Sox Bash Cardinals in Game 2 (4/6/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox brought up rookie pitcher Hunter Dobbins to make his major league debut. He was 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA for Worcester last year to end the year. He can throw 99 on the gun and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

                                                                       IN

As for the game, don't look now but the Red Sox have gotten red hot. After a pathetic start to the season, the Sox have won 5 straight games including a massacre of the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of today's doubleheader. Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 3.60 ERA) won his major league debut by holding the Cardinals to just 2 runs in 5 gutty innings. Meanwhile the bats exploded and looked like a juggernaut. Alex Bregman drove in six runs with a 3 run home run sprinkled in. Rafael Devers and Wilyer Abreu both had 3 rbis apiece with both Ceddanne and Jarren Duran busting out of their slumps with 3 hits apiece. Every member of the starting nine had at least one hit before some of them left the game. The only drawback was the Cards bats were relentless to score 7 runs on 12 hits of their own. The Sox countered with 22 hits and 18 runs to run away with this one 18-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Beth Rona approves of the win

The Cards jumped all over Dobbins in the top of the first as Lars Nootbaar grounded out to second to start. Wilson Contreras doubled to the centerfield wall and Brendan Donovan poked a double down the third base line to score Contreras. Nolan Arenado walked but Dobbins picked him off. Alec Burleson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cards up 1-0.

                                                       Donovan gives St. Louis the lead

Mikolas got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran swung at air 3 feet over his head to start. Rafael Devers hit a bullet single off the Monster and moved to third when Alex Bregman got a base hit up the middle, booted by Victor Scott for an error. The red hot Wilyer Abreu drilled a base hit into right to score Devers to tie the game. Both runners moved over on the Trevor Story grounder to the mound but Kristian Campbell grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Abreu drives in a run

Dobbins dominated in the top of the second as Jordan Walker grounded out to third to start. Pedro Pages and Scott both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Romy Gonzalez dumped a base hit to right to start. Carlos Narvaez doubled off the Monster and Ceddanne Rafaela lashed a base hit to right to score Gonzalez, moving Carlos to third. Naturally Duran hit a measly pop up to short but Devers walked on a bad full count call. Bregman took advantage with a two run double off the Monster to increase the lead. Abreu continued his hot streak with a two run double into the gap in center to push the lead further. Story moved Abreu to third on a grounder to second but Campbell flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                            Bregman with the big double

Winn lined out to a running Rafaela to start the top of the third but once again Nootbaar got a seeing eye single into left. Somehow Contreras sliced a base hit to right but Abreu gunned down Nootbaar at third. Donovan hit yet another seeing eye single into right but Arenado grounded out to first to end the inning. Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Narvaez flied out to center. Rafaela blooped a base hit to right and promptly stole second. Duran got a seeing eye single to right to score Rafaela to increase the lead. Devers got a seeing eye single of his own up the middle to move Duran to third. That was it for Mikolas as Cards manager Oliver Marmol brought in Gordon Graceffo to pitch to Bregman. Alex then launched a three run bomb to ice the game. Abreu was rung up for strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 10-1.

                                                                Home run Bregman

The Cardinals fought back in the top of the fourth as Duran totally whiffed on a pop up by Burleson for a "double" to start . Walker walked but Pages struck out swinging. Scott grounded out on a roller to first but Winn hit a 40 foot chopper "single" to score Burleson. Nootbaar flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 10-2.

                                                                  Winn drives in a run

Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Campbell sliced a base hit to right. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Narvaez forced Campbell to end the inning.

Contreras was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth but Donovan lined out to Campbell. Arenado got a base hit to center but Burleson struck out swinging. Walker grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Dobbins who battled to toss 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

                                                               First start for Dobbins

Rafaela grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth but Duran caught the Cards asleep with a seeing eye grounder into right that he stretched to a double. Devers hit a 470 foot blast....to dead center off the Monster for an rbi double. Any other park and that was gone. Bregman popped up to short and Abreu lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 11-2.

