouraging even though he has only played 15 games. In 41 plate appearances, he is hitting .262/.341/.449 with four home runs and seven steals. Obviously, he is still early in his career, but one scout told me, “he’s the real deal.” 

Catcher Enderso Lira has been the most intriguing position player prospect in the DSL other than Bleis. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Venezuelan signed for $850,000 in January, the second-highest bonus in the Red Sox’ international class. Still only 17, Lira has a great frame for a catcher, with projection remaining, and is athletic enough that one scout suggested to me he could even handle third base if he outgrows catcher. He has looked good behind the plate though and has an above-average arm already. Offensively, he has a very advanced approach for his age, with more walks (31) than strikeouts (18) this year. His swing is short and direct, and he has quick hands. Right now, he mostly hits hard line drives, but he should grow into some power in the future, especially given his frame. Lira has a long way to go developmentally, but is a very intriguing prospect at a position the Red Sox have really struggled to develop. He has shown promise both offensively and defensively, and given how low the bar is for catching at the big league level right now, adding a player with his potential warranted the jump from unranked to 35th in the system that Lira has made this year. 

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Cup of Coffee: Casas homers in Triple-A debut

9/23 Cup of Coffee: With the regular season over for most of the minor leagues, Worcester was the only squad in action, as a pair of players making their WooSox debuts made an impact.

Worcester Red Sox 4, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3

Wednesday marked the start of the Triple-A "Final Stretch," a ten-game showcase being held this year in lieu of playoffs. Triston Casas (pictured) made his WooSox debut, facing a tall order in Nationals' top prospect Cade Cavalli. Cavalli won the first battle of former first rounders, getting the strikeout in the first inning. However, in the bottom of the third, Casas pushed an opposite-field two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2. Next batter Franchy Cordero hit a 450-foot blast to give the WooSox a lead they would not relinquish. 

Casas was not the only Top-30 prospect making his Worcester debut, as catcher Ronaldo Hernandez went 2 for 3 after the promotion from Portland. Jeter Downs also picked up a pair of hits, pushing his OPS back up over .600 for the first time since early August. Downs and Hernandez were both hit by pitches as well. Jonathan Arauz doubled as part of his two-hit night. Rehabbing outfielder Jarren Duran was 1 for 4 out fo the leadoff slot. 

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Cup of Coffee: Home runs for Bleis and James, three more hits for Lira

9/22 Cup of Coffee: It was another light day on the farm as just the DSL teams were in action on Tuesday. Triston Casas's Triple-A debut should come on Wednesday in Worcester. Home runs from Axel James and Miguel Bleis and another three-hit game from Enderso Lira were the highlights for the DSL squads. 

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DSL Red Sox Blue 6, DSL Dodgers Shoemaker 0 (7 innings)

Five pitchers combined to pitch a four-hit shutout. Royman Blanco and Faysel Gregorio led the way by each tossing two scoreless innings. Blanco got the win, and Robinson Parra closed things out with two strikeouts in the seventh. Juan Chacon went 2 for 3 with a double out of the leadoff spot, and Lyonell James went 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. Johnfrank Salazar broke the game open, clearing the bases with a triple in the fourth. 

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Minor Notes: Minor league season ends, organization awards announced

Here are this week's Minor Notes:

 

• Episode No. 226 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast came out on Wednesday. Chris and Ian discussed the Red Sox debuts of Connor Seabold and Kutter Crawford, as well as the stretch run for the minor league season.
  

• Save for Triple-A Worcester and the two DSL teams, the former of which plays until October 3 and the latter of which will complete their seasons the day before, the minor league regular season is now over and none of the minor league affiliates qualified for the postseason.
  

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Cup of Coffee: A grand slam for Axel, and a trio of hits for Lira

 9/21 Cup of Coffee:  With the 2021 Florida Complex League officially in the books, the Dominican Summer League is the only thing we've got left on to talk about on Tuesday mornings for a while. Fortunately, there's plenty of excitement there. Yesterday's games featured a grand slam, a talented catching prospect going off, and some very solid pitching performances from both the starters and the relievers.

