Nick John

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 Top 20 prospect rundown! Last time, we covered the fourth spot on our list with Kyle Teel. With only three spots left on our list, we move on to shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who ranked third as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #3 SS Marcelo Mayer (Portland Sea Dogs) Marcelo Mayer was drafted by the Red Sox 4th overall in the 2021 draft, falling to them after he was viewed as a top-three pick entering the draft. Some had even viewed him as the top prospect in that year's draft. In his senior season of high school, Mayer impressed many playing for Eastlake in California, putting up a slash line of .392/.555/.886 across 34 games to go along with good defense. Currently, Mayer stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 188 pounds. Since being drafted, there has been no doubt about Mayer’s potential, not just in the Red Sox organization but throughout baseball itself. He entered the 2022 season viewed as a consensus top-20 prospect and even as a top-10 prospect entering 2023. However, despite his intriguing skill set and potential, Mayer has been hit with a string of injuries since the 2022 season, which has limited his playtime. In four seasons within the Red Sox organization, Mayer has played in 272 games, slashing .274/.362/.465. His 2024 season saw him perform well for the Portland Sea Dogs before it ended due to an injury. In that time, he played 77 games for the Red Sox Double-A team and hit .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. All stats courtesy of FanGraphs What to Like: There’s a lot to like about Mayer as a player. When healthy, he has quite the skillset. His offense and defense are viewed as potentially above-average, with the worst-case scenario being just an average hit tool. On offense, Mayer possesses a fluid swing, a solid feel for hitting, and quick hands. His bat speed and bat control are also impressive and viewed as above average. His raw power is a plus. The young shortstop already shows that he can drive the ball to all parts of the field and has been viewed as potentially having above-average game power once he reaches his prime. Mayer’s defense is where he might shine, however. Viewed as being a potentially plus defender at shortstop, Mayer moves well as he sometimes looks like he’s gliding on the field. With soft hands and solid footwork, he can move well and has plenty of range for a shortstop, especially at his size. To go with his fielding ability is a plus arm that allows him to make throws with plenty of zip. What to Work On: The big one for Mayer is to stay healthy. While it’s hard to control injuries, there is no doubt in many Red Sox fans’ minds that Mayer has been rather injury prone during his time with Boston. Across his first three full seasons, he has never played more than 91 games and last season he played in his least at 77 games. In 2022 he missed roughly a month from a wrist sprain and in 2023 he suffered a shoulder injury while sliding in early May. Despite only missing a week from that injury, it still lingered and affected his performance until he was placed on the injured list in early August and missed the rest of the season. 2024 was much of the same as he managed to play in 77 games before being placed on the injured list on August 1st while still playing for Portland. This time it was a lumbar injury which would keep him out for the remainder of the season despite a promotion to Worcester on August 11th alongside his fellow teammates Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony. Offensively Mayer has some work to do when it comes to pitch recognition and tighten up his approach. While his skillset has the potential to be average to above-average, he currently leaves himself vulnerable against soft stuff. He did improve upon this issue in 2024 compared to 2023, but he still needs to continue to improve on it compared to how he handles fastballs. Because of this, there are some questions on how his contact skills will translate to more advanced pitching. He will also need to add strength to his game and he could see a lot of doubles turn into home runs in the future. What’s Next: Assuming Mayer starts Spring Training healthy, there is no reason to doubt he’ll get an invite to spring training as a non-roster invitee. The Red Sox will want to get a good look at his skillset and see how he’s developing not just skill wise but also when it comes to durability. However, much like Teel and other prospects on this list, do not be surprised if his name is included in mock trades. Despite his injuries Mayer is still an incredibly talented player that teams will be willing to take a chance on and the Red Sox will likely see if he could bring an ace in return in a trade. Mayer’s floor is that of an above-average shortstop, his defense helping him stay in the lineup even if his offense never develops to its full potential. However, his ceiling is that of a regular All-Star, an everyday shortstop that has the offensive skills to hit at the top of a contenting team’s lineup. Many scouts believe he could be a four-tool player if everything develops to their full potential. However, much like the other prospects we’ve discussed this offseason, it is unlikely that Mayer will break camp with the Red Sox barring a historic spring or an injury to one of the middle infielders already on the team. More likely, Mayer will begin the season with Worcester and get his first official taste of Triple-A after being unable to play following his promotion there in August. Unless traded, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mayer got a call up to the majors at some point this season unless he suffers another injury or struggles against the competition. View full article