                                                                Long double for Devers

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Pages grounded out to third to start. Scott grounded out to second and Winn struck out swinging to end the inning. Thomas Saggase came in for Arenado with Michael Siani in for Scott to start the bottom of the sixth. Story doubled to the left field wall to start but Campbell grounded out to third. Gonzalez grounded out to Donovan to move Story to third and Narvaez scored him with a double into the left field corner. Rafaela drew a walk and Duran hit a ball in the hole at short to score Story. Devers doubled off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and increase the lead. Bregman then doubled into the left field corner to score Devers with another run. John King was summoned to face Abreu and Wilyer grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 16-2.

                                                      Duran gets in on the fun

Cooper Criswell came in to pitch the top of the seventh with David Hamilton replacing Story at short, Triston Casas taking over for Bregman and Rob Refsnyder in for Duran. Refsnyder dropped a pop up from Nootbaar for a 2 bag error to start. Contreras grounded back to the mound to move Nootbaar to third and Donovan walked. Saggese hit a sac fly to left to score Nootbaar and Burleson grounded out ton first to end the inning with the Cards down 16-3.

                                                           Cards get a run back

Story grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh but Campbell drew a walk. Gonzalez got a seeing eye single into right and Narvaez walked to load the bases. A passed ball scored Campbell and Rafaela beat out a grounder to short to score Gonzalez, moving Narvaez to third. That was it for John King as Chris Roycroft came in to pitch to Refsnyder. Rob flied out to left and Connor Wong pinch hit for Devers and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 18-3.

                                                           Rafaela beats it out

Criswell returned for the top of the eighth and Walker flied out to left to start. Pages grounded out to second and Siani grounded out to second to end the inning. Roycroft returned for the bottom of the eighth and Casas was robbed of a home run by Walker to start. Abreu struck out swinging and Hamilton also went down hacking to end the inning.

Criswell returned to close out the top of the ninth and Winn got yet another seeing eye single to left to start. Nootbaar flied out to left and Luken Baker pinch hit for Contreras. Baker hit a routine grounder to Gonzalez who threw the ball away for an error. Donovan made him pay with a double off the Monster to score Winn. Sagges then hit a home run all the way to Cuba to make the fans groan. Burleson grounded out to short but Walker got a base hit to center to keep the torture going. Pages flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won the game 18-7.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Bregman. He was 4 for 5 with a three run home run and 6 total rbis, damn near outscoring the Cardinals by himself.

                                                         Hero Bregman

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 4 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and 4 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 6 with 3 rbis.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4 with a walk, stolen base, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Hunter Dobbins earned the win in his major league debut by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 at the plate with an error.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Triston Casas was 0 for 1 at the plate.

David Hamilton was 0 for 2.

Cooper Criswell allowed 5 runs in 3 innings of work despite getting the "save".

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was definitely a great end to opening weekend, wasn't it? The Sox scored 36 runs in three games and swept their way back over .500. Nobody in their right mind thought that Devers and Bregman were going to stink forever and now that they got their timing down, they're going to be a tough duo to stop. If Story and Casas get into a groove, now other teams are really in trouble. Abreu is having a hell of a start to the season, hopefully he can keep this up. Campbell is right behind him and once again, it would be unfair to expect it to last, but enjoy it while its happening. The only drawback to this entire series is the pitching allowed 20 runs in three games as well. The Cards bats were almost as relentless which means the Sox better improve their pitching in a hurry. The good news is you won't be seeing Criswell or Sean Newcomb once the injured starters come back. Still, knowing that Hunter Dobbins wasn't afraid of the bright lights means the Sox have pitching depth just in case someone else goes down. Sox fans have a lot to be happy about for the first time in years and hopefully they carry this momentum into Toronto for the next series. The Sox look to make it six wins in a row tomorrow night when they welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a four game set. "Big" Dick Fitts (0-1, 4.50 ERA) takes the mound against Easton Lucas of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff Cardinals in Game 1 (4/6/25)

What a game! The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals put on a show during today's makeup game after yesterday's rain-out. Sean Newcomb of the Red Sox held the Cardinals to just 1 run in his spot start but David Hamilton answered against Cards starter Andre Pallante. Rafael Devers bashed his first home run of the season but backup catcher Pedro Pages drove in a run off Justin Wilson to tie the game. In the top of the ninth, Garrett Whitlock allowed a 2 run double to Pages to seemingly finish it. Suddenly the Sox rallied against usually dominant closer Ryan Helsley. The Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and Devers walked in a run to tie it. Aroldis Chapman (2-0, 0.00 ERA) dominated the top of the tenth and Wilyer Abreu did the honors with a game winning double in the bottom of the frame. The Sox looked dead but came back to life to win it 5-4 in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                               Sox win

