Cup of Coffee: Rafaela makes Worcester debut; Coffey, Blalock shine on the mound

6/30 Cup of Coffee: The organization got excellent pitching on a busy night on the farm. Isaac Coffey (pictured) and Bradley Blalock both turned in strong starts to earn their first wins at Portland and Greenville, respectively. Wyatt Olds showed signs of getting on track, going five shutout innings without a walk in his FCL reset. Worcester welcomed Ceddanne Rafaela and swept its doubleheader, while Salem took the only stateside loss of the day.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 5, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 2 (Game 1)

Thursday's opener finally saw the Triple-A debut of Ceddanne Rafaela, whose WooSox introduction was pushed back by Wednesday's rainout. Rafaela led off and got the start in center field, and while he went 0 for 4, he would return to make an impact in the nightcap. Niko Goodrum blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning and drew a pair of walks. Kyle Barraclough picked up his second win in two starts since joining the WooSox, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings, striking out two, and walking two. Brandon Nail went two shutout innings for the save. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Decker leads Greenville power surge; Paez tosses five scoreless for Salem

6/29 Cup of Coffee: With the Florida Complex and Dominican Summer League squads off and Worcester and Portland both postponed, Greenville and Salem were the only affiliates in action on Wednesday. Behind home runs from Nick Decker (pictured), Bryan Gonzalez, Brainer Bonaci, and Roman Anthony, the Drive opened the second half of their season with a win. The same can be said for the Red Sox, who received a strong start from Jedixson Paez and offensive contributions from Enderso Lira and Juan Chacon, among others.

-----

Worcester Red Sox, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) (PPD)

Ceddanne Rafaela's Triple-A debut will have to wait another day. Worcester's second-half opener against Buffalo was postponed due to unplayable field conditions at Sahlen Field. The contest will be made up as part of a single-admission seven-inning doubleheader beginning at 5:35 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Salazar and Garcia lead FCL Sox to a win

6/28 Cup of Coffee: It was just the FCL and DSL teams for the second straight night, as the full-season affiliates are off at the midway point. Johnfrank Salazar (pictured) and Johanfran Garcia each had big days for the FCL Sox in their win, while Wandy Abreu and Odbed Balderas delivered good outings on the mound. Yoeilin Cespedes also continued his great season. 

-----

FCL Red Sox 6, FCL Rays 1

Johnfrank Salazar and Johanfran Garcia led the offense, as they each went 3 for 4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Garcia raised his OPS to 1.103 in the process. Marvin Alcantara also reached twice with a single and a walk, leading to a couple of runs scored. Mikey Romero added an RBI single. Wandy Abreu was terrific to start this game, tossing the first four innings without allowing a run. He struck out four and walked just one. Francis Hernandez was great out of the bullpen with three scoreless frames of his own with three strikeouts. Garrett Ramsey finished it off with three strikeouts in a hitless ninth inning. 

-----

DSL Cubs Blue 3, DSL Red Sox Blue 2

The Sox started 16-year-old Obed Balderas on the mound and he pitched well. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings with three strikeouts and two walks. His ERA is 2.03 in four appearances so far. Jose Martinez followed him and was tremendous, punching out five in three scoreless innings. At the plate, Yoeilin Cespedes raised his batting average to .354 on the year with a 3-for-4 performance. Yoiber Ruiz and Frederik Jimenez each reached base twice with a single and a walk. 

-----

DSL Cubs Red 11, DSL Red Sox Red 6

Albert Chalas had a great day at the bottom of the order, going 3 for 4 with a pair of triples and an RBI. Yohander Linarez also picked up a single and a double while knocking in two runs. Jancel Santana was productive without recording a base hit, walking a couple of times, stealing a base, driving in a run, and scoring twice. Gilberto Batista surrendered four runs (three earned) over four innings, but had a very impressive seven strikeouts and no walks. Oscar Sanchez struck out three over 1 2/3 innings, but allowed a couple of runs. 

-----

Player of the Day: Johnfrank Salazar gets the nod over Johanfran Garcia, even though they each had identical days at the plate. Salazar gets a bonus for catching the whole game. Salazar is a 19-year-old who was signed as an international free agent in August of 2019. He is hitting .341/.375/.545 with seven extra-base hits in 11 games so far in 2023 for the FCL Sox.

Photo Credit: Johnfrank Salazar by Kelly O'Connor

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Rafaela promoted to Worcester; three prospects attending Futures Game

It was another week of promotions, highlighted by Ceddanne Rafaela's (pictured, right) reported call-up to Worcester. Elsewhere a breakout pitching prospect won Pitcher of the Week honors after being promoted to Salem, and Boston's top pick in the 2022 draft made his season debut. 

Donation Drive

The SoxProspects.com Donation Drive is live! The site is ad-supported, but these do not cover IT costs and, more importantly, travel costs for first-hand scouting trips. We want to keep the site free and rely on donations to keep it free. The drive is now live through August 1!

Podcast Episode #284

Chris and Ian released a new episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast, where they discussed certain players they are higher or lower on than the fanbase. The players discussed in detail include Rafaela, Nick Yorke (pictured, below), Blaze Jordan, and Chase Meidroth. 

