Fort Report: Singing a Song of spring

 

After two years of COVID-interrupted spring training followed by the 2022 lockout, 2023 has been the first traditional spring training in four years. The SoxProspects.com team is back with the weekly notes edition, kicking off with the spring training Fort Report. Games got started on Friday with a matchup against Northeastern University, and will continue throughout the month of March.

The one who got away (but might come back)

The biggest news of the past several days has been from outside of Red Sox camp. Rule 5 pick Noah Song (pictured) was transferred from his Navy commitment, freeing him to join camp with the Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Hatfield and Ian Cundall went into depth on the situation on the most recent SoxProspects.com podcast, but a brief review: Song impressed at Lowell after the Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, but his petition for a waiver from his previous commitment to flight school was denied, putting his baseball career on hold. The right-hander, having not thrown a pitch in over 3 years, was taken by the Phillies in the major league Rule 5 draft in December. The Red Sox would have had the option of adding Song to the 40-man roster and then placing him on the Military List, freeing up that spot, but upon his return he would have had only a 15-day rehab assignment before the team would have needed to start using that spot on a player who is several years removed from pitching and had not even reached full-season ball. 

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 30-26

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#30: Tyler McDonough, 2B/OF 

2022 Teams: Greenville

Final Stats: 517 PA, .230/.311/.357, 36 XBH, 21 SB, 9.3 BB%, 31.3 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Small frame with minimal remaining projection. Surprisingly strong for his size. Above-average athlete.

Hit: Switch hitter. Starts open with his hands high. Utilizes a leg kick timing device. Quick hands, has bat speed. Swing can get long and out of sync. Average zone contact and chase rates. Has a decent amount of swing-and-miss in his game, mainly against breaking balls down and fastballs with good velocity up. Needs to improve his quality of contact and improve his approach. Bat will be tested against more advanced pitching. Potential below-average hit tool.

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Podcast Ep. #274: The Same Old Song

Surprise, surprise: Noah Song has returned to baseball. Never mind that he's technically a Philadelphia Phillie now, as the news lit up our timelines and required a deep dive into the likelihood Song sticks, returns to the Red Sox, or perhaps winds up elsewhere was necessary. Plus, Fangraphs dropped its Top 100 list with a noteworthy placement of Miguel Bleis, the Sox made some smaller signings, and there were some news and notes from camp. Plus, your emails!

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 35-31

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#35: Alex Binelas, 1B/3B 

2022 Teams: Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 500 PA, .206/.307/.438, 20 2B, 25 HR, 12.6 BB%, 29.4 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Filled-out, sturdy frame. Strong. Minimal remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square with a slight toe tap timing device. Quiet swing mechanics. Swing is more strength-based. Swing can get long and has considerable swing-and-miss in his game. Will take a walk. Solid plate discipline. Misses a lot of pitches in the zone, especially elevated fastballs at 94+ mph. Development of his hit tool will be key in determining future success. Potential well below-average hit tool.

Power: Natural loft in swing. Can drive the ball with authority to all fields. Hits the ball very hard and produces impressive exit velocities. Plus-to-better raw power. In-game power potential is tied to hit tool development.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 40-36

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#40: Stephen Scott, C 

2022 Teams: Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 410 PA, .219/.346/.377, 19 2B, 10 HR, 16.1 BB%, 19 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Short, sturdy frame. Very strong, stocky build. No remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square and utilizes a short, leg lift timing device. Average bat speed, smooth swing. Direct to the ball, keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. Has swing-and-miss in his game, but also will take a walk. Knows the strike zone and has some feel for recognizing spin. Potential fringe-average hit tool.

Power: Above-average raw power. Average game power. Can lift the ball and drive it with some authority, especially to the pull side.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 45-41

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#45: Luis Ravelo, SS 

2022 Teams: FCL and Salem

Final Stats: 153 PA, .197/.303/.265, 12.4 BB%, 25.5 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Athletic frame with lots of projection. Has developed physically after signing, but still needs to add considerable strength

Hit: Starts open with a leg kick timing device. Bat drags due to lack of strength. Hands need to get quicker and needs to shorten swing, Swing is more fluid from the left side. Rough approach, has a long way to go, especially against off-speed pitches. Really struggles to recognize them and is often caught out in front.

