Cup of Coffee: Castro hits first High-A homer; Cespedes gets All-Star nod in DSL

7/31 Cup of Coffee: As the Red Sox dropped a series in San Francisco, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 2-3 on a busy Sunday. Ceddanne Rafaela stayed hot while David Hamilton and Nick Sogard had clutch hits in Worcester's doubleheader split against Rochester. Despite getting home runs from Nick Yorke and Phillip Sikes, Portland wrapped up a rough week with another loss in Richmond. Speaking of the long ball, Allan Castro (pictured) and Eddinson Paulino both went deep as Greenville snapped a four-game skid in Bowling Green. Yorberto Mejicano homered and Jhostynxon Garcia recorded two hits in Salem's loss to Lynchburg. Down in the Dominican Republic, Yoeilin Cespedes and Wuilliams Rodriguez both made appearances in the 2023 DSL All-Star Game.

 

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3 (July 29 makeup)

After Saturday's contest was suspended in the bottom of the second due to inclement weather, the final seven innings were made up as part of an impromptu doubleheader at Polar Park on Sunday. David Hamilton played hero for the WooSox, as he went 2 for 5 out of the leadoff spot with a bases-loaded walk-off single off veteran righty Luis Cessa in the bottom of the ninth. Bobby Dalbec and Ronaldo Hernandez also enjoyed multi-hit games, as the former went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and the latter went 2 for 4 with a double. Ceddanne Rafaela led the way with three hits (including an RBI double) out of the five-hole. Batting behind him, Stephen Scott drew two walks and crushed a 382-foot solo homer for his fifth with Worcester and 11th of the season overall.

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Cup of Coffee: Paez in control for Salem with six shutout frames

7/30 Cup of Coffee: Pitching was on display on Saturday, with top-40 prospects getting starts for each of the full-season affiliates. It was Jedixson Paez (pictured) who shone the brightest, giving up just one hit in six shutout innings. Wikelman Gonzalez and Dalton Rogers turned in solid efforts in losses for Portland and Greenville, respectively, while Brandon Walter saw his return to the WooSox rotation cut short by rain.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 1, Worcester Red Sox 0, suspended (2nd)

They made a valiant attempt to get a ballgame in before the rain became unplayable but had to halt with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the second. One day after his 14-game hitting streak ended, Ceddanne Rafaela got back on track with a single in his only plate appearance. Brandon Walter allowed a run on three hits in two innings in his first outing since being optioned from Boston. They'll try to complete it on what looks to be a beautiful Sunday at Polar Park, immediately before the regularly scheduled game.

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Cup of Coffee: Story homers; Robertson and Hagenman make system debuts

7/29 Cup of Coffee: Trevor Story and Ronaldo Hernández went deep for Worcester, while Shane Drohan went six innings for the first time since June 15. Grant Gambrell (pictured) turned in one of the best starts of his career for Portland, and he was helped by Nick Yorke who returned to action. Greenville and Salem got let down by their pitching, with Greenville's staff giving up 20 runs.  

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 6, Worcester Red Sox 5

A quality start from Shane Drohan went to waste as Rochester pulled ahead in the ninth. Drohan walked two and struck out six while allowing three runs over six innings. Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson made their system debuts after being acquired from the Dodgers for Kiké Hernández. Hagenman threw a scoreless inning, while Robertson allowed a solo home run in the eighth. AJ Politi allowed two runs and took a blown save in the ninth. Trevor Story led the offense going 1 for 2 with a solo home run and a walk. Ronaldo Hernández went 2 for 4 with a solo shot and a double. 

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Cup of Coffee: Soto shines in Salem debut, with support from Garcia

7/28 Cup of Coffee: Only one stateside affiliate was victorious on Thursday. Elvis Soto turned in a strong start for Salem in his first outing since his promotion from the Florida Complex League, and Jhostynxon Garcia (pictured) provided the offense. Hunter Dobbins and Luis Perales were both uncharacteristically off in losses for Portland and Greenville, respectively. Ceddanne Rafaela extended his hitting streak for Worcester in a blowout loss. There was good news in the form of a sweep by the DSL squads. Yoeilin Cespedes again paced Team Blue in a lightning-shortened contest, while three pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout for Team Red. 

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 6, Worcester Red Sox 5

Worcester surrendered a pair of runs in the ninth as they fell short in Thursday's back-and-forth affair. Dinelson Lamet turned in a strong start, giving up a run on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. Ryan Fernandez took the loss, coming on for the ninth and surrendering a decisive two-run homer. Trevor Story and Reese McGuire continued their rehab stints. Story went 0 for 3 with a walk and run scored as the designated hitter, while McGuire went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and Bobby Dalbec blasted his 25th home run of the year. David Hamilton had a good evening at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a double, two walks, and two stolen bases.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony and Coffey homer; Rafaela extends hitting streak

7/27 Cup of Coffee: With a pair of doubleheaders scheduled, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-5 on Wednesday. Bobby Dalbec homered twice and Kyle Barraclough spun five scoreless innings as Worcester split its twin bill against Rochester. Corey Rosier stole three bases while Marcelo Mayer extended his hitting streak in Portland's loss to Richmond. Roman Anthony homered yet again for Greenville, but Angel Bastardo was roughed up on the mound in a blowout loss to Bowling Green. And in Salem, Cutter Coffey (pictured) was one of the lone bright spots for the Red Sox as they were swept by Lynchburg.

