Podcast Ep #359: Breaking down the Quinn Priester trade and early season impressions

Ian is joined by Chris Clegg of the Dynasty Dugout to talk about the Quinn Priester trade with Milwaukee and Hunter Dobbins major league debut. After that, they discuss the noteworthy performances in Salem and Worcester so far including Franklin Arias, Blake Aita, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. They also discuss what they saw first-hand in Greenville and Portland so far including Juan Valera, Jojo Ingrassia, Nelly Taylor, Blake Wehunt and Alex Hoppe.

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Cup of Coffee: Clarke perfect in Salem debut; Rosario, Rosier pace Portland

4/11 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 1-2 on Thursday, as Greenville's game in Asheville was suspended due to rain. Liam Hendriks commenced his rehab assignment in Worcester and tossed a scoreless first inning against Columbus. Ronald Rosario crushed a three-run homer as part of a four-RBI showing in Portland's trouncing of New Hampshire. Last but certainly not least, Brandon Clarke (pictured) made his highly anticipated professional debut for Salem against Fredericksburg. 

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 2, Worcester Red Sox 1

Liam Hendriks began a rehab assignment and got the start at Polar Park. The 36-year-old struck out three of the four batters he faced as part of a scoreless first inning in which he reached 95 mph with his fastball. Fellow right-hander Michael Fulmer took over for Hendriks in the second and took the loss after surrendering two earned runs on three hits (including one home run), three walks, and five strikeouts over four innings. Brian Van Belle and Nick Burdi then combined for four additional scoreless frames of relief. Offensively, Worcester was not able to get much going. Nate Eaton accounted for his side's lone RBI by going 1 for 4 with a run-scoring single that pushed across Vaughn Grissom in the ninth inning. Grissom and Abraham Toro both went 1 for 3 with one walk.

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Cup of Coffee: Giolito rehabs, Brooks shines in professional debut

4/10 Cup of Coffee: It was a good night on the farm, as the affiliates went 3-2. Worcester walked it off in the second game of a doubleheader, a game where Lucas Giolito made another rehab start. Vaughn Grissom and Abraham Toro (pictured) had big offensive days in both games. Franklin Arias had another good game for Salem, who got terrific pitching performances from Steven Brooks and Matt McShane. 

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 6, Worcester Red Sox 5 (Game One)

Shane Drohan continued his nice start to 2025 with eight more strikeouts in 3 2/3 frames. The southpaw only allowed one run on a solo home run, although he did walk four. He threw 81 pitches, touched 96 mph with his fastball, and induced an impressive 16 whiffs on 34 swings (47%). Wyatt Mills allowed a run in 1 1/3 frames despite not allowing a hit. Jose Adames struggled, surrendering three earned runs over 1 2/3 innings, although he did strikeout four. Luis Guerrero took the loss, allowing a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh. Vaughn Grissom and Nathan Hickey led the way on offense, as Grissom went 1 for 3 with a two-run homer, and Hickey went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI. Abraham Toro went 2 for 3 with a double, and Marcelo Mayer went 1 for 3. Roman Anthony went 0 for 3 with a walk, but smoked a ball at 109.7 mph for a lineout to center. 

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Cup of Coffee: Tolle makes pro debut; Anderson impresses for Salem

4/9 Cup of Coffee: The first full week of series' kicked off with another annual tradition--the first weather related postponement of the year. Cold and wind in Worcester pushed back the scheduled rehab start for Lucas Giolito. Yordanny Monegro helped Portland remain undefeated in the frozen north in the organization's only victory on Tuesday. Greenville had a pair of anticipated debuts, as 2024 second-rounder Payton Tolle made his first career start and newly-acquired Yophery Rodriguez joined the Drive. Top individual performances came from a pair of 2023 draftees off to strong starts after struggling in 2024: Nazzan Zanetello reached base three more times for Greenville and Antonio Anderson (pictured) doubled twice in a three-hit effort for Salem.

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) @ Worcester Red Sox, postponed

With unseasonable cold, wind, and potential snow in the forecast, Worcester decided early in the afternoon that it would be more comfortable to wait for another day. Its series with Columbus will kick off on Wednesday with a doubleheader. 

