2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Marcelo Mayer

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#1 Marcelo Mayer, SS 

2022 Teams: Salem and Greenville

Final Stats: 424 PA, .280/.399/.489, 30 2B, 13 HR, 16 BB%, 25.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Tall, athletic frame. Loose and projectable with room to add strength as he physically matures. Likely to add good weight upon being introduced to a professional strength and conditioning program. Looks the part.

Hit: Starts open and vertical with his hands high. Quiet load with a very short leg lift. Fluid swing with strong feel for hit. Quick hands. Plus bat speed. Very impressive bat control. Ball jumps off his bat and has already shown the ability to turn on velocity. Knows the strike zone and has strong bat-to-ball skills. Advanced approach for a high school hitter. Will use all fields and does not try to do too much at the plate. Potential plus hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Miguel Bleis and Triston Casas

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#3 Miguel Bleis, OF 

2022 Teams: FCL

Final Stats: 167 PA, .301/.353/.542, 14 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 6 BB%, 26.9 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report 

Physical Description: Tall, athletic frame with lots of remaining projection. Looks the part, has the room to add strength without impacting his athleticism.

Hit: Starts slightly open with his hands high. Some pre-pitch hand movement, but consistently ends up in a good hitting position. Utilizes a toe-tap timing device. Good separation in his swing. Quick hands, plus bat speed. Fluid swing. Makes a lot of contact on pitches in the zone and has had no problems with velocity early in his career. Will work counts and has some feel for the strike zone, but still in the early stages of developing his approach. Does expand the zone against quality offspeed pitches, but has shown a willingness to take a walk. When he gets ahead in the count, is aggressive, hunting fastballs he can hit. Ball makes a different sound when he squares it up. Will go to all fields and hits the ball extremely hard for someone his age and is already producing major league-quality exit velocities as a teenager. Still has a ways to go in developing his approach, but shows the raw tools to develop an above-average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Nick Yorke and Ceddanne Rafaela

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#5 Nick Yorke, 2B 

2022 Teams: Greenville

Final Stats: 373 PA, .231/.303/.365, 10 2B, 11 HR, 8.8 BB%, 25.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Sturdy frame. Filled out for his age. Thick lower half. Lost 25 pounds between his draft year and first full pro season. Some remaining projection, mainly in his upper body, and could stand to add some strength.

Hit: Typically has started open with his hands by his chest. In 2022 Arizona Fall League, experimented with starting with his hands up and bat pointed behind him before getting to the same load position. Utilizes a slight leg lift timing device. Advanced hit tool. Strong feel for hit. Has bat speed and a very fluid, compact swing. Two-handed finish. Good barrel control. Advanced approach for his age. Willing to use all fields, but did get pull happy in 2022 at times as he tinkered with his mechanics. Good separation in his swing. Makes good swing decisions and rarely expands the zone. Consistently makes solid contact. Has shown the ability to turn on velocity up in the zone already. Potential plus hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Mikey Romero and Bryan Mata

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#7 Mikey Romero, SS 
2022 Teams: FCL and Salem
Final Stats: 87 PA, .304/.368/.506, 11 XBH, 9.2 BB%, 17.2 K%
2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report 

Physical Description: Athletic frame with some remaining projection. Not overly physical and could stand to add strength and fill out.

Hit: Starts slightly open with his hands high. Very smooth and controlled swing. Has bat speed. Limited stride. Really good hands. Seen as one of the most advanced high school hitters in the draft class. Good pitch recognition and advanced approach for his age. Makes a lot of contact and hits the ball hard. Potential above-average hit tool.

Power: Wide range of opinions on his power ability. Needs to add strength and swing right now is designed more for hard line drives than over-the-fence power. Potential fringe-average game power.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Roman Anthony and Brandon Walter

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#9 Roman Anthony, OF 

2022 Teams: FCL and Salem

Final Stats: 83 PA, .306/.374/.361, 4 2B, 10.8 BB%, 9.6 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Tall, projectable frame. Looks the part. Has the frame to support added muscle as he physically matures.

Hit: Starts open with his hands high. Uses an abbreviated leg kick that he gets down early. Good separation in his swing. Smooth uppercut bat path with a two-hand finish. Good bat speed, makes very hard contact. Utilizes his lower half efficiently and really rotates through the hips. Pitch recognition and ability to hit velocity are question marks right now. In the early stages of developing an approach.

Power: Plus-to-better raw power. Very impressive raw power. Has a swing designed to drive the ball with loft and backspin and has shown the ability to hit the ball 400-plus feet. Plus power potential.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Eddinson Paulino and Luis Perales

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#11 Eddinson Paulino, IF 

2022 Teams: Salem 

Final Stats: 539 PA, .266/.359/.469, 35 2B, 10 3B, 13 HR, 11.9 BB%, 19.5 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Undersized and skinny at present. Solid athlete with good hand-eye coordination. Frame has room to support added strength, but will never be overly physical.