  

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 10, Worcester Red Sox 8 (Game 1)

Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader at Polar Park was a high-scoring affair. Bobby Dalbec paced the WooSox lineup by connecting on his 23rd and 24th home runs of the season as part of a 2 for 3 afternoon at the plate in which he also drew a walk. Wilyer Abreu and the rehabbing Trevor Story each went 2 for 3, with the former driving in one run and the latter hitting a 386-foot double. Ceddanne Rafaela, meanwhile, went 2 for 4 with two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Despite going hitless, Niko Kavadas pushed across a pair of runs out of the nine-hole. Reese McGuire -- who, like Story, is on a rehab assignment -- went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts while catching five innings.

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Cup of Coffee: Rosario, Blalock lead Greenville to win

7/26 Cup of Coffee: Bradley Blalock and Gabriel Jackson both had great starts to lead Greenville and Salem to wins. Ronald Rosario (pictured) also had a big night with the bat for the Drive, while Cutter Coffey and Alexis Hernandez each went deep. Worcester was washed out and will play two on Wednesday.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) @ Worcester Red Sox (Postponed, rain)

Rain at Polar Park washed this one out. They will make it up Wednesday as part of a doubleheader, beginning at 12:15 p.m. 

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Podcast Ep. #289: On Deadline

The trade deadline cometh! After discussing the close of the draft signing period, which featured no real surprises, the guys dug in on the coming week at the MLB level. It seems like the Sox are buying, so who might go? And for what? All that, plus another Noah Song update, an interesting signing from South Korea, and your emails! Note: we recorded this episode before Tuesday's trade of Kiké Hernandez. We'll discuss that deal on our next episode.

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Minor Notes: Sox sign 18 draft picks, including first rounder Kyle Teel

It was a productive week for the Sox, as they organization was able to sign most of its draft picks. In the first full week of play since the break, Worcester went 3-3, Portland went 4-2 including a historic effort on Sunday, Greenville went 3-3, and Salem went 4-2.

Teel, Zanetello, 16 others ink deals with Sox

The Red Sox have reached agreements on deals with 18 of their 22 draft picks, including each of their first five selections. For reference, Boston signed 19 of their 21 picks last year and 16 of their 20 picks in 2021. The team was able to go under slot for the first pick for the second straight year, as Kyle Teel signed for $4,000,000, which is $663,100 under slot value. They were able to go over slot for each of their next two picks, as high schoolers Nazzan Zanetello and Antonio Anderson signed for $3,000,000 and $1,500,000, respectively. Justin Reimer, a shortstop from Wright State, is the only pick from the first 10 rounds who has not signed yet. Phoenix Call (Round 15), Dylan Schlaegel (Round 17), and Robert Orloski (Round 20) are the other three picks who have yet to sign. 

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Cup of Coffee: Intra-organizational battles in the DSL, blown leads in the FCL

7/25 Cup of Coffee: It was a lighter-than-normal Monday for the system, as the full-season affiliates enjoyed their typical Monday off, and the DSL squads had an intra-organizational battle, leading to just two games on the ledger. There weren't very many extra-base hits, as the FCL team had just one, courtesy of the rehabbing Gilberto Jimenez, and Eybersson Polanco (pictured) had a strong outing on the mound. Internationally, the scoring was complete in the top of the third, as the bullpens shut down any offensive potential. 

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Cup of Coffee: Gonzalez, Cellucci, and Guerrero combine for no-hitter in Portland

7/24 Cup of Coffee: As the big-league club secured a series victory over the Mets, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 3-1 on Sunday. The Portland pitching staff stole the show, as Wikelman Gonzalez (pictured), Brendan Cellucci, and Luis Guerrero combined to toss nine innings of no-hit ball at Hadlock Field. In Greenville, Dalton Rogers missed plenty of bats while Eddinson Paulino came through with a walk-off sacrifice fly in extras. Behind multi-hit efforts from Alberston Asigen and Luis Ravelo, Salem came away with a series-clinching win over Down East.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 6, Worcester Red Sox 5

It was a rough afternoon on the mound for Brian Van Belle. Making his third start for Worcester, the 26-year-old righty surrendered six earned runs on eight hits, one walk, and six strikeouts over just 4 2/3 innings of work. Of the eight hits he gave up, three were home runs -- including a go-ahead three-run shot off the bat of Everson Pereira in the bottom of the fifth. Out of the WooSox bullpen, Brendan Nail, Ryan Fernandez, and Cam Booser combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

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Cup of Coffee: 17-year-old DSL catcher's 5-for-5 night highlights mixed day

7/23 Cup of Coffee: Saturday's slate was a busy one, with multiple games being resumed after Friday's delays. One of those needed just two pitches to find a resolution, thanks to Portland's Tyler Dearden (pictured). But stealing the show was a 17-year-old who had a game to remember.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 8, Worcester Red Sox 3 (Game 1)

In the completion of a game that was postponed Friday night in the top of the fourth after an electrical issue caused the power to go out in right field, the RailRiders took care of business. Shane Drohan allowed four runs over three innings Friday before the game got called, taking the loss. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre tacked on another four runs in the 8th inning. Jake Faria pitched a stellar four innings in the resumption of the game, allowing just two hits, no walks, and striking out six. Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 5 with a two-run homer, but the offense couldn't muster much else, leaving 20 runners on base. David Hamilton had one hit and stole two bases.

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Cup of Coffee: Story, Kluber rehab in Portland; Bastardo strikes out 14

7/22 Cup of Coffee: Worcester and Portland were suspended like the major league team, though Portland made it through eight full innings before the rain came. Trevor Story and Corey Kluber helped Portland out to an early lead that the bullpen eventually gave away. Luis Perales' High-A debut got overshadowed by a dominant performance by Angel Bastardo (pictured). Cutter Coffey was on base four times for Salem, and Natanael Yuten had another strong performance in the FCL. 

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Worcester Red Sox @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY), Suspended

The game got suspended at the top of the fourth after an electrical issue caused the power to go out in right field. Shane Drohan allowed four runs over three innings before the game got called. 