Newcomb got the ball in the top of the first inning and Laars Nootbaar walked to start. Ivan Herrera grounded into a double play and Wilston Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Pallante got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to third to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to short but Alex Bregman walked, Triston Casas struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Cards threatened in the top of the second as Nolan Arenado lined out to second to start. Luken Baker got a base hit to left and Jordan Walker got a base hit to right, but Thomas Saggese struck out swinging. Victor Scott Jr walked to load the bases but Masyn Winn struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story singled to center to start. Rob Refsnyder singled up the middle and Kristian Campbell walked to load the bases. Naturally David Hamilton struck out swinging and Connor Wong forced Story at home on a grounder to third. Duran forced Wong at second to end the inning. Bases loaded and nobody out, couldn't score.

Nootbaar popped up to third to start the top of the third but Herrera walked. Contreras took strike three on the inside corner but Arenado ripped a base hit down the third base line to move Herrera to third. Baker popped up to Casas in foul territory to end the inning. Pedro Pages came in to catch the bottom of the third and Devers struck out swinging to start. Bregman grounded out to short and Casas lined out to second to end the inning.

The Cards finally struck in the top of the fourth as Walker hit a grounder in the hole and Story threw the ball away for a "single". Saggese lined out to right but Scott singled off the Monster. Winn hit a seeing eye single past Casas to score Walker and move the runners into scoring position. Nootbaar popped up to short and Pages popped up to first to end the inning with the Cards up 1-0.

                                                                Cards strike first

Story swung at strike three in the dirt to start the bottom of the fourth but Refsnyder drew a walk. Refsnyder looked picked off but somehow Contreras threw the ball away to move Rob to second on a "stolen base". Campbell struck out swinging but Hamilton ripped a base hit to right to score Refsnyder to tie the game. Hamilton swiped second but once again with men on base and 2 out, Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Hamilton drives in a run

Newcomb returned for the top of the fifth and immediately hit Contreras with a pitch. Arenado hit a double play ball to third but the ball got stuck in Hamilton's glove after Bregman's throw so it was ruled a force at second. Casas dropped a pop up by Baker in foul territory but Baker struck out swinging anyway. As usual Sox manager Alex Cora pulled a guy before he could finish the inning and that was it for Newcomb. He battled to allow just 1 run in 4 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 3 walks. Greg Weissert struck out Walker swinging to end the inning.

                                                             Solid effort by Newcomb

Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Devers hit his first home run of the season into the Monster Seats to put the Sox on top. That was it for Pallante and Kyle Leahy came in to pitch to Bregman. Alex took strike three on the inside corner and Casas was rung up on a pitch that looked low to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                        Wally Devers hits one out

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and immediately Saggase singled in the hole at second. Scott struck out swinging but Winn singled in the hole at third. Nootbaar flied out to center but Pages sliced a bloop ground rule double to score Saggase. Contreras grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                                               Pages ties it up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Story grounded out to short to start. Refsnyder was rung up on a foul tip strike three and Campbell struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Arenado grounded out to third to start. Alec Burleson pinch hit for Baker and popped up to third. Walker struck out swinging to end the inning. JoJo Romero came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Hamilton. Gonzalez got a seeing eye single into right but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Naturally with no one on Wong ripped a base hit to left. Duran struck out swinging and Wong was picked off to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Brendan Donovan pinch hitting for Saggese. Donovan flied out to right but Scott drew a walk. Winn was hit with a pitch but Nootbaar struck out swinging. Naturally Pages doubled off the Monster to score both runners to put the Cards up for good. Contreras struck out swinging but the Cards were up 4-2.

                                                             Pages does it again

Devers led off the bottom of the eighth by grounding out to short and that was it for Romero. Phil Maton got Bregman to ground out to short and Casas grounded out to first to end the inning.