Rafaela promoted to Worcester

After 131 games in Portland over two seasons, Rafaela got promoted to Worcester. He had turned things on lately, batting .341/.384/.533 over his last 135 at-bats. After a slow start to the year, he finished with a respectable .294/.332/.441 line in 60 games. He also added 30 steals while continuing to play excellent defense in center field. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: A winless day as Wu-Yelland continues rehab

6/27 Cup of Coffee: It was a winless day in the system, as the full-season affiliates are all off, leaving just the complex league teams in action. It was a tough offensive day in the Dominican Republic, as DSL Blue was shut out and Red could muster only a pair of runs. All may not be lost, as the FCL squad will finish a washed-out game on July 17, but the Red Sox did give up a 5-0 lead after six innings to force a tie going into the ninth. Jeremy Wu-Yelland (pictured) made his second rehab appearance after undergoing Tommy John surgery and got through two innings without incident, while there were just four multi-hit outings between the three teams.

 

-----

FCL Red Sox 7, FCL Orioles 7 (Suspended)

Eight-and-a-half innings weren't enough to separate the Red Sox and Orioles, but the weather would prevent the bottom of the ninth from getting underway. The Red Sox were up 5-0 after six innings, punctuated by a four-run sixth as Armando Sierra and Karim Ayubi, who was the only batter with more than one hit, each had RBI doubles. While the Red Sox added two in the seventh, the Orioles pushed across a pair of their own in the seventh and then five more in the eighth to tie the ballgame before rain caused it to be suspended. The contest will be finished on July 17. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Monegro fans 11 in Salem debut; Anthony's power surge continues

6/26 Cup of Coffee: As word got out that Ceddanne Rafaela had been promoted to Worcester, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 2-2 to close out the first half of the minor-league season on Sunday. Behind home runs from Stephen Scott and Nick Sogard, the WooSox secured a series victory over Lehigh Valley despite losing Shane Drohan to injury. Phillip Sikes also homered for Portland in its loss to Reading. At the lower levels, Roman Anthony and Blaze Jordan both stayed hot for Greenville while Yordanny Monegro (pictured) dazzled to the tune of 11 strikeouts in his Low-A debut for Salem. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 9, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 2

Shane Drohan's eighth start of the season for Worcester was cut short due to an apparent leg cramp. Before leaving the field with a trainer in the top of the fifth, the 24-year-old lefty had impressed by scattering three hits and three walks to go along with one strikeout over four scoreless innings. He finished with 56 pitches (35 strikes) and his injury is not considered to be serious. In relief of Drohan, Chase Shugart picked up the win by allowing one run over two innings. A rehabbing Joely Rodriguez then struck out three in the seventh before Tayler Scott gave up a home run in his WooSox debut and Ryan Fernandez fanned three more in a scoreless ninth inning.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Van Belle shines for Portland; Perales again strong in Salem

6/25 Cup of Coffee: Six teams were in action on Saturday with both high minors and both DSL teams emerging victorious and both Class-A squads dropping their contests. Brian Van Belle (pictured) turned in the day's best start, getting supported by a good day at the plate by Marcelo Mayer. Worcester's bullpen shined in a come-from-behind win, while Luis Perales had another good start in Salem's loss. Greenville fell in a blowout but Friday heroes Eddinson Paulino and Brainer Bonaci both again had big days at the plate.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 8, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 7

The WooSox clawed their way back from an early 7-3 deficit to come away with the victory. The contest was delayed slightly more than two hours due to rain, and the extra time was not a benefit to starter Jake Faria. The veteran righty allowed seven runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. He was bailed out by a bullpen that combined to fire 6 2/3 shutout innings. Taylor Broadway surrendered two hits in 2 2/3, striking out one. The only baserunner allowed by winning pitcher Oddanier Mosqueda in 2 1/3 was on a hit batsman, and he struck out four of the eight batters he faced. AJ Politi went the final 1 2/3 for the save. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Bonaci, Paulino both homer twice; Romero returns

6/24 Cup of Coffee: Friday night on the farm highlighted several of the system's top-20 prospects, particularly for Greenville as Eddinson Paulino (pictured, left) and Brainer Bonaci had huge nights at the plate, Blaze Jordan extended his hitting streak, and Wikelman Gonzalez continued to impress. Mikey Romero returned to the lineup in the FCL, while Hunter Dobbins grabbed the win in his first taste of Double-A. Salem fell despite the effort of Allan Castro, Worcester dropped a slugfest, and the two DSL squads met for their weekly Friday matchup.

-----

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 7, Worcester Red Sox 6

With a depleted roster due to injuries to the major league club, the WooSox comeback effort fell short. Every member of Worcester's lineup reached base at least once, with eight of the nine starters reaching twice or more. Narciso Crook blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning, while Ronaldo Hernandez was 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI. Rio Gomez took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Theo Denlinger was the highlight in the bullpen, giving up just one hit in two scoreless frames, striking out three without issuing a walk.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Binelas goes deep twice, Mayer once in Sea Dogs loss

6/23 Cup of Coffee: It was an even split on Thursday, as all three complex league teams were victorious but each of the three full-season fell. Greenville managed only three hits in a loss but got some help on the scoreboard to clinch a playoff spot.  Portland squandered several opportunities and dropped its fourth straight despite a home run by top prospect Marcelo Mayer and two others off the bat of fellow 2021 first-round pick Alex Binelas (pictured). Johanfran Garcia led the way in Fort Myers with another multi-hit effort.

