Cup of Coffee: Garcia, Lopez homer in Greenville; Ingrassia K's 8 in Salem

6/27 Cup of Coffee: Only two affiliates were in action on Wednesday as a result of Worcester and Portland both getting rained out on the road. Eduardo Lopez (pictured) and Jhostynxon Garcia homered in Greenville's loss to Hickory while Jojo Ingrassia struck out eight in Salem's loss to Fredericksburg.

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

Bryan Mata was slated to start for the WooSox on Wednesday but their game against the RailRiders was called off due to impending severe weather. It will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 5:05 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony, Campbell homer in Portland win; Romero ropes two triples

6/26 Cup of Coffee: Portland's big bats were at it again, as Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell each went deep in the Sea Dogs' victory. Bobby Dalbec's (pictured) power led Worcester to a win over the RailRiders. Joely Rodriguez also made his first appearances in two months in that game. Hayden Mullins' nine strikeouts and Mikey Romero's two triples propelled Greenville to an easy win. Luis Cohen's five strong innings and Nazzan Zantello's three hits gave Salem a win as well. 

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

Bobby Dalbec led the charge offensively, belting a pair of home runs and driving in three. He now has 10 home runs with the WooSox this year to go along with an .887 OPS. Niko Kavadas picked up two hits, and Mickey Gasper went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Mark Contreras added a couple hits, including an RBI double. Brian Van Belle struggled in this start, lasting just 2 1/3 innings while allowing three runs on seven hits. Chase Shugart picked up the win in relief, tossing 3 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. Joely Rodriguez returned to the mound for the first time since April 26 at Fenway Park against the Cubs. He faced four hitters, retiring three and allowing another to reach on an error. Lucas Luetge surrendered a couple of runs, but notched the two-inning save. 

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Minor Notes: Tommy John surgery for Perales and Bastardo; Campbell stays hot

A brutal year for pitching injuries continued with the Red Sox set to lose Luis Perales and Angel Bastardo to Tommy John surgery. Elsewhere the major league team is getting a bit healthier with Wilyer Abreu and Chris Martin getting activated from the injured. On the field in the minors, it was the Kristian Campbell (pictured) show once again. 

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Tommy John surgery for Perales and Bastardo

It was a tough week for injury news, with reports that Luis Perales and Angel Bastardo will need Tommy John surgery. With the recovery timeline being 14 to 18 months, both pitchers are expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. Perales had recently cemented himself as the top pitching prospect in the system and a top-100 overall prospect in baseball. As he is on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox will look to receive a fourth option year for Perales. Otherwise, he would have one option left at the end of the 2025 season. 

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Cup of Coffee: Cespedes seemingly promoted, but FCL Sox race to victory

6/25 Cup of Coffee: The big news on the day was the word of the not-yet-official promotion of Yoelin Cespedes to Salem, but his old FCL teammates ran wild on the basepaths to secure the victory. The DSL squads split, with Carlos Carrasquel providing the offense in support of two-hitter by Dariel Morillo and a trio of relievers.

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FCL Red Sox 6, FCL Pirates 3

The Sox were limited to four hits but worked nine walks, including four during a three-run rally in the second inning. They also put tremendous pressure on the Pirates while on the basepaths, stealing eight bases including a double steal in which Franyer Noria raced home while Franklin Arias swiped second. Raimundo De Los Santos stole three of those bases while going 1 for 3 with a walk. Deybi Salcedo got the start, allowing two runs in four innings, striking out seven against one walk. Wuilliams Rodriguez was credited with the win, giving up one run on two hits in three frames.

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Cup of Coffee: Meidroth continues to get on base; Garcia, Lugo, Westbrook all homer

6/24 Cup of Coffee: Sunday's slate featured four games that were decided by two or fewer runs. Chase Meidroth had three hits while Matthew Lugo and Jamie Westbrook (pictured) both homered in Worcester's loss to Columbus. Tyler McDonough drove in his side's only run in Portland's loss to Richmond. Jhostynxon Garcia went deep for the seventh time in 19 games as Greenville fell to Rome. Nazzan Zanetello ripped an RBI double in Salem's loss to Augusta.

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 9, Worcester Red Sox 7

Grant Gambrell was scratched for precautionary reasons, so Justin Hagenman started in his place. The righty allowed one earned run on two hits (including a solo homer), one walk, and three strikeouts over four innings. Naoyuki Uwasasa, Jorge Benitez, and Sal Romano combined to surrender eight runs out of the bullpen. Romano was charged with the blown save and loss as a result of yielding four runs in the top of the ninth.