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Portland Sea Dogs 2, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 1

In Portland, however, they have a different threshold for what constitutes unseasonable cold, wind, and snow. Despite a game-time temperature of 35 degrees that dropped throughout the contest and intermittant snow flurries, the hearty rivals from northern New England were able to get this contest in, and Portland remains undefeated. As would be expected, the conditions favored the pitchers, with the two squads combining for three runs on nine hits in 10 innings. Starter Yordanny Monegro went 3 1/3, allowing a run on two hits, walking one against six strikeouts. Jack Anderson cruised through 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out five and scattering two hits. Zach Bryant struck out four and walked one in three hitless frames, and Wyatt Olds struck out all three batters he faced in the 10th to get credit for the win. 

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Minor Notes: Campbell and Crochet extended; Priester traded to Milwaukee

It was a jam-packed week with extension announcements, trades, MLB debuts, rankings updates, and affiliates kicking off. 

Campbell and Crochet extended

The Red Sox announced two massive extensions last week that will shape the foundation of the team for years to come. They agreed to terms with Kristian Campbell (pictured, right) on an eight-year contract extension which runs from 2025 to 2032 with club options for 2033 and 2034. While there are options and escalators built in, it has a guarantee of $60 million. While the sample size is still small, Campbell looks the part in his first two weeks in the big leagues. Mike Petriello of MLB.com went in-depth on the advanced analytics that point to Campbell being a budding star for the Red Sox. 

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Cup of Coffee: Bello sharp in rehab outing; Early strikes out seven

4/7 Cup of Coffee: While the biggest prospect-related story was Hunter Dobbins making his major league debut on Sunday night, it was still a busy day on the farm with all four full-season affiliates in action. Brayan Bello inched closer to a return in Worcester, while Connelly Early (pictured) put up impressive strikeout numbers in Portland. In the lower minors, Nazzan Zanetello and Franklin Arias stayed hot. 

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Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 3, Worcester Red Sox 2

The Jumbo Shrimp scored a run in the eighth and a run in the ninth to walk off with a victory. Brayan Bello was sharp in another rehab assignment, but only went 56 pitches as he continues to ramp up. He struck out four and allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings. Wyatt Mills struck out two over 1 2/3 scoreless frames, and Luis Guerrero allowed just an unearned run in the eighth after an error by catcher Seby Zavala on a pickoff attempt. Isaiah Campbell allowed the walk-off single in the ninth. Zavala was the lone batter to record an RBI with a double in the second, while Roman Anthony went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. 

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Cup of Coffee: Valera impresses in season debut, Arias continues to rake

4/6 Cup of Coffee: A night after the Sox affiliates swept their way to victories, the four levels split ahead of the series finales on Sunday afternoon. Among the games included an exciting season debut for Juan Valera (pictured) as well as a continued hot start for Franklin Arias. 

 

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 10, 

Worcester Red Sox 6 

Despite a ninth inning rally, Worcester came up short to fall to 3-4 on the young season. Michael Fulmer started the evening and struck out eight Jumbo Shrimp in 3 2/3 innings. The right-hander allowed a pair of hits, three walks to go along with four runs (two earned) in the loss. Jacob Webb finished off the fourth inning before struggling in the fifth, allowing five runs in the frame to put Worcester behind for good. Brian Van Belle and Jose Adames pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run between them. 

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Cup of Coffee: Aita unhittable in debut highlights full slate sweep

4/5 Cup of Coffee: A week after the Triple-A season opened, the rest of the full-season leagues got underway on Friday, and it was a celebration across the system. Boston's affiliates outscored their opponents 42-11 with every game decided by six or more runs. Blake Aita (pictured) got plenty of support in his first career professional start while spinning five innings of no-hit ball. Mikey Romero led a Portland romp, while Nazzan Zanetello and Nelly Taylor were highlights in Greenville's opener. Worcester got back in the win column with a strong effort from a resurgent Shane Drohan.

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 1

Shane Drohan rolled in his first start of the season to bring the WooSox back to .500. Drohan gave up just one hit in four scoreless innings, striking out six without issuing a walk. The 26-year-old lefty induced 13 whiffs and threw 38 of 56 pictures for strikes. Bryan Mata picked up the win in relief, surrendering one run in 2 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Wyatt Mills struck out a pair in 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work, and Luis Guerrero finished with a hitless ninth. 

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Podcast Ep. #358: The OFFICIAL 2025 Opening Day Episode

It's here! Five games including the opener at Fenway are on the slate, and Ian and Chris needed more than two hours to break everything down. Garrett Crochet and Kristian Campbell signed extensions. We had a MASSIVE update to the rankings. The full-season affiliate rosters are out. And as always, we answer your emails!

