Minor Notes: Early breaks camp in rotation, Triple-A season begins

The 2026 season is underway, as Boston and Worcester kicked off their seasons on Thursday and Friday last week. Portland, Greenville, and the newly-branded Salem RidgeYaks will follow in the coming days. Here at SoxProspects.com, we switch into regular season mode with our Minor Notes, the weekly breakdown of all the news on the system.

Early makes rotation as rosters are set

The final tweaks to the major league roster came down last week, and the most notable news was that 23-year-old lefty Connelly Early (pictured) made the major league rotation out of spring training. Early, currently ranked third in the system, was initally expected to open in Worcester, but a strong spring training on the heels of his impressive introduction to the majors at the end of 2025 earned him the nod. News that he would make the major league squad came last week, and the confirmation that Early would start was announced as the MLB rotation was set. Ryan Watson (#30) held on for the other open roster spot. Watson was taken in the Rule 5 draft by Oakland and then flipped to the Red Sox for infield Justin Riemer. Had he not made the roster, Boston would have needed to offer him back to the Giants. 

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Podcast Ep #408: And Away We Go

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Editor-In-Chief Mike Andrews to discuss the start of the Boston and Worcester seasons. They give their thoughts on ABS after a few games and an update on Angel Bastardo’s unique situation. After that, they discuss the Worcester season opening roster and what Ian saw from on opening day from Jake Bennett and Noah Song. After that, they preview the other affiliate rosters and answer all your emails. Ian then ends the show with an announcement.

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Ian Cundall Joins Baseball America

We’re excited to announce that Ian Cundall will be joining Baseball America full‑time as a Prospect Writer beginning April 1. The good news for SoxProspects readers is that Ian will continue hosting the SoxProspects.com Podcast and remain a valued friend of the site. SoxProspects fully expects to maintain the same high standard of content our audience has enjoyed for years.

Ian first joined the SoxProspects staff in October 2010 as our Northeast Scout. He became a regular presence on the podcast in July 2011 and was promoted to Director of Scouting in November 2013. Over the years, Ian has scouted hundreds of games across the Red Sox system, including stops in Boston, Worcester, Pawtucket, Portland, New Hampshire, Greenville, Salem, Lowell, and Fort Myers.

In November 2025, Ian began contributing to Baseball America in a part‑time role, and he will now be expanding that role in the weeks and months ahead. As most of our readers and listeners know, BA has been a leading authority on prospects across the MLB, college baseball, the international market, as well as the MLB Draft for over 45 years. 

At SoxProspects, we take immense pride in developing talented prospect writers and analysts and helping them advance to full‑time roles in the industry. Our staff members and alumni have gone on to work for or contribute to ESPN.com, Baseball Prospectus, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, The Worcester Telegram, MLB.com, and more - and Ian’s next step is yet another example of that tradition.

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Cup of Coffee: Tolle struggles through four innings; Gasper collects three hits

3/30 Cup of Coffee: It was a rough day for Worcester's pitching staff, as top prospect Payton Tolle only made it through four innings. The offense kept the team in the game, with Mickey Gasper's three hits leading the team. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 10, Worcester Red Sox 8

The Mets scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth to win a back-and-forth contest. Starter Payton Tolle lasted only four innings and gave up six runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out six. It was an atypical pitch mix for Tolle, who threw his four-seam fastball only 25 percent of the time. His sinker and cutter were used more frequently, with the sinker being a new pitch in his arsenal in 2026. Zack Kelly allowed one hit over two shutout innings, and Jacob Webb surrendered two unearned runs in his 1 2/3 frames. The loss went to Kyle Keller, who allowed a two-run home run in the top of the ninth. 

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Cup of Coffee: Romero slugs first home run of the season, Uberstine turns in strong outing

With the Minor League season just two days old, only Worcester was in action on Saturday as the following ranks of the organization await their respective opening days next week. 

Worcester Red Sox 5, Syracuse Mets 3 

After a quiet day offensively on Opening Day, the Worcester offense had plenty of traffic on the bases thanks to seven hits and six walks on the afternoon. Tyler Uberstine made his first start of the season and was strong over his four innings of work in a no decision. Throwing 36 of his 56 pitches for strikes, the right-hander allowed a run with a pair of hits, a lone walk and three strikeouts. He would depart the game with the WooSox leading 2-1 thanks to a sacrifice fly by Matt Lloyd in the bottom of the second and the first home run of the season for Mikey Romero. After hitting 17 home runs across two levels in 2025, Romero sent an 0-2 changeup over the right-center field fence. The WooSox tacked onto the lead in the fifth. After Braiden Ward singled and Nick Sogard walked, Mickey Gasper roped a two-run double to right field to plate a pair and extend the lead to three. Worcester got one more run in the eighth on an RBI double by Jason Delay. 