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Cup of Coffee: Fitts strikes out nine; Zanetello goes deep

6/23 Cup of Coffee: Each full-season team played a close game that saw the Boston affiliate come out on top. Richard Fitts (pictured) was dominant for the WooSox, while Tyler McDonough sent the Portland fans home happy. Cutter Coffey had another good game for Greenville, and Nazzan Zanetello went deep for Salem. 

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Worcester Red Sox 2, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 0

Richard Fitts struck out nine over five innings to lead a shutout victory over the Clippers. The nine strikeouts were a season-high as he improved to 5-2. Brian Van Belle followed and struck out three over 2 2/3. A sacrifice fly from Jamie Westbrook gave the WooSox an early lead, and Mickey Gasper provided an insurance run with a solo home run in the eighth. Nick Yorke went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk to keep his Triple-A OPS above 1.000. 

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Cup of Coffee: Kavadas knocks 2 home runs; 3 hits for Brooks Brannon

6/22 Cup of Coffee: The theme of Friday was offense for the full-season affiliates and pitching in the complex leagues. Of the five contests played by the full-season squads, just one featured fewer than six runs scored, as Portland scored just four in the opener of its doubleheader, while the three complex teams combined for 10 runs in three games. Niko Kavadas (pictured) keeps hitting home runs, as he drilled his 13th and 14th of the year. That's tied for ninth in the International League and four off the lead. Kristin Campbell continued his scorching streak with a hit in each half of the twin bill, while Blaze Jordan, Kyle Teel, and Phillip Sikes each went deep in the second half. On the mound, Cooper Criswell pitched into the sixth and didn't allow an earned run, while Bryan Mata had three shutout frames in Portland. 

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Worcester Red Sox 6, Columbus Clippers (CLE), 2

First pitch came an hour and 45 minutes late due to thunderstorms in the area, but the pitching staff was ready, as they didn't allow an earned run, though the Red Sox did commit three errors. Cooper Criswell set the example, tossing 5 1/3 innings with zero earned runs, though both unearned tallies were on his watch. He allowed five hits and three walks, punching out four. Chase Shugart and Lucas Luetge turned it up a notch, as the only baserunner they allowed was a fielder's choice by the first hitter Shugart, who went 2 2/3 innings with five strikeouts, faced. Luetge struck out two of the three hitters that came up in the ninth. Niko Kavadas knocked two home runs for three RBIs as part of a three-hit day, while Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a double. Eddy Alvarez added two RBIs.

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Cup of Coffee: Castro delivers inside-the-park homer; Coffey goes deep again

6/21 Cup of Coffee: The first day of summer brought a busy day of baseball, with much of the highlights coming from Greenville. Allan Castro (pictured) and Cutter Coffey paced a 10-run attack in support of a healthy Yordanny Monegro. Jojo Ingrassia and two relievers combined for a two-hitter in the Salem win, while a Nick Sogard-led rally fell short for the WooSox. The FCL Sox were blanked while the DSL squads earned a split. 

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Columbus Clippers 7, Worcester Red Sox 6

A clean, well-pitched contest for the first eight innings descended into chaos as the two teams combined for eight runs in the ninth inning and the WooSox rally fell short. Jason Alexander allowed two runs on three hits in five frames, striking out two while walking one. Bailey Horn surrendered one run in two innings, getting saddled with the loss, before Luis Guerrero turned in a scoreless eighth inning. After allowing just four runs in 18 appearances across two levels this season, Columbus reached the usually-reliable Ryan Zeferjahn for four critical insurance runs in the top of the ninth. 

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Cup of Coffee: Abreu smacks two homers in Worcester; Anthony also goes deep in Portland

6/20 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-3 on Wednesday. Wilyer Abreu (pictured) and Jamie Westbrook combined for three home runs while Josh Winckowski tossed six scoreless innings in Worcester's victory over Columbus. Roman Anthony homered and Marcelo Mayer collected two hits in Portland's lopsided loss to Richmond. At the lower levels, Cutter Coffey stayed hot for Greenville and Marvin Alcantara prevented Salem from getting no-hit.

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 4

In the second game of his rehab assignment, Wilyer Abreu went 2 for 5 with two solo homers. In his first game back with Worcester since making his major-league debut, Jamie Westbrook went 2 for 3 with a two-run double, a three-run home run, and two walks. Nick Sogard also doubled, tripled, drove in a run, and stole a base as part of a 2-for-4 night. Chase Meidroth went 1 for 3 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk out of the leadoff spot.