-----

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 7, Worcester Red Sox 3

With Brandon Walter doing the bulk of the work in the majors on Thursday, Norwith Gudino grabbed the spot start. The veteran right-hander turned in a quality performance, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. Lehigh Valley broke out with a four-run seventh against Taylor Broadway that included a two-run homer by old friend Esteban Quiroz. Niko Goodrum was the highlight at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk, double, stolen base, run scored, and an RBI out of the leadoff slot. Marcus Wilson scored a pair of runs as part of a two-hit night.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Anthony and Mayer homer; Barraclough impresses in WooSox debut

6/22 Cup of Coffee: While David Hamilton made his major-league debut in Minnesota, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-3 on Wednesday. In Worcester, Kyle Barraclough impressed in his organizational debut while Wilyer Abreu had an RBI single in his return to the WooSox lineup. In Portland, Isaac Coffey struggled in his Double-A debut and Marcelo Mayer (pictured) homered in a Sea Dogs loss. Roman Anthony and Alex Erro also left the yard as Greenville got blown out by Bowling Green. Speaking of homers, Franklin Arias hit the first of his professional career down in the Dominican Republic. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 5, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 0

It was a successful organizational debut for Kyle Barraclough at Polar Park on Wednesday night. Signed out of the independent Atlantic League earlier this week, the veteran right-hander scattered one hit and four walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts over six scoreless innings in his first start for the WooSox. Of the 75 pitches he threw, 48 went for strikes. Cam Booser, Chase Shugart, and Andrew Politi preserved the shutout bid by combining for three scoreless frames of relief. For Shugart, it was his first appearance since June 4 after missing the last two-plus weeks with a left oblique strain. 

Read full post ...

Podcast Ep. #284: More About that Guy You Asked About

There are always a handful of guys in a given year we get asked about regularly. "What's up with this guy?", "Why do you have him ranked so high/low?", etc. This episode, we focused on a few of those guys, like Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Yorke, Blaze Jordan and Chase Meidroth. Plus, another round of promotions led by Roman Anthony, and as always, your emails!

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Dalbec homers again, Yorke has huge game

6/21 Cup of Coffee: Nick Yorke (pictured) was on fire despite Portland's loss, picking up four hits. Juan Daniel Encarnacion pitched a great game for the Drive, but was not backed with any run support. Bobby Dalbec also belted a massive homer in Worcester's win. Jeremy Wu-Yelland made his return to the mound as well after a year and a half. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 7, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 5
Niko Goodrum had a big night with a 3-for-3 performance that included his seventh home run of the season, two RBI, and a walk. Bobby Dalbec also absolutely crushed his 18th homer of the season. Daniel Palka added two hits and three RBI. David Hamilton and Enmanuel Valdez were both removed early from the game. According to Katie Morrison-O'Day of MassLive, Valdez came out due to his hand and Hamilton came out just in case he was needed for the big club. Jeremy Walker started and allowed one run on a solo shot in two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Trey Cobb and Jesus Cruz each tossed a scoreless frame, with Cruz punching out two. 

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Jordan on fire; Sox promote three arms

The Red Sox are making a few changes by promoting three pitchers in what was an otherwise quiet week. A Sox pitcher also earns a Player of the Week honor for the third time already this season. 

-----

Transactions

Sox promote Dobbins, Coffey, Blalock

According to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, Hunter Dobbins and Isaac Coffey are being sent up to Portland, while Bradley Blalock is getting the call to Greenville. Dobbins, a right-handed pitcher selected in the eighth round in 2021, was having a great season with Greenville. In 41 innings spread across seven starts, he was 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA with a very impressive 44 strikeouts to just five walks. His WHIP sits under one at 0.95 and has only allowed one home run all season. 

Coffey, another right-handed arm, was also pitching extremely well for the Drive. In 11 starts and 60 1/3 innings, he was 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and just 10 walks. He was taken in last year's draft in the 10th round out of Oral Roberts and has flourished so far in his first full season of professional ball. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Johanfran Garcia homers twice, drives in four

6/20 Cup of Coffee: The FCL Sox rolled on complex Monday, with Johanfran Garcia (pictured) blasting a pair of home runs in support of Yordanny Monegro. The DSL Blue squad dropped its bout, while Team Red's contest had barely begun before getting suspended.

-----

FCL Red Sox 10, FCL Braves 4

Every member of the Sox lineup had at least one hit in the rare FCL night game. The offensive outburst was highlighted by a monster performance by Johanfran Garcia. The 18-year-old blasted a solo home run in the third inning and a two-run shot in the sixth on his way to a 3-for-4, four-RBI evening. Natanael Yuten was a catalyst out of the leadoff spot, going 2 for 3 with two walks, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Yordanny Monegro turned in another strong start, allowing one run on three hits in five innings. He struck out six, walked two, and is sporting a 1.20 ERA. Royman Blanco got credit for the win in relief.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Koss breaks out for Worcester; Jordan and Kavadas homer again

6/19 Cup of Coffee: To celebrate Father's Day, the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Yankees on Sunday. Boston's minor-league affiliates, meanwhile, went 3-1. Christian Koss (pictured) finished a home run shy of the cycle while Ryan Fernandez recorded his first Triple-A strikeout in Worcester's win. Niko Kavadas homered and Nick Yorke had two hits in Portland's walk-off loss in 10 innings. Blaze Jordan went deep yet again while Bryan Gonzalez delivered in a walk-off win for Greenville. In Salem, Enderso Lira hit the first home run of his professional career to close out the weekend.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 11, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 5

