SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 20-11

Today we move into our top 20, featuring several players who had standout seasons in 2022. Five players in this group were recognized as SoxProspects.com All-Stars, including Niko Kavadas (pictured) and Eddinson Paulino. The Salem Red Sox are also very well represented in today's edition, with seven of the ten players having played some or all of their 2022 seasons there.

If you missed the first two segments of this series, make sure to check prospects 60 to 31 from Monday, and yesterday's 30 to 21 edition. 

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20. Niko Kavadas

Preseason Rank: 46

2022 Stats: 120 games, 515, PA, .280/.443/.547, 26 HR, 102 BB, 152 K @ Salem, Greenville, and Portland

In June, Kavadas had what was probably the best offensive month in the 20-year history of this site. He hit .377/.524/.951 with 10 home runs over 19 games with Salem, earning a promotion to Greenville. Instead of an adjustment period, he proceeded to go 9 for 19 with four home runs in six games. He homered in five consecutive games and in 11 of 15 between the two levels. An August assignment to Portland was a more difficult transition. While he continued to work deep counts and draw walks, he hit just .222 with two home runs and 40 strikeouts against the more advanced competition. Some fatigue would be understandable, but continuing to hit will be key to his propsect status. As a first base-only player, Kavadas will need to rake. Given how he did so at Notre Dame and in continued to at Class A, that's certainly not out of the question.

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 30-21

Welcome to day two of our SoxProspects.com end-of-season countdown! Following yesterday's recap of prospects 31 through 60, we now move forward in groups of ten. This group features a pair of 2022 draftees, as well as two potential key 2023 bullpen pieces in Zack Kelly (pictured) and Franklin German.

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30. Brooks Brannon

Preseason Rank: NA; 2022 ninth-round pick

2022 Stats: 5 games, 15 PA, 6 for 13, 2 3B, 5 RBI @ FCL

Brannon, Boston's ninth-round pick in July, got an overslot $712,000 bonus to sign him away from a commitment to Chapel Hill. He put up video-game type numbers as a high school senior, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 91 in 34 games, posting a 1.330 slugging percentage. As he moves to the professional ranks, the question becomes whether he can stick at catcher. If he can, the power potential is obviously huge. If he can't, he'll be in a position where the offensive bar is quite a bit higher. 

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 60-31

Welcome to our official SoxProspects.com season end rankings. Our first segment details those ranked from 31 to 60. It is a group that includes several prominent prospects, including recent 40-man addition David Hamilton (pictured), international bonus baby Freili Encarnacion, and Meatball Gangster-turned-Fall Star Stephen Scott. The group also includes 13 players who were not ranked at the start of the season: two 2022 draft picks, one player acquired in a trade, and 10 previously unranked players who have played their way onto the list.

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Graduating: Connor Wong

Preseason Rank: 27

Final Rank: 11

2022 Stats: 355 PA, .288/.349/.489, 15 HR, 27 BB, 80 K at Triple-A Worcester; 56 PA, .188/.273/.313 in majors

-Wong did not reach the 130 at-bat threshold, but exceeded the service time limit for rookie eligibility. After a slow start at Worcester, Wong heated up with the weather, hitting the ball with more authority on his way to SoxProspects.com and International League Player of the Month honors in August. He also has earned a reputation as someone pitchers enjoy throwing too, a trait that puts him in the conversation as part of the major league club's catching mix in 2023.

60. Jacob Webb

Preseason Rank: 56

2022 Stats: 44 games, 56 2/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 88 K, 28 BB @ Salem, Greenville, and Portland

-The 6-foot-5 right-hander had a strong first full season after being drafted in the 14th round in 2021. Webb led the organization with 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings, earning a ticket to the Arizona Fall League.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Lugo blasts three home runs, Rafaela swipes three bases

The action continued this week, with several prospects seeing playing ttime for their clubs. A power surge from Matthew Lugo (pictured) was the highlight in Puerto Rico, while Victor Santos returned to game action in the Dominican. Darwinzon Hernandez finally had a blemish in Venezuela, and Ceddanne Rafaela used his legs to contribute offensively. 

