2023 Prospects

[moonslav59]

MLB.com's updated Top 100 Prospect List:

 

5. Mayer

78. Bleis

87. Rafaela (down 12 slots)

 

[Hugh2]

Nick Yorke is not having a great May, hope it's a small sample size and he continues to come roaring back this year. .584 OPS this month.

[moonslav59]

Nick Yorke is not having a great May, hope it's a small sample size and he continues to come roaring back this year. .584 OPS this month.

 

He was doing fine in May, until this most recent 0-14 three game stretch.

 

He was 8 for 27 (.296) before the last 3 games in May.

[Old Red]

What about Mayer who hadn’t played in a few days, and went 4-4 yesterday? All K’s.

[Hugh2]

He was doing fine in May, until this most recent 0-14 three game stretch.

 

He was 8 for 27 (.296) before the last 3 games in May.

 

Yes he had a nice average, but you could see it at the plate. He wasn't getting good hits, he hit for ZERO power during that time frame too. I'm not too worried though, but he's in a little funk.

[mvp 78]

Drohan was promoted to WOO today.

[moonslav59]

Good news from the farm, tonight, as all 4 Sox teams either won or are winning, but first, some non-prospect events:

 

Woo won 9-4

Whitlock 4 IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 4K

Crawford 3 IP, 3H, 1 ER, 0BB, 4K

Dalbec 2-3 w 5th HR & HBP

Hamilton 1-5 w 8th HR

Fitzy 1-4 w 7th HR

 

POR is up 11-0 in the 7th

Liu 5.2, 4, 0, 3, 8

Kavadas w 2 dingers, 5 rbi & BB

Binelas w HR

Yorke 2-4 w 2B

Rafaela 2-3

Hickey 1-3 but w 2 PBs

 

GRE up 7-3 in 7th

Wikelman 5.2, 4, 1, 4, 8

B Gonzalez 3-3 w 2 dingers, BB & SB

Ferguson 2-4 w 19th SB

Jordan 2-4 w 2B and 4 rbi

Mayer 0-2 w BB

 

Salem won 3-0

E R-C 5.0, 3, 0, 4, 3

My man DLR got a hold

Team got 6 hits- nobody got on base 2 times, except James.

[mvp 78]

Nice to see Crawford and Whitlock pitch well in rehab starts.

 

Didn't realize Mata was on the IL with shoulder inflamation. Not a surprise as that dude doesn't stay healthy

 

CJ Liu is an interesting arm as he seems to be a low floor/MLB ceiling guy. Not sure he would be an MLB starter, but probably could be a multi-inning reliever.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Nice to see Crawford and Whitlock pitch well in rehab starts.

 

Didn't realize Mata was on the IL with shoulder inflamation. Not a surprise as that dude doesn't stay healthy

 

CJ Liu is an interesting arm as he seems to be a low floor/MLB ceiling guy. Not sure he would be an MLB starter, but probably could be a multi-inning reliever.

 

Aren't they all now? I mean, at least until... they're... s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d... o-u-t....

 

... or have TJS.

[moonslav59]

How about Hickey's start in AA? A great sign, or what?

 

Yes, small sample size, but still...

 

22 ABs

 

.318 2 7 (2 BBs and 3 Ks)

.375 OBP

.636 SLG

1.011 OPS

 

Kavadas is waking up, after a slow start and a down ending to last year in AA.

91 ABs

.231 5 17 (30 BB and 42 Ks)

.427 OBP

.418 SLG (surprisingly low but on the rise)

.845 OPS

 

Yorke is at .850, while Rafaela is at .657, so far.

 

At WOO, the two eye-openers have been...

 

Abreu (Vaz trade): 294 5 18 in 102 ABs (.393/.480/.874) 9 XBHs

 

Hamilton (Renfroe trade): .269 8 20 in 134 ABs (.361/.507/.869) 15 XBHs and 21 SBs in 25 attempts

 

I wonder what we end up doing with Alfaro (.864 OPS.) Does he have another opt-out date?

 

Fitzy is off to another hot start (.972 w 7 HRs,) but one has to wonder, if he will fizzle, like last year.

 

Greg Allen is at .814 with 21/21 in SB/Att.

 

 

[Hugh2]

I kind of love what they did with Whitlock and Crawford last night. I wouldn't mind seeing them do that with Whitlock/Houk or Houk/Crawford at the MLB level and give them some innings out of the bullpen vs. bullpen sessions in between short starts. With starting pitchers going less and less seemingly every year the lines between starter/reliever aren't what they used to be. It's not the craziest of ideals.

[mvp 78]

I kind of love what they did with Whitlock and Crawford last night. I wouldn't mind seeing them do that with Whitlock/Houk or Houk/Crawford at the MLB level and give them some innings out of the bullpen vs. bullpen sessions in between short starts. With starting pitchers going less and less seemingly every year the lines between starter/reliever aren't what they used to be. It's not the craziest of ideals.

 

Would it prohibit Crawford from pitching between those starts?

[moonslav59]

Would it prohibit Crawford from pitching between those starts?

 

If he only goes 2 innings, sure, but if he goes 3-4, maybe not.

[moonslav59]

WOO let up 7 in the 10th, but Dermody had a nice start: 6.0, 6, 0, 2, 3

Alfaro homered and walked.

Hamilton triple, but went 1-5.

Allen stole his 22nd base in 22 attempts.

 

POR is losing 9-4 and has just 4 hits.

Yorke with a dinger and 3 rbi

Kavadas with another BB

 

GRE is losing 3-2, late, but Bastardo pitched a gem: 6.0, 1, 0, 2, 7

Bonaci 3-4 is now up to .900.

 

SAL is up 4-3, late as Anthony and Ravelo have 2 hits each.