The WooSox closed out their road trip by picking up their third straight win. Christian Koss led the way offensively, going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple, an RBI, and a run scored out of the seven-hole. He was also hit by a pitch. Like Koss, Niko Goodrum tripled as part of a three-hit effort in which he drove in two runs and scored twice. Ronaldo Hernandez went 2 for 5 with a two-run single and two runs scored. Stephen Scott plated a pair on a two-run single in the fourth inning. Nick Sogard and Marcus Wilson each drew two walks and scored two runs.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Perales shines for Salem; Anthony sparks Greenville

6/18 Cup of Coffee: While the major league club was getting rained out, the organization had an excellent Saturday down on the farm, with the four full-season teams winning all five of their games. Luis Perales and Wikelman Gonzalez continued their runs of excellent pitching. Perales took part in a combined three-hit shutout for Salem, while Roman Anthony (pictured) led the support for Gonzalez in Greenville. Corey Rosier led a double-heavy blowout for Portland, and Enmanuel Valdez homered in both ends of Worcester's doubleheader sweep. The DSL squads split their contests, while the FCL Sox were rained out across town.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 8, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 6 (Game 1) 

Saturday's twinbill started off with a slugfest, as the two teams combined for 22 hits, 14 runs, and four homers in the seven-inning contest. Bobby Dalbec continued to mash, blasting his 17th home run in 50 games at the Triple-A level and adding a double as part of a 3-for-4 effort. Ronaldo Hernandez went deep as part of his 2-for-4 effort, while Enmanuel Valdez delivered a solo shot. Narciso Crook was 2 for 4 with two steals and two RBI. Rio Gomez got the start, surrendering two runs on seven hits in five innings. Oddanier Mosqueda recorded the last out of the sixth inning, getting credit for the win as Worcester scored three in the seventh.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Jordan and Rafaela's hot streaks continue; Dobbins strikes out eight

6/17 Cup of Coffee: It was a day of impressive offense, with each stateside affiliate scoring at least seven runs. With Worcester rained out, Brandon Walter's start has been pushed to Saturday. Ceddanne Rafaela had three more hits as Portland topped Binghamton. Hunter Dobbins and Blaze Jordan again led Greenville, while Cutter Coffey stayed hot for Salem. Johnfrank Salazar and Brooks Brannon hit home runs, while Marvin Alcantara laced three hits. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox @ Norfolk Tides, PPD (rain)

Friday night's game was postponed due to rain and will be made up on Saturday as part of a doubleheader. 

-----

Portland Sea Dogs 7, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 5

Ceddanne Rafaela reached base four times, going 3 for 4 with a walk and a double in Portland's win. He now has an OPS of over 1.000 in the month of June, and for good measure, he stole two bases on Friday. Matthew Lugo went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI, and Corey Rosier went 2 for 3 with two RBI and two steals. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Blalock rolls in Salem; three De La Cruzes combine for four-hitter in DSL

6/16 Cup of Coffee: It was a busy day on the farm, with all seven teams in action and one participating in a doubleheader. The DSL Blue game produced one of the more eye-catching box scores you'll see, with three unrelated pitchers named De La Cruz -- Nicolas, Darlyn, and Ruben -- combining on a four-hit shutout victory. Bradley Blalock (pictured) and Luis Ravelo teamed up to lead Salem in the system's only win by a full-season affiliate. Portland was held to five hits as the Sea Dogs were swept away in a twin bill, while Shane Drohan was on the short end of an exciting pitching matchup for Worcester. Greenville dropped its contest in extra innings and the FCL Sox nearly overcame a 12-run deficit.

-----

Norfolk Tides (BAL) 3, Worcester Red Sox 2

Thursday's matinee featured a marquee pitching matchup that did not disappoint. Shane Drohan, emergent this season as Boston's top pitching prospect, took on Orioles phenom Grayson Rodriguez. Drohan turned in a strong outing, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings, striking out seven against just one walk. All three of the runs came via the long ball, with a solo shot coming in the fourth and a two-run blast that proved to be decisive in the sixth. Meanwhile, Rodriguez took a no-hitter through five innings. Worcester's first hit of the day was also the first for Stephen Scott since his promotion from Portland, a two-run homer in the sixth that briefly gave the WooSox the lead. The bats only could scrap one more hit on the day, dropping the pitchers' duel. Brandon Nail and AJ Politi fired a scoreless inning apiece to keep things close, but the lineup could not break through against the Norfolk pen. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Dalbec goes off at the plate; Rogers twirls six no-hit innings

6/15 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 3-1 on Wednesday as Portland was rained out and Salem split a doubleheader. Bobby Dalbec and Ryan Fitzgerald each hit two home runs for Worcester as part of a romping in Norfolk. Dalton Rogers (pictured) put up six scoreless, no-hit innings while Roman Anthony hit his first home run at the High-A level for Greenville. In Salem, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz impressed on the mound in Game 1 while Claudio Simon collected two hits in Game 2.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 13, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 5