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DSL Red Sox Blue 4, DSL Dodgers Shoemaker 1

Alex Zapete got the scoring started early with a first inning RBI double, and Armando Sierra drove him in shortly after with an RBI base hit to center. Alexis Hernandez homered an inning later, giving the Blue team a 3-0 lead. Blue got one more run in the top of the sixth inning courtesy of a Rivaldo Avila RBI single to left. The Blue team also benefited from a strong start by Yordanny Monegro. The 18-year-old righty went four shutout innings, surrendering only a hit and two walks while striking out six. Stiwar Adames picked up his third win of the season, allowing a run over two innings, while Railin Perez earned his ninth save of the season, striking out three over two innings and dropping his ERA to a meager 1.23 over 29.1 innings.

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Cup of Coffee: Sogard homers twice; Salem fails to make playoffs

9/20 Cup of Coffee: A heartbreaking loss for Salem ended the team's playoff hopes, while the season also came to an end for Portland and Greenville. The only affiliates to play beyond Sunday will be Worcester and the two DSL squads. Jarren Duran and Jonathan Araúz both continued to rehab with the WooSox, Hudson Potts homered for Portland, and Nick Sogard (pictured) launched two home runs for Greenville. Nick Yorke ended the season with another impressive on-base streak going, as he all but wrapped up the Offensive Player of the Year award. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 9, Worcester Red Sox 4

Doubles from Jarren Duran and Franchy Cordero were not enough, as the Mets got to Daniel Gossett for seven runs. Cordero also walked three times, and now has an impressive ratio of 13 walks to 10 strikeouts in September. In addition to Duran, Jonathan Araúz also continued his rehab in Worcester, going 1 for 3. Durbin Feltman had a scoreless inning of relief, but the Mets got to Eduard Bazardo for two runs in 2/3 of an inning. 

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Cup of Coffee: Granberg drills grand slam, Worcester shuts out Syracuse

9/19 Cup of Coffee: While the FCL squad lost in the completion of a suspended game and DSL Red Sox Blue fell short in the weekly intra-organizational contest in the DSL, it was a clean sweep for the full-season affiliates on the penultimate day of the minor league regular season. Devlin Granberg (pictured) was the offensive star, hitting 4 for 5 with three extra-base hits, including a grand slam as Portland scored 12 runs on 15 hits. Interestingly, this was nearly matched by Salem, which had 15 knocks but only 11 runs. Pedro Castellanos also had four hits for Portland, while Connor Seabold pitched the first five innings of a combined shutout for Worcester. The best start of the evening was arguably Chase Shugart, who scattered four hits and struck out eight across five innings. 

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 0

Five Worcester pitchers combined for the shutout in Syracuse Saturday. The starter was Connor Seabold and he was strong through the first five innings, surrendering just five hits and a walk, with five punchouts as well. Yacksel Rios, Colten Brewer, John Schrieber and Kaleb Ort each were given an inning to finish off the shutout, the latter two of which did so without a hit. Tate Matheny, who pinch-hit for Jarren Duran in the sixth, notched a hit in each of his two at-bats, each of which went for extra bases while Joey Meneses joined him in the multi-hit club. Jeter Downs also drilled his 14th home run of the season in the second inning.

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Cup of Coffee: Wins, offense hard to come by for affiliates on quiet Friday

9/18 Cup of Coffee: Wins were hard to come by for the affiliates Friday, but a number of strong individual performances overshadowed the wins and losses on this night. Jeter Downs (pictured) offered some late-season inspiration in Worcester, while Nicholas Northcut added a big-three run blast despite his team's losing effort. Yusniel Padron-Ariles was a hard-luck loser in his impressive effort on the mound.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 7, Worcester Red Sox 1

Worcester was three-hit in a sluggish offensive output on Friday, with the lone bright spot being Jeter Downs. Syracuse let loose a flurry with 13 hits and the seven runs, with much of the damage coming against Worcester starter Kyle Hart. He went five innings, allowing seven hits and two walks versus five strikeouts, giving up three runs. Austin Brice, Stephen Gonsalves, and Brad Peacock all allowed runs in relief. Downs recorded two of the team's three hits, giving his team the only run on a fifth-inning solo home run. Jhonny Pereda managed the team's only other hit in the contest. Worcester's late-season stumble has put them a little further from playoff position, now sitting 5.5 games out of a postseason spot.

