Up first is Boston's 9th ranked prospect, 22 year old right handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. He was a Dave Dombrowski Dominican signing back in 2018 and he's had a weird career. In 2022 he started 4-3 with a 4.54 ERA in 21 starts for the Salem Red Sox but when promoted to the Greenville Drive, he posted a 2.65 ERA in 4 starts. In 2023 he started 6-3 with a 5.14 ERA in 15 starts for Grenville but when promoted to Portland he went 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in 10 starts. So if his career trajectory is any indication, he'll be batting practice for Portland and dominate for Worcester later this year. I'll take it.
Up next is the 24th ranked prospect, 24 year old right handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins. Drafted in the 8th round back in 2021, he came back from major injury to go 0-5 with a 5.22 ERA for Salem in 17 starts. He bounced back last year to go 9-6 between Greenville and Portland in 19 starts. He can touch 97 on the gun and needs to show immediate improvement if he wants to make it to Worcester. He just may do it.
Just like Wilkeman Gonzalez, the number 28th prospect, 21 year old Angel Bastardo was a 2018 Dominican signing. He's been perfectly mediocre his whole career as he went 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 22 starts for Salem back in 2022 before going 2-7 with a 4.62 ERA in Greenville last year. Still, he's only 21 and could be a potential reliever in the future if starting doesn't work out. He'll be given every chance to make it to Worcester.
Up next is 23 year old right handed pitcher Isaac Coffey. Drafted in the 10th round back in 2022, he went 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 starts for Greenville last year before being promoted to Portland. He then went 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 11 starts for the Sea Dogs. If nothing else he'll at least start the season in Portland but if he dominates, he'll be in Worcester in no-time.
Talk about a comeback story. 26 year old Zach Penrod was an undrafted rookie free agent signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2018. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and was released after the 2020 season. He played Indy ball from 2021-23 before signing with the Red Sox. He went 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 4 starts with Greenville to end last season. He may be a little old for AA but if he continues to get guys out, he may make it to Worcester sooner rather than later. If not, just another failed indy leaguer.
Speaking of comeback stories, here's 23 year old left handed pitcher Helcris Olivarez. He started as a Dominican teenager in the Colorado Rockies organization before posting a bad season in 2021 for Spokane and missing both the 2022 and 2023 seasons with shoulder surgery. The Rockies gave up on him but the Sox signed him in November. If he can contribute, cool....if not, just another reclamation project that didn't work out.
Up next is the 30th ranked prospect, 25 year old right handed relief pitcher Alex Hoppe. Drafted in the 6th round back in 2022, he can hit 100 on the gun but doesn't have the best movement. He started the season 1-4 with a 3.93 ERA for Greenville last year before getting promoted to Portland. He allowed 7 runs in 14 innings to end last season and looks to improve on this season. With Luis Guerrero promoted to Worcester, he might be Portland's closer if he keeps throwing 100 mph.
The 26 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn is one of the last of the Dombrowski picks. He was picked in the 3rd round back in 2019 and was batting practice for Portland last year. He was 0-4 with a 5.02 ERA in 34 appearances and is going to have to do better if he hopes to remain in the organization. The Sox have prospects from the 2023 draft coming up and I'm sure some of them can do better than a 5.02 ERA. Its now or never for Zeferjahn.
25 year old right handed pitcher CJ Liu came over from Taiwan back in 2019 and has been perfectly mediocre ever since. He went 4-11 with a 6.10 ERA in 21 starts for Greenville back in 2022 and went 7-8 with a 5.35 ERA in 24 starts last year. This year they're going to try him out in the bullpen and see how he does. It wouldn't hurt, especially since he's failed as a starter. If he can do well in this role, you never know where he could end up.
Here's an interesting dichotomy, 27 year old right handed pitcher was traded to the Red Sox for Frank German last February. The Sox ended up getting German back only to release him this year, while Theo is still here. He was 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA for Portland before allowing 14 runs in 15 innings for Worcester. If he doesn't show improvement he'll be one of the first ones released, but who knows. Maybe he'll turn it around this season.
Just like Denlinger, 25 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Cellucci is on his last chance. He was a 12th round pick back in 2019 and was batting practice for Greenville in 2021. He was mediocre in 2022 and last year went 1-2 with a 5.39 ERA out of the bullpen for the Sea Dogs last year. Lefty relievers are always important but not if they can't get guys out. If he's struggling against A and AA guys, how's he going to get AAA guys out? We may never find out.
Robert Kwiatkowski
26 year old right handed pitcher Robert Kiwatkowski is one of the last of the 2020 rookie free agents signed by Chaim Bloom. He was 6-0 with a 3.58 ERA for Salem back in 2021 but was a mediocre long reliever between Greenville and Portland last year. He turns 27 in June and that's a long time to be in AA, but he might turn it around this year. Its definitely a make or break year for Robert.