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Cup of Coffee: Campbell, Mayer, Teel each collect three hits in Portland's wild win

6/18 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs won a dramatic game, as Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel, and Kristian Campbell (pictured) led the offensive attack. Greenville and Salem each got terrific starts from Connelly Early and Elmer Rodriguez, combining for 10 shutout innings. Greenville walked it off in the ninth inning. 

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 16, Worcester Red Sox 4

It was a rough one for the pitching staff, as Justin Hagenman started and allowed four runs, all on solo shots, in four innings of work. Naoyuki Uwasawa was the lone bright spot, allowing just one run on one hit over two innings with one strikeout and one walk. Jorge Benitez and Andrew Politi surrendered five and six runs, respectively. At the plate, Eddy Alvarez had a nice night by going 1 for 3 with two walks and his eighth home run of the season. Nick Sogard, Niko Kavadas, and Mickey Gasper each had two-hit nights, as Sogard hit his 12th double of the year. Chase Meidroth also walked and roped a two-run double. 

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Minor Notes: Drohan returns; Campbell, Coffey win weekly awards

The Red Sox have won six of their last eight coming into play on Tuesday. They have made a few roster moves in the process of doing so and are on the verge of getting a key reliever back from the injured list. As far as Boston's farm system is concerned, a former top pitching prospect is back in the organization and a former top draft pick is tearing the cover off the ball in Greenville. We get into that, and much more, in this week's notes.

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Gonzalez activated, Westbrook optioned

Before opening a three-game series against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Monday, the Red Sox activated Romy Gonzalez from the 10-day injured list and optioned Jamie Westbrook to Worcester. Gonzalez had been sidelined since May 31 with a left hamstring strain. He was sent on a rehab assignment with the WooSox on Thursday and went 6 for 12 (.500) with one double and four RBIs in three games.

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Cup of Irish Coffee: Cespedes homers as part of three-hit evening

6/18 Cup of Coffee: Folks were partying deep into the night on Causeway Street as the complex league squads completed a sweep of their Monday competition. Yoeilin Cespedes (pictured) had a monster night, blasting a home run and reaching base five times, as the FCL Sox managed to maneuver around the rain. Both DSL squads joined in on the fun with victory cigars of their own 

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FCL Red Sox 12, FCL Rays 7

After moving the first pitch back to 6 p.m. to allow the early afternoon showers to pass, the FCL Sox offense turned in a relentless attack. The team delivered 13 hits and drew 11 walks, with a standout performance by Yoeilin Cespedes. The 18-year-old got the start at second base and went 3 for 4 with a double, two walks, two runs, two RBI, and a seventh-inning homer. Armando Sierra submitted the harder half of a cycle with a triple and home run. Yosander Asencio doubled twice, walked, and drove in three, while Raimundo De Los Santos reached base five times with a single and four walks. Deybi Salcedo got the start, allowing one run on two hits in four innings, striking out four without issuing a walk. Wuilliams Rodriguez got credit for the win, giving up four runs (three earned) in three frames.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony, Jordan, Teel all homer for Portland; Martin, Mata rehab

6/17 Cup of Coffee: Sunday's slate featured plenty of offense across the board, as three of the four affiliates in action reached the double-digit mark in runs scored. Romy Gonzalez and Nick Yorke combined for seven hits in Worcester's win over Buffalo. Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, and Blaze Jordan (pictured) all homered in Portland's win over Reading. Jhostynxon Garcia ripped two doubles and Bryan Gonzalez left the yard in Greenville's loss to Asheville while Brooks Brannon had two hits in Salem's loss to Fayetteville.

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Worcester Red Sox 12, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 6

A 10-run fourth inning propelled Worcester to a second straight win over Buffalo. The rehabbing Romy Gonzalez led the way offensively, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, three RBIs, one run scored, and one stolen base. Nick Yorke went 3 for 6 with one double, one RBI, and one run scored. Eddy Alvarez, Niko Kavadas, and Mickey Gasper all had two hits. Alvarez and Kavadas combined for five RBIs while Gasper clubbed a two-run shot for his first homer with the WooSox.

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Podcast Ep. #320: Coffey's Hot

Chris and Ian discussed the past week in the org, including the promotion of Miguel Bleis to Greenville, the absolutely scorching streak of Cutter Coffey, the injury to Luis Perales, and more. Plus, Ian checks in with some Portland reports and the guys respond to your emails.

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2024 SoxProspects Donation Drive

Hello readers and listeners! Now that the minor league season is fully underway, we're asking for your help to raise $10,000 to keep SoxProspects.com running on all cylinders. We have kept the site free for over 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. 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.

