Podcast Ep. #277: From the backfields to the real thing

What a time to be alive: The boys are back from the Fort and have plenty of observations to relay as the minor league season approaches. Meanwhile, plenty has been happening with the major league club as the Red Sox set their opening day roster. So yeah, there was plenty to discuss. Like two hours' worth. Buckle up!

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Fort Report: Opening Day on the doorstep

Opening Day for the big league club is on Thursday, which means the season for the affiliates isn't far behind! Welcome to the final Fort Report before camp breaks and the full-season affiliates head north to start 2023.

Bobby Dalbec optioned

The first baseman will begin 2023 about 40 miles west from where he would have liked, as the Red Sox optioned him to Worcester on Monday. Dalbec has struggled with inconsistency at the plate since arriving in Boston in 2020, with heavy doses of swing-and-miss in his game blunting his potential to hit 30 home runs in a season at his peak. The 27-year old had a .959 OPS in 80 at-bats in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but has still struck out at a clip of greater than 34 percent in his major league career. At-bats may be difficult to come by with the presence of Triston Casas and Justin Turner in the middle of the lineup.

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Fort Report: Jiménez homers off Rays ace McClanahan as part of busy week

The last full week of spring training is upon us, which means the penultimate Fort Report of the year is here. With a record of 12-8-4, the Red Sox have just eight Grapefruit League games remaining on their schedule before Opening Day arrives on March 30. Here is a rundown of things that have happened over the last seven or so days:

 

Rodriguez strains right oblique

On Monday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that left-hander Joely Rodriguez had ben diagnosed with a Grade 2 right oblique strain. Rodriguez injured his right side in Saturday's game against the Orioles and will now start the season on the injured list. If Boston looks externally for another left-handed bullpen option to pair with Richard Bleier, Cora identified Oddanier Mosqueda and Ryan Sherriff as two possibilities.

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Podcast Ep. #276: Rankings Jamboree with Jim Callis and Alex Speier

Yeah, you read that right. Two guests. Four people. One podcast. Because YOU DEMANDED IT (or at least you would have if you'd thought of it). We got MLB.com's Jim Callis and the Boston Globe's Alex Speier on the show at the same time for a roundtable discussion on the state of the system, our respective rankings, how that process has changed over the years, and more!

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Marcelo Mayer

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 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. 

#1 Marcelo Mayer, SS 

2022 Teams: Salem and Greenville

Final Stats: 424 PA, .280/.399/.489, 30 2B, 13 HR, 16 BB%, 25.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Tall, athletic frame. Loose and projectable with room to add strength as he physically matures. Likely to add good weight upon being introduced to a professional strength and conditioning program. Looks the part.

Hit: Starts open and vertical with his hands high. Quiet load with a very short leg lift. Fluid swing with strong feel for hit. Quick hands. Plus bat speed. Very impressive bat control. Ball jumps off his bat and has already shown the ability to turn on velocity. Knows the strike zone and has strong bat-to-ball skills. Advanced approach for a high school hitter. Will use all fields and does not try to do too much at the plate. Potential plus hit tool.

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Fort Report: Mayer and Bleis debut; SoxProspects heads south

It was another exciting week down in Fort Myers with a few top prospects seeing MLB action for the first time. Both Marcelo Mayer and Miguel Bleis (pictured) gave fans a glimpse of their talent, while Eddinson Paulino did his best to put his name on the map. 

Staff arriving in Fort Myers

A SoxProspects.com contingent will be arriving in Fort Myers on Tuesday (weather permitting) and will stay through Monday. They will be providing frequent updates on Twitter throughout the week. Those without Twitter can follow along on the Twitter List on the right side of the home page. 

Chris and Ian released a podcast late last week to go over their early thoughts on MLB camp. One of the key players discussed was Jarren Duran who has looked good in limited action this spring. 

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Miguel Bleis and Triston Casas

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 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. 

#3 Miguel Bleis, OF 

2022 Teams: FCL

Final Stats: 167 PA, .301/.353/.542, 14 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 6 BB%, 26.9 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report 

Physical Description: Tall, athletic frame with lots of remaining projection. Looks the part, has the room to add strength without impacting his athleticism.