Wyatt Olds earned the win after following Uberstine with 1 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing a run on a hit with two strikeouts. Tyler Samaniego earned a hold with 2 1/3 innings in his Red Sox organization debut, and Tayron Guerrero picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. 

Player of the Day: Mikey Romero showcased his power profile that Boston fans saw plenty of last season. Romero's first home run of 2026 in the fourth inning gave Worcester the lead for good. Romero belted nine home runs in 45 games in his time with the WooSox last season and is off to a strong start toward adding to his power as the year goes on. 

Photo Credit: Mikey Romero by Kelly O'Connor

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Cup of Coffee: Bennett, Sweet shine but WooSox fall in opener

3/28 Cup of Coffee: The 2026 minor league season is officially underway, as is the SoxProspects.com daily coverage. Worcester kicked off at home with a marquee pitching matchup of Jake Bennett taking on Mets prospect Jonah Tong. The rest of the full-season affiliates get underway late next week. 

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 3, Worcester Red Sox 1

The WooSox offense was largely held silent by Jonah Tong and a quartet of relievers, managing five hits, all of them singles. Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a pair of walks, scoring Worcester's lone run on a Tsung-Che Cheng single. Nick Sogard also had a hit and walked twice. Jake Bennett took the loss despite a solid effort in his organizational debut, allowing one unearned run on two hits in three innings. He struck out five without issuing a walk and threw 44 of 59 pitches for strikes. Seth Martinez struck out three in two innings but surrendered one run on a solo homer. The Mets reached Noah Song for an insurance run on four hits in 1 2/3. Devin Sweet (pictured) was the standout out of the bullpen, striking out six of the seven batters he faced in 2 1/3 perfect frames. 

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Podcast Ep #407: Alex Speier Joins to Recap Red Sox Spring Training

Ian Cundall is joined by a very special guest, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, to discuss the Red Sox opening day roster and put a bow on spring training. They talk about the fifth starter decision, Payton Tolle’s outlook, questions about the bullpen, how outfield playing time will work, Marcelo Mayer’s spring and more! After that they wrap up the show by discussing Alex’s experience at the WBC and his piece on the Red Sox’ Venezuelan players.

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Podcast Ep #406: Spring Breakout Madness

Ian Cundall and Chris Hatfield recap the second half of the crew’s trip to Spring Training, including the Spring Breakout Game. They talk about the dominant performances from the Red Sox pitching staff including Anthony Eyanson’s breakout performance. They then switch gears and discuss the position players who stood out including Henry Godbout and Enddy Azocar. After that they go through other players who caught their eye during backfields action including pitchers Leighton Finley, Barrett Morgan and Madinson Frias and position players Dorian Soto, Harold Rivas and Luke Heyman. They then wrap up the show by talking about the latest minor league transactions.

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Fort Report: Early breaks camp with Boston; Mayer named starter at second base

Spring Training concludes on Tuesday with Boston's season set to kick off on Thursday in Cincinnati. Worcester will be the only affiliate in action this week as the WooSox begin their season on Friday at home against Syracuse. Portland, Greenville, and Salem will all start the first week of April. 

Final roster takes shape

The Red Sox finalized their position player group on Monday with Andruw Monasterio and Connor Wong officially making the opening day roster. Wong will be the backup catcher, while Monasterio will combine with Isiah Kiner-Falefa to be the primary infield backups. This news comes on the heels of the Red Sox announcing that Caleb Durbin will be the starting third baseman with Marcelo Mayer starting at second. The bench is rounded out by Masataka Yoshida who figures to be the fifth outfielder and primary pinch-hitter against right-handed pitching. 

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Podcast Ep #405: The Gang Goes to Florida

Ian Cundall is joined by Mike Andrews and Chris Hatfield for their first podcast from Fort Myers! They start off by praising the World Baseball Classic and then talk about the impact past and current Red Sox had in the final. After that they go through the latest Red Sox news including cuts from camp, two new relievers and several injured minor league pitchers. They then recap their experience at Futures at Fenway South and preview Friday’s Spring Breakout Game!