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Cup of Coffee: Scott blasts two three-run shots, Rafaela triples twice in WooSox comeback

7/21 Cup of Coffee: The Greenville debut of Luis Perales was put on hold due to rain, but there was plenty of other action down on the farm. Stephen Scott (pictured) and Ceddanne Rafaela powered Worcester to a late surge. Another pair of top-20 prospects led the way down the farm as Mikey Romero and Johanfran Garcia were vital in wins for Salem and the FCL Sox. Portland came up short at Hadlock, while the two DSL squads managed just seven hits while getting swept. 

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 8

The WooSox pounded out 14 hits, including 10 for extra bases, in their come-from-behind victory. Stephen Scott keyed the rally, hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning. then another with two outs in the ninth inning while trailing by one. Ceddanne Rafaela continues to enjoy his time in Triple-A, ripping a double and two triples, adding a walk and run scored. Ronaldo Hernandez hit a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning. Niko Kavadas doubled for his first extra-base hit since his promotion from Portland. 

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Podcast Ep. #288: 2023 Draft Recap with Jim Callis

Our good friend Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline stopped by for his annual visit to discuss this season's draft crop!

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Cup of Coffee: Rafaela stays hot; Coffey and Hickey power Portland

7/20 Cup of Coffee: It was a clean sweep for Boston's minor-league affiliates on Wednesday. Ceddanne Rafaela (pictured) stayed hot for Worcester in a win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In Portland, the battery of Isaac Coffey and Nathan Hickey powered the Sea Dogs past the Fisher Cats. Bradley Blalock pitched effectively for Greenville while Alexis Hernandez and Albertson Asigen each went deep for Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 11, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 5

A six-run eighth inning proved to be the difference for the WooSox on Wednesday. Ceddanne Rafaela enjoyed a productive night at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a double and a season-high four RBIs out of the three-hole. Ronaldo Hernandez and Stephen Scott each put together multi-hit games as well, as the former went 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base while the latter went 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. David Hamilton and Narciso Crook each drew two walks and scored two runs. Nick Sogard went 1 for 2 with three walks and a triple while Bobby Dalbec went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Dalbec, Sogard, and Scott were also involved in a 5-4-3 triple play.

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Cup of Coffee: Rafaela homers, Sea Dogs walk it off

7/19 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs won a slugfest with the Fisher Cats that ended with a walk-off win. Chase Meidroth led the offense, while Chih-Jung Liu (pictured) was great on the mound. Dalton Rogers joined Liu with a double-digit strikeout game of his own. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu homered for Worcester, and Roman Anthony picked up two more hits. 

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 5, Worcester Red Sox 3

All three Sox runs came via the home run, but it was too little, too late. Wilyer Abreu belted his 13th of the year in the fifth inning, while Ceddanne Rafaela launched his fifth Triple-A home run in the ninth. Niko Kavadas added a couple knocks as well. Brian Van Belle, making his second Triple-A start, went the first five frames and surrendered four runs on eight hits. He struck out four and walked one. Rio Gomez and Theo Denlinger each tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout. 

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Cup of Coffee: Yuten leads FCL Sox

7/16 Cup of Coffee: In an abbreviated slate of games, the FCL Sox got a de facto sweep, pulling off an extra-inning win in a previously-suspended tilt before prevailing in the regularly-scheduled contest. Both DSL squads saw their games suspended by lightning.

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FCL Red Sox 8, FCL Orioles 7

This game started on June 26 and was halted in the bottom of the ninth, tied at 7-7. Michael Valera, who pitched the ninth in the original playthrough, came on for the 10th to get the win. A fielder's choice gone awry followed by a pair of free passes gave the Sox the literal walk-off. Jeremy Wu-Yelland pitched the first two innings of the contest, giving up two hits and two walks but striking out a pair. Karim Ayubi was the only player to record more than one hit for the Sox, including a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning. Deundre Jones drew the game-winning walk that scored Bryant Zayas.

FCL Red Sox 6, FCL Orioles 5 (7 inn.)

Natanael Yuten led the charge in the seven-inning affair, going 2 for 4 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored. A rehabbing Ryan Fitzgerald (pictured) was 3 for 4, and Diego Viloria also added two hits. Eybersson Polanco pitched the first four innings, giving up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. But it was Yonfi Rodriguez who earned the win with a scoreless fifth inning, while Simon Pacheco took the save despite giving up two runs in the final frame.

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FCL Tigers2 13, DSL Red Sox Blue 9, suspended (4th inning)

In a game suspended due to lightning, Red Sox Blue fell into a deep early hole but was in the early stages of a furious comeback before play was halted. A seven-run first inning for the Tigers2 squad came at the expense of Yeferson Vargas, who failed to get out of the first inning. But a six-run fourth inning helped the Sox keep pace thanks in large part to a 3-run home run by Starlyn Nunez. Yoeilin Cespedes continued his torrid stretch of play with two hits and three RBIs in his two early plate appearances.

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FCL Pirates Gold 2, DSL Red Sox Red 1, suspended (3rd inning)

Another game that saw a weather-induced shortened game saw significantly less scoring. Wuilliams Rodriguez made it through 2.1 innings before the stoppage, giving up five hits and two runs (one earned), and a strikeout. Just three hits were recorded by the Red squad in the early going, one each by Franklin Arias, Andrew Mussett, and Natanael Eusebio.

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Player of the Day: Ryan Fitzgerald, the man who rounds out the SoxProspects Top 60 list, might be on a rehab assignment, but the assignment on Monday was getting hits, and he did just that with three knocks in four at-bats and two RBI. Fitzgerald will likely soon see himself back on the Worcester roster, perhaps with a little momentum to bring with him.