The Red Sox have made some roster moves in order to hold onto up-and-coming prospects. Consider The Password protected. Just before the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, the Boston Red Sox selected pitcher Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. In corresponding moves to open spots for them, the team designated right-handed pitchers Bryan Mata and Isaiah Campbell for assignment. Both Dobbins and Garcia were a part of Talk Sox’s offseason prospect rankings. Dobbins was voted as the 18th-best prospect in the system while Garcia made it to 10th. Dobbins, a former eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft, split time between Portland and Worcester this past season. The right-hander went 125 2/3 innings over 25 starts. he finished with eight wins and five losses to go along with a 3.08 ERA. Dobbins has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter and will be viewed as depth for the rotation should a spot starter be needed entering the 2025 season. Garcia was an international free agent signing with the Red Sox in July of 2019. An outfielder, Garcia has the ceiling of an everyday player and his 2024 season showcased that. Garcia started the season with low-A Salem and managed to make it all the way up to Portland before the end of the season. Still only 21 years old, he can still grow as a player, and between his power and fielding he could become an impact player with the Red Sox down the road. In 2024 he finished the season slashing .286/.356/.536 across 107 games split between Salem, Greenville, and Portland. To make room, the Red Sox designated Mata and Campbell, a couple of pitchers previously viewed as candidates for the bullpen in 2024, though neither managed to make a major impact. Mata spent the entire season on the injured list, making 11 rehab appearances between injuries. This had been a constant trend for Mata during his time in Boston, as he missed some time in every season since 2017. He finishes his seven years in the Boston system with 29 wins and 27 losses across 108 games and a 3.46 era in 447 2/3 innings. Campbell was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Luis Urías in November of 2023 and was viewed as an addition to the bullpen. The right-hander struggled in Boston however, losing a single game across eight appearances. He pitched to a 16.20 ERA in 6 2/3 innings and had a couple stints on the injured list. Campbell would make 14 appearances for triple-A Worcester, losing a single game and running an era of 2.20 in 16 1/3 innings. Dobbins and Garcia both look to be promising additions to the roster with the former likely to help at some point in 2025 and the latter possibly making an impact in 2026, if not sooner. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! Last time we talked about the newest addition to the Sox farm system in 2024, first-round pick Braden Montgomery, who was number five! We move onto the top four prospects in the system, with catcher Kyle Teel ranked fourth as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #4 C Kyle Teel (Portland Sea Dogs/Worcester Red Sox) Kyle Teel was drafted by the Red Sox 14th overall in the 2023 draft, as it was a shock he had fallen that far to them in the draft. However, this wasn’t the Sox's first time looking at Teel, as they had heavily scouted the catcher back when he was in high school and even played for their team at the East Coast Pro showcase. Teel is currently listed as being 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. In college, he played at Virginia, where he won the 2023 Buster Posey Award as the nation’s top catcher and would go on to set UVA single-season records for hits and doubles with 105 and 25, respectively. He would finish his junior year of college, slashing .407/.475/.655 in 65 games. Teel’s hot hitting continued after being drafted as the catcher was sent to the Florida Complex League Red Sox. His stay was short, hitting .429 in three games before being promoted to Greenville. Teel would go on to play in 14 more games with Greenville, proving to be offensively capable against the players in that league before ending the season with a nine-game sample in Portland. 2024 was more of the same for Teel as he continued to hit well to begin the season in Portland. Appearing in 84 games at the Double-A level, Teel would go on to slash .298/.390/.462, along with 11 home runs and 60 RBI. Along with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, Teel would be promoted to Triple-A Worcester on August 12th and remained there to finish the season. His time in Worcester began slowly as he struggled in his first four games, going 1-13 with five strikeouts. The month of August was his worst offensively for the entire season, as he slashed .198/.295/.309 in 21 games. Teel began to figure out the pitching in Triple-A in September, turning his season around by ending the season with a slash line of .375/.516/.542 in 14 games. Overall, Teel’s 2024 saw him hit .288/.386/.433 with 13 home runs and 78 RBI in 112 games across the two levels. All stats courtesy of FanGraphs What to Like: Teel is already considered a strong defender in the Sox system, potentially above-average to plus. His soft hands and ability to manipulate his glove position make him a