It was an offensive onslaught for the WooSox in Norfolk. Bobby Dalbec led the way out of the cleanup spot by going 4 for 6 with a triple, two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. He hit his 15th and 16th homers of the season and finished a double shy of the cycle. Ryan Fitzgerald, who was not even in the starting lineup, also left the yard twice after taking over for second baseman Enmanuel Valdez -- who was hit by a pitch -- in the third inning. Narciso Crook (4) and Ronaldo Hernandez (8) also went deep as part of multi-hit performances. Leadoff man David Hamilton went 2 for 4 with two walks and two runs scored in his first game back from the injured list. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Anthony makes Greenville debut; Hickey leads Portland to win

6/14 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs used three home runs from Nathan Hickey (pictured), Niko Kavadas, and Chase Meidroth to power their way to an easy win. Jake Faria, Sterling Sharp, and Juan Daniel Encarnacion also had great starts on the mound. Roman Anthony had a nice debut in Greenville at the plate and Yoeilin Cespedes had a monster game for the DSL Red Sox Blue team. 

------

Norfolk Tides (BAL) 3, Worcester Red Sox 0

The Sox didn't do much offensively in this one with just three at-bats with runners in scoring position all night, going 0 for 3. Bobby Dalbec roped his eighth double of the season and Ronaldo Hernandez reached twice by going 1 for 3 with a walk. Veteran right-hander Jake Faria was tremendous on the mound, going six innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. He punched out six and did not issue a free pass. Cam Booser also tossed a hitless inning with two strikeouts and no walks. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Brooks Brannon drills grand slam in undefeated day in complex leagues

6/12 Cup of Coffee: With the full-season affiliates all off on Monday, it was just the complex league teams in action. They each had a successful day, as all three squads recorded a win, each of which moved to 4-2 on the season. They each did it in different ways, as the FCL scored eight in the seventh, led by a Brooks Brannon (pictured) grand slam and plenty of walks, while DSL Red had a walk-off win off the bat of  Yosander Asencio and DSL Blue withstood a comeback bid from the Rays.

-----

FCL Red Sox 11, FCL Rays 1

The FCL Red Sox took advantage of 10 walks on Monday and combined them with 10 base hits to secure a big victory over the Rays. Kelvin Diaz grabbed a pair of hits and has recorded a knock in each of his first five games this season and was joined in the multi-hit club by Brooks Brannon, including a grand slam, and Albertson Asigen. It was 3-1 after six innings, but Rays pitching fell apart in the seventh, resulting in eight Red Sox runs, with a litany of free bases, including a wild pitch and two errors.

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Bleis done for the year & Murphy makes MLB debut

It was a week of ups and downs with one of the system's top prospects making an impact at Double-A while another was bitten by the injury bug. 

-----

Transactions

Bleis done for the season

As first reported by Chris Henrique of the Boston Sports Journal, outfielder and second-ranked prospect in the SoxProspects.com rankings Miguel Bleis will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. The 19-year-old was placed on the Injured List last week after he injured the shoulder, which was believed to have occurred during a swing on May 30. Bleis was hitting .230/.282/.325 this season for Salem, where he will very likely start next season after recovering. 

Murphy makes MLB debut

Chris Murphy (pictured, right) was called up on Tuesday by the Red Sox and made his major league debut on Wednesday. Murphy was called upon in the fifth inning and threw 3 and 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out five. Murphy was optioned back to Triple-A after the appearance, but it was a strong debut for the 25-year-old. Murphy pitched out of the bullpen in his appearance for Worcester right before being called up after starting in each of his first nine appearances of the season. As Director of Scouting Ian Cundall notes, Murphy's fastball was about two MPH faster out of the bullpen and his pitch mix was altered to be almost exclusively fastball/slider.

Mayer plays his first full week in Portland

Showing why he is one of the top prospects in baseball, Mayer made an impression during his first full week playing for the Sea Dogs. On Wednesday, the 20-year-old hit a 406-foot no-doubter of a home run and followed it up on Thursday by hitting another. It was not all roses in the first week as those two home runs accounted for two of just three hits on the week, but he is doing all of this while being extremely young for Double-A. Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe has more about Mayer's first full week in Double-A.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Valdez homers again, Walter bounces back for Worcester

6/12 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went a split 2-2 to close out the weekend, as Worcester and Portland both won at home and Greenville and Salem both lost on the road on Sunday. Enmanuel Valdez (pictured) and Brandon Walter powered the WooSox to a win with strong performances at the plate and on the mound. Tyler Dearden and Nathan Hickey's homers proved to be the difference in the Sea Dogs' victory over Akron. Though the Drive fell in Brooklyn, Miguel Ugueto certainly made his impact felt with three hits.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 5, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 2

Masquerading as the "Worcester Ruby Legs" at Polar Park on Sunday, the WooSox won their fourth straight to take the series from the Red Wings. Enmanuel Valdez led the charge offensively by homering for the second straight day and driving in two runs as part of a 3 for 4 afternoon at the plate. Ronaldo Hernandez also tallied three hits (including a double) and plated one run while scoring another. Nick Sogard went 2 for 4 with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot while Ryan Fitzgerald and Narcisco Crook recorded an RBI apiece. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Perales, Gonzalez fire gems on packed Saturday schedule