Photo Credit: Ryan Fitzgerald by Kelly O'Connor

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Minor Notes: Games resume after the All-Star break

This past week was a short week for all leagues except for the DSL with the All-Star break affording all players a brief respite before the week concluded with three games to kick off the second half. Worcester secured a sweep; Portland, Greenville, and Salem all lost 2-of-3; and the FCL Red Sox went 2-1. 

While the major league teams started their second half post-All-Star break, the farm teams actually started the second half the week prior. Worcester wrapped up the first half at 39-36, Portland went 40-29, Greenville won the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League going 36-30 to secure a playoff spot, and Salem went 30-33. 

Transactions

As the season hits the midway point, you start to see more promotions, and there was a series on Friday prior to games resuming involving some of the organization's top 25 prospects. The first of which was that Wikelman Gonzalez (pictured, right) and Blaze Jordan were promoted to Portland. Gonzalez, a 21-year-old righty, was amidst his second season at Greenville and had thrown 63 innings with a 5.14 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 105 strikeouts to 42 walks. This was significantly down from an awesome finish to 2022 where he allowed only five runs in his final 17 innings after his promotion to Greenville. However, he has still risen from 14th up to 9th on the SoxProspects.com rankings in part due to his potential for three average to better pitches including a 97mph fastball.

Blaze has split time this year between third and first base and has continued to show improvement in his statistical performance as he climbs the ladder. After ending at Greenville to end 2022, he returned this year and raked - hitting .324/.385/.533 with 12 home runs, 22 doubles, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Still only 20 years old, he now sits at 15th in the SoxProspects.com rankings.

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Podcast Ep. #287: Re-ranking, Eye to the Deadline

July is always busy, and the Red Sox have given us plenty to discuss. What will Chaim Bloom be looking for at the deadline? Who was involved in the latest batch of promotions? And what July rankings are Chris and Ian already thinking of updating, not to mention who are these guys jumping 20-plus spots? All of that, plus your emails, await!

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Cup of Coffee: Gonzalez dazzles in Portland debut; Dalbec powers Worcester

7/17 Cup of Coffee: As the big-league club secured a series win in Chicago, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-4 on Sunday. Behind strong offensive performances from the likes of Stephen Scott and Bobby Dalbec, Worcester held on for a one-run win in Jacksonville. Wikelman Gonzalez (pictured) made the most of his Double-A debut, firing six scoreless innings in a tough loss for Portland. In similar fashion, Juan Daniel Encarnacion did not receive any sort of run support as Greenville dropped its series finale to Hickory. And outside of Mikey Romero stringing together a couple of hits, not much went right for Salem against Delmarva.

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Worcester Red Sox 9, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 8

It was a high-scoring affair in Jacksonville to close out the weekend. Stephen Scott paced the Worcester lineup out of the nine-hole, going 3 for 5 with an RBI single, and RBI double, and one run scored. Daniel Palka and Nick Sogard each enjoyed three-hit days as well, as the former doubled twice and scored two runs while the latter drove in one run and scored another. Ceddanne Rafaela went 2 for 4 with a run-scoring infield single. Batting behind him, Bobby Dalbec drew two walks and crushed a 455-foot solo shot for his 22nd home run of the season. Out of the leadoff spot, David Hamilton went 1 for 4 with an RBI, a walk, two runs scored, and his 31st stolen base of the year.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony homers again; Jordan lifts Portland

7/16 Cup of Coffee: The weather prevented each stateside affiliate from earning a win as the Salem and FCL games were suspended with those teams in the lead. Blaze Jordan's heroics gave Portland a come-from-behind victory, while Roman Anthony and Angel Bastardo (pictured) starred for Greenville. A grand slam from Nick Sogard was the big hit for Worcester, and Yoeilin Cespedes reached base three more times in the DSL. 

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 5

A five-run first inning set the table for the WooSox as they won their fifth straight. It was the bottom of the order that did most of the damage in this one, with Nick Sogard going 2 for 3 with a grand slam and two walks and Narciso Crook going 1 for 4 with a two-run home run and a walk. It was the second straight game with a grand slam for Worcester. Enmanuel Valdez hit the grand slam on Friday, but he was pulled from the game on Saturday after appearing to injure his hamstring. There is no word yet on the severity.

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Cup of Coffee: Valdez hits grand slam; Song pitches against Portland

7/15 Cup of Coffee: Enmanuel Valdez, Bobby Dalbec, and Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in a Worcester blowout, while Pablo Reyes went deep on a rehab assignment with Portland. Eddinson Paulino was one of the few bright spots for Greenville, and Yordanny Monegro continued to be electric in his time with Salem. Home runs for Natanael Yuten and Starlyn Nunez highlighted three close games at the rookie levels. 

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Worcester Red Sox 9, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 2

The ball was flying down in Jacksonville as Worcester launched three home runs. The middle of the order (Enmanuel Valdez, Bobby Dalbec, and Wilyer Abreu) all went deep, with Valdez connecting on his second grand slam of the season. The bats were quiet otherwise, though Niko Kavadas did single in his Triple-A debut. Kyle Barraclough allowed two runs over five innings before the bullpen shut things down. Richard Bleier, John Schreiber, Ryan Fernandez, and Chase Shugart tossed a scoreless inning. 

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Cup of Coffee: Sierra, Pierre lead FCL Sox 13-run barrage

7/14 Cup of Coffee: With the full-season teams still on their All-Star break respites, all eyes were again on the rookie leagues. The FCL Sox delivered a 13-run, 14-hit onslaught in a dominating effort led by Armando Sierra (pictured). Down in the Dominican Republic, Team Blue fell despite the continued mashing of Yoeilin Cespedes, while the Red squad saw its contest postponed due to rain.