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Cup of Coffee: Eaton stays hot, Priester makes season debut

4/4 Cup of Coffee: On the eve of Opening Day for the three other full-season affiliates, Worcester fell to Jacksonville on Thursday night. Nate Eaton (pictured) led the way at the plate, while Quinn Priester tossed four innings in his first start of the year.

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Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 5, Worcester Red Sox 1

It was a quiet night for the WooSox offensively as they were held to three hits as a team. Nate Eaton accounted for his side's lone run by going 1 for 3 with an RBI single in the second inning. Blake Sabol, who also went 1 for 3, scored that run after singling, advancing to second on an Abraham Toro base hit, and stealing his first base of the season. Sabol, Trayce Thompson, and top prospect Roman Anthony each drew a walk as well.

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer homers again, Giolito looks good in rehab outing

4/3 Cup of Coffee: The WooSox picked up their second win of the season to move to 2-2. In the shutout win, Lucas Giolito pitched well in his first outing in about three weeks. Marcelo Mayer (pictured) stayed hot as well, belting his second Triple-A home run. 

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Worcester Red Sox 2, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 0

For the second consecutive night, Marcelo Mayer went deep. The third-ranked prospect took a fastball low and away and belted it on a line over the left-center field fence. It was a two-run shot that drove in number one prospect Roman Anthony, who drew a pair of walks in four trips to the plate. He has now reached base safely in all four games to begin the season, and he has taken two walks in three of the four games.

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Cup of Coffee: Mayer hits first Triple-A home run; Bello begins rehab assignment

4/2 Cup of Coffee: The WooSox began their first road trip of the season with a loss in Jacksonville. Brayan Bello made the first start of his rehab assignment and was followed by eighth-ranked prospect Hunter Dobbins. However, both pitchers were hit hard early by the Jumbo Shrimp bats. While the WooSox lineup was never able to fully climb back into the game, Marcelo Mayer provided some excitement by smashing his first home run at the Triple-A level. 

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 10, Worcester Red Sox 5

The game started with an emotional rollercoaster for Worcester, as leadoff hitter Roman Anthony drilled a ball into the left-center field gap and sprinted all the way around the bases, only to be thrown out at the plate attempting an inside-the-park home run. The WooSox got off to an early lead on a solo home run by Vaughn Grissom in the second inning but fell behind 9-1 after a pair of explosive innings by the Jumbo Shrimp. Marcelo Mayer led a WooSox rally in the sixth inning, crushing a three-run homer as part of a four-run inning. However, the WooSox lineup was unable to put up any more runs against the Jacksonville bullpen.  

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Minor Notes: Campbell makes MLB debut, WooSox open season

Baseball season has officially started. The Red Sox played a pair of exhibition games in Mexico and then opened the regular season in Texas, with a handful of prospects making the Opening Day roster. The WooSox also opened their season last Friday, splitting a weekend series with Syracuse. The rest of the full-season affiliates will begin their season on Friday. 

Campbell makes major league debut
Kristian Campbell, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, has completed his rapid ascent to the major leagues. Campbell played second base and batted sixth in Boston's Opening Day lineup and he has reached base in each of the team's first five games. Campbell has gotten off to an impressive start, going 6 for 16 with one home run, two doubles, and four walks. Campbell collected his first major league home run on Sunday, driving a line drive to center field off Rangers right-hander Jacob Webb. 

To cap off a memorable week for Campbell, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Campbell and the Red Sox are "deep in talks" on a contract extension. No terms of this potential contract have been reported yet. 

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Cup of Coffee: Anthony homers twice; Fulmer shuts down Syracuse

3/31 Cup of Coffee: This is the kind of game Worcester fans were looking forward to when Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer opened the season in Triple-A. They combined to reach base six times and score five runs while Anthony went deep twice. The pitching was not to be outdone, led by Michael Fulmer.

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Worcester Red Sox 12, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 0

On paper it was a tough matchup for Roman Anthony and the WooSox as they faced off against the Mets top prospect, Brandon Sproat. Sproat was the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2024, pitching to a 2.45 ERA with Binghamton. But Worcester got to him for four runs on three hits and three walks in two-plus innings. Anthony drew two walks off Sproat, and Marcelo Mayer laced a two-run single to chase him from the game. Once Sproat left the game Anthony went nuclear, hitting a 109.6 mph home run to right field, and a 106.4 mph home run to left field. Anthony finished 3 for 4, Mayer went 2 for 5 with a stolen base, and Trayce Thompson went 3 for 4 with a double and a home run while driving in four.