Whitlock returned for the top of the ninth and Arenado flied out to left to start. Burleson grounded out to second but Walker walked. Michael Siani ran for Walker but Donovan ripped a base hit to right. Donovan was thrown out at second by Refsnyder to end the inning. Ryan Helsley came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Story walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and also walked to put the tying run at first. Campbell lined out to center but Gonzalez doubled off the Monster to score Story. With nobody else to pinch hit, Wong had to hit with men on base. Wong walked to load the bases and naturally Duran swung at air above his head for strike three. Devers on a full count to tie the game and Bregman had a chance to win the game. Bregman swung at strike three in the dirt to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Devers ties it up

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Donovan starting at second base. Scott was rung up on a check swing for strike three but Winn walked. Nootbaar flied out to left field warning track and Chapman blew away Pages with a 101 mph fastball to end the inning. Ryan Fernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th with Bregman starting at second base. Casas was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Story popped up to second. Abreu then doubled off the Monster to score Bregman to win the game. The Sox had stole the game 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                                        Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Wilyer Abreu. He walked to kept the ninth inning alive and won it in the 10th with a wall ball double.

                                                                  Hero Abreu

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

David Hamilton was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 2 with an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Sean Newcomb allowed 1 run in 4 2/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5.

Greg Weissert got the final out of the fifth inning.

Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Wilson allowed a run in the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock allowed 2 runs in two innings of work.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a home run and walked in the tying run in the ninth.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Red Sox analyst Lou Merloni called this "The week of Wilyer" and he's not kidding. The Sox looked dead in the water after Whitlock allowed a two run double to the backup catcher. The rally in the ninth showed this team has brass balls in order to never give up. The Cardinals are number one in baseball in hits and batting average and today showed why. Everything hit found a hole or the Monster and the Sox managed to survive this one anyway. Hats off to the offense who struggled all day but rose to the occasion when it mattered. Wong drew a key walk, Campbell drew a key walk and the much maligned Devers drew a key walk to tie it. The red hot Abreu finished the job and he's definitely had a good week. Aroldis Chapman also deserves some credit for getting out of the 10th with the ghost runner at second base. All in all it was a case of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and hopefully that carries over to the second game later. The Sox look to take Game 2 of this doubleheader in about two hours on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Hunter Dobbins makes his major league debut against Miles Mikolas of St. Louis. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rainout News: Greenville Drive Preview (4/5/25)

Today's game between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed due to massive rainfall. Tomorrow will now be a day-night double header with the makeup game scheduled for the afternoon. So since its an off-day, let's take a look at this year's Greenville Drive roster.

                                                                   C - Enderso Lira

Starting the season on the Development List is 21 year old catcher Enderson Lira. He signed as a Venezuelan teenager in 2021 and hit just .142 in 37 games for Greenville last year. He's going to have to do better than that, especially since the Sox are devoid of catching prospects with Kyle Teel gone. Let's see how he does when he's activated.

                                                                 LHP - Hayden Mullins

Remember when the Red Sox drafted Matt Litwicki knowing he was an injury case? Say hello to 24 year old left handed pitcher Hayden Mullins. He was taken in the 12th round back in 2022 out of Auburn University and had Tommy John surgery, costing him most of 2023. Last year he was 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 17 starts with the Drive. That's a good start, the problem is he's running out of time since he's only in Single A at 24 years old. Hopefully this year will be the breakout season.

                                                                    RHP - Juan Valera

The opposite of Hayden Mullins is 18 year old right handed pitcher Juan Valera. Valera impressed last year posting a 1.79 ERA in 9 starts for the Florida Complex Sox and a 2.35 ERA in 7 starts for the Salem Red Sox. The kid can hit 100 on the gun and could be in Portland by next year with a strong year in Greenville this season.

                                                               RHP - Jedixson Paez

Also coming from the January 2021 international signing pool is 21 year old right handed pitcher Jedixson Paez. Paez went 5-4 with an ERA of near 3.00 between Salem and Greenville in 22 games. He's mostly a junkballer but its a good sign that he gets guys out rather than the opposite. Hopefully he has a strong year in Greenville.