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FCL Red Sox 13, FCL Braves 1

The FCL Sox outhit the Braves 14 to five in a rout of the Braves. Armando Sierra led the charge at the plate with a single, double, and two-run homer, driving in three runs. Angel Pierre legged out a pair of doubles as part of his three-hit afternoon, while Johnfrank Salazar added his 10th two-bagger in just 21 games. Marvin Alcantara was a catalyst out of the leadoff spot, going 2 for 4 with a walk, double, and three RBI. Natanael Yuten followed in the order, going 2 for 5 with four RBI. 

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Minor Notes: Draft, transaction frenzies

In one of the busiest periods on the baseball calendar, the MLB Draft took place July 9-11 and the Red Sox made 22 selections over the three-day affair. The Futures Game also took place surrounding MLB All-Star festivities, while the full-season minor league affiliates are on an extended break. That hasn't prevented many different transactions from occurring, however.

MLB Draft

The MLB Draft wrapped up on Tuesday, as up to 22 new minor leaguers will join the Boston organization, should they sign contracts. It was Devin Pearson's first draft as amateur scouting director and he was able to secure a consensus top-10 prospect in Kyle Teel, a catcher from Virginia, with the No. 14 overall pick, along with Rhode Island native Zach Fogell out of UConn in the 18th round. Overall, the Red Sox selected just five high schoolers, along with a junior college player and 16 from four-year colleges. Overall, the Red Sox selected 12 pitchers and 10 position players.

The Red Sox have until 5 p.m. on July 25 to sign each of the 22 draftees and have a bonus pool of $10,295,100 with which to sign them but can go up to $10,809,855 without losing any draft selections. However, the organization will need to pay a 75 percent tax on the overages.

 

Check out the news page for our rapid reaction podcast on the first night of picks, a write-up on each of the selections in the first 10 rounds, and plenty of other content.

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2023 Draft Recap: How Boston's picks ranked

Of Boston's 22 selections in the 2023 Draft, seven were ranked in the Baseball America Top 500, seven also appeared in the Perfect Game Top 500, and four in the MLB Pipeline Top 250 list. Nine Red Sox selections appeared on at least one of the lists.

See below for a listing of the 2023 Red Sox draftees who were ranked by BA, PG, or MLB.com. The full list of this year's draft selections can be found over at the SoxProspects.com Draft History page.

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Cup of Coffee: Cespedes goes deep, Semerite has big day

7/12 Cup of Coffee: For the second consecutive day, it was just the two Dominican League teams in action for the Red Sox minor league system. Yoeilin Cespedes had another big game for the Blue squad, while the Red team enjoyed a few good outings on the mound despite the loss. Moises Semerite (pictured) added a big offensive day as well.

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Draft Day 3 Recap: Rounds 11-20

The 2023 MLB draft has come to an end with the final 10 rounds. The Red Sox were able to sign eight of their final 10 selections of last year's draft. 

Here are brief recaps of selections 11 through 20: 

11. Nelly Taylor, OF, Polk State College (FL)

Taylor (pictured) is a left-hand hitting, left-hand throwing outfielder out of a junior college in Florida. He is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. This past season, he hit .353/.467/.620 with six home runs, six triples, and 19 doubles to go along with 31 stolen bases. He walked 36 times and struck out 42 times. According to our own Ian Cundall, he has plus-plus speed and is a good defender. Perfect Game has Taylor ranked #367, while he is not ranked by Baseball America. He becomes the second outfielder taken by Boston in this draft and he is committed to Florida State. 

12. Max Carlson, RHP, North Carolina Carlson is a 6-foot-1 right-handed arm coming off his junior campaign at UNC. He tossed 76 innings this past season and posted a 5.45 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 32 walks. He started 14 games and appeared three other times in relief. He struck out 88 in 77 2/3 innings as a junior in 18 games, all starts. He is ranked #385 by Baseball America and according to them, he has strong pitchability. He was mainly a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball and a very good changeup. He mixed in a slider, but did not use the offering much. The fastball sits in the low-90s and his changeup is in the low-80s and generates a lot of swings and misses (40% miss rate). He was a big prospect in high school, as Perfect Game ranked him as the top player in the state of Minnesota, as well as the 12th best RHP in the country. 

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Welcome to the 2023 Signing Period

Now that the 2023 First-Year Player Draft is in the books, the signing period is upon us. With some limited exceptions, this year's signing deadline is 5:00 pm ET on July 25, 2023. As most of our readers know, each team's spending on draft pick bonuses is capped. The overall bonus cap is determined by the number and placement of each team's selections.

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Cup of Coffee: A tale of two DSL games

7/11 Cup of Coffee: Each of the five stateside affiliates had Monday off, which left just the two DSL squads to carry the minor league day. Blue, which scored 12 runs on 13 hits, scored enough runs for both teams, as Red had just one tally on five hits. Yoeilin Cespedes (pictured) had three hits for Blue to push his batting average to .340. He now has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games and 17 of his last 19. Wuilliams Rodriguez pitched five shutout innings for Red in that contest's standout performance and has pitched to a 1.29 ERA in his first six professional outings.

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Red Sox select Ryan Ammons with 10th-round pick

With the 298th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Ryan Ammons, a left-handed pitcher out of Clemson University.

Ammons opened the 2023 season as Clemson's Friday night starter and made two starts for the Tigers before missing nearly two months with a left forearm strain. Upon returning to action in late April, the 22-year-old southpaw was used strictly out of the bullpen, pitching to a 5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts to five walks across 10 innings of relief. 