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Cup of Coffee: Potts leads Portland, Greenville wins in 12

9/17 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs offense came alive with 14 runs, led by a big night from Hudson Potts (pictured). Greenville grabbed a win in 12 innings, thanks to 19 strikeouts from the pitching staff, including a terrific start from Brandon Walter. Both DSL Sox teams also saw a few standout offensive performances. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

Worcester tied the game with a pair of runs in the ninth, but it wasn't enough. Josh Ockimey had a solid night, going 1 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. Chad De La Guerra also went 1 for 3 with a double and added a walk and a stolen base. Johan Mieses also doubled. Kutter Crawford was solid, going the first 5 1/3 while allowing two runs with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Zack Kelly and Durbin Feltman each gave up a run in three combined frames. 

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Cup of Coffee: Barnes rehabs in Portland; Hernandez homers twice

9/16 Cup of Coffee: Three teams were in action on Wednesday, with the two in playoff contention both handed losses. Portland fell to the brink despite a two-homer effort by Ronaldo Hernandez (pictured). Nick Decker had a big night in Salem's loss, as the Sox got some help in their playoff push. Brian Van Belle and three relievers combined on a three-hit shutout to put Greenville in the win column. Worcester was the other team scheduled to play, but the contest in Syracuse was rained out.

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Worcester Red Sox @ Syracuse Mets (NYM), canceled (rain)

The second game of this week's series in Central New York was called because of downpours off and on throughout the day. The game will not be made up.

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Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 14, Portland Sea Dogs 7

Hartford got off to a 9-0 lead and never looked back in a slugfest that featured 28 hits, 12 for extra bases. Matt Barnes made a rehab start, allowing a pair of unearned runs in the first inning, striking out a pair. Pushed out of his normal starting role, Chris Murphy was not on his game. The left-hander retired just one batter while allowing six runs on five hits, walking one. Ronaldo Hernandez has a big day at the plate, going 2 for 4 with home runs in consecutive innings, giving him 16 round-trippers on the year. Ryan Fitzgerald also went deep for Portland. Triston Casas continued his recent hot streak, going 2 for 4 with a walk. The system's top prospect is 12 for 23 with seven walks in his last seven games. 

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Podcast Ep. #226 - Debuts and Playoff Pushes

With the minor league season winding down, there's no less to discuss on the SoxProspects Pod. Ian and Chris got on the horn to discuss the MLB debuts of Kutter Crawford and Connor Seabold, the minor league playoff picture, and the pending announcements of which Sox farmhands will be heading to the Arizona Fall League. They also analyzed the movers and shakers in our most recent rankings update, then closed, as always, with your emails.

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Cup of Coffee: Wong hits two home runs; Santos stays hot

9/15 Cup of Coffee: As the season enters its final week for most of the affiliates, Salem stayed ahead in the playoff chase, while Portland moved to within 2.5 games of the final playoff spot. Connor Wong (pictured), Jeter Downs, and Johan Mieses all hit home runs for Worcester, while Pedro Castellanos provided all of the offense that Portland would need. Greenville came close to being no-hit, and Salem won easily thanks to a home run from Nicholas Northcut. 

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4

The WooSox slugged four home runs, including two clutch ones from Connor Wong. Wong hit a game-tying home run in the eighth, and a go-ahead shot in the ninth. In all, he went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs. Jeter Downs added his 12th home run, and Johan Mieses hit his 19th. The home run was the first in 58 at-bats for Downs. Raynel Espinal pitched into the seventh inning, allowing four runs while striking out five over 6 1/3. The win went to Eduard Bazardo, who struck out four and allowed one hit in two innings. Bazardo was activated from the 60-day injured list and assigned to Worcester on Monday. 

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Minor Notes: Seabold debuts, Meneses/Winckowski win Sea Dogs awards

 Here are this week's minor league notes: 

• 
  This week started off with another amazing guest for the SoxProspects.com podcast crew. Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Toboni joined to discuss their approach to the draft as well as the last two drafts where he was at the helm of the team's draft operations.

• The scouting staff was also busy. Earlier this week, they updated Connor Seabold's scouting report in advance of his major league debut on Saturday where he threw three innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Seabold (pictured, right) was acquried this past season from Philadephia along with Nick Pivetta for Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, and other considerations. The 25-year-old started the season on the Injured List with elbow inflammation before making his season and Red Sox debut in July.