                                                         LHP - Payton Tolle

New Sox GM Craig Breslow did what his predecessor didn't....take a pitcher in the top 50. 22 year old left handed pitcher Payton Tolle was taken in the 2nd round of last year's draft and looked good at Texas Christian U going 7-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 14 starts. He can hit 96 on the gun so it'll be interesting to see how he looks in his professional debut.

                                                             LHP - Jojo Ingrassia

Speaking of left handed pitchers, ex-GM Chaim Bloom did manage to take 22 year old left handed pitcher Jojo Ingrassia in the 14th round back in 2023. He was arguably Salem's best pitcher last year going 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 21 games with Salem. The only reason he didn't get promoted was he suffered an elbow injury near the end of the year. This could be a big season for him if he stays healthy.

                                                          RHP - Danny Kirwin

If you want to talk about a scrappy, underdog story then look no further than 25 year old right handed pitcher Danny Kirwin. He went undrafted after four years at Rider University and was playing in the independent leagues when he was signed in April of last year. He went 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA in 20 games with them so Greenville is the next logical step. Getting to High A doesn't seem like much, but when you're undrafted and facing the potential of never playing again, it's definitely an accomplishment.

                                                               RHP - Max Carlson

Ex-Sox GM Chaim Bloom had a habit of taking college pitchers in the draft that totally sucked their senior years and 23 year old right handed pitcher Max Carlson is no different. He posted a 5.45 ERA as a starter for North Carolina and was taken in the 12th round of the 2023 draft. Now he did go 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 28 games out of the bullpen for Salem and 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA in Greenville to end 2024. Hopefully this year he can do well in Greenville to get called up to Portland. Would be good to see a bad college pitcher turn out to have a good pro career.

                                                                LHP - Eduardo Rivera

Its not often a scrap heap pickup becomes one of your best pitchers but the Salem Red Sox found that out when they signed 21 year old left handed pitcher Eduardo Rivera after he was dumped by the Oakland A's. He was straight batting practice for the Lansing Lugnuts but turned it around in Salem allowing just 5 runs in 22 innings. Ironically he was taken 22 picks after the Sox chose current Los Angeles Angels infielder Niko Kavadas in the 11th round back in 2021. Let's see if Rivera can make it to the show as well.

                                                                LHP - Jeremy Wu-Yelland

What a sad career 25 year old left handed pitcher Jeremy Wu-Yelland had. He was utterly dominating out of the bullpen for Hawaii University when Covid ended the season early. He was taken by the Red Sox in the 4th round of the 2020 draft only for there to no pro-season for the minors. In 2021 he pitched well for Salem & Greenville but suffered a devastating series of injuries that cost him the entire 2022 season and all but 3 games in 2023. Last year he allowed 28 runs in 31 innings for Grenville and the concern his he might never be the same. Its a shame he turned out like this, but he might be able to turn it around.

                                                                LHP - Dalton Rogers

One of the many fumbles on the resume of Chaim Bloom was drafting 24 year old left handed pitcher Dalton Rogers in the third round back in the 2022 draft. He's been straight batting practice in the pros, posting a 5.52 ERA in 17 starts back in 2023 and a 5.12 ERA in 19 starts last year for Greenville. If he's having this much trouble getting Single A hitters out, what's he going to do if he makes it to Portland? He might not at this rate.

                                                            RHP - Isaac Stebens

The contrast to Dalton Rogers is 23 year old right handed pitcher Isaac Stebens. Taken in the 16th round back in the 2023 draft, Stebens dominated Salem allowing just 1 earned run in 11 innings before going 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA in Greenville out of the bullpen last year. He might get the call to Portland despite being a 16th round pick, not bad for a walk on at Oklahoma State University.

                                                              LHP - Noah Dean

Its been a struggle for 24 year old left handed pitcher Noah Dean so far in his career. Taken in the 5th round back in 2022, Dean got hammered in 2023 for Salem. He went 2-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 17 starts but started 2024 going 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 13 starts. Then in Greenville he allowed 15 runs in 18 innings to end the year. Just like Dalton Rogers, if he can't get Single A batters out, that's yet another Chaim Bloom misfire. Still time to turn it around though.

                                                              RHP - Darvin Garcia

Speaking of scrap heap pickups, here's 25 year old right handed pitcher Darvin Garcia. He came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates system before the Sox picked him up in the Rule 5 draft in December. He ranged between terrible and mediocre between Bradenton and Greensboro in 2023 and 2024. Maybe a change of scenery will do him well. If not, just another wasted Rule 5 pick in a sea full of them.