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Cup of Coffee: Coffey homers in sixth straight game; Sandlin returns

6/16 Cup of Coffee: Cutter Coffey's dominance over the South Atlantic League continued on Saturday as he hit a home run in his sixth straight game. Also in Greenville, David Sandlin returned to the mound after a one-month stint on the injured list, and Jedixson Paez shined out of the bullpen (pictured). Elsewhere on the farm, Niko Kavadas and Antonio Anderson had clutch hits to help their teams win, and Kyle Teel reached base four times. 

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 2

Niko Kavadas drove in all four runs for the WooSox in a win over the Bisons. Kavadas tied things up with a two-run double in the sixth, and then he put them ahead with a two-run double in the eighth. Nick Yorke scored on both hits, as he went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. Chase Meidroth continued to showcase his excellent plate discipline with three more walks. Richard Fitts needed 55 pitches to work through two innings, striking out five but allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. Chase Shugart was electric out of the bullpen, striking out seven over three innings of one-hit ball. Ryan Zeferjahn picked up his second save with a scoreless ninth. 

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Cup of Coffee: Coffey goes yard twice; Mayer knocks three hits

6/15 Cup of Coffee: Friday was the night of big innings, as Worcester and Portland each allowed crooked numbers that sunk their evenings, while Greenville had four in the third and five in the fourth to put away Asheville. The Drive hit four home runs, led by Cutter Coffey (pictured), who had his ninth and 10th big flies this season. Four other players throughout the system also went yard. Matthew Lugo had three hits and Bryan Gonzalez went 4 for 4 for the Drive in their 13-run outburst. On the mound, Jojo Ingrassa had eight strikeouts over five strong innings, while the summer of George continues, as Jason Alexander didn't allow an earned run over his five-frame outing.

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Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 8, Worcester Red Sox 3

Worcester outhit the Bisons, but Red Sox pitching issued nine walks, which when combined with two errors more than made up the gap. Matthew Lugo knocked three hits, including a two-bagger, while Chase Meidroth had a double and a home run. The start went to Jason Alexander, who didn't allow an earned run over five innings of work. He scattered a pair of hits and walked three but had six strikeouts. All six runs in the eighth went on Sal Romano's tab. 

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Cup of Coffee: Coffey homers in fourth straight; Hickey leads WooSox rout

6/14 Cup of Coffee: The bats were wide awake on the farm, with several standout individual performances and each affiliate scoring at least six runs. The Nathan Hickey-led Worcester lineup was nigh unstoppable, collecting 14 runs on 18 hits to support a strong Josh Winckowski start. Cutter Coffey (pictured) went deep yet again in Greenville's victory, while Antonio Anderson broke out of his slump to lead Salem. Portland was the only affiliate to fall on Thursday despite the continued excellence of Kyle Teel. The DSL teams got the sweep, with Vladimir Asencio leading the way.

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Worcester Red Sox 14, Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 1

It was a relentless assault by a Worcester lineup that notched 18 hits and 26 baserunners, highlighted by a seven-run fourth inning. Nathan Hickey had a double, walk, and five RBI as part of his 3-for-5 line. Nick Sogard and Eddy Alvarez included doubles in their respective three-hit nights, while Tyler Heineman also registered three knocks. Chase Meidroth had a single and three walks out of the leadoff spot. He has walked 14 times in June, and his 51 free passes on the season place him third in all of minor league baseball. Romy Gonzalez got to join in the fun as he started his rehab assignment, going 1 for 2 with a walk. With two singles, Nick Yorke has now hit safely in all eight games since his promotion to Worcester and 10 games overall. 

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Cup of Coffee: Dobbins goes 7 strong; Jordan returns to Portland lineup

6/13 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 1-3 on Wednesday. Nick Yorke and Mickey Gasper continued to get on base in Worcester's loss to Buffalo. Hunter Dobbins (pictured) impressed on the mound while Roman Anthony was an early exit in Portland's win over Reading. At the lower levels, Cutter Coffey homered in his third straight game for Greenville and Marvin Alcantara extended his hitting streak to nine games for Salem.

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Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 5, Worcester Red Sox 2

Justin Hagenman was solid in his start for Worcester, as he allowed just two hits and one walk with four strikeouts over three scoreless innings. Brian Van Belle and Naoyuki Uwasawa combined to give up five runs out of the bullpen before AJ Politi retired all five batters he faced. At the plate, Eddy Alvarez accounted for his side's lone extra-base hit by going 1 for 4 with a double and run scored. Mickey Gasper scored a run on a Tyler Heineman sacrifice fly as part of a 1 for 3 night. Nick Yorke also went 1 for 3 with one walk to extend his hitting streak to four games.