• Now that the Florida Coast League team is in full swing, the scouting staff also wanted to update readers with some scout chatter on pitchers from the FCL. This edition of chatter included notes on Wilkelman Gonzalez, Luis De La Rosa, Nathanael Cruz, and Juan Daniel Encarnacion.

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Scout Chatter: Wilkelman Gonzalez, Luis De La Rosa, Nathanael Cruz and Juan Daniel Encarnacion

The Red Sox Florida Coast League and Dominican Summer League teams are in full swing and it's time for another Scout Chatter with reports we've received on those affiliates. The data we’ve collected will be up on the News Page for your reading pleasure before we use it to update player page scouting reports, so forgive any inconsistencies until that point. Today, we focus on the pitchers from the Red Sox Florida Coast League team. 

The best pitcher by far for the FCL squad this summer was right-handed pitcher Wilkelman Gonzalez. The 19-year-old Venezuelan, who signed for $250,000 in July 2018, had 46 strikeouts and only 8 walks, and allowed only 29 hits in 35 innings with a 3.60 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He was promoted to Salem on August 27th and in three starts there has continued to impress with a 0.66 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and 5 walks in 13.2 innings. Gonzalez was solid at the Fall Instructional League in 2020, but has really taken a step forward this year, especially with the development of his secondary offerings. Gonzalez has been 93-95 mph with his fastball, while his changeup at 86-88 mph has been his best secondary pitch. He has shown the ability to turn it over, and the pitch now projects as above-average at least, when last fall it was his third pitch. He also has refined his breaking ball, switching from a slow, loopy curveball to a slider in the high-70s with average-to-better potential. The main concerns scouts have with Gonzalez are his size and delivery. He is athletic, but is not an imposing figure on the mound, listed at 6-foot-0, 180 pounds, and he has some effort in his delivery. There is some reliever risk, but regardless, he is a very exciting arm and one whose stock is well up this year. 

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer drives in a pair, De La Rosa stays hot

9/14 Cup of Coffee:  Despite most affiliate teams having the day off, there were five games today. Such is life during this summer of rain. The FCL Red Sox played two. They got some excellent pitching in the first game from a trio of pitchers, while a certain 2021 top draft pick turned on the offense in game two. The DSL Red Sox Red team also swept a pair thanks to some solid offense, while the Blue team won their only game behind a Jean Carlos Reyes gem, completing the affiliate sweep.

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FCL Red Sox 4, FCL Orioles Orange 0

Its been an excellent run for Luis De La Rosa in the Florida Complex League. The 19-year-old righty started the game and pitched four shutout innings of three-hit ball, striking out six and walking one. The performance lowered his ERA to 3.04 over 26.2 innings. Maceo Campbell picked up the win as he worked a pair of no-hit innings and struck out three, and Nate Tellier closed things out, striking out a pair in his only inning of work, completing the shutout. On the offensive end, Yorberto Mejicano scored two runs, and had three hits as well as an RBI.

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Cup of Coffee: Groome takes no-hitter into sixth; Dearden homers again

9/13 Cup of Coffee: Another dominant start from Jay Groome kept Portland's slim playoff chances alive. In Worcester, Matt Barnes, Martín Pérez, and Yacksel Ríos all started rehab assignments, and Tyler Dearden continued to extend his home run record for Greenville. The biggest hit of the day came from Christian Koss, who hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.

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

A trio of rehabbing major leaguers helped shut down the IronPigs. After Daniel Gossett fired six innings of one-run ball to begin the game, he turned the ball over to three members of the Red Sox bullpen. Matt Barnes struck out a batter in a scoreless inning of work. It was his first appearance since August 29. Next in line was Martín Pérez who also pitched a scoreless inning in his first game since August 28. The save went to Yacksel Ríos, as he struck out two in his first action since August 19. 

It was the bottom of the order that accounted for all of Worcester's runs, as both Jeremy Rivera and Tate Matheny hit home runs. Rivera's was a solo shot, his second of the year, while Matheny's 10th of the year was a two-run blast. Rivera also added a double, while Joey Meneses and Connor Wong both doubled as well. 