Hit: Swing mechanics work. Contact-oriented swing with a level bat path. Average bat speed at present and good bat control. Covers the plate well and has a decent approach for his age. Does not miss much in zone, but will expand, especially against secondary pitches. Advanced bat control leads him to make a lot of weak contact on pitches that he struggles to drive. Shows substantial platoon splits already. Potential average hit tool against right-handed pitchers and below-average against left-handers.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Chris Murphy and Wikelman Gonzalez

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#13 Chris Murphy, LHP 

2022 Teams: Portland and Worcester

Final Stats: 152 IP, 4.03 ERA, 1.283 WHIP, 149 K, 72 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Worcester

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Athletic frame with minimal remaining projection. Looks bigger than listed height and weight. Average lower half, medium build.

Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot, starting on the third base side of the rubber. Takes two small steps before a medium leg kick. Drives towards the plate with a big stride and gets good extension. Left leg kicks up on follow-through. Can tend to fall off towards third base post-delivery. Quick, compact arm action. Slight arm hook with some effort behind. Does not consistently finish delivery and can lose release point at times.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: Blaze Jordan and Matthew Lugo

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#15 Blaze Jordan, CIF 

2022 Teams: Salem and Greenville

Final Stats: 521 PA, .289/.363/.445, 30 2B, 12 HR, 9.2 BB%, 18 K%

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick, physically mature frame. Minimal remaining projection. Will have to watch his body as he gets older. Lost weight and did a much better job maintaining his conditioning as he got older in high school.

Hit: Starts square and utilizes a quick leg kick timing device. Mature approach for his age. Has bat speed. Takes a second to get going, but has quick hands and really whips his hips through during his swing. Natural feel for hit and will make pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Approach is a work in progress. Chases too often, especially against changeups. Has had trouble making contact against better pitching and against velocity, especially when up in the zone. Will always have swing-and-miss in his game. Has struggled with velocity in the mid-90s and higher as far back as the 2020 Fall Instructional League, but showed some improvement against velocity after 2022 promotion to Greenville. Potential average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 20-16

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#20 Niko Kavadas, 1B 

2022 Teams: Salem, Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 524 PA, .276/.437/.545, 25 2B, 27 HR, 19.5 BB%, 30.2 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick, sturdy frame. Well built, strong. Minimal remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square with his hands high towards the middle of his body. Big leg kick timing device and brings hands down below his back shoulder before coming back up and toward the ball. Strength-based, uppercut swing designed to put the ball in the air. Average bat speed. Produces excellent exit velocities. Advanced approach. Knows the strike zone and will take a walk. Has swing-and-miss in his game within the strike zone. Struggles against left-handed pitchers and has had notable platoon splits early in his career. How he controls swing-and-miss will go a long way to determining the level to which his hit tool develops. Potential fringe-average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 25-21

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#25: Brooks Brannon, C 

2022 Teams: FCL Red Sox

Final Stats: 15 PA, .462/.533/.846, 3 XBH, 13.3 BB%, 33.3 K%, 105.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Stocky, thick frame. Catcher's build with a sturdy lower half. Pretty close to maxed out physically.

Hit: Starts square with his hands high. Brief leg lift timing device. Gets his whole body into his swing. Swing has some length. Approach and pitch recognition need work. There are questions about how he will handle premium velocity as he was not exposed to it much as an amateur. When he makes contact, hits the ball very hard and has recorded high exit velocities.

Power: Plus raw power. Has shown the ability to hit the ball a long way, especially to the pull side.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 30-26

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#30: Tyler McDonough, 2B/OF 

2022 Teams: Greenville

Final Stats: 517 PA, .230/.311/.357, 36 XBH, 21 SB, 9.3 BB%, 31.3 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Small frame with minimal remaining projection. Surprisingly strong for his size. Above-average athlete.

Hit: Switch hitter. Starts open with his hands high. Utilizes a leg kick timing device. Quick hands, has bat speed. Swing can get long and out of sync. Average zone contact and chase rates. Has a decent amount of swing-and-miss in his game, mainly against breaking balls down and fastballs with good velocity up. Needs to improve his quality of contact and improve his approach. Bat will be tested against more advanced pitching. Potential below-average hit tool.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 35-31

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#35: Alex Binelas, 1B/3B 

2022 Teams: Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 500 PA, .206/.307/.438, 20 2B, 25 HR, 12.6 BB%, 29.4 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Filled-out, sturdy frame. Strong. Minimal remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square with a slight toe tap timing device. Quiet swing mechanics. Swing is more strength-based. Swing can get long and has considerable swing-and-miss in his game. Will take a walk. Solid plate discipline. Misses a lot of pitches in the zone, especially elevated fastballs at 94+ mph. Development of his hit tool will be key in determining future success. Potential well below-average hit tool.