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Cup of Coffee: Rain, rain, go away

3/29 Cup of Coffee: After a single day of Minor League Baseball action, the April showers decided to start a few days early. Saturday's matchup between the Syracuse Mets and Worcester Red Sox was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled to April 23. 

Campbell continues impressive start

After recording hits in each of his first two big league games, Kristian Campbell turned in his best game yet as a member of the Red Sox in Boston's 4-3 loss to Texas on Saturday evening. The 22-year old went 2-3 with a double and his first career home run that traveled 431 feet into the Red Sox bullpen. Through three games, Campbell is slashing .500/.583/.900.

 

Where are they now

In other MLB action, former Red Sox farmhand Mickey Gasper tallied his first Major League hit Saturday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals. After going hitless in his first 20 big league at bats, the first 18 coming with the Red Sox, Gasper reached on an infield single to achieve the milestone. 

Photo Credit: Kristian Campbell by Kelly O'Connor

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Cup of Coffee: Stock rises as Worcester opens minor league schedule

3/29 Cup of Coffee: The 2025 minor league season got underway on Friday afternoon at Polar Park. An Abraham Toro homer and strong outing by Robert Stock (pictured) were not enough to make winners of the WooSox in the Triple-A debut of Marcelo Mayer. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

Worcester kicked off its season with a Friday matinee at Polar Park. With Kristian Campbell in the majors, the other two members of the triumvirate of phemons were the attractions. Roman Anthony led off and played left field, going 0 for 3 with a pair of walks. Anthony drove in Worcester's first run of the season, plating Nathan Hickey on a ground out in the third inning. Marcelo Mayer made his long-awaited debt for the WooSox, hitting in the third hole. Mayer was promoted to Worcester in early August 2024 but missed the final two months of the season with a lumbar strain. The shortstop was 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts. Abraham Toro drove in Worcester's other two runs, with one coming on a solo homer in the ninth. Nate Eaton was 2 for 4 in the squad's only multi-hit effort.

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2025 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 2 - Pitchers

For the second and final part of SoxProspects.com's 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we turn our attention to the mound and recognize some of the more well-regarded pitchers in the Red Sox farm system. This group of eight includes five starters who are ranked among the organization's top 25 prospects and three relatively unheralded relievers.

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Juan Valera: Starting Pitcher, Salem Red Sox

Valera, who turns 19 in May, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time after earning 2024 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year honors. The Dominican-born right-hander enjoyed a successful stateside debut last season by forging a 1.99 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 outings (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the Florida Complex League and Salem. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 19 prospect and is expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2025 campaign.

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2025 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 1 - Position Players

For the first part of SoxProspects.com's 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we start with the position players. This group of nine includes six of the organization's top 25 prospects and three others who are also ranked. Stay tuned for the pitching portion of the 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, slated to be published later Friday.

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Brooks Brannon: Catcher, Greenville Drive

Brannon, who turns 21 in May, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time and is currently ranked as the No. 43 prospect in the organization. The former 2022 ninth-round draft pick missed the first seven weeks of the 2024 campaign while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and reported to Salem in early June after rehabbing in the Florida Complex League. The right-handed hitter then batted .251/.326/.396 (114 wRC+) with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 22 runs scored, five stolen bases, 23 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 54 Carolina League games (230 plate appearances). He also earned All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League by slashing .309/.347/.456 with two homers and six RBIs in 16 games (72 plate appearances) for the Mesa Solar Sox. He is expected to break camp with Greenville this spring and could see more playing time at first base as opposed to behind the plate.

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Podcast Ep #357: Minor League Spring Training Wrap-up

Ian is joined by Mike Andrews to wrap-up their trip to minor league spring training! They start off talking about all the injured position players and how that impacted the rosters, before a long discussion about Justin Gonzales and his future outlook. They then went through a few other hitters including Enddy Azocar, Nazzan Zanetello and Mikey Romero. After that, they moved onto the pitchers and hit on a bunch of impressive performers including Payton Tolle, Blake Aita, Blake Wehunt, Noah Dean and of course mandatory Juan Valera talk. Finally, they wrapped up the show answering your emails!