6/11 Cup of Coffee: All seven teams were in action on Saturday, with two teams featured in doubleheaders. High-end pitching was on display: fifth-ranked Shane Drohan turned in a strong start to help lead Worcester's sweep, and Wikelman Gonzalez (ranked 12th) was excellent to do the same in Greenville's twinbill. However, it was Luis Perales (pictured) who stole the show. The eighth-ranked Perales allowed just one baserunner in five dominant innings to lead Salem. Portland fell despite the continued offensive exploits of Nick Yorke, while all three complex league squads dropped their contests.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 5, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 2 (Game 1)

Enmanuel Valdez returned to Triple-A, giving the WooSox lineup their first representative in the top 30 since David Hamilton and Wilyer Abreu were placed on the injured list last week. Valdez promptly provided a needed spark, going 2 for 3 with a double and a home run. Ryan Fitzgerald and Niko Goodrum added two hits apiece. Shane Drohan turned in a solid outing, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings, both coming on a two-run homer in the fourth. He walked three, struck out five, and threw 54 of 89 pitches for strikes. Kaleb Ort retired all four batters he faced to record the save.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Mayer and Yorke go deep; Dobbins dominates

6/10 Cup of Coffee: The top of Portland's order provided plenty of fireworks, with Nick Yorke, Marcelo Mayer, and Ceddanne Rafaela driving in multiple runs. The pitching in Greenville and Salem was terrific, with Hunter Dobbins (pictured) and Jose Ramirez leading the way. The FCL Red Sox won in a thriller, while the two DSL Red Sox squads squared off against each other. 

-----

Rochester Red Wings (MIN) @ Worcester Red Sox, PPD (rain)

Friday night's game was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Big bats of Yorke, Alcantara power system-wide sweep

6/9 Cup of Coffee: All six teams in action Thursday came away with a victory, as only the postponement for Greenville prevented a perfect day on the farm. Two highly touted infielders, Nick Yorke and Marvin Alcantara (pictured), led Portland and the FCL Sox with three-hit matinees that included a home run for both. Bradley Blalock turned in some dominant starting for Salem, while Brandon Nail got the win in his first Triple-A outing. In Dominican League action, Boston's two affiliates knocked off the two Tigers' squads.

-----

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

A three-run seventh inning gave Worcester the comeback victory, as Niko Goodrum delivered a two-run game-tying single followed by a Bobby Dalbec tiebreaking base hit. Dalbec was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base on the day. Bradley Zimmer led the offense, blasting a solo homer as part of a 3-for-4 effort. Rio Gomez allowed two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings in his second start since his promotion from Portland. Brandon Nail made his Triple-A debut in relief and got credit for the victory, giving up two runs on three hits in 3 2/3, striking out six against two walks. Nail had a 0.99 ERA in 14 appearances with the Sea Dogs. Ryan Sherriff and AJ Politi went a scoreless inning apiece to preserve the win.

Read full post ...

Podcast Ep. #283: Wrapping the Month of May-er

Chris was nice enough to come back and join Ian on the podcast again. Thanks, Chris. With new rankings, promotions for a number of players including the system's top prospect, injury news, and the start of the Complex League seasons, the guys had plenty to discuss!

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Mayer hits first Double-A homer; Fitzgerald stays hot

6/8 Cup of Coffee: While Chris Murphy made his major-league debut in Cleveland, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-3 on Wednesday. Ryan Fitzgerald (pictured) had a productive day and Ronaldo Hernandez homered in Worcester. In Portland, Marcelo Mayer hit his first home run at Double-A while going back-to-back with Chase Meidroth. Nick Decker ripped two more doubles in Greenville's walk-off loss to Brooklyn and Cutter Coffey powered Salem to a win with the first big fly of his professional career.

-----

Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 12, Worcester Red Sox 10

It was a high-scoring affair on School Field Trip Day at Polar Park. Ryan Fitzgerald paced the Worcester lineup by going 3 for 5 with a two-run double, a triple, and two runs scored out of the five-hole. Batting right behind him was Niko Goodrum, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Ronaldo Hernandez crushed a 419-foot two-run shot in the fourth inning for his seventh home run of the season. Starting shortstop Yu Chang went 2 for 3 with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot while fellow rehabber Adam Duvall went 1 for 4 with a walk and a sixth-inning single that left his bat at 108.6 mph. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Rogers deals for Greenville; Meidroth goes deep

6/7 Cup of Coffee: It was a bit of a quiet night on the farm, as the Sea Dogs and Drive each picked up wins while the FCL and DSL teams continued their first week of play. Dalton Rogers (pictured) was great in his start in Greenville's win. Chase Meidroth and Ceddanne Rafaela also had a big night for Portland.

-----

Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 11, Worcester Red Sox 6

Ryan Fitzgerald hit the ball well for the Sox, going 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Niko Goodrum and Narciso Crook both went deep as well. Bradley Zimmer added an RBI triple and Caleb Hamilton took three walks. Brandon Walter started and surrendered four earned runs on seven hits across 4 2/3 frames. He struck out four. Taylor Broadway tossed 1 1/3 clean innings without allowing a run. 

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Bleis hits injured list, Alfaro, Tapia depart organization

The calendar has flipped to June, which always brings plenty of news. The complex leagues, both in Florida and the Dominican Republic, got started on Monday, while some top players, both in the minor and major leagues hit the injured list. Meanwhile, a few players departed the organization, as one opted out of his deal and another was designated for assignment.