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Fort Report: SoxProspects team makes annual trip to spring training

With several Red Sox mainstays returning from the World Baseball Classic and the season approaching in just over a week, playing time in major league camp has been harder to come by for Boston’s prospects. Still, several exciting Red Sox minor leaguers made appearances in the Grapefruit League over the last week. The SoxProspects.com crew has been taking it all in during the team’s annual trip to Fort Myers, and Director of Scouting Ian Cundall has been posting video and scouting updates on Twitter. One of the highlights of the spring for prospect lovers, the Spring Breakout Game, is set to take place this Friday against the Orioles. 

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Meet Ethan Walker; New Red Sox prospect with 'Liam Hendriks-esque' mound prescence

The last nine months have been an unusual experience for most of the pitchers in Boston's 2025 draft class. Many have never had such a long stretch without appearing in a real game. The lack of game action gives the players a lot of downtime to work on their own stuff while at the complex in Fort Myers. During the time off, it might be safe to say some might be developing that "itch" to go out and compete again. Red Sox 12th-round pick Ethan Walker fits that description.

"Everything has been going really good," Walker said of his time off. "It has been a super easy transition to pro ball getting to know all the staff in the Red Sox facility during this time. I am missing the games quite a lot. I like competing. I like being out there by myself on the mound. There are no worries. It’s just you and the batter. I was itching to start throwing lives. I couldn’t wait for all the stuff to start in Spring Training. I have had the itch since I got drafted. I was ready to get going right away."

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Fort Report: Boston prospects make headlines in WBC, first cuts of the spring made

As spring training inches closer to the halfway mark and Opening Day sits just over two weeks away, there is still plenty going on in Fort Myers while the World Baseball Classic is in full swing. In the latest iteration of the Fort Report, there is plenty of news going on between both events

 

Boston farmhands stand out in WBC

While plenty of players from Boston's major league team are representing countless countries in the World Baseball Classic, a few prospects have also taken the global stage. After pitching well in the Puerto Rican Winter League this offseason, left-hand pitcher Eduardo Rivera turned in a stellar start for the island. In Puerto Rico's 5-4 extra-inning victory over Panama on Saturday night, Rivera dazzled over 4 1/3 frames. He allowed a run on a single hit with one walk while striking out five as he reached 97.4 MPH on his fastball. Rivera split time between Greenville and Portland in 2025, posting a 3.10 ERA in 87 innings. 

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Podcast Ep #404: Red Sox News and Spring Trip Preview

Ian Cundall is joined by Mike Andrews to go through all the news from Red Sox spring training over the last week! After that they talk about the greatness that is the World Baseball Classic and then preview their upcoming trip to Red Sox spring training! They wrap up the show discussing the players they are excited to see in the Spring Breakout Game and answer your emails!

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Podcast Ep #403: Red Sox Spring Training Storyline Draft and Emails

Ian Cundall is joined by Andrew Parker to go through all the storylines from Red Sox spring training so far! Topics discussed include Jake Bennett’s velocity increase, Justin Gonzales’s size, Payton Tolle’s arsenal changes, Braiden Ward’s speed and more! They also go through Andrew’s latest articles on Henry Godbout and Marcus Phillips and answer your emails!

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Fort Report: Arias, Gonzales enter spring spotlight as WBC begins

We are back with our fourth Fort Report of the spring. The Red Sox are 11 games into their spring training schedule and, like other clubs, are entering an interesting stretch with the 2026 World Baseball Classic set to get underway this week. Having said that, here is a look at where things stand within the organization as Opening Day draws closer.

WBC departures mean opportunities for others 

The Red Sox will be well-represented in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Even with non-roster invitee Tayron Guerrero withdrawing from Colombia, Boston still has 14 players set to participate in the tournament: Wilyer Abreu (Venezuela), Jack Anderson (Great Britain), Roman Anthony (United States), Brayan Bello (Dominican Republic), Willson Contreras (Venezuela), Jarren Duran (Mexico), Nate Eaton (Great Britain), Jovani Moran (Puerto Rico), Ceddanne Rafaela (Netherlands), Eduardo Rivera (Puerto Rico), Ranger Suarez (Venezuela), Greg Weissert (Italy), Garrett Whitlock (United States), and Masataka Yoshida (Japan).

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