Speaking of make or break years, 27 year old right handed pitcher Cody Scroggins is on the clock as well. He was taken in the 9th round back in 2019 and has been bad or mediocre ever since. He did battle injuries the last two years, only pitching in 11 games last year between Greenville and Portland. He turns 28 in August and time could be up for Scroggins unless he comes out of the gate throwing bullets.
25 year old right handed pitcher Christopher Troye was taken in the 12th round back in 2021 and started strong in Greenville last year going 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 14 games out of the bullpen. He finished 2023 in Portland with a 3.77 ERA out of the bullpen. If he can repeat his Greenville performance out of the gate, he'll be in Worcester by June. If they're going to continue trotting out 27-28 year olds, then Troye will definitely be given all the time in the world to develop.
Jacob Webb
Wyatt Olds
This is going to be a very important year for 25 year old right handed pitcher Jacob Webb. Drafted in the 14th round back in 2021, he allowed just 2 runs in 12 innings between the Florida Complex and Salem to end the season. In 2022, he started strong in Salem and was promoted to Greenville where he posted a 3.72 ERA. He finished the season in Portland but had a mediocre 2023 where he went 8-0 but with a 5.03 ERA. He got leapfrogged by Luis Guerrero who's currently in Worcester but he could join him with another strong start to the season.
If 24 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds doesn't have a strong start to 2024, he could be the first one cut. He was the biggest head scratcher of the 2021 draft as he was taken in the 7th round after being batting practice for Oklahoma University his senior year. He's been nothing but batting practice since, bottoming out by going 0-7 with a 8.47 ERA last year for Portland. Can't even get mad at him for not doing well since he didn't even do well in college. Still, he could come out of nowhere and have a good season too. You never know.
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Wyatt Olds is the 3rd ranked prospect in the entire system, 22 year old catcher Kyle Teel. Taken 14th overall in the 2023 draft, Teel is the odds on favorite to make the Majors quicker than most everyone in the system. He lived up to his billing, hitting .377 in 14 games for Greenville and .323 in 9 games for Portland to end the season. The last Sox 1st round pick to reach the Majors just one year after he was drafted was Andrew Benintendi. If Teel continues to hit well, he may do it as well.
While other guys made their name in college, the 20th ranked prospect 21 year old Blaze Jordan made his name as a teenager hitting 400 foot bombs. Jordan continued to hit bombs after he was drafted in the third round back in 2020, hitting 18 between Greenville and Portland last season. This year he appears to be Portland's starting first basemen and could be promoted to Worcester if Niko Kavadas falters or Triston Casas gets hurt. You'll never know when his time will come.
Chaim Bloom's first draft pick back in the 2020 draft is now the 6th ranked prospect in the system, 22 year old infielder Nick Yorke. He's had an up and down minor league career as he tore up Salem and Greenville in 2021 only to hit just .232 in 2022 for Greenville despite hitting 11 home runs. Last year he hit .268 with 13 home runs so this is going to be an important year for Nick. He and Blaze Jordan were drafted together and seeing them develop is a race to see who gets to Worcester first. With Vaughn Grissom injured and if Enmanuel Valdez falters, the Sox are going to need Yorke to be the second baseman of the future.
The potential cleanup hitter of these youngsters is the 18th ranked prospect in the system, 21 year old third baseman Eddinson Paulino. Paulino was another Dominican teenager signed back in 2018 and hit 25 home runs combined between Salem in 2022 and Greenville in 2023. Hopefully he can keep the m
omentum going in Portland this year because third base depth is a bit thin if god forbid Rafael Devers gets hurt. Still, he could help make this Portland offense deadly.
omentum going in Portland this year because third base depth is a bit thin if god forbid Rafael Devers gets hurt. Still, he could help make this Portland offense deadly.
Marcelo Mayer
Rounding out this quintet of youngsters is the number 2 ranked prospect in the system, 21 year old shortstop Marcelo Mayer. Taken fourth overall in 2021, he lived up to his billing. hitting .286 with 9 home runs and 16 steals back in 2022 for Salem before being promoted to Greenville. Last year he started out a house of fire in Greenville but fell flat in Portland, hitting just .189 in 40 games for the Sea Dogs. Now that he's got a full off-season under his belt to prepare for AA, let's see what the kid's made of. He was the heir apparent to Xander Bogaerts back in 2021 so let's see if he reaches his potential.
Marcelo Mayer was the chosen one at fourth overall back in 2021, the 3rd round pick that year is 25 year old outfielder Tyler McDonough. He hit .296 to finish the season in Salem but hit just .230 in Greenville in 2022. Last year he hit an even .250 for Portland but did have 24 steals for the Sea Dogs before a call up to Worcester. If he can hit better this season and still steal a bunch of bags, he'll be back in Worcester in no time.
Believe it or not, Marcelo Mayer is the 2nd ranked prospect in the system. Number 1 is 19 year old outfielder Roman Anthony. Roman was the compensation pick for the Red Sox losing Eduardo Rodriguez to free agency in 2022 and he hit just .189 for Salem to end the season. Last year he started off slow by hitting just .228 in Salem but exploded after his promotion to Greenville. He belted 12 home runs and hit .294 before being called up to Portland. In 10 games he hit .343 to end the season. If he continued the trajectory he's on, he'll be in Worcester before you know it.