-----

Transactions

Several Red Sox hit injured list

A few different players have been placed on the shelf in the past week. This list is co-headlined by No. 2 prospect Miguel Bleis and Chris Sale. Both injured their left shoulders, as Bleis strained his on a swing, while Sale was removed from a start on June 1 after just 3 2/3 innings with inflammation.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Yoiber Ruiz walks five times in complex league Opening Day

6/5 Cup of Coffee: It was Opening Day in June on Monday, as the Dominican Summer League and both Arizona and Florida complex leagues began play on Monday. It was a 2-1 day for the three complex teams in the Boston system, as the FCL Red Sox and DSL Red Sox Blue each grabbed a win, while DSL Red Sox Red mustered just four hits in a shutout loss. Albertson Asigen had three hits in his stateside debut, while Yoiber Ruiz worked five walks out of the leadoff spot for Blue. 

-----

FCL Red Sox 7, FCL Orioles 2

Seven hitters combined to register 11 hits as the FCL Red Sox got the season off on the right foot, with an impressive start over the FCL Orioles. Albertson Asigen, who made his debut in the United States after two years in the DSL, impressed with three hits, including an RBI double in the fourth. Armando Sierra and Natanael Yuten each had a two-hit performance, while Brooks Brannon hit the team's first home run of the year.

Read full post ...

May Players of the Month: Bobby Dalbec and Grant Gambrell

Bobby Dalbec and Grant Gambrell have been named the SoxProspects.com Player and Pitcher of the month, respectively, for May. Dalbec (pictured, top) secured the award over the likes of Niko Kavadas and Brainer Bonaci, while Gambrell (pictured, bottom) beat out ex-teammates Isaac Coffey and Angel Bastardo, as well as Jose Ramirez.

Dalbec has only spent about a week in the big leagues this season after staying out of Worcester for all of 2021 and most of 2022. However, he's made the most of his time in Triple-A this season, with a .298/.412/.638 line, including a 154 wRC+ that is good for seventh in the International League. The 27-year-old stepped it up in May, with a .362/.463/.768 slash line. He led the organization in batting average and slugging percentage and was second in on-base percentage to create an OPS that was nearly 200 points better than anybody else, while he also shared the home run lead with Kavadas. However, he still struck out 24 times to just nine walks.

Read full post ...

2023 SoxProspects.com Donation Drive

Hello to our readers and listeners!

Happy Opening Day for the Red Sox Rookie Ball teams! Now that the minor league season is fully underway, we're asking for your help to raise $9,000 to keep SoxProspects.com running on all cylinders. We have kept the site free for almost 20 years now, and we hope to do so for the foreseeable future. As we scout dozens of games first-hand each year, travel costs pile up. Our other costs to run the site often go up on an annual basis as well, and our ad revenue only covers a portion of those costs. So we're reaching out to the community to ask for donations to help us keep the site going. Donations help cover site costs in two primary areas: (1) first-hand coverage travel costs for scouting; and (2) general IT costs such as hardware, software, internet costs, and hosting fees.

Your donations help us travel to Ft. Myers in March to cover spring training, which is vital to get “one-stop shopping” for prospects across the system at levels we can’t see regularly. They also help cover the costs of travelling to affiliate games for regular first-hand coverage. We anticipate that our total costs will exceed $20,000 in 2023. While we should cover some of that from other sources, your donations help us ensure we can cover those costs in order to keep the site going.

In recent years, readers have made donations ranging from $5 to $250 to help defray these costs. We ultimately raised about $9,000 in connection with our 2022 drive. Thanks so much to everyone who chipped in! 

While we've remained free, other prospect sites charge for content. For example, Baseball America charges about $100 per year for a digital subscription. We think that site is great and absolutely worthy of a subscription, we have one! We’d like to think that our content would be worthy of comparable rates if we ever decided to go that route, but we've decided that we want to keep the site running for free for as long as we can. Donations from regular readers go a long way towards making that happen.

Ultimately, through about August 1, we are asking our readers to donate what they can to help keep SoxProspects.com free to the public. If you want to donate, first, we would like to thank you profusely – it’s truly appreciated! To donate, visit our DONATIONS PAGE. All payments are secured through PayPal, although you don’t need a PayPal account to contribute. 

Last, to any of our regular readers that are not members of the SoxProspects Forum, please sign up! We’d love to get some new members in on the discussion and some new ideas floated around during our peak season! As always, thanks to all of our readers for visiting the site and all of our forum members for posting!

Sincerely,

The SoxProspects.com Team

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Mayer breaks out; Drohan earns first Triple-A win

6/5 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates combined to go 2-2 on Sunday, as Worcester and Greenville capped off the weekend with wins while Portland and Salem were defeated. Despite the Sea Dogs' loss, though, Marcelo Mayer snapped out of his offensive funk by recording his first hit (and three-hit game) in Double-A. Elsewhere, Ronaldo Hernandez led a power surge for the WooSox while fellow backstop Ronald Rosario (pictured) had quite the day at the plate for the Drive. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 12, Louisville Bats (CIN) 6

The WooSox closed out their road trip by picking up a second straight win in Louisville. Ronaldo Hernandez led the way offensively by going 2 for 4 with a pair of home runs and a walk. He drove in a total of three runs with his fifth and sixth homers of the season. Ryan Fitzgerald also homered and collected three RBIs as part of a two-hit showing. The rehabbing Adam Duvall went 1 for 2 with a two-run blast, two walks, and three runs scored while playing six innings of center field. Bradley Zimmer mashed a solo shot while Nick Sogard went 2 for 5 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Dalbec homers, reaches base five times in Worcester blowout