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Podcast Ep #356: Your 2025 Boston Red Sox

It's finally here! With the 2025 season upon us, Ian welcomes Chris to the show as a very special guest to discuss the (mostly) final MLB roster for opening day, including Kristian Campbell officially making the team, decisions in the back of the rotation and bullpen, and how everything could change very early in the season. Plus, the guys threw down their predictions for the season - listen in to find out how bullish or bearish they are on the club's chances! (We'll recap the spring training trip on our next episode!)

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Fort Report: Spring Training concludes, Campbell makes Opening Day Roster

With spring training games over (with the exception of the pair of games in Mexico), all eyes turn to the regular season and where the final roster cuts will be made to begin the 2025 season.  

Campbell makes Boston's Opening Day roster

In what has constantly been described as a meteoric rise, Kristian Campbell’s next step will be a trip to Texas with Boston to begin his Major League career. News broke Sunday evening that the SoxProspects’ second-ranked prospect won the second base job. 

Despite slashing just .167/.305/.271 in 59 spring plate appearances, it was evident from the start of the spring that Campbell was an option to break camp with the team. In the later weeks of camp, Campbell’s improved results as well as stellar defense seemed to be enough to prove to the organization that he is ready for MLB action.

 

After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Campbell proved to hit at every level of the minor leagues. The Georgia Tech product hit .330 with a .997 OPS en route to several awards recognizing him as one of the best players in minor league baseball in 2024. 

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Notes from the Field: Scouting the Pitchers in the Spring Showcase Games

The Spring Breakout event is one of the best ideas to showcase the game's next wave of stars MLB has done in years. This spring, the Red Sox roster was seen as one of the best in the league with the Big Three of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer anchoring the lineup, with a strong group of arms including Hunter Dobbins, David Sandlin, Connelly Early adding intrigue. Making things even more interesting, after traveling to Port Charlotte to play the Rays in MLB's event on Thursday evening, the Red Sox arranged to play a second prospect showcase game, the "Futures at Fenway South," with the majority of the Spring Breakout roster on Friday at home against the Twins. This allowed for an even better look at many of the hitters and a chance to see even more of the talented arms in the Red Sox system. Here are my thoughts on some pitchers from the two-game look and for more thoughts on some hitters check out yesterday's piece.

- Of all the pitchers the Red Sox used across the two showcase games, the most impressive was 18-year-old Juan Valera. Valera burst onto the scene last year showing mid-90s velocity, but was on the raw side. Based on this look, while he is currently ranked 19th in our prospect rankings, when we do our preseason update, he will definitely be rising. Valera showdd a four-pitch arsenal, with his velocity up across the board. His fastball sat 97-99 mph and hit 100 multiple times. He mixed in two breaking balls: a slider at 89-92 mph and sweeper at 86-88 mph. He also showed in a changeup at 91-94 mph. The 94 mph changeup was perfectly captured by Baseball America's Josh Norris and, as you can see, it has a ridiculous amount of horizontal movement for a pitch thrown so hard. Valera's arm is so quick it can get a bit out of sync and cause him to lose the zone, as was the case in his third inning, but for the first two he was absolutely dominant. 

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Fort Report: Anthony, Campbell, Mayer, SoxProspects crew all have big weeks in Fort Myers

It was an exciting week down in Fort Myers as the MLB season is set to begin for the Red Sox in just over a week. The Sox' big three prospects all showed off during the Spring Breakout game, while the SoxProspects crew saw a ton of action on the backfields. More cuts have also come in as final decisions on the Opening Day roster draw closer. 

Big three all go deep in Spring Breakout game

Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony (pictured) certainly did not disappoint at the Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays prospects, as all three hit a home run. Anthony's was a tap measure blast, caught on camera with a great view from behind home plate by our own Ian Cundall. The Futures at Fenway South showcase against Minnesota Twins prospects was also an exciting game, as Mikey Romero and Justin Gonzales each went deep at JetBlue Park. James Dunne breaks these two games down in further detail with a special spring training edition of the Cup of Coffee. 

Another successful year in Florida for the SoxProspects crew

The SoxProspects.com crew spent a week in Fort Myers at Red Sox camp. They were able to put out some terrific content that can be found on social media handles for SoxProspects.com, Chris Hatfield, Ian Cundall, James Dunne, and Mike Andrews. Ian was able to get right behind home plate for both the Futures at Fenway South and Spring Breakout games. Check out Juan Valera pumping 100 MPH fastballs and Yoeilin Cespedes ripping a double. 