Power: Lacks the ability to impact the baseball right now. Has the frame that could grow into power as he matures.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 50-46

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#50: Eduardo Lopez, OF 

2022 Teams: Salem

Final Stats: 332 PA, .234/.325/.332 with 4 HR, 9 SB, 10.8% BB, 23.5% K

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Medium, athletic build. Lots of projection remaining. Needs to add strength.

Hit: Switch hitter. Small toe tap timing device. From the left side, wrists start at chin level, coming down on approach. Wrists start lower from the right side. Swing can be inconsistent at times, but at its best is smooth with a good weight transfer from back to front. Solid approach for his age. Knows the strike zone and is selective. Will take a walk, but can get overly passive at times. Struggles with velocity right now due to lack of strength. Has struggled from the right side early in his pro career. Potential average hit tool.

Power: Below-average present in-game power. Swing is more geared towards hard line drives in the gap. Shows some pop in batting practice. Potential fringe-average in-game power if he fills out his frame.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 55-51

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#55: Hunter Dobbins, RHP 

2022 Teams: Salem

Final Stats: 69 IP, 5.22 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 68 K, 22 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Greenville 

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Medium, athletic frame with projection remaining.

Mechanics: Throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the first base side of the rubber. Medium-to-high leg left. High-effort delivery. Arm is short behind and quick forward. Hides the ball well behind. Falls off hard toward first base.

Fastball: 91-94 mph. Tops out at 96 mph. Velocity increased to where he was touching 98 mph in fall 2020 and February 2021 before getting injured during preseason scrimmages. During 2020 season, sat in the low-90s, topping out at 94. Sometimes pitch will show natural cut. Potential average pitch.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 60-56

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is near! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#60: Victor Santos, RHP

Age: 22

2022 Teams: Portland and Worcester

2022 Stats: 145 IP, 4.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 126 K, 34 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Worcester

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick pitcher's frame. Filled out; no remaining projection.

Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the first base side of the rubber. Quick, medium-height leg kick with a long arm swing behind. Some effort in delivery. Repeats delivery well.

Fastball: 90-92 mph. Tops out at 93 mph. Primarily throws sinkers, but will mix in four-seamers also. Fastball velocity ticked up slightly early in 2021, but returned back to the 90-92 mph range as the season went on. Above-average control. Potential for above-average command. Lacks bat-missing ability, more designed to pitch to contact. Potential below-average offering.

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Podcast Ep. #273: The one where we talk about a blacksmith

Camp is close. The guys can smell it. But in the meantime, the Red Sox made some more deals, sending Matt Barnes and Franklin German off and getting Richard Bleier and Theo Denlinger in return. Plus, Kiley McDaniel and Keith Law released their Top 100 lists and organizational rankings, a new crop of NRIs was announced, we made some tweaks to our own rankings, and of course, your emails!

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Gudino, Padron-Artiles set to play in Caribbean Series

Another winter ball season is effectively in the books, which means the 2023 Caribbean Series is almost upon us. The Red Sox will be well represented in the international tournament, as recently signed infielder Edwin Diaz will play for Puerto Rico, Norwith Gudino will play for Venezuela, and Yusniel Padron-Artiles (pictured) will play for Panama.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

After signing a minor-league deal with the Red Sox two weeks ago, infielder Edwin Diaz has been added to Puerto Rico's roster for the upcoming Caribbean Series in Venezuela. The right-handed hitting 27-year-old was named LBPRC MVP after batting .229/375/.418 with eight homers and 29 RBI over 48 games (192 plate appearances) for the Criollos de Caguas this winter. Former Red Sox minor leaguers Alan Marrero and Jeremy Rivera are also on Puerto Rico's roster. 

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