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Red Sox select Blake Wehunt with ninth-round pick

With the 268th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Blake Wehunt, a right-handed pitcher out of Kennesaw State (GA) University. 

Wehunt is a sinkerball specialist who generates lots of ground-ball outs and features good control. As a Senior for Kennesaw State, he struck out 80 batters while walking only 23 in 76 1/3 innings, posting a 4.83 ERA on the year. He transferred from Southern Mississippi, where he allowed 19 runs in 11 innings in 14 appearances over three seasons. 

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Red Sox select Trennor O'Donnell with eighth-round pick

With the 238th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Boston has selected Trennor O'Donnell, a right-handed pitcher from Ball State University. O'Donnell is a senior sign who was unranked in the draft by all major publications.

After a decent sophomore year where he pitched to a 3.74 ERA and struck out 34 in 33 2/3 innings, O'Donnell took a step back as a junior as his ERA ballooned to 5.48 over 65 2/3 innings. He did not let that rattle him, as his senior season was impressive and led to him seeing his name get called in the draft. His ERA went down to 2.93 over 92 innings while walking 32 and striking out 97. His last start came against a strong Kentucky team that advanced to the Super Regionals, and he held them to two runs over 7 1/3 innings. 

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Red Sox select Caden Rose with seventh-round pick

With the 208th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Caden Rose, an outfielder out of the University of Alabama. Rose is not ranked by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top prospects in this year's draft class.

Rose, 21, batted .261/.383/.503 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 45 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 48 games (186 plate appearances) for the Crimson Tide this past season. The right-handed hitting junior dealt with injuries for much of the spring but was still named to the 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team for his efforts in the Tuscaloosa Regional. 

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Red Sox select CJ Weins with sixth-round pick

With the 178th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected CJ Weins, a right-handed pitcher out of Western Kentucky.

Weins arrived at Western Kentucky by way of Wabash Valley Community College, one of the nation's premier junior college baseball programs, and South Carolina, spending two years at each school. He used the extra year afforded to all athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to play a fifth year for the Hilltoppers.

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Red Sox select Connelly Early with fifth-round pick

With the 151st overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Boston has selected Connelly Early, a left-handed pitcher out of the University of Virginia. A teammate of Kyle Teel, Boston's first-round pick, Early was not ranked by Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, ESPN.com, or MLB.com. ProspectsLive did rank him as the 305th-best prospect in the draft. 

Early spent his first two years at Army, where the team won back-to-back Patriot League titles. He posted a 2.23 ERA in 36 1/3 innings as a freshman and a 3.26 ERA in 85 2/3 innings as a sophomore. He then transferred to Virginia, where he kept things rolling with a 3.09 ERA in 87 1/3 innings. As a Cavalier, he struck out 100 batters while walking 23. He finished the season strong, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Charlottesville Regional. He picked up the win in the deciding game while racking up 10 strikeouts. 

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Red Sox select Justin Riemer with second fourth-round compensation pick

With the 133rd overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Justin Riemer (pictured, right), a shortstop out of Wright State (OH). Riemer is unranked in the draft class by MLB Pipeline and ranked 137th by Perfect Game USA.

The 21-year-old just finished up his second season with Wright State after being lightly recruited coming out of high school in Virginia. Since arriving on campus, his name has popped up in draft discussions after showcasing fantastic contact skills, hitting .329 in his first season in 2022 and following it up this year with a .323/.563/.645 slash line in a limited 12 games in 2023. While that slugging percentage might lead you to believe there is power in his game, it is fueled almost exclusively by his high average and OPS, totaling only five home runs and 14 doubles at Wright State. However, his plate discipline was outstanding in college with 46 walks to only 14 strikeouts, granted while playing against mid-major competition. 

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Red Sox select Kristian Campbell with fourth-round compensation pick

With the 132nd overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Boston has selected Kristian Campbell, a shortstop out of Georgia Tech. Campbell is ranked 255th by Baseball America, 131st by Perfect Game USA, and 186th by ESPN.com.

Campbell hit .376/.484/.549 as a draft-eligible sophomore this past season. He did not play as a freshman in 2022, but he spent last summer in the Northwoods league, where he hit .356 and stole 31 bases in 58 games. In 2023 at Georgia Tech, he struck out only 17 times and drew 29 walks in 173 at-bats. His contact skills are ahead of his power, though he does flash some good raw power in batting practice. Scouts are hopeful he will grow into it as he has projection remaining in his wiry frame. 

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Red Sox select Matt Duffy with fourth-round pick

With the 115th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Matt Duffy, a right-handed pitcher out of Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. Duffy is ranked the draft's 474th prospect by Baseball America.

Duffy is a control specialist, walking 59 batters against 273 strikeouts in 211 2/3 innings in his three years at Canisius. He also has some deception, with something of a funky delivery that still allows for above-average extension. His fastball sits in the 88 to 92 range, occasionally touching 94, and he threw the pitch for strikes over 70 percent of the time in his junior season. He complements the fastball with a changeup and slider, of which the change is considered the better pitch. He was named the Canisius College male athlete of the year in 2023. 

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Red Sox select Antonio Anderson with third-round pick

With the 83rd overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Antonio Anderson (pictured, right), a shortstop out of North Atlanta HS (GA). Anderson is ranked 77th in the draft class by MLB Pipeline, 68th by Baseball America, and 75th by Perfect Game USA.

With this pick, the Red Sox selected another infield prospect with the chance to hit for both average and power. Baseball America labeled the switch hitter's future hit tool as a 55 and power as a 50 with the ability to hit 20+ home runs a season while noting that scouts prefer his left-handed swing where he opens it up and can generate more power. 