Hit: Starts slightly open with his hands high. Some pre-pitch hand movement, but consistently ends up in a good hitting position. Utilizes a toe-tap timing device. Good separation in his swing. Quick hands, plus bat speed. Fluid swing. Makes a lot of contact on pitches in the zone and has had no problems with velocity early in his career. Will work counts and has some feel for the strike zone, but still in the early stages of developing his approach. Does expand the zone against quality offspeed pitches, but has shown a willingness to take a walk. When he gets ahead in the count, is aggressive, hunting fastballs he can hit. Ball makes a different sound when he squares it up. Will go to all fields and hits the ball extremely hard for someone his age and is already producing major league-quality exit velocities as a teenager. Still has a ways to go in developing his approach, but shows the raw tools to develop an above-average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Nick Yorke and Ceddanne Rafaela

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 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. 

#5 Nick Yorke, 2B 

2022 Teams: Greenville

Final Stats: 373 PA, .231/.303/.365, 10 2B, 11 HR, 8.8 BB%, 25.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Sturdy frame. Filled out for his age. Thick lower half. Lost 25 pounds between his draft year and first full pro season. Some remaining projection, mainly in his upper body, and could stand to add some strength.

Hit: Typically has started open with his hands by his chest. In 2022 Arizona Fall League, experimented with starting with his hands up and bat pointed behind him before getting to the same load position. Utilizes a slight leg lift timing device. Advanced hit tool. Strong feel for hit. Has bat speed and a very fluid, compact swing. Two-handed finish. Good barrel control. Advanced approach for his age. Willing to use all fields, but did get pull happy in 2022 at times as he tinkered with his mechanics. Good separation in his swing. Makes good swing decisions and rarely expands the zone. Consistently makes solid contact. Has shown the ability to turn on velocity up in the zone already. Potential plus hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Mikey Romero and Bryan Mata

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. 

#7 Mikey Romero, SS 
2022 Teams: FCL and Salem
Final Stats: 87 PA, .304/.368/.506, 11 XBH, 9.2 BB%, 17.2 K%
2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report 

Physical Description: Athletic frame with some remaining projection. Not overly physical and could stand to add strength and fill out.

Hit: Starts slightly open with his hands high. Very smooth and controlled swing. Has bat speed. Limited stride. Really good hands. Seen as one of the most advanced high school hitters in the draft class. Good pitch recognition and advanced approach for his age. Makes a lot of contact and hits the ball hard. Potential above-average hit tool.

Power: Wide range of opinions on his power ability. Needs to add strength and swing right now is designed more for hard line drives than over-the-fence power. Potential fringe-average game power.

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Podcast Ep. #275: Early MLB camp thoughts

With about two weeks of MLB spring training games in the books, Chris and Ian had plenty to discuss. Is Jarren Duran really really turning it around this time? Is Triston Casas going to... lead off? How good do some of the young arms look? Who will has the inside shot at the last few roster spots? They answered these questions and more. Plus, the guys discussed Baseball America ranking the Sox system 10th in the game, bid adieu to Kole Cottam, and of course, responded to your emails!

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Roman Anthony and Brandon Walter

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 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. 

#9 Roman Anthony, OF 

2022 Teams: FCL and Salem

Final Stats: 83 PA, .306/.374/.361, 4 2B, 10.8 BB%, 9.6 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Tall, projectable frame. Looks the part. Has the frame to support added muscle as he physically matures.

Hit: Starts open with his hands high. Uses an abbreviated leg kick that he gets down early. Good separation in his swing. Smooth uppercut bat path with a two-hand finish. Good bat speed, makes very hard contact. Utilizes his lower half efficiently and really rotates through the hips. Pitch recognition and ability to hit velocity are question marks right now. In the early stages of developing an approach.

Power: Plus-to-better raw power. Very impressive raw power. Has a swing designed to drive the ball with loft and backspin and has shown the ability to hit the ball 400-plus feet. Plus power potential.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Eddinson Paulino and Luis Perales

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 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. 

#11 Eddinson Paulino, IF 

2022 Teams: Salem 

Final Stats: 539 PA, .266/.359/.469, 35 2B, 10 3B, 13 HR, 11.9 BB%, 19.5 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Undersized and skinny at present. Solid athlete with good hand-eye coordination. Frame has room to support added strength, but will never be overly physical.

Hit: Swing mechanics work. Contact-oriented swing with a level bat path. Average bat speed at present and good bat control. Covers the plate well and has a decent approach for his age. Does not miss much in zone, but will expand, especially against secondary pitches. Advanced bat control leads him to make a lot of weak contact on pitches that he struggles to drive. Shows substantial platoon splits already. Potential average hit tool against right-handed pitchers and below-average against left-handers.