Dominican Professional Baseball League

Victor Santos had the flu and missed almost two weeks of action. He returned on Tuesday and allowed a solo home run to Starlin Castro while striking out three over two innings. He was roughed up in his second appearance, allowing two runs on four hits in one inning. He recorded one out in his third appearance while allowing a hit and a walk. Neither runner came in to score. Franklin German appeared in two games, allowing one run over two innings with one strikeout. His ERA sits at just 2.19 over 12 1/3 innings. 

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Podcast Ep. #266: '22 in Review, pt. 3, upper-minors hitting

After a slow week (the Joely Rodriguez signing and Joy Park trade happened after we recorded...), the guys got back to the '22 in Review series, looking at the biggest stories in Triple-A and Double-A among the system's position players. There were ups and downs, and the guys had thoughts, per usual. Plus a quick check-in on the foreign winter leagues (oh hello, Darwinzon...).

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Podcast Ep. #265: Rule 5 Protection Deadline 2022

There may not be a nerdier baseball day than the Rule 5 protection deadline, and here we are again, with the Red Sox giving Chris and Ian some good fodder for discussion. Why David Hamilton? Why not Thaddeus Ward? The guys discussed that and more, plus, as always, your emails!

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Scouting Scratch: Red Sox 2022 Rule 5 Preview

By 6:00 p.m. tonight, the Red Sox must decide which prospects to add to their 40-man roster to protect them from selection in the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled for December 7.

Currently, the 40-man roster is at 37 players, and if necessary, players such as Caleb Hamilton, Yu Chang, and Jake Reed can be removed from the roster in order to create more space. The Red Sox also have to make non-tender decisions by Friday, so if they know they are non-tendering someone like Franchy Cordero, Ryan Brasier, or Josh Taylor, for example, they could choose to open a spot by making that move today. 

Here is a short list of players who are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft and one man's opinion regarding their likelihood of being added to the roster.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: AFL season ends, Rafaela debuts in Puerto Rico

The 2022 Arizona Fall League season came to a close over the weekend, as the Surprise Saguaros defeated the Glendale Desert Dogs by a final score of 1-0 in Saturday's championship game. The Scottsdale Scorpions, with eight Red Sox prospects on their roster, saw their season come to a close on Thursday after failing to qualify for the AFL playoffs. Elsewhere, Ceddanne Rafaela (pictured) made his Puerto Rican Winter League debut in Caguas on Sunday.

 

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Arizona Fall League

In the final week of the AFL regular season, Niko Kavadas went 1 for 7 with one RBI, one walk, and three strikeouts over two games. Wilyer Abreu and Stephen Scott each got into one game and went a combined 0 for 6 with three strikeouts and two walks between them. Nick Yorke did not appear in a game for Scottsdale. Kavadas finishes the fall with a slash line of .239/.417/.435 to go along with two home runs and six RBIs in 15 games. Abreu, meanwhile, batted just .167/.275/.204 with two doubles and 10 RBIs in 17 games. Scott and Yorke were named AFL Fall Stars last week. The former slashed .298/.394/.614 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 15 games. The latter hit .342/.424/.526 with two home runs and a league-best 18 RBIs in 19 games. 

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Podcast Ep. #264: Igniting the hot stove

The 2022 season is officially in the books, so it's time to preview what may become the defining offseason of Chaim Bloom's tenure as CBO of the Red Sox. Chris and Ian previewed all of the key dates this offseason, looked at the holes in the roster and how the team might go about filling them, who the team is likely to protect from selection in the Rule 5 Draft, and more. Plus, a brief check-in on fall/winter league action, and as always, your emails! (Note: We apologize for the delay in releasing the episode, caused by technical issues the day after we recorded.)

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Kavadas, Yorke, and Scott homer in Arizona

With the league in Puerto Rico starting this past weekend, more players are starting to see playing time. It was a full week in Arizona that included a Home Run Derby and All-Star game, while games continued in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Thad Ward returned from injury, while Tristin Casas is close to returning.

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Arizona Fall League 

Boston's contingent in the AFL put their best foot forward in the penultimate week of the season. Niko Kavadas (pictured) hit his first two home runs while going 3 for 10 with a double, walk, and five strikeouts. Nick Yorke returned to action after missing a few games with wrist discomfort. He went 6 for 15 with a home run, a double, a steal, and three RBI. Stephen Scott went 1 for 7 but did hit another home run and walked twice while driving in three runs. Wilyer Abreu saw limited action, going 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. 

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