6/4 Cup of Coffee: Bobby Dalbec (pictured) continued his rampage through the International League, homering for the third straight game to lead a rout in Louisville. Portland emerged victorious as well on the strength of a Niko Kavadas long ball. Greenville fell despite the continued Blaze Jordan dominance, while Salem was swept away in a de facto doubleheader.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 14, Louisville Bats (CIN) 1

The WooSox snapped a five-game skid with a 14-run, 18-hit attack. Bobby Dalbec continued his scorching-hot play with a sixth-inning solo shot, his 10th home run in 17 games since being optioned back to Worcester, and his third straight game with a homer. Overall, he went 3 for 4 with two walks and three runs scored. Ryan Fitzgerald and Daniel Palka joined Dalbec with big efforts in the middle of the order. Fitzgerald doubled thrice, scoring three runs and driving in three, while Palka was 2 for 4 with two walks and three RBI. Adam Duvall continued his rehab assignment, going 1 for 5 with a double. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Jordan, Lopez power Greenville rout; Rafaela shines for Portland

6/3 Cup of Coffee: For the second straight night, Greenville was the only team in the system to come away with the victory. Following Thursday's shutout win, it was the bats that did most of the damage for the Drive, with Eduardo Lopez (pictured) and Blaze Jordan leading an 18-hit attack. Portland fell despite a big game from Ceddanne Rafaela, while Bobby Dalbec went deep again in a Worcester loss. Salem was leading when the rain came through, forcing the game to be suspended until Saturday. 

-----

Louisville Bats (CIN) 9, Worcester Red Sox 4

The WooSox swoon continued with a fifth consecutive loss and the eighth in their last nine games. The person least responsible for the skid has been Bobby Dalbec, who homered for the ninth time in 16 games since rejoining the squad in mid-May. Adam Duvall also went deep, his first hit in three games of his rehab assignment. Christian Arroyo also made a rehab appearance, going 0 for 4. Jake Faria took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits in three innings. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Coffey fans eight in six scoreless frames; Yorke, Dalbec stay hot

6/2 Cup of Coffee: Despite only emerging victorious in one of the night's four contests, the system saw some excellent pitching performances on Thursday. Isaac Coffey (pictured) again impressed as he turned in a third straight scoreless effort in Greenville's victory. Bradley Blalock continued to shine in his recovery from last year's Tommy John procedure, while Sterling Sharp was excellent in his return to the Portland rotation. Chris Murphy turned in a strong effort as he slid from a traditional rotation slot into a bulk relief role for the WooSox. Several of the system's hottest hitters continued to streak as well, as Bobby Dalbec, Nick Yorke, and Brainer Bonaci all turned in big days at the plate.

-----

Louisville Bats (CIN) 8, Worcester Red Sox 6

After struggling in a traditional starting role for the first two months, Chris Murphy had a strong showing following a pair of openers. The left-hander pounded the strike zone over three scoreless innings, throwing 29 of his 36 pitches for strikes, allowing just one hit, and striking out three without issuing a walk. Norwith Gudino got the call to start the game, surrendering a leadoff home run on the way to a five-run first inning. Oddanier Mosqueda struck out two and walked two in a scoreless second before giving way to Murphy in the third. Theo Denlinger had a rude welcome to Triple-A, allowing three runs on two hits in 1 2/3, striking out three and walking four. Cam Booser struck out three as well in 1 1/3 scoreless frames to finish things off. Surprisingly, none of Louisville's offense came from scoring-hot phenom Elly De La Cruz. The shortstop went 0 for 5, with each of the five Worcester hurlers striking him out once. 

On the topic of scorching-hot infielders, Bobby Dalbec went deep once again, his eighth in 15 games since being optioned from Boston on May 13. Fellow veteran Bradley Zimmer also went deep, his first home run in a WooSox uniform. Christian Koss made his Worcester debut, getting the start at shortstop and going 1 for 3 with a double and walk.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Bonaci finishes triple shy of cycle; Rodriguez-Cruz fires six scoreless frames

6/1 Cup of Coffee: To cap off the month of May, Boston's affiliates went 2-2 on Wednesday. Brainer Bonaci (pictured) stole the show by nearly hitting for the cycle as part of a comeback win for Greenville. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, meanwhile, hurled six scoreless frames to lead Salem to a shutout victory in Myrtle Beach. In the upper levels, Marcelo Mayer went hitless in his Double-A debut with Portland while David Hamilton registered two doubles in a Worcester loss.

 

-----

Louisville Bats (CIN) 9, Worcester Red Sox 2

It was a quiet night for the WooSox lineup down in Louisville. David Hamilton led the way out of the leadoff spot by going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles. Ryan Fitzgerald accounted for his side's lone RBI with a run-scoring single in the second inning. He also stole his fifth base of the season. Jorge Alfaro and Bobby Dalbec each scored a run after being hit by a pitch. Niko Goodrum and Daniel Palka combined to draw all three of Worcester's walks. In the second game of his rehab assignment, Adam Duvall went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts while playing five innings in center field.

Read full post ...