July 15, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Minor Notes: Sox focus on pitching in draft; mid-season rankings arrive
-----
July Rankings
Before the arrival of the 2025 draftees, the SoxProspects.com mid-season rankings update came down the pike. A major shakeup looks to be on the horizon, as the longtime top-prospect tag team Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer (pictured, right), again first and second on the list, made what will almost certainly be their final appearances at the top of the site's front page. Payton Tolle leaped Franklin Arias and Luis Perales to reach the third spot, setting him up as heir apparent for number one when August comes.
Additional notes on the rankings:
- Hunter Dobbins graduated, having surpassed the 50-inning rookie threshold. The 2021 eighth-round pick was ranked ninth on the June board and reached a peak of No. 8 for several months in 2024 and 2025. Unfortunately, after establishing himself as an important piece of the Boston staff, Dobbins tore his ACL covering first base on Friday, putting him on the shelf for the remainder of 2025.
- Fellow 2021 draftee Luis Guerrero also graduated, having reached 45 days of service time. Guerrero peaked at No. 17 during the 2024-25 offseason. Since making his major league debut last September, the right-hander has a 2.63 ERA across 22 appearances.
- Yhoiker Fajardo was the big mover, jumping from No. 44 to No. 22. The 18-year-old righty, acquired before Spring Training in a deal with the White Sox in exchange for Cam Booser, dominated in the Florida Complex League and has held his own since a promotion to Salem.
- Debuting on the rankings were catcher Jorge Rodriguez (No. 44) and right-handed reliever Yovanny Cruz (No. 59)
-----
2025 Draft
The 2025 First-Year Player Draft took place on Sunday and Monday, and the Red Sox went pitcher-heavy. Starting with 15th overall selection Kyson Weatherspoon, 15 of Boston's 21 picks were pitchers, and 10 of those came out of the SEC. As Ian Cundall pointed out on Twitter, this follows a trend from 2024, a marked change from the stretch before the hiring of Craig Breslow in which the Red Sox focused very heavily on bats. Check out the SoxProspects.com Draft History page to find all selections from this draft (as well as past drafts). The News Page also has complete coverage, with write-ups on each player.
Podcasts
For the second straight week, listeners got a double dose of the SoxProspects.com Podcast (and sources say another episode is recorded and will drop this evening):
- First, Mike and Ian got together to go in depth on the rankings update and preview the then-upcoming draft.
- Next up, Chris and Ian immediately hopped on the horn after the draft's first night went off the air to give their initial thoughts and analysis of Boston's first four selections.
Futures Game
The Futures Game took place in Atlanta on Saturday as part of All-Star week festivities. Worcester outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia was Boston's lone representative, coming off a first half in which he'd hit .277/.365/.472 with 12 home runs between the WooSox and Portland. Garcia got the start in right field for the American League squad, batting cleanup. He went 0 for 2 with a pair of strikeouts.
Where Are They Now?
- Michael Chavis, Boston's top pick back in the 2014 draft, signed with NPB's Chinuchi Dragons after requesting his release from the Dodgers' system. Chavis appeared in 357 major league games across parts of five seasons for the Red Sox, Pirates, and Nationals.
- Manuel Margot was released from the Toledo Mud Hens, Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. He was initially signed as an international free agent in July 2011. Dealt 10 years ago in the trade that brought Craig Kimbrel to Boston, Margot had several solid years for the Padres and Rays but has struggled the past two seasons.
- William Cuevas was released by the KT Wiz of the Korean league, his team since 2019. The right-hander initially signed with the Red Sox out of Venezuela in 2008 and made his major league debut with Boston in April 2016. After spending 2017 with the Detroit Tigers, Cuevas returned to Boston to get a ring with the 2018 club before playing internationally.
-----
Players of the Week, July 7-13
Nelly Taylor, OF, Greenville Drive
4 G, 3-11, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 2 SB
Taylor wins his first Player of the Week honors in a week in which rain played havoc with several affiliates' schedules. He won in appropriate style, doing so without notching a single. The dynamic outfielder, Boston's 2024 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year, had a double, triple, homer, six walks, and two steals for the Drive. On the season, the 18th-ranked Taylor is hitting .243/.380/.400. He has taken the system lead in walks with 52 and stolen bases with 26.
Hayden Mullins, LHP, Portland Sea Dogs
1 GS, 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
"Portland lefty wins Pitcher of the Week" has become a recurring theme during 2025. It was Mullins' turn this week, as the 24-year-old allowed just an unearned run while scattering three hits across 6 1/3 innings in his lone start of the week. As befitting a week so focused on SEC pitching, the Auburn University product has been one of the top performers in the Sox system this year, with a 2.05 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 57 innings between Greenville and Portland. He is currently the #23 ranked prospect in the system.
Photo Credit: Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer by Kelly O'Connor