Power: Natural loft in swing. Can drive the ball with authority to all fields. Hits the ball very hard and produces impressive exit velocities. Plus-to-better raw power. In-game power potential is tied to hit tool development.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 40-36

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#40: Stephen Scott, C 

2022 Teams: Greenville and Portland

Final Stats: 410 PA, .219/.346/.377, 19 2B, 10 HR, 16.1 BB%, 19 K%

2023 Projected Level: Portland

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Short, sturdy frame. Very strong, stocky build. No remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square and utilizes a short, leg lift timing device. Average bat speed, smooth swing. Direct to the ball, keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. Has swing-and-miss in his game, but also will take a walk. Knows the strike zone and has some feel for recognizing spin. Potential fringe-average hit tool.

Power: Above-average raw power. Average game power. Can lift the ball and drive it with some authority, especially to the pull side.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 45-41

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp. 

#45: Luis Ravelo, SS 

2022 Teams: FCL and Salem

Final Stats: 153 PA, .197/.303/.265, 12.4 BB%, 25.5 K%

2023 Projected Level: Salem

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Athletic frame with lots of projection. Has developed physically after signing, but still needs to add considerable strength

Hit: Starts open with a leg kick timing device. Bat drags due to lack of strength. Hands need to get quicker and needs to shorten swing, Swing is more fluid from the left side. Rough approach, has a long way to go, especially against off-speed pitches. Really struggles to recognize them and is often caught out in front.

Power: Lacks the ability to impact the baseball right now. Has the frame that could grow into power as he matures.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 50-46

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#50: Eduardo Lopez, OF 

2022 Teams: Salem

Final Stats: 332 PA, .234/.325/.332 with 4 HR, 9 SB, 10.8% BB, 23.5% K

2023 Projected Level: Greenville

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Medium, athletic build. Lots of projection remaining. Needs to add strength.

Hit: Switch hitter. Small toe tap timing device. From the left side, wrists start at chin level, coming down on approach. Wrists start lower from the right side. Swing can be inconsistent at times, but at its best is smooth with a good weight transfer from back to front. Solid approach for his age. Knows the strike zone and is selective. Will take a walk, but can get overly passive at times. Struggles with velocity right now due to lack of strength. Has struggled from the right side early in his pro career. Potential average hit tool.

Power: Below-average present in-game power. Swing is more geared towards hard line drives in the gap. Shows some pop in batting practice. Potential fringe-average in-game power if he fills out his frame.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 55-51

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is here! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#55: Hunter Dobbins, RHP 

2022 Teams: Salem

Final Stats: 69 IP, 5.22 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 68 K, 22 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Greenville 

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Medium, athletic frame with projection remaining.

Mechanics: Throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the first base side of the rubber. Medium-to-high leg left. High-effort delivery. Arm is short behind and quick forward. Hides the ball well behind. Falls off hard toward first base.

Fastball: 91-94 mph. Tops out at 96 mph. Velocity increased to where he was touching 98 mph in fall 2020 and February 2021 before getting injured during preseason scrimmages. During 2020 season, sat in the low-90s, topping out at 94. Sometimes pitch will show natural cut. Potential average pitch.

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2023 Countdown to Spring Training: 60-56

We've made it through the bulk of the offseason and spring training is near! To celebrate the return of baseball, we'll be counting down by posting our scouting reports for the players on our Top 60 three times a week from February 13 until March 15—not coincidentally, the same day the SoxProspects brass arrive in Fort Myers for the start of games in minor league camp.  

#60: Victor Santos, RHP

Age: 22

2022 Teams: Portland and Worcester

2022 Stats: 145 IP, 4.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 126 K, 34 BB, 11% swinging strike rate

2023 Projected Level: Worcester

Scouting Report

Physical Description: Thick pitcher's frame. Filled out; no remaining projection.

Mechanics: Throws from a three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the first base side of the rubber. Quick, medium-height leg kick with a long arm swing behind. Some effort in delivery. Repeats delivery well.

Fastball: 90-92 mph. Tops out at 93 mph. Primarily throws sinkers, but will mix in four-seamers also. Fastball velocity ticked up slightly early in 2021, but returned back to the 90-92 mph range as the season went on. Above-average control. Potential for above-average command. Lacks bat-missing ability, more designed to pitch to contact. Potential below-average offering.

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