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Fort Report: Casas, prospects, lead Sox to 7-0 spring start

The Fort Report continues this week, as the first full week of games has come to an end. The Red Sox are off to a hot start with seven wins and no losses, with many youngsters making positive contributions. 

Casas leading the way

SoxProspects.com's second-ranked prospect, Triston Casas (pictured), has jumped out to a fantastic start this spring, going 6 for 15 (.400) with two home runs and a 1.238 OPS. Both of his home runs have come off of left-handed pitchers, which is a great sign. Casas struggled against lefties in 2022 at both the minor and major league levels, with OPS' of .619 and .611, respectively, with no home runs. 

Other top prospects showing off their talent

Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez, the two prospects acquired last summer in the Christian Vazquez trade, have both hit the ball well over this first week. Abreu is 4 for 12 with a double, a home run, and a pair of walks, while Valdez has just three hits but a long home run is included. Jarren Duran is also swinging a great bat, with three hits in six at-bats, including two doubles and a home run. He is using the opposite field very well, as all of his hits have gone to left field. Ceddanne Rafaela also has four hits and three RBI on the young season, while catcher Caleb Hamilton is 4 for 6 with a double and a homer so far. 

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Chris Murphy and Wikelman Gonzalez

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 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. 

#13 Chris Murphy, LHP 

2022 Teams: Portland and Worcester

Final Stats: 152 IP, 4.03 ERA, 1.283 WHIP, 149 K, 72 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Worcester

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Athletic frame with minimal remaining projection. Looks bigger than listed height and weight. Average lower half, medium build.

Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot, starting on the third base side of the rubber. Takes two small steps before a medium leg kick. Drives towards the plate with a big stride and gets good extension. Left leg kicks up on follow-through. Can tend to fall off towards third base post-delivery. Quick, compact arm action. Slight arm hook with some effort behind. Does not consistently finish delivery and can lose release point at times.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Blaze Jordan and Matthew Lugo

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 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. 

#15 Blaze Jordan, CIF 

2022 Teams: Salem and Greenville

Final Stats: 521 PA, .289/.363/.445, 30 2B, 12 HR, 9.2 BB%, 18 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick, physically mature frame. Minimal remaining projection. Will have to watch his body as he gets older. Lost weight and did a much better job maintaining his conditioning as he got older in high school.

Hit: Starts square and utilizes a quick leg kick timing device. Mature approach for his age. Has bat speed. Takes a second to get going, but has quick hands and really whips his hips through during his swing. Natural feel for hit and will make pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Approach is a work in progress. Chases too often, especially against changeups. Has had trouble making contact against better pitching and against velocity, especially when up in the zone. Will always have swing-and-miss in his game. Has struggled with velocity in the mid-90s and higher as far back as the 2020 Fall Instructional League, but showed some improvement against velocity after 2022 promotion to Greenville. Potential average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 20-16

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. 

#20 Niko Kavadas, 1B 

2022 Teams: Salem, Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 524 PA, .276/.437/.545, 25 2B, 27 HR, 19.5 BB%, 30.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick, sturdy frame. Well built, strong. Minimal remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square with his hands high towards the middle of his body. Big leg kick timing device and brings hands down below his back shoulder before coming back up and toward the ball. Strength-based, uppercut swing designed to put the ball in the air. Average bat speed. Produces excellent exit velocities. Advanced approach. Knows the strike zone and will take a walk. Has swing-and-miss in his game within the strike zone. Struggles against left-handed pitchers and has had notable platoon splits early in his career. How he controls swing-and-miss will go a long way to determining the level to which his hit tool develops. Potential fringe-average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 25-21

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. 

#25: Brooks Brannon, C 

2022 Teams: FCL Red Sox

Final Stats: 15 PA, .462/.533/.846, 3 XBH, 13.3 BB%, 33.3 K%, 105.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Stocky, thick frame. Catcher's build with a sturdy lower half. Pretty close to maxed out physically.

Hit: Starts square with his hands high. Brief leg lift timing device. Gets his whole body into his swing. Swing has some length. Approach and pitch recognition need work. There are questions about how he will handle premium velocity as he was not exposed to it much as an amateur. When he makes contact, hits the ball very hard and has recorded high exit velocities.

Power: Plus raw power. Has shown the ability to hit the ball a long way, especially to the pull side.

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