                                                               RHP - Cooper Adams

Speaking of underdog stories, how about another guy that went undrafted? 24 year old right handed pitcher Cooper Adams posted a 5.03 ERA his senior year at Mt. St Mary's University and wasn't drafted in 2023. He somehow made a pro-tryout in January of 2024 where he was straight batting practice for the Greenville Drive that season. This year might be more of the same but can't expect a guy that sucked in college to turn around and dominate in the pros.

                                                              RHP - Adam Smith

The San Diego Padres took 24 year old right handed pitcher Adam Smith in the 14th round back in 2021 twenty-four picks after the Sox chose Jacob Webb. He's been batting practice ever since, getting released after posting a 5.83 ERA in High A in 2023. The Sox picked him up last April where he posted a 5.83 ERA out of the bullpen for Greenville. The guy simply isn't good but you never know, maybe he figures it out this year.

                                                                 LHP - Erik Rivera

24 year old left handed pitcher Erik Rivera was an interesting signing. He was drafted in the fourth round back in 2019 by the Los Angeles Angels and pitched in exactly 1 game between 2019 and 2022. In 2023 he pitched in a whopping 7 then made 8 starts for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2024. He was signed as a minor league free agent in February so it'll be interesting to see if he can show something after appearing in just 28 games in five years.

                                                           LHP - Zach Fogell

Another underdog story is 24 year old left handed pitcher Zach Fogell out of Brown & UConn. He got screwed by Covid, missing both his sophomore and junior seasons since the Ivy League refused to play in 2021. He did manage to turn it around for UConn in 2023 going 8-1 with a 1.89 ERA out of the bullpen and he was drafted in the 18th round by Chaim Bloom. He did show some promise by going 6-2 with a ERA just over 3 between Salem and Greenville in 2024. Let's see how he matures this season.

                                                                   OF - Miguel Bleis

What a difference two years makes. 21 year old outfielder Miguel Bleis was considered a "can't miss" outfielding prospect when he burst on the scene hitting .301 with 5 home runs for the Florida Complex as an 18 year old in 2022. Then in 2023 he battled injuries to hit just .230 in 31 games for Salem and hit just .257 last year before hitting just .190 in Greenville to end the season. Hopefully this season he's fully healthy and can show the same promise he had in 2022.

                                                       C - Hudson White

Desperately needing catchers in the system, Craig Breslow chose 22 year old Arkansas University catcher Hudson White in the 9th round of last year's draft. He hit just .167 for the Greenville Drive to end the season but this year will be the make or break year. He belted 8 home runs for Arkansas so hopefully that power stroke returns in 2025 for Greenville.

                                                                    C- Juan Montero

22 year old catcher Juan Montero is just one of five players remaining either signed or drafted back in 2020 (Jeremy Wu-Yelland being another). He's been a light hitting catcher ever since he hit .179 for the Complex back in 2021 at 19 years old. Somehow he's still around and he hit just .188 for Greenville last year. If he's making it on defense alone, that's one thing, but at some point you HAVE to hit in the minors. If he doesn't, we'll be down to 4 guys left (Blaze Jordan, Shane Drohan and Brian Van Belle are the others) in no time.

                                                                  1B - Brooks Brannon

20 year old first baseman Brooks Brannon also needs to learn how to hit in a hurry. Taken out of high school in the 9th round back in 2022, Brannon finished 2023 strong hitting .292 with 3 home runs for Salem. Last year he suffered a serious knee injury but still hit .251 with 6 home runs for Salem. If he stays healthy and at just 20 years old, he might have a breakout year for Greenville this season.

                                                                  1B - Albert Feliz

Competing with Brannon will be 22 year old (23 on the 13th) first baseman Albert Feliz. He was one of ex-Sox GM Dave Dombrowski's Dominican teenagers signed in 2018. In 2023 he hit .242 with 10 home runs for Salem but hit a paltry .165 last season. He did manage to hit 11 home runs last year despite the poor average so let's see how he does in a new park in Greenville. At least he might be able to hit the ball out of it.