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Cup of Coffee: Rivera walks off Worcester, Salem scores 11 in the ninth

9/12 Cup of Coffee: It was a successful night on the farm, as each affiliate not playing in an intrasquad game recorded a win. The FCL squad and Worcester each split a doubleheader, while Portland, Greenville and Salem each took victory in their games. Salem's was definitely the most impressive, as they put up 11 runs in the ninth inning alone as part of a 17-2 victory. Tyler Miller (pictured) and Matthew Lugo had four hits each for Salem, while Franchy Cordero had a pair of hits in each leg of Worcester's doubleheader. Ryan Zeferjahn also had a strong rehab appearance for the FCL Red Sox, pitching four innings with only an unearned run.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 8, Worcester Red Sox 6 (7 Innings, Game 1)

Worcester drilled three home runs in the opener of the doubleheader, one each from Franchy Cordero, Joey Meneses and Josh Ockimey, whose deep fly was of the two-run variety. Cordero and Meneses each also had a base knock to make it two hits. The starter was Kyle Hart, who struggled in his outing. He allowed six runs on nine hits across four innings. Colten Brewer didn't fare much better, as two runs came across on his two-inning watch. Brandon Brennan pitched the final frame, doing so without permitting a baserunner to reach safely.  

Worcester Red Sox 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 4 (7 Innings, Game 2)

It was Worcester with the close win in Game 2 of the twin bill, as four Red Sox had multiple hits, including Jeremy Rivera, who was 3 for 4 with a home run. Taylor Motter and Franchy Cordero added two hits as well. Worcester went for a bulk approach, as Matt Kent and John Schreiber each pitched three innings. Kent surrendered a pair of runs on two hits and recorded two strikeouts. Schreiber fared better, despite more traffic, as he gave up four runs and a walk but did not allow a run. However, Austin Brice had a tough outing as he allowed two runs across the seventh inning before Rivera walked it off with a single. 

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Scouting Report Update: Seabold to make MLB debut

On Saturday, right-hander Connor Seabold will make his major league debut for the Red Sox, just over a year after he came to the organization in a trade from Philadelphia along with Nick Pivetta in exchange for Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree. 

Seabold was supposed to be part of the organization's dramatically improved high-minors pitching depth at the beginning of the year, but the same injury bug that got Bryan Mata (Tommy John surgery) during spring training and Tanner Houck (flexor muscle) and Thaddeus Ward (Tommy John surgery) bit him as well. After pitching at the Alternate Training Site in April, he began the minor league season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and did not make his official season debut until a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League in mid-July. Seabold finally made his first start for Triple-A Worcester on July 23, and in eight starts, he has a 3.67 ERA in 41 2/3 innings, striking out 44 hitters and walking 13.

In preparation to watch Seabold get his first taste of The Show tonight, read up on his freshly updated scouting report below, courtesy of our Director of Scouting, Ian Cundall!

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Cup of Coffee: Murphy, Casas shine as Sea Dogs return to field

9/11 Cup of Coffee: It was nearly a week away for Portland, but the Sea Dogs got an outstanding start by Chris Murphy (pictured) while Triston Casas picked up where he left off. Greenville and the FCL Red Sox both prevailed in slugfests as the team's two most recent first-rounders were key contributors. Salem fell after a good start, and the WooSox managed only a single hit at Polar Park.

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 6, Worcester Red Sox 0

The WooSox lineup managed just one hit off of a trio of IronPig hurlers. Making his Worcester debut, Taylor Motter singled to lead off the second inning. Kutter Crawford went five strong innings, with the only blemish a two-run homer by rehabbing veteran outfielder Matt Joyce in the third inning. Overall, Crawford allowed two runs on two hits, striking out nine and walking three. Durbin Feltman pitched a scoreless inning in the ninth. The 2018 third-round pick has given up just one run in 14 2/3 innings across his last nine outings.

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Cup of Coffee: MacKenzie, Erro lead big offensive nights for Greenville, Salem

9/10 Cup of Coffee: Worcester and Portland ran into problems with the weather, as Worcester was postponed and Portland was canceled. There was a ton of offense in the lower levels of the minors, as Greenville scored nine runs and Salem scored 13, behind great offensive performances from Wil Dalton, Jack MacKenzie, Alex Erro (pictured), and Jonathan Diaz. Cuba Bess also had a huge game for the FCL Sox. 

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Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) @ Worcester Red Sox, PPD (Rain)

This game was called due to rain and will be made up on Saturday as part of a doubleheader. 