Soon to be 25 year old outfielder Phillip Sikes was drafted in the 18th round back in 2021 and hit just .258 for Salem although he had 12 steals in 2022. Last year he hit a modest .248 for Greenville but had an extreme trade off when promoted to Portland. He hit just .210 but hit 9 home runs and stole 39 out of 46 bases for Portland which puts him in a peculiar position. The guy is a bonafide speed demon but hitting .210 isn't going to work. If he can add some points to his average, he could be Portland or Worcester's next Jarren Duran. Time will tell.
The 22 year old shortstop Matthew Lugo's claim to fame is he's Carlos Beltran's nephew. He was taken in the 2nd round back in 2019 and hit .270 for Salem in 2021. Things were looking great in 2022 as he hit .288 for Greenville with 18 home runs before getting the call to Portland. Last year he somewhat hit a wall, only playing in 83 games and hitting .242. This is a make or break year for Lugo because the organization is loaded with infielders and he could get lost in the shuffle. He's apart of a stacked offense so that will help him out.
Kyle Teel's backup will be 28 year old catcher Mickey Gasper. He was drafted by the New York Yankees back in 2018 and has been in their system the last 5 years. He was taken by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft after hitting .269 for Somerset last year. He's a local guy from Merrimack, New Hampshire so if nothing else, he's close to home.
Now known as the "other" guy in the Hunter Renfroe trade, 23 year old infielder Alex Binelas was drafted in the third round by the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2021 before coming over with David Hamilton and Jackie Bradley Jr after the season. In 2022, he hit 25 home runs between Greenville and Portland but last year hit just .223 with 16 home runs for the Sea Dogs. He's the definition of "all or nothing" but you can't teach that kind of power. This is going to be one stacked offense to start the season for Portland.
Speaking of "all or nothing", here's 22 year old outfielder Bryan Gonzalez. He was another 2018 Dominican signing and played just 41 games in 2022. Last year he had somewhat of a breakout season hitting .252 with 11 home runs for Greenville and it'll be interesting to see how he does in Portland considering all the talent in his way. He'd have to hit out of his mind to crack this roster but hopefully that happens.
You have to feel for 24 year old outfielder Nick Decker. He was Boston's second round pick in 2018 and was arguably the heart and soul of the 2019 Lowell Spinners. He hit .276 with 8 home runs for the 2021 Salem team but hit a miserable .122 in 71 games for Greenville in 2022. Last year he hit just .218 with 8 home runs for Greenville in 68 games. With all the talent in his way, it'll be hard for him to crack this roster. Hitting .218 isn't going to cut it so this is a make or break season for Decker with some of the others drafted the last few years ready to take his place.
Last but not least (as far as playing this season) is the team's underdog, 24 year old catcher Matt Donlan. He was an undrafted rookie free agent out of UConn in 2022 and has played in just 21 games in his pro career, hitting .222 in 10 games for Portland last year. Still, with 1st round picks Yorke, Mayer and Teel and 2nd round picks Lugo and Anthony, a guy who wasn't even drafted sharing the same field as these guys is an inspiration to never give up. Hopefully he can ride this momentum all the way to Worcester.
Believe it or not, 25 year old right handed pitcher Zach Bryant is the last of the 2020 prospects Chaim Bloom traded for when he gutted the 2020 team. He had a good year for Greenville in 2021 but was batting practice for Portland in 2022. Turns out he was dealing with an arm injury and had Tommy John Surgery last April. He might be back later this summer, he may not. Still, if he does come back it will be a hell of a comeback story.'
Speaking of comeback stories, eventually 24 year old right handed pitcher Tyler Uberstine will have one as well. He was drafted in the 19th round back in 2021 after being batting practice for Northwestern University. He started off slow for Salem in 2022 before becoming Greenville's ace at the end of the season going 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 7 starts. 2023 was supposed to be his breakout year but he had Tommy John Surgery in June after being out for the spring. He may not pitch this year until the very end but to hang around as a 19th round pick is nothing to sneeze at.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, 21 year old shortstop Brainer Bonaci is suspended for the 2024 season. Apparently in Venezuela he was arrested for an undetermined crime but whatever it was violated MILB's domestic violence and child abuse policy. If he beat the crap out of a member of his family, that's good enough reason to tell him to get out and stay out this year. Can't imagine the boo's he's going to receive if they bring him back next year.
All in all this is the most anticipated Portland offense in a long time. Guys like Mayer, Teel and Yorke were considered bound for the majors when they were drafted while Jordan and Anthony slugged their way into the mix as well. On the other side of the ball, they don't have the excitement with Dobbins, Gonzalez and Coffey but those guys need to pitch well to keep the momentum going. Obviously guys are going to come and go during the season through trades or promotions but as of right now, this offense is going to be deadly. Hopefully the pitching can match them this season, so head on over to Portland to see how the Sea Dogs turn out this year.
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