                                                             2B - Marvin Alcantara

20 year old infielder Marvin Alcantara might be Greenville's starting second baseman this season. Signed as a Venezuelan teenager in 2022, he hit .248 with an alarming 103 strikeouts in 108 games for Salem last year. He's not much of a power hitter either so he better fix the hole in his bat pretty quick, or else he'll be replaced by another hungry member of the Dominican squad or a draft pick from this coming draft.

                                                                 RF - Zach Ehrhard

Its always amusing to see a guy drafted by the same team twice, but it happened in the case of 22 year old outfielder Zach Ehrhard. He was drafted in the 13th round back in 2021 but chose to go to Oklahoma State. 3 years later, the Sox took him in the fourth round in last year's draft. He hit just .156 for Salem last year but could surprise everyone with a strong 2024. He could be in the starting lineup for Greenville right away.

                                                               INF - Fraymi de Leon

Speaking of light hitting infielders, here's 20 year old infielder Fraymi de Leon. He was signed out of the January 2022 international pool as a Dominican teenager and he hit a whopping .195 in Salem last year before hitting .234 in Greenville to end the season. Hopefully his glove is made out of gold because if he can't hit Single A pitching, he's not going to get very far otherwise.

                                                                     OF - Juan Chacon

Want another light hitting utility player? You got it! 22 year old outfielder Juan Chacon was a Venezuelan teenager signed by Dave Dombrowski back in 2019 and his best hitting season was batting .241 in 2023 for Salem. Last year he hit .203 in 84 games for Greenville with just 2 home runs. Just like de Leon, his glove better be solid gold or else he's not going to make it if he can't hit Single A pitching.

                                                                3B - Justin Riemer

Greenville's starting third baseman looks like it'll be 23 year old infielder Justin Reimer. He's another guy who got screwed by injury as he tore his ACL just 12 games into the season for Wright State University back in 2023. He was drafted in the fourth round by Chaim Bloom and he didn't make his pro debut until last July. He hit .240 with no home runs for Greenville to end the season. Let's see how he does fully healthy this year before writing him off.

                                                             SS - Nazzan Zanetello

Say what you will about Chaim Bloom but he had no shortage of drafted shortstops. 19 year old Nazzan Zanetello was chosen in the second round back in 2023 and played in just 13 games to end the season. Last year at 19 years old he hit a terrible .156 with an eye opening 151 strikeouts but did have 7 home runs for Salem. He better fix the gargantuan hole in his bat really quick or else this will look like a monumentally bad pick when all is said in done.

                                                              LF - Kolby Johnson

Now this was an interesting pickup. Back in January the Sox signed 25 year old outfielder Kolby Johnson out of the independent leagues. He played 5 years at Central Arkansas University from 2019 to 2023 then played for the Staten Island FerryHawks the last two seasons. This is a big crapshoot to sign a guy who went undrafted after 5 years of college but hey, stranger things have happened. Morgan Burkhart says hello.

                                                               CF - Nelly Taylor

22 year old outfielder Nelly Taylor was drafted in the 11th round out of Polk State in 2023. He hit just .228 for Salem last year but swiped 31 bags and hit 6 home runs. He ended the year with 10 games in Greenville and its clear that this is a speedster. He can definitely run but he better improve on his hitting. At least Jackie Bradley Jr could hit in the minors, hopefully Nelly will this year.

                                                                DH - Andy Lugo

Rounding out the squad is 21 year old infielder Andy Lugo. He missed both the 2021 and 2023 seasons due to injury although he did play in 108 games last year between Salem and Greenville. He swiped 28 bases between the levels and it'll be interesting to see how he does this season. This could be a make or break year for him if he stays healthy.

All in all it looks like Greenville will start the year with a lot of solid pitching arms that have proven to be able to get Single A batters out but a lot of hitters that haven't hit well at all up to this point. The Sox have to hit the reset button after the trades they made between last deadline and the Crochet deal in the winter. Greenville may have to suffer before help comes in the form of Salem's best players or in the upcoming draft. As for the Boston Red Sox, they play a double header tomorrow against the St. Louis Cardinals. Sean Newcomb (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is scheduled to start Game 1 against Andre Pallante of the Cardinals. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.