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Cup of Coffee: Binelas, Gonazalez each with multi-homer games

6/12 Cup of Coffee: It was a great night for the Sea Dogs offense in Reading, as Alex Binelas and Kristian Campbell each had four-hit nights, while Roman Anthony had three. Nick Yorke stayed hot for Worcester, while Salem got some great pitching from Matt Duffy and Danny Kirwin. Despite losing, Greenville's Bryan Gonzalez (pictured) had a monster night at the plate. 

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Buffalo Bisons (TOR) 3, Worcester Red Sox 2

Nick Yorke continued his hot start at Triple-A by going 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. He's now hitting .409 with a 1.246 OPS with the WooSox. Mickey Gasper had a big night as well in his third game with Worcester, going 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles. He's now 5 for 10 with three walks since being called up. Grant Grambrell started on the mound and tossed five solid innings, allowing just two hits and one run. Isaiah Campbell came on and struck out three of the five hitters he faced in 1 1/3 hitless frames. Chase Shugart gave up a run in his 1 1/3 innings of work, but struck out three. 

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Portland Sea Dogs 9, Reading Fightin Phils (PHI) 5

Kristian Campbell and Alex Binelas went off, each going 4 for 5. Binelas had a whopping nine total bases, with two doubles, a home run, and a single. He drove in four runs as well. Campbell singled three times, doubled, and drove in three runs, raising his OPS to 1.107 in seven games since being promoted to Portland. Roman Anthony was the DH in this one and had a great offensive game as well, going 3 for 5 with his second triple of the year and two runs scored. Kyle Teel was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Isaac Coffey labored through 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks. He gave up two long balls, but also struck out seven. Jacob Webb tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and now walks. Helcris Olivarez gave up an unearned run in his lone inning of work, striking out two. 

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Minor Notes: Perales, Lugo, Portes highlight ranking updates; Yorke, Bleis promoted

While the major league club continued its incredible run of never getting more than a game away from the .500 mark in either direction, there were plenty of goings on around the minor leagues.

Ranking updates

The updated SoxProspects.com rankings were published on Friday, and it was a bit of a shakeup. While the top three of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel held steady, there were quite a few big movers down the list. For an in-depth discussion of the update and the process behind it, check out Podcast #319. Here are a few of the notable changes: 

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Cup of Coffee: Prado, three relievers, combine for two-hit shutout in DSL

6/11 Cup of Coffee: A rainout in Sarasota led to a lighter-than-usual Monday schedule, with only the DSL squads getting their games in. Sox pitchers combined to allow just five hits between the two games, but were only able to muster a split on the day. Abis Prado was the best of the octet, firing three hitless innings for Team Blue.

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FCL Red Sox @ FCL Orioles, postponed

The threat of rain led to an early postponement in what looks to be a rainy week in Florida. The two teams are scheduled to make this contest up as part of a doubleheader on June 25.

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DSL Red Sox Blue 5, DSL Royals Fortuna 0

A quartet of hurlers for the blue squad combined for the two-hitter, with the first two combining for six hitless frames. Abis Prado was dominant, in the first three innings, striking out six of the 11 batters he faced while allowing just two walks. Yoelvin Chirino followed with three more hitless frames, striking out three against two walks. Felix Belisario surrendered a single in the top of the seventh to end the no-hit bit but went two shutout frames, and Denison Sanchez finished things off by giving up one hit in a scoreless ninth. At the plate, Ilan Fernandez blasted a two-run homer in the fourth inning to open up a 3-0 lead. Moises Bolivar and Justin Gonzales had two hits apiece.

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DSL Astros Blue 2, DSL Red Sox Red 1

Despite only giving up three hits, Team Red dropped Monday's pitchers' duel on the road. The Sox actually struck first, with Justin Barry delivering an RBI single in the top of the first. Barry went 2 for 4 on the day. Starter Dariel Morillo surrendered just two hits in three innings, but both left the yard, handing him the loss. Relievers Breilin Arredondo, Oscar Sanchez, and Juan Henriquez gave up just one hit in five innings to keep things close, but the offense went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position after the first. 

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Player of the Day: Abis Prado, signed out of Venezuela in January to a $20,000 bonus, is off to a solid start of his professional career. The 17-year-old lefty has struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings while allowing just three hits. All three runs he's allowed thus far have been unearned. 