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Notes from the Field: Scouting the Hitters in the Spring Showcase Games

The Spring Breakout event is one of the best ideas to showcase the game's next wave of stars MLB has done in years. This spring, the Red Sox roster was seen as one of the best in the league with the Big Three of Roman Anthony (pictured, right), Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer anchoring the lineup, with a strong group of arms including Hunter Dobbins, David Sandlin, Connelly Early adding intrigue. Making things even more interesting, after traveling to Port Charlotte to play the Rays in MLB's event on Thursday evening, the Red Sox arranged to play a second prospect showcase game, the "Futures at Fenway South," with the majority of the Spring Breakout roster on Friday at home against the Twins. This allowed for an even better look at many of the hitters and a chance to see even more of the talented arms in the Red Sox system. Here are my thoughts on some hitters from the two-game look. 

- There were several incredible moments in Thursday's Breakout game, but none stood out more than Roman Anthony's home run. In his third at-bat, Anthony went up against Rays pitching prospect Santiago Suarez (ranked seventh overall in the strong Tampa system by Baseball America and ninth overall by MLB Pipeline). After a couple of takes, Anthony got a 96.7 mph fastball up and on the inner half of the zone and absolutely demolished it, sending it 435 feet out to right field (a number that seems conservative, as both me and Chris thought it completely left the ballpark) with an exit velocity of 111 mph. The ease with which Anthony accesses his power is remarkable, and the way he fired his hips and was able to clear that fastball out were remarkable. He is the consensus top prospect in baseball (taking Roki Sasaki out of the equation) and this swing showed why. 

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Cup of Coffee: Big Three go deep in Spring Breakout; Valera electric in Futures

3/15 Cup of Coffee: A special edition of the SoxProspects.com Cup of Coffee comes to you from sunny Fort Myers with a pair of high-profile spring training contests. On Thursday , Boston's top three prospects came as advertised as part of Major League Baseball's Spring Breakout showcase. Friday brought the Futures at Fenway South, with young hurler Juan Valera lighting up the radar gun in a victory over the Twins contingent.

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Spring Breakout: Rays 7, Red Sox 5

A collection of top prospects made their way up the Gulf Coast to Port Charlotte on Thursday to take on their East Division rivals. A vicious avian attack on Executive Editor Chris Hatfield and his WEEI boothmates Tom Caron and Rob Bradford proved to be a positive omen: moments later, Kristian Campbell (pictured, left, with Mayer) blasted an opposite field two-run homer to break a scoreless tie. Marcelo Mayer immediately followed, and back-to-back bombs by two of the game's top phenoms gave the Sox a 3-0 advantage. Not to be outdone by the other two members of the Big Three, Roman Anthony launched a mammoth 434-foot shot in the fifth inning. Mikey Romero delivered the squad's only multi-hit evening, going 2 for 4 with a double. 

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Podcast Ep. #355: Spring Showcase

The SoxProspects Spring Training trip is on, and Ian and Chris took a break to talk about the two minor league showcase games this week: the Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South. The Big Three, Mikey Romero, and Justin Gonzales went deep, while Brandon Clarke and Juan Valera were throwing fuego. Hear about them and all of the other highlights from the start of the trip on this episode!

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Fort Report: Position battles heat up; SoxProspects crew set to arrive

The last two weeks of spring training are shaping up to be fascinating, with the overall state of the roster being unclear. Our 2025 Projected Rosters page has been tweaked multiple times in the last few weeks as a combination of injury updates and strong performances change who is projected to be on the final 26-man roster. 

Injuries lead to roster uncertainty

With Opening Day just over two weeks away, injuries continue to cloud what the roster will look like on March 27 against the Rangers. On the infield, Rafael Devers is slated to make his spring training debut on Saturday. Alex Bregman figures to get time at second base with Devers back, but Kristian Campbell (pictured), David Hamilton, and Vaughn Grissom have seen time there, as well. What the Red Sox ultimately decide to do with Devers will ripple across the rest of the lineup. 

In the outfield, it is looking more likely that Wilyer Abreu opens the season on the injured list. Abreu still hopes to be ready for March 27, but reports are that he has not yet been cleared to swing. Additionally, Masataka Yoshida has only appeared as a designated hitter this spring and it is not clear if his arm is ready for game action after shoulder surgery. These injuries have led to Campbell getting more innings than expected in the outfield. 

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Podcast Ep. #354: Minor League Camp Preview 2025

Ian and Chris are back with their takes on the latest from MLB camp, plus a preview of the opening of minor league camp and the annual SoxProspects team's trip to the Fort!