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Cup of Coffee: Yorke slam powers Drive; Cordero homers twice

9/9 Cup of Coffee: With only three games on the docket, some of the organization's strongest performers keyed a pair of wins. Nick Yorke continued to be one of minor league baseball's hottest hitters, launching a tie-breaking grand slam in the ninth inning of Greenville's win. For the WooSox, August Pitcher of the Month Raynel Espinal turned in a strong start while Franchy Cordero (pictured) carried the offense. Salem took the day's only loss despite the efforts of Nick Decker.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 3

Franchy Cordero provided the bulk of the offense as Worcester prevailed despite striking out 15 times. Cordero launched a solo homer in the second inning and followed up with a two-run blast in the sixth. The left fielder added a double as he accounted for three of Worcester's five hits and 10 of the team's 12 total bases. Jack Lopez reached base in each of his three plate appearances as he recorded a single and two walks. Raynel Espinal had a strong start, allowing two unearned runs on three hits in six innings, striking out six, and walking two. Eduard Bazardo got credit for the save, allowing a solo home run in the ninth but preserving the victory.

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Podcast Ep. #225: Interview with Paul Toboni, Director of Amateur Scouting

Chris and Ian sat down recently with Paul Toboni, Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting, to discuss his career, how the Red Sox scout and approach the draft, and of course, the two drafts for which he's had the helm. Lots of great information ahead regarding the scouting of Nick Yorke and Marcelo Mayer, how the Red Sox set a draft board, what exactly "building process" is, and more!

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Cup of Coffee: Hernandez starts rehab assignment; Dearden homers twice

9/8 Cup of Coffee: After watching the major league pitching staff struggle again, seeing Darwinzon Hernandez have a successful first rehab appearance with Worcester was a welcome sight. Brandon Howlett and Tyler Dearden (pictured) helped Greenville escape with an extra-innings victory, Tyler McDonough had another tremendous game for Salem, and José De León started a rehab appearance in the FCL. 

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 4

A four-hit night from Chad De La Guerra helped the WooSox inch past the IronPigs. De La Guerra went 4 for 5 with a game-tying home run in the seventh. Worcester took the lead later in the inning when Johan Mieses scored on a wild pitch. Connor Wong, Jeter Downs, and Tate Matheny all had two-hit nights, with Wong notching a double while Downs stole two bases. 

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Minor Notes: Yorke rises up the rankings; Casas has a power surge

 

Here are this week's minor league notes: 

• On the most recent episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast, Ian recapped his trip to Greenville. He provided updated reports on Nick Yorke, Jay Groome, and other interesting players on the Drive. Shortly after the trip, Yorke was bumped up to third in the rankings, and Groome was promoted to Portland where he dazzled in his debut.

• Yorke and Worcester starter Raynel Espinal were awarded SoxProspects.com Players of the Month for August. Yorke hit .414/.500/.816 between Salem and Greenville, while Espinal pitched well for Worcester and even got a cup of coffee in the majors. 

• Ian published a Scout Chatter article covering some interesting outfielders on the FCL roster. Eduardo Vaughan, Freddy Valdez, Miguel Ugueto, Bryan Gonzalez, and Darel Belen all have interesting tools, but also a lot of development ahead of them. Vaughan is the top prospect in this group, currently ranked 38th. 

• The Red Sox organization had over 50 transactions in the last week, mostly due to COVID-related issues with the major league team. Be sure to check out our Transactions page for the full list of moves. The more significant transactions for the minor league affiliates will be covered below.

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Cup of Coffee: De La Rosa impresses, Diaz homers

9/7 Cup of Coffee:  Another day, another doubleheader. This time, it was the FCL Red Sox playing two, while the Dominican Summer squads had a game apiece. Most of the starting pitchers were effective, but shaky bullpens proved costly. Offenses were inconsistent with the lone home run out of any Red Sox affiliate hitter coming off the bat of Kelvin Diaz in the final inning for the DSL Red Sox Red, although the FCL squad put together five doubles in their first game.

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FCL Rays 10, FCL Red Sox 5

Luis De La Rosa pitched effectively, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He also struck out two. Jhonny Felix was unable to hold things down in relief, however, surrendering five runs without retiring a single batter. Marcelo Mayer went 1 for 4 and scored a run. Eddinson Paulino provided an RBI double and stole a base out of the leadoff spot, while Tyler Miller doubled and drove in three. Miguel Ugueto, Bryan Gonzalez, and Phillip Sikes all doubled as well in the loss.