 

 

[mvp 78]

Niko 2023 (compared to last year in AA):

BB% 24.8 (up 8.8)

K% 34.1 (down 5.9)

OPS 835 (up 132)

wRC+ 141 (up 38)

 

It's nice to see some improvement from him in AA. Probably needs to be there all year and then AAA in 2024.

[moonslav59]

Niko 2023 (compared to last year in AA):

BB% 24.8 (up 8.8)

K% 34.1 (down 5.9)

OPS 835 (up 132)

wRC+ 141 (up 38)

 

It's nice to see some improvement from him in AA. Probably needs to be there all year and then AAA in 2024.

 

As "meh" as he looked in AA, last year, after his call-up, he still had an awesome season in the minors- one of the best.

 

He still has more to prove, but it is good to see him finding a groove at a much tougher level on the farm.

[Larry Cook]

As "meh" as he looked in AA, last year, after his call-up, he still had an awesome season in the minors- one of the best.

 

He still has more to prove, but it is good to see him finding a groove at a much tougher level on the farm.

 

The problem is his swing is so long that he either walks or strikes out!

[moonslav59]

The problem is his swing is so long that he either walks or strikes out!

 

I've heard this, often, and sometimes long swingers can excel in the minors and are exposed in the majors, but I'm not so sure his swing is extremely long.

 

He does have 109 non homer hits in the minors to go along with those 33 bombs.

 

A .268 BA is not all that bad, these days.

 

I seriously doubt he can come close to his .440 OBP in the minors at the ML level, but .350 and 30 bombs per 650 PAs would make him a keeper. Hell, .333 and 24 bombs would, too.

[mvp 78]

I've heard this, often, and sometimes long swingers can excel in the minors and are exposed in the majors, but I'm not so sure his swing is extremely long.

 

He does have 109 non homer hits in the minors to go along with those 33 bombs.

 

A .268 BA is not all that bad, these days.

 

I seriously doubt he can come close to his .440 OBP in the minors at the ML level, but .350 and 30 bombs per 650 PAs would make him a keeper. Hell, .333 and 24 bombs would, too.

 

The k rate is really high. I'm not sure what his OPS will be against velo going forward, but it's something to keep an eye on.

[mvp 78]

The guy at Portland that is more frustrating to me is Cedanne Rafaela. While his SB's are looking nice, his power is way down and his pitch selection is not improving. A 681 OPS is kind of a big letdown. He needs to really turn this season around or Chaim is going to look a little foolish for not moving him this offseason when his value was high and the Marlins were looking to deal their starters.

[moonslav59]

The guy at Portland that is more frustrating to me is Cedanne Rafaela. While his SB's are looking nice, his power is way down and his pitch selection is not improving. A 681 OPS is kind of a big letdown. He needs to really turn this season around or Chaim is going to look a little foolish for not moving him this offseason when his value was high and the Marlins were looking to deal their starters.

 

Agreed. I hope it wasn't all the hype and talk and ST'ing invite going to his head.

 

He still has time to work it out, but it is concerning, now.

[mvp 78]

Drohan starting for WOO tonight!

[Old Red]

The guy at Portland that is more frustrating to me is Cedanne Rafaela. While his SB's are looking nice, his power is way down and his pitch selection is not improving. A 681 OPS is kind of a big letdown. He needs to really turn this season around or Chaim is going to look a little foolish for not moving him this offseason when his value was high and the Marlins were looking to deal their starters.

The Sea Dogs manager said yesterday they are trying to get him to take more pitches to see which ones he can handle the best.

[moonslav59]

Drohan starting for WOO tonight!

 

Great news!

 

Despite Wikelman's unremarkable start to 2023, could he be boosted to AA?

[Hugh2]

The guy at Portland that is more frustrating to me is Cedanne Rafaela. While his SB's are looking nice, his power is way down and his pitch selection is not improving. A 681 OPS is kind of a big letdown. He needs to really turn this season around or Chaim is going to look a little foolish for not moving him this offseason when his value was high and the Marlins were looking to deal their starters.

 

There's a lot of things that make Bloom look foolish. Not trading Ceddanne in the 2022/23 offseason is not one of them.

[mvp 78]

The Sea Dogs manager said yesterday they are trying to get him to take more pitches to see which ones he can handle the best.

 

There's a difference between taking pitches to just take pitches and being selective. His bb rate is still low and he's making worse contact than last year.

[mvp 78]

There's a lot of things that make Bloom look foolish. Not trading Ceddanne in the 2022/23 offseason is not one of them.

 

We'll see. Not having a decent starting rotation in 2023 really hurts.

[mvp 78]

@ChrisCotillo

Per WooSox, Red Sox released RHP Jake Thompson and INF Edwin Diaz.

[moonslav59]

@ChrisCotillo

Per WooSox, Red Sox released RHP Jake Thompson and INF Edwin Diaz.

 

Diaz had a 1.933 OPS!

 

(Okay- just 3 ABs)

 

[moonslav59]

Drohan's start at Woo was not impressive:

5IP, 4H, 5ER, 3BB, 6K

Woo won 10-9.

3-5 Alfaro HR & two 2Bs

2-5 Hamilton HR (7th)

3-5 Dalbec

Abreu 2 BB

Allen 2 BB and 23rd SB in 23 att

 

POR lost 4-3 in 12

Gambrell (Beni trade) now has a 1.50 ERA (6 IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K)

1-5 Kavadas HR (6th)

2-5 Yorke

2-5 McDonough

 

GRE won 5-4 (lots of 1 run games)

Encarnacion 5IP, 4H, 1ER, 0BB, 4K

2-5 Mayer

2-4 Bonaci 2B & BB

2-4 Jordan

 

SAL lost 5-4

2-4 Castro

2-4 Feliz

0-4 Anthony BB