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Cup of Coffee: Dean dominates; Yorke crushes grand slam

6/10 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 3-1 on Sunday. Nick Yorke hit a grand slam and Nick Sogard recorded two hits in Worcester's loss to Rochester. Roman Anthony homered while Kristian Campbell and Tyler McDonough combined for four hits in Portland's win over Akron. Cutter Coffey, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Bryan Gonzalez all left the yard in Greenville's comeback victory against Hickory. Nazzan Zanetello also went deep while Noah Dean (pictured) shoved in Salem's win over Down East.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 8, Worcester Red Sox 5

Richard Fitts took the loss in his start after allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits (including one home run), five walks, one hit batsman, and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Zeferjahn and Luis Guerrero each gave up homers as well while Bailey Horn tossed a scoreless ninth inning. Worcester's only extra-base hit came off the bat of Nick Yorke, who went 1 for 3 with a walk and an eighth-inning grand slam for his second big fly in as many days. Nick Sogard went 2 for 4 with one RBI and one run scored out of the leadoff spot. Masataka Yoshida drew one walk and scored one run in the second game of his rehab assignment.

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Podcast Ep #319: The Great June Rankings Shake-up

Although the big three remained in place at the top of the SP60 rankings in our June update (a surprise to some of you, apparently), nothing else remained sacred in our list of the top prospects in the system! Chris and Ian talked about Luis Perales' jump to number 4, Kristian Campbell's arrival in the top 10, Matthew Lugo's huge jump and Ovis Portes' stunning debut in the top 30. Plus yet another set of injuries at the MLB level and some more promotions!

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Cup of Coffee: Perales leaves with injury; Paez strikes out eight

6/9 Cup of Coffee: There were some good performances on the farm last night, but they are all overshadowed by Luis Perales leaving with an apparent arm injury. There is no word yet on the severity. Portland ultimately lost the game, though Roman Anthony stayed hot. Elsewhere, Nick Yorke and Freili Encarnacion homered, while Jedixson Paez (pictured) had a great start for the Drive. 

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 2

Jason Alexander tossed six shutout innings as the WooSox flew past the Red Wings. Rochester only got two hits off Alexander, and he struck out four. Brian Van Belle surrendered two runs, while Jorge Benitez closed it with a scoreless ninth. Nick Yorke launched his first Triple-A home run as part of a 2-for-4 day with a walk. Nick Sogard also went deep as he finished 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Mark Contreras went 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, and Karson Simas and Corey Rosier added two hits. 

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Cup of Coffee: Kavadas goes yard twice; Liu goes six strong

6/8 Cup of Coffee: It was a productive day for the farm, as Greenville was the lone affiliate to fall. The Drive were able to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth but couldn't push a pair of runs across. It was a night of big flies for Worcester, as Niko Kavadas (pictured) hit a pair and Nathan Hickey added a third. None of the teams had big hitting performances but were able to score enough runs to win. Kavadas and Stanley Tucker represented the multi-hit club. Instead, it was pitching that contributed, as Josh Winckowski and Chih-Jung Liu both pitched into the sixth, while Luis Cohen scattered one run in five innings for Salem.

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Cup of Coffee: Yorke, Lugo join Sogard in Worcester romp

6/7 Cup of Coffee: Thursday's full slate of games was marked by some big efforts at the plate. The trio of Nick Sogard (pictured), Matthew Lugo, and Nick Yorke combined to go 8 for 15 with 16 total bases in Worcester's victory. Eddinson Paulino and Roman Anthony starred in Portland's back-and-forth slugfest loss, while a Stanley Tucker slam backed Elmer Rodriguez in a Salem victory. Greenville fell short despite the efforts of Allan Castro, and the complex league squads were held winless on the day. 

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Worcester Red Sox 13, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 4

Everyone in the Worcester starting lineup reached base at least once in Thursday's matinee, led by a season-long stalwart joined by two recently promoted newcomers. Nick Sogard blasted a fifth-inning solo homer as part of a 3-for-6 effort, scoring three runs and driving in three. Matthew Lugo and Nick Yorke also came up big in their third and second Worcester appearances. Lugo homered, doubled, and walked, scoring three runs in his first career start in right field. Yorke was 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored. Chase Meidroth was the only Worcester batter not to record a hit, but he managed to reach base three times with two walks and an HBP, stealing a base and scoring a run.

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony homers in return to Portland lineup; Yorke makes Triple-A debut

6/6 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 0-4 on Wednesday. Chase Meidroth (pictured) and Nick Sogard combined for six hits while Nick Yorke made his Triple-A debut in Worcester's loss to Rochester. Roman Anthony homered in his return to the lineup and Marcelo Mayer doubled while Angel Bastardo left with an injury in Portland's loss to Akron. In the lower levels, Blake Wehunt made his first start for Greenville and Juan Montero had a career night at the plate in Salem.