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Cup of Coffee: Gonzalez stellar in Salem, Portland off until Thursday

9/6 Cup of Coffee: COVID-19 is now affecting both the major league team and minor league affiliates, as Portland announced today that it will not play again until Thursday at the earliest. While Portland itself is not dealing with significant issues, both New Hampshire and Binghamton need to do additional testing. In Worcester, the trio of Kyle Hart, Durbin Feltman, and Kaleb Ort locked down the Red Wings while Joey Meneses (pictured) reached base four times. Salem got another good start from Wilkelman Gonzalez and home runs from Nick Decker and Nicholas Northcut. 

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Worcester Red Sox 2, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 1

Kyle Hart picked up where he left off in August, firing six innings of one-run ball to complete the six-game sweep. Hart's only blemish was a solo home run from Victor Robles. He struck out five and walked two. Durbin Feltman and Kaleb Ort were able to protect the one-run lead, with Feltman going two innings and Ort pitching a scoreless ninth for his 18th save. Feltman has allowed just two runs over his past 17 innings. RBI singles from Josh Ockimey and Joey Meneses accounted for both of Worcester's runs. Meneses went 3 for 3 with a walk and a double, and Ockimey went 2 for 4. Jeter Downs returned from the injured list and went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. 

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Cup of Coffee: Casas, Groome outstanding as Sox affiliates nearly sweep

9/5 Cup of Coffee: In the thick of a playoff race, the Boston Red Sox earned a much-needed victory over the Cleveland Indians. Down on the farm, a near-sweep was completed as winning affiliates allowed only five runs to their opponents. Only the Dominican Summer League threw a wrench into the plans for a perfect day, as DSL Blue and DSL Red were paired up together, leaving the perfect day impossible. Triston Casas continued his torrid streak, while Jay Groome's (pictured) first foray into a new level was met with impressive acumen.

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 0

One of several impressive pitching performances throughout the day, Worcester's pitchers shut down Rochester by allowing just four hits and four walks, striking out eight and earning the victory. Connor Seabold went six innings, walking three but allowing just one hit and striking out four. Colten Brewer added two scoreless innings and Eduard Bazardo finished off the shutout to earn the save. Connor Wong, sent back to Worcester from the big-league club just hours earlier, tallied three hits. Chad De La Guerra added two knocks from the top of the lineup.

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Cup of Coffee: Casas slams three homers as Sea Dogs sweep twinbill

9/4 Cup of Coffee: With the recent excellent play of Nick Yorke and Marcelo Mayer getting so much attention, Triston Casas (pictured) decided to send a not-subtle reminder of who is the top-ranked prospect in the system. Portland swept its doubleheader as its first baseman slugged two home runs in the opener and another in the nightcap. Raynel Espinal made a successful return to the Worcester rotation, while every starter reached base in Salem's romp. Greenville fell despite another multi-hit game from Yorke, and the DSL teams both won their contests.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 2

Raynel Espinal, the SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Month in August, returned to the WooSox after a quick, COVID-necessitated jaunt to the majors. Espinal went three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, walking none, and striking out six of the 12 batters he faced. Rochester got on the board in the fifth as old friend Blake Swihart took Austin Brice deep for a solo shot. Two of the five Worcester hits were off the bat of Tate Matheny, both of them going for two bases. Franchy Cordero also doubled as part of a two-hit evening, 

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer homers, Greenville throws combined no-hitter

9/3 Cup of Coffee: Four pitchers combined to no-hit Asheville for the Drive, led by Jeremy Wu-Yelland's dominant start. Greenville's offense was also terrific, led by Christian Koss' big day. Franchy Cordero (pictured) had a monster game in Worcester's blowout win, while Salem put up 13 runs and got a great outing from Shane Drohan in the first of their two wins. Marcelo Mayer also belted another home run for the FCL Sox in their rain-shorted win. 

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 2

Franchy Cordero led Worcester's 10-run attack, going 3 for 4 with a double, a home run, and two walks. He scored three times and drove in four, and raised his Worcester OPS to .909. The Sox took 11 walks in this one, with Joey Meneses and Josh Ockimey each picking up a single, a double, and a pair of free passes. Grant Williams also had a big night with two hits, including a triple, a walk, and three RBI. Alex Claudio started on the mound and surrendered two runs in three innings, striking out three and not allowing a free pass. Seth Blair and Zack Kelly each had dominant relief outings, with Blair striking out four in three shutout innings and Kelly tossing two hitless innings with three strikeouts. Jose Adames closed it out with a scoreless ninth. 

