March 27, 2024 at 2:16 PM
2024 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 1 - Position Players
Baseball is back. The Red Sox minor league squads will be getting underway this week. With that, the SoxProspects.com team has selected its annual Pre-Season All-Stars. We will begin with the hitters today and continue with pitchers tomorrow.
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Catcher: Kyle Teel, Portland Sea Dogs
Teel, drafted 14th overall last summer, enters his first full season of pro ball as a Pre-Season All-Star. The 22-year-old has already risen to third here at SoxProspects after putting up some big offensive numbers in 2023. He saw time with the FCL Sox, the Greenville Drive, and the Portland Sea Dogs last year, where he hit a combined .363/.482/.495 in 26 games. Teel saw some action in MLB games this spring and hit this bomb on the back fields.
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First Base: Blaze Jordan, Portland Sea Dogs
Jordan makes his first appearance as a Pre-Season All-Star. He was the 89th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of high school, and has been spending time at both third base and first base. He will likely see a lot more time at first moving forward. After tearing it up for Greenville to the tune of a .324/.385/.533 slash line in 73 games, Jordan was bumped up to the Sea Dogs. With Portland, he had a .698 OPS in 49 games with six home runs and 10 doubles. Combined, he hit 18 home runs, 32 doubles, and a triple, and drove in 86 runs in 122 games.
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Second Base: Nick Yorke, Portland Sea Dogs
This is Yorke's third time as a Pre-Season All-Star, with the other two seasons coming in 2021 and 2022. He was also named a regular SoxProspects All-Start for the 2023 season. The 21-year-old right-handed hitter spent all of last season with Portland, where he hit .268/.350/.435 with 43 extra-base hits in 110 games. He also drew 51 walks and stole 18 bases in 23 attempts. He is currently ranked sixth in the system.
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Third Base: Chase Meidroth, Worcester Red Sox
Meidroth makes his debut as a Pre-Season All-Star after he was selected as an All-Star for his 2023 campaign. The 2022 fourth-rounder spent time with Greenville and Portland last year, where he hit a combined .271/.408/.391 in 111 games. He maintained his impressive walk rate with the Sea Dogs, where he drew 59 walks in 91 games, good for a 14.9% walk rate. He was also named the 2023 Portland Sea Dogs Defensive Player of the Year. He is currently ranked 14th in the system.
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Shortstop: Marcelo Mayer, Portland Sea Dogs
Mayer makes it three consecutive seasons as a Pre-Season All-Star. The second-ranked prospect played very well for Greenville last season, hitting .290/.366/.524, including seven home runs, in 35 games. He was moved up to Portland, but struggled with an injury that sidelined him for a month and a half. The smooth-fielding shortstop saw action in some MLB games this spring, going 1 for 4 with a double. Here he is roping a ball 108 MPH off the bat on the back fields. He will begin 2024 at Double-A.
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Outfield: Roman Anthony, Portland Sea Dogs
A huge 2023 season for Anthony bumped him up to being the system's current top prospect. A 2022 second-round pick, Anthony hit .294/.412/.569 with 12 home runs in 54 games with Greenville last season. His impressive display of contact, power, and plate discipline earned him a handful of games with Portland, where he continued to hit, posting a 1.020 OPS in 10 games for the Sea Dogs. He was named the 2023 Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year as well as the 2023 SoxProspects.com Breakout Player of the Year.
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Outfield: Miguel Bleis, Salem Red Sox
Bleis is now a four-time SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Star. He had a tough 2023 season that saw him play just 31 games due to injury, but his talent is unquestionable. He was signed as an international free agent in 2021 at 17 years, receiving the largest bonus that the Sox handed out in their January 2021 international free agent class. He is currently ranked fifth in the system, and is shown here hitting a ball hard off an MLB pitcher on the back fields.
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Outfield: Allan Castro, Greenville Drive
Castro earns his first award of any kind from SoxProspects after a terrific 2023. After posting a solid .754 OPS for Salem, Castro hit .283/.355/.446 with 17 extra-base hits in 43 games for the Drive. The switch-hitter began his professional career as an infielder but was moved to the outfield in 2021. He was signed as an international free agent in July 2019 and is currently ranked 15th in the system.
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Designated Hitter: Yoelin Cespedes, FCL Red Sox
At just 18 years old, Cespedes follows up his first season of professional ball by appearing as a Pre-Season Al-Star. In 46 games for the DSL Sox last year, Cespedes hit .346/.392/.560 with 15 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. The 2023 international free agent signing was considered by several scouts to be one of the most advanced hitters in the DSL. He is currently ranked 10th in the system, and here are a few swings from a batting practice session, courtesy of our own Ian Cundall.
Photo Credit: All by Kelly O'Connor