While the six-foot-three Georgian is listed as a shortstop but his future defensive position is a bit up in the air. He has a plus arm and has been clocked as high as 91  from the mound so third base may end up a logical landing spot. However, there is some hope that he could land at second base where his offense would play up, but ultimately his below-average speed and lack of top-tier quickness may prevent that outcome.

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Cup of Coffee: Jordan and Hickey homer; Coffey and Blalock combine for 17 strikeouts

7/10 Cup of Coffee: To close out the first half of the major-league season, Boston's minor-league affiliates went a perfect 3-0 on Sunday. In Worcester, Enmanuel Valdez enjoyed a strong afternoon at the plate while John Schreiber continued his rehab assignment. In Portland, Nathan Hickey crushed a two-run homer while Isaac Coffey fanned nine over 5 1/3 innings. In Greenville, Blaze Jordan (pictured) led a power surge at Fluor Field while Bradley Blalock tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in his latest start for the Drive. Salem's game was postponed due to rainy conditions in the Lynchburg area.

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 3

A three-run eighth inning lifted the WooSox to their third straight win over the Mets at Polar Park. Enmanuel Valdez led the way offensively by going 2 for 4 with an RBI triple that got his side on the board in the fourth inning and an RBI double that gave them the lead in the eighth. Ceddanne Rafaela also doubled and drove in a run as part of a 1 for 3 afternoon in which he crossed home plate twice. Bobby Dalbec went 2 for 4 with a game-tying single in the fourth while Nick Sogard went 2 for 3 with a walk. Despite going hitless, Ronaldo Hernandez collected an RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth.

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Podcast Ep. #286: Kyle Teel/Nazzan Zanetello Instant Reax

Draft Night 1 is in the books! Here's the guys' thoughts on the Red Sox first two picks.

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Red Sox select Nazzan Zanetello with No. 50 overall pick

With its second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Boston has selected Nazzan Zanetello, a shortstop out of Christian Brothers College HS in Missouri. The 18-year-old is ranked No. 52 by MLBPipeline.com and No. 110 by Baseball America.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, the Arkansas commit is young for the class, as he turned 18 years old at the end of May, and moved up draft boards after strong showings on the showcase circuit over the past year. He earned MVP at the MLB Breakthrough Series in June 2022 and hit well at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October. He led Team USA with a .429 average at the U18 World Cup qualifying tournament in November. 

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2022 MLB First Year Player Draft Picks No. 1-28

The 2022 MLB First Year Player Draft is underway from Seattle, the site of this year's All-Star Game festivities, as the first two rounds are on Sunday night. There are only technically 28 first round picks this year, as the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers each had their pick moved down 10 spots due to luxury tax penalties. Collegiate players were the more popular picks in the first round, as 17 of the selections were from the college ranks, including the top two picks in Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, as well as Boston's pick, as the Red Sox went with Virginia catcher Kyle Teel.

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Red Sox select Kyle Teel with the 14th overall pick

With the 14th overall pick in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Kyle Teel, a catcher out of the University of Virginia. Teel is ranked 10th in the draft class by Baseball America and seventh by MLB Pipeline. 

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Teel is coming off a 2023 season in which he earned ACC Player of the Year honors. In 65 games with the Cavaliers, the left-handed hitting junior batted a stout .407/.475/.655 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, 67 runs scored, five stolen bases, 32 walks, and 36 strikeouts across 297 plate appearances. From behind the plate, he threw out 15 of 24 would-be base stealers. 

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Follow the Draft at SoxProspects!

The MLB Draft is just a few hours away! You can follow along with the draft this evening at SoxProspects.com, where we'll bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of the first round. Similar coverage will continue on Day Two and Day Three as well.

2023 Red Sox Draft Preview

Red Sox 2023 Draft Board

SoxProspects News

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer, Yorke, Guerrero shine in Futures Game; Anthony goes deep for Greenville

7/9 Cup of Coffee: While all eyes were on the trio at the Futures Game on Saturday night, there were several standout performances in affiliated games as the stateside squads delivered a sweep. Roman Anthony (pictured) continues to put on a show in Greenville, leading the Drive once again. Luis Perales continues to shape into the dominant starter for Salem, while Grant Gambrell was a bulldog in Portland's win. Wilyer Abreu powered Worcester with a pair of home runs to support the Triple-A debut of Brian Van Belle. The DSL Blue team split a de facto doubleheader, while Team Red won in a thrilling walk-off.

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NL Futures 6, AL Futures 0

It was a tough night for the American League representatives through no fault of the Red Sox contingent. Marcelo Mayer, Boston's top-ranked prospect, got the start at shortstop in the second spot in the lineup. He singled in his lone plate appearance and stole second base. Nick Yorke assumed his usual spot as Mayer's double-play partner and a less-familiar slot in the batting order, hitting ninth. He also had a single, the highlight of a 1-for-3 effort. Luis Guerrero came out of the bullpen to strike out the only batter he faced.

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Cup of Coffee: Rafaela homers twice; Anthony doubles and homers in return

7/8 Cup of Coffee: It was an exciting night on the farm with interesting developments at each affiliate. Ceddanne Rafaela (pictured) was the story for Worcester, where John Schreiber also started a rehab assignment. CJ Liu was dominant for Portland, and the offense provided plenty of support. Roman Anthony returned to action and continued to feast on High-A pitching, and Mikey Romero made his season debut for Salem. In the rookie leagues, Natanael Yuten and the Salazar brothers (Johnfrank and Kleyver) all hit home runs. 

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Syracuse Mets 3

Ceddanne Rafaela and Bobby Dalbec led the way in Worcester's win. Rafaela went 3 for 5 with two home runs and three RBI, while Dalbec went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Rafaela had gotten off to a slow start with Worcester before breaking out in this one. It marked his third career multi-homer game. Dalbec's three hits pushed his average to an even .300 with the WooSox, and his OPS climbed to 1.067. Ronaldo Hernández went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI, and Pablo Reyes went 2 for 4 with an RBI. 