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Podcast Ep. #224: A weekend in Greenville

With 8 members of the MLB club on the COVID-related IL, what better way to replace the negative with some positive than listening to the fruits of Ian's trip to Greenvile? Want the goods on Nick Yorke, Jay Groome, and the rest of a solid Drive team? Look no further. In addition, the guys did discuss the situation in Boston (well, St. Pete) and the news of the past week, including the promotions of the likes of Groome, Jeremy Wu-Yelland, and a number of 2021 draftees. Listen in!

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August Players of the Month: Nick Yorke and Raynel Espinal

August was a month that saw the bats run hot while the pitching went a bit cold. Even with 14 regulars posting an OPS over .850, Nick Yorke still blew away the competition on the position player front. Raynel Espinal saw his great month culminate with a cup of coffee with the Red Sox as the 29-year-old right-hander made his major league debut. 

Yorke easily paced the system in hits, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS. The 19-year-old finished the month with a final line of .414/.500/.816 between Salem and Greenville. He totaled nine home runs, 27 RBI, and had the same amount of walks as strikeouts (14). Even more impressive is that he did this while being promoted in the middle of the month. He hit .419/.513/.839 in 16 games with Salem and then hit .400/.464/.760 in six games with Greenville. Baseball America recently ranked Yorke as the 99th best prospect in baseball. SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall also saw Yorke in August and said that Yorke "is one of the most advanced teenage hitters in the system in some time." His .483 OPS in May caused many people to write him off too quickly, and he now has a 1.091 OPS over the last three months. 

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Cup of Coffee: Yorke notches three more hits; Mieses paces WooSox

9/2 Cup of Coffee: The system has reached the point of the season where they play either 10 games in a day or two. After Tuesday's epic slate, the team had only two games on Wednesday with Portland and Salem both victims of the rain along the east coast. Worcester picked up a comeback victory led by Johan Mieses (pictured), while Greenville dropped its contest despite continued hot hitting from Nick Yorke. 

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3

Despite a roster depleted by all the recent calls to the major league club, the WooSox came through with a come-from-behind victory. Down by one heading into the ninth inning, a Jhonny Pereda bases-loaded double brought home two runs. Johan Mieses blasted a two-run homer in the seventh that got Worcester on the board. Mieses would later walk and score on the Pereda double. Grant Williams and Franchy Cordero had two hits apiece, with Cordero contributing a double and scoring a pair. Starter Daniel Gossett was solid, allowing one run on four hits in five innings, striking out two, and walking one. Eduard Bazardo continued his rehab with two innings of work, allowing one run. Durbin Feltman surrendered a home run in the eighth that broke a 2-2 tie but got credit for the win as Worcester took the lead that he secured with a perfect ninth.

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Scout Chatter: Eduardo Vaughan, Freddy Valdez, Miguel Ugueto and more

The Red Sox Florida Coast League and Dominican Summer League teams are in full swing and it's time for another Scout Chatter with reports we've received on those affiliates. The data we’ve collected will be up on the News Page for your reading pleasure before we use it to update player page scouting reports, so forgive any inconsistencies until that point. Today, we focus on the outfielders from the Red Sox Florida Coast League team. 

Another player who has impressed scouts in the FCL is 19-year-old outfielder Eduardo Vaughan. Vaughan signed back in July 2018 out of Panaman and has one of the system’s most projectable frames in the low minors. He is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, and still has room to fill out. Vaughan already shows plus raw power, his best tool at present. He has three home runs on the year in the FCL and is hitting .221/.365/.412. His hit tool and approach are still works in progress, and his swing is on the long side, but his hands are quick. Vaughan has shown the willingness to take a walk as well, with 15 to just 17 strikeouts in 85 plate appearances. He is a fringe-average runner right now and will likely get slower as he matures, but he has a good arm and a typical right field profile. Vaughan is the quintessential high-risk, high-reward prospect; he’s got some very loud tools, but has a long way to go developmentally and a wide gap between what he is now and what he could be in the future. 

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