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Podcast Ep #353: Spring Check In with Lou Merloni

Ian is joined by former Red Sox infielder and current NESN primary color analyst Lou Merloni to discuss all the happenings in Spring Training so far. The start off talking about how this camp feels different to past years and Lou’s initial impressions of the big three. They then move into an in-depth discussion of the major camp storylines and position battles, starting with what to do at second base and third base defensively and then who slots in if Wilyer Abreu isn’t ready for opening day. After that, they talk about the potential starting pitcher options if Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello aren’t ready for opening day, including spring standout Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester. Finally, they close by talking about Austin Adams and Luis Guerrero’s impressive performances and what the ideal bullpen construction is.

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Fort Report: Pitching injuries raise questions about Red Sox rotation

Spring training is in full swing and several of the top prospects in the Red Sox minor league system have received regular playing time in the first week and a half of major league games. With Opening Day just over three weeks away, there are several questions about which players will break camp and head to Texas with the big league club. 

Rotation depth tested by early injuries

During the offseason, Boston's collection of six established major league starting pitchers generated speculation that the Red Sox might consider a six-man rotation during the 2025 season. However, Boston's rotation depth has been put to the test early in spring training, as Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Lucas Giolito have been slowed by injuries and are yet to make their first appearances of the spring. At the moment, it appears that Crawford is least likely to be a part of the Opening Day roster. Crawford has been battling soreness in his right patellar tendon, stemming from an injury that he pitched through for most of the 2024 season, and has struggled to put weight on his right knee thus far in spring training. 

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Fort Report: Spring has sprung, Big 3 among those seeing early playing time

In the first full week of spring training in action, several of the Red Sox's top prospects saw plenty of time in big league camp, while several players in the SoxProspects.com top 60 look to make their mark as baseball returns.

Anthony, Mayer, Campbell see plenty of action

With the spotlight on the “Big 3” entering the spring with storylines of possibly breaking camp with Boston, each of the young prospects saw their fair shares of at bats and time in the field while some of the major league talent ramps up activity. All three prospects were slated to start the opening game against Northeastern before Roman Anthony was scratched late. Since then, Anthony has played in each of the first two Grapefruit League games, registering a pair of hits and an RBI. 

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Fort Report: Bregman signing strenthens roster, invites lineup questions

Red Sox spring training is underway, which means the SoxProspects.com Fort Report in not far behind. We are excited to kick off our weekly rundown of the ongoings in Fort Myers. Every week, we'll have notes on the player movement, injury news, roster machinations, and all of the other prospect information that we are excited to provide. It promises to be a particularly excited spring for prospect watchers, as top prospects Roman Anthony (pictured) and Kristian Campbell make their cases to break camp with the major league club.

Alex Bregman signs

In a clear attempt to get some value from what had previously been an underwhelming return on their 2012 draft class, the Red Sox signed their 29th-round pick to a three-year deal with opt-outs after each season. More than just a signal that the Red Sox are again able to land high-end free agents, Alex Bregman adds some punch to the lineup while also helping to solidify the infield defense. Which specific part of the defense he'll be solidifying will remain a topic of conversation throughout the time in Fort Myers. To clear a spot for Bregman on the 40-man roster, Boston placed pitcher Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day injured list. 

SoxProspects.com Top 60 countdown kicks off

Be sure to follow along on our social media pages (notably Twitter, BlueSky, and Instagram) as we count down the top prospects in the system. The series began on Monday with 60th-ranked Austin Ehrlicher and continues daily. 

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Podcast Ep #352: The Fort Comes Alive

MLB camp is in full swing, and Ian and Chris had some news to talk about. The guys weighed in on the third base drama, the latest transaction and injury news, and some minor league tidbits reported by our friend Andrew Parker. Plus, a listener request for Hey, Remember That Guy's second edition, and your emails!

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Podcast Ep. #351: Alex Bregman Finally Signs

Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox. That's about it. And Nick Pivetta signed with San Diego. Ian and Chris jumped on to talk about it.