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Rochester Red Wings (WSH) 9, Worcester Red Sox 6

Grant Gambrell went 3 2/3 innings in his start, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, two walks, and one strikeout. Bailey Horn followed by striking out five of the nine batters he faced over 2 1/3 frames of one-run ball. AJ Politi also punched out a pair in a scoreless ninth inning. Chase Meidroth and Nick Sogard combined for six hits at the top of the Worcester lineup. The former went 3 for 6 with two doubles and one run scored while the latter went 3 for 5 with an RBI double and one run scored. Mark Contreras tripled in a run for his only hit of the night. Nathan Hickey and Matthew Lugo both went deep, with Lugo clubbing a two-run shot for his first Triple-A homer. Nick Yorke went 1 for 4 with a walk and stolen base in his WooSox debut.

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer reaches five times, Campbell makes Portland debut

6/5 Cup of Coffee: The Sea Dogs had a big offensive night, as three players recorded three-hit games, including Marcelo Mayer (pictured). Kristian Campbell and Matthew Lugo also each played very well in their respective debuts. Salem also walked it off with clutch performances from Albert Feliz and Brooks Brannon. Yoeilin Cespedes also went deep again for the FCL Sox.

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Rochester Red Wings (WSH) 11, Worcester Red Sox 4

It was a rough defensive night for the WooSox, making four errors which led to seven unearned runs. Brian Van Belle started and was solid, allowing two unearned runs over three innings with two strikeouts and just one walk. Chase Shugart allowed four runs in two frames, although all of them were unearned. Matthew Lugo made his Triple-A debut and played well, going 1 for 3 with a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a stolen base. Eddy Alvarez went 1 for 4 with a double and two RBI, while Chase Meidroth boosted his OBP to .435 with a single and two walks. 

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Minor Notes: Lugo, Campbell, others get promoted

It was a fun week for the system, as several prospects are making the leap to a new level. Plus, there is a host of new content on SoxProspects.com.

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Well-deserved promotions

Matthew Lugo (pictured) and Kristian Campbell have each been promoted, as Lugo heads to Worcester and Campbell heads to Portland. Lugo was drafted in the second round back in 2019 and five years later finds himself on the doorstep of the Major Leagues. He was having a huge season in Portland to the tune of a .315/.405/.664 slash line over 43 games. He had 10 doubles, four triples, and 11 home runs to go along with nine stolen bases. He has mainly been playing left field in 2024 after seeing some time at third last year. Ian Cundall noticed some promising trends in Lugo's profile at the plate, as he is chasing a lot less, making more contact, and hitting the ball harder.

Campbell was selected by Boston in 2023 and hasn't stopped hitting since. Between the FCL and Greenville last year, he hit .309/.440/.471 in 22 games. This year, he has played 40 games with the Drive and has hit .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 26 walks, and three stolen bases. The 21-year-old has played three different positions this year, including second base, third base, and center field. 

Our own Chris Hatfield also confirmed that Blake Wehunt is headed to Greenville. The right-handed pitcher was also taken in last year's draft and had been pitching very well for Salem. In eight starts, he posted a 2.16 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 33 1/3 frames. He had 44 strikeouts to 15 walks and opponents hit just .167 against him. Wehunt follows recently promoted right-hander Jedixson Paez to Greenville. Paez has already made an appearance for Greenville and went four innings with two runs allowed, four strikeouts, and no walks. 

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Cup of Coffee: DSL season begins; Nunez stars in FCL slugfest

6/4 Cup of Coffee: The final affiliates began their 2024 minor league seasons on Monday, with Boston's two DSL squads going head to head. The FCL Sox were also in action, with the Sox dropping a wild back-and-forth event despite the efforts of Starlyn Nunez (pictured) and Franklin Arias.

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FCL Pirates 13, FCL Red Sox 8

The two teams combined for 21 runs, 25 hits, and 44 baserunners despite it being only a seven-inning contest. Every member of the Sox starting lineup reached base in the loss. Starlyn Nunez led the effort, going 2 for 4 with a double, three RBI, and a hit batsman. Franklin Arias also reached base three times with a double and a pair of walks. Wuilliams Rodriguez made his first start of the season after making his first five appearances out of the bullpen. He allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings. Deybi Salcedo was charged with the loss in relief.