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Red Sox 2023 Draft Preview

It’s that time of year again! The MLB Draft gets underway Sunday evening at 7:00 pm ET. Day One will include the first two rounds; Day Two will be Monday at 2:00 pm, covering rounds 3 through 10; and Day Three will be Tuesday at 2:00 pm, covering rounds 11 through 20.

This year, the Red Sox have three picks in the top 100: #14 (first round), #50 (second round), and #83 (third round). The club also has the #115 overall pick in the fourth round, and received picks #132 and #133 for losing Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi, respectively, to free agency. 

You can follow the Red Sox draft with us at SoxProspects.com as the picks come in, as we’ll have live coverage of Boston’s selections on SoxProspects News, the 2023 Draft page, and the @SoxProspects Twitter account. For now, here's a preview of some potential picks to whet your palette. Scouting reports are compiled from our review of video, college baseball games, and ongoing review of scouting reports from sites such as Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Perfect Game.

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Cup of Coffee: Feliz powers Salem; De La Cruz, Martinez combine for DSL no-no

7/7 Cup of Coffee: Only two of Boston's seven affiliates lost on Thursday, and one of those defeats was at the hands of another affiliate. The combination of Nicolas De La Cruz and Jose Martinez threw a seven-inning intramural no-hitter to lead the DSL Red Sox Blue team over their Red squad counterparts. Salem and Greenville combined for 30 hits in their victories, with Albert Feliz (pictured) compiling nine total bases in a four-hit night for the former and Brainer Bonaci continuing his excellent play for the latter. Hunter Dobbins shined in Portland's win, while Wyatt Olds had another encouraging start in Fort Myers. Worcester had the only loss by a stateside affiliate, despite the best efforts of Enmanuel Valdez.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 6, Worcester Red Sox 1

One day after exploding for seven home runs, the Worcester lineup was held to just one run on five hits. Enmanuel Valdez had three of those five knocks, and he is now 7 for 12 since his return from the injured list. Narciso Crook and Nick Sogard both doubled, with Sogard adding a walk and the WooSox lone run. Rio Gomez had an otherwise strong start spoiled by a pair of solo home runs. He allowed two runs on three hits in five innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. 

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Podcast Ep. #285: Live Looks Before the Draft

Between Chris and Ian, we've got live reports at Worcester, Portland, and Salem to talk about! Plus, we've got a draft preview, thoughts on the latest promotions to Boston and Salem, our thoughts on basically everyone in the system being hurt, and what's next for the MLB club.

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Cup of Coffee: Dalbec, Rafaela, Valdez all homer in Worcester win

7/6 Cup of Coffee: Outside of Worcester, it was a relatively quiet Wednesday night at the plate for Boston's minor-league affiliates. Bobby Dalbec (pictured) was one of seven WooSox hitters to hit a home run at Polar Park. In Portland, Dylan Spacke turned in 3 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. In Greenville, Blaze Jordan tallied four hits as the Drive were swept in a doubleheader. Finally, Brooks Brannon homered for the second time in three games with Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4

Seven different WooSox hitters left the yard at Polar Park on Wednesday night. After missing the last six days with a left wrist/hand injury, Bobby Dalbec made his impact felt in his return to the lineup by going 2 for 5 with his 20th home run of the season. Ronaldo Hernandez also clubbed a solo shot as part of a two-hit effort in which he drew two walks and scored two runs. Ceddanne Rafaela and Enmanuel Valdez both went deep with the bases empty while the rehabbing Pablo Reyes homered for the second time in as many days. Daniel Palka, who took over for Reyes in the sixth inning, went 1 for 2 with his 12th big fly of the year. Nick Sogard went 1 for 4 with a two-run blast.

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Cup of Coffee: Binelas homers in third straight game; Barraclough flirts with no-no

7/5 Cup of Coffee: To celebrate Independence Day, Boston's minor-league affiliates went 3-1 on Tuesday. There were some solid pitching performances across the board, as Kyle Barraclough tossed a gem for Worcester and Jedixson Paez fired five scoreless innings for Salem. On the other side of the ball, Alex Binelas (pictured) nearly hit for the cycle in Portland and Enmanuel Valdez homered in his return to the WooSox lineup. Elsewhere, Greenville's series opener was suspended in the fourth inning due to inclement weather, while both Dominican Summer League squads were also impacted by rain.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 5

Kyle Barraclough flirted with perfection in his third start of the season for Worcester. The journeyman right-hander took a bid for a perfect game into the fifth inning before issuing a two-out walk to old friend Jaylin Davis. He then took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before issuing another two-out walk to Rafael Ortega and serving up a two-run home run to Ronny Mauricio. All told, though, Barraclough allowed just those two earned runs on one hit and two walks to go along with 10 strikeouts over six stellar innings. His ERA actually increased, but he still improved to 3-0 as a member of the WooSox. In relief of Barraclough, Cam Booser put up a zero in the seventh and Ryan Fernandez got tagged for three runs in the eighth before Andrew Politi slammed the door on Syracuse in the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.

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Minor Notes: Guerrero replaces Drohan in Futures Game; Lamet signed to minors deal

We are officially past the halfway point of the season. The All-Star break is fast approaching, meaning key events such as the Futures Game and MLB Draft will soon be upon us. Of course, we are also less than a full month away from the trade deadline, so it is certainly a busy time of year for the Red Sox and MLB's 29 other clubs. With that, let's get into this week's notes.

Donation Drive still going

As has been the case since last month, 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 live through August 1!

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