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Podcast Ep. #350: Spring Training Props

In honor of the Big Game (before it turned into the Big Blowout), Ian and Chris discussed the latest news and gave their takes on some prop bets for MLB camp with pitchers and catchers reporting this week. Plus, the guys debuted a new segment based on a listener request and, as always, your emails!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Rivera's gem clinches championship for Mayaguez

Eduardo Rivera capped of an incredible winter in the final game of the Roberto Clemente League championship game. Jose Adames also saw action in the finals of the Venezuelan League playing for Lara.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

Eduardo Rivera's (pictured) team, Mayaguez, won the championship series over San Juan, and Rivera played a major role. In the series-clinching Game Six, Rivera fired five shutout innings and only allowed one hit. He walked just one and struck out five. It was the left-hander's second five-inning shutout performance of the series, as he ends the series with no runs allowed and 12 strikeouts over 10 innings. After a huge winter, Rivera, the 58th ranked prospects here at SoxProspects, will look to make an impact in the coming weeks down in Fort Myers. 

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Podcast Episode #349: Still Waiting on that Thaw

We're all desperate for something to happen as Spring Training approaches. Ian and Chris discussed what's going on with the Alex Bregman non-chase and the potential last bullpen signing, the updated rankings, and a bunch of listener emails!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Rivera joins Mayaguez for a title run; Stock signed to minor league deal

The playoffs are coming to a close with both Puerto Rico and Venezuela playing their championship series. The Red Sox have one player active in each league, with Eduardo Rivera and Jose Adames trying to help their teams to a title. In other news, the Red Sox signed Robert Stock to a minor league deal after he won the pitching Triple Crown in the Mexican Pacific Winter League. 

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

Eduardo Rivera played with Santurce this winter, but he was drafted by Mayaguez on January 17 before the championship series. He started the second game of the series and picked up the win after striking out seven over five shutout innings. Mayaguez is up 2-0 on San Juan, with game three slated for Monday night. Rivera's outstanding winter has led to him making his debut in our rankings, coming in at number 58. 

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Podcast Ep. #348: Director of Pitching Justin Willard

Ian and Chris welcomed Red Sox Director of Pitching Justin Willard to the podcast to talk about, well, pitching! On the agenda are Justin's philosophies on instruction, pitch design, the traits that make a good pitcher, and more. Justin also talked about some of the system's top arms and what training looks like at all times of year. Plus, the SoxProspects guys talked about the 2025 international free agent class, dishing the goods on the top new signees. 

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Rivera dominates in Puerto Rico; Narvaez wraps up Venezuela stint

The playoffs began in Puerto Rico and continued in Venezuela last week. Four Red Sox players were in action for their respective clubs, including one who was pitching in the Dominican Republic earlier this winter. This week's roundup covers all of the action from January 6-12, and stats for all participating players can be found at the SoxProspects.com Fall & Winter Leagues page.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

Eduardo Rivera (pictured) put together another strong start for Santurce in Game 2 of its semi-final series against San Juan last Wednesday. Fresh off winning the LBPRC regular-season strikeout title, the 21-year-old lefty scattered three hits and struck out eight without walking a batter over six scoreless innings in a winning effort. His team has since been eliminated.

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Podcast Ep. #347: Waiting for the Thaw

The hot stove might be cool right now, but Ian and Chris are back for another episode of the podcast! They start off talking about Bobby Dalbec signing with the White Sox and the arbitration agreements, or lack thereof, that came out today, before moving onto a brief discussion of the upcoming Rookie Development program. After that, they talk about the options out there for the Red Sox bullpen and the lack of position players projected for Worcester right now. Finally, they end the episode going through a bunch of emails!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Narvaez shines in playoffs; Rivera sharp again

The playoffs continued down in Venezuela, while the Robert Clemente Professional Baseball League in Puerto Rico closed out the regular season. Only two Red Sox players were in action, and both played key roles for their respective clubs. This week's roundup covers all of the action from December 30 through January 5, and stats for all participating players can be found at the SoxProspects.com Fall & Winter Leagues page. 

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

Eduardo Rivera (pictured) continues to be a standout in Puerto Rico. The towering six-foot-seven lefthander fired six shutout innings, scattering two hits and walking two against six strikeouts. He earned the victory in Santurce's penultimate regular-season contest as the Cangrejeros to second place in the final standings. In 33 innings, Rivera has a 1.36 ERA and 50 strikeouts while walking only 10. He was the lone player in action in Puerto Rico this week from the Sox system.

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Venezuelan Professional Baseball League 

The Cardenales de Lara are off to a hot start in the Venezuelan playoffs, thanks in large part to the play of Carlos Narvaez. Lara has won each of its first six games of the Round Robin. Narvaez appeared in all four games this week, starting twice apiece at catcher and first base. He went 3 for 12 and walked five times, scoring three runs. 

Photo Credit: Eduardo Rivera by Kelly O'Connor

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