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Podcast Ep #318: Promotion Season

As we hit the two-month mark of the year, the Red Sox have officially hit promotion season. Chris and Ian discussed the most recent call-ups of Luis Perales, Matthew Lugo, Kristian Campbell, and more, along with the other news from the system. Plus, after noodling on the copious amount of "mid" at the MLB level, the guys cleaned out the email inbox.

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May Players of the Month: Kristian Campbell and Blake Wehunt

Two top-40 prospects performed excellently in May, and both were promoted at the start of June. Kristian Campbell spent the month in Greenville but will be looking to defend his Player of the Month Award with Portland in June. Similarly, Blake Wehunt is moving from Salem to Greenville after a dominant stretch in the Carolina League. Both players started on the right foot in May by winning the Player/Pitcher of the Week award for April 29 - May 5. 

Campbell reached base in every game en route to a .371/.467/.663 batting line. He hit six home runs, drove in 17, and swiped two bases over 89 at-bats. His 34-game on-base streak eventually came to an end on June 1. The 21-year-old is now a top-20 prospect in the system, playing predominantly second base and center field. Campbell spent 14 games with Greenville at the end of the 2023 season after being drafted in the fourth round from Georgia Tech. He had a .822 OPS in the small sample and

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Cup of Coffee: Perales shines in Portland debut; Chacon walks it off in Greenville

6/3 Cup of Coffee: Boston's minor-league affiliates went 2-2 on Sunday. Luis Perales (pictured) struck out seven over five solid innings in his Double-A debut as Portland took the series from Altoona. Yordanny Monegro returned to the mound and Juan Chacon walked things as part of a wild ninth inning in Greenville. Elsewhere, Andy Lugo and Marvin Alcantara each had two hits in Salem's loss while Justin Hagenman and Naoyuki Uwasawa each tossed three scoreless innings for Worcester.

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 3, Worcester Red Sox 1

Justin Hagenman went three innings in his start for Worcester. The righty allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out two over three scoreless innings. Naoyuki Uwasawa and Lucas Luetge combined for four shutout, no-hit innings out of the bullpen before Bailey Horn surrendered his first three runs as a member of the Red Sox organization in the bottom of the eighth. Only one of those three runs was charged to Horn as a result of an Eddy Alvarez fielding error. At the plate, Tyler Heineman accounted for his side's lone run by driving in Nathan Hickey on a sacrifice fly. Both Chase Meidroth and Nick Sogard went 1 for 3 with a walk.

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Cup of Coffee: Go-ahead grand slam for Teel, Campbell's on-base streak ends

6/2 Cup of Coffee: A go-ahead grand slam from Kyle Teel (pictured) in the top of the ninth was the highlight of an exciting day on the farm. Portland ultimately prevailed in extra innings, while Salem lost a hard-fought game in the 10th. Hayden Mullins struck out eight for Greenville, but Kristian Campbell did not reach base for the second time all year. 

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 7, Worcester Red Sox 5

A bomb from Bobby Dalbec was not enough to push Worcester past Charlotte. Dalbec's home run was his eighth in 26 games in Triple-A, and he added a single. Eddy Alvarez also had two hits as he went 2 for 3 with a walk. In a rare feat, a catcher stole home as Mark Kolozsvary pulled off a double steal with Mark Contreras. Kolozsvary also added a two-run single. Starter Josh Winckowski struggled through four innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on nine hits. He struck out two as his ERA climbed to 4.61. Isaiah Campbell struck out three in his 1 1/3 inning rehab appearance, and Zack Kelly followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. 

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Cup of Coffee: Teel knocks 3-run homer; Dobbins goes 7 shutout frames

6/1 Cup of Coffee: There was a big upper/lower minors split, as Worcester, behind 12 runs in the final three innings, and Portland, powered by a three-run home run by Kyle Teel (pictured), each came back from multiple runs down to claim victory. However, neither Single-A offense had much going on, while the FCL squad was shut out. Hunter Dobbins also contributed seven shutout innings for Portland, while seven of the nine Worcester hitters reached base multiple times.

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Worcester Red Sox 13, Charlotte Knights (CWS) 4

Worcester trailed 3-1 after six innings but added a pair in the seventh to tie the game, plated six in the eighth to take the lead, and left no doubt with a four-run ninth. They worked 14 free passes, combined with 10 hits. Seven of the nine starters reached base multiple times, with three hits for Chase Meidroth and four walks for Tyler Heineman. The first four innings belonged to Jason Alexander, as he surrendered three runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out three. Brian Van Belle also contributed three scoreless frames.

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