strong framer for his pitchers. He also moves well behind the plate and has no problem blocking pitches in the dirt or reacting quickly to base runners. Teel’s arm is also seen as having plus arm strength; his throwing motion and quick release allow him to produce a pop time of roughly 1.9 seconds when trying to throw out potential base stealers. Offensively, Teel does not get cheated at the plate, and his body explodes when he swings. Thanks to his knowledge of the strike zone, he has above-average bat speed and a solid approach at the plate. His power is considered above-average raw power but only potentially average game power. Despite that, he has shown the ability to hit the ball with backspin. Teel also has a high baseball IQ, which allows him to become a leader and helps him handle the challenges of catching at the major league level. What to Work On: Offensively, Teel's swing and stride can sometimes get long. This has led to increased strikeouts as he’s advanced through the minor-league levels. After 22 strikeouts in his short sample size of 26 games in 2023, that number grew to 116 in 112 games. Pitchers have been able to beat him with velocity up-and-away, along with backfoot breaking stuff as well. Another area of concern for Teel is his current size. He lacks the typical size and bulk of an everyday catcher, and his lack of strength sometimes impacts how he receives pitches. However, there is hope that this could be changed if he added strength to his upper body. What’s Next: Coming off of a great 2024 season, Teel will likely be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster addition. Barring any injuries or a breakout performance during spring training, Teel will be slated to open the season in Worcester, though they will likely be one of the first names talked about for a call-up should there be an injury in Boston. Don’t be surprised to hear his name mentioned this winter. He could be included in many mock trades for a potential top-of-the-rotation arm, such as Garrett Crochet of the White Sox. Overall, Teel’s true potential depends on how his hitting continues to develop. Should it stagnate, Teel has the potential of an average regular, thanks to his defense being so good. However, if his bat continues to improve, his ceiling will be viewed as an impact everyday catcher who will be more of a contact hitter instead of focusing on power. View full article

Today, the Boston Red Sox made their first signing of this free agency period, looking to improve their options of left-handed relievers. Many hope this offseason will lead to multiple signings. The Red Sox have signed a one-year contract with left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. While details about the contract haven’t been fully revealed yet, it is believed to be similar to his previous contract with the Cincinnati Reds: a one-year deal worth $1.5M with up to $1M in incentives. Wilson is a 37-year-old reliever who has played for six different teams. Making his debut for the Pittsburg Pirates at 24, the former 5th-round draft pick spent parts of three seasons with the Pirates before being traded to the New York Yankees in November of 2014. Wilson would only spend a single season in the Bronx before being shipped to Detroit. Following a year and a half with the Tigers, Wilson was on the move again as part of a deal that sent Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario from the Chicago Cubs back to the Tigers. After a year and a half pitching for the Cubs, Wilson became a free agent following the 2018 season and signed with the New York Mets. He pitched for the Mets until 2021 he signed with the Yankees. He returned to the team for half a season before being shipped to Cincinnati. Since that trade, Wilson has pitched on and off for the Reds. He dealt with injuries in 2022 and 2023, which forced him to miss the entire 2023 season. This past season, Wilson pitched the most innings in a season for him since his 2018 season, throwing a total of 46 2/3 innings across 60 games. The lefty won one game and lost 5 for the Reds while striking out 51 batters and walking 13 in those 46 2/3 innings. Though his ERA was 5.59 for the season, it was bloated by allowing eight earned runs in just six innings pitched during September. Last season, Wilson also had a walk percentage of only 6.2% while striking out batters at 24.4% and chase percentage of 33.8%. Wilson throws four pitches, mainly relying on his four-seam fastball, slider, and cutter for 99% of his pitches last year. Rarely would Wilson throw a splitter that made up the remaining 1%. His fastball averaged 95.5mph last season and could be an interesting weapon for the veteran lefty when paired with his slider and cutter. Wilson will look to earn a spot in Alex Cora’s bullpen during Spring Training with competition from last year’s team consisting of Cam Booser, Bailey Horn, and Brennan Bernardino, along with Chris Murphy, who looks to bounce back from missing all of last season. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! We continue to break down the top prospects in the system as voted on by the Talk Sox community. Today, we continue with the #7 entry on the list, Luis Perales, a hard-throwing righty who has dealt with injuries in his young career. #7 P Luis Perales (Greenville Drive, Portland Sea Dogs) Luis Perales has been in the Red Sox system for quite some time now, signing for $75,000 in the summer of 2019, and yet the right-handed pitcher will only be in his age 22 season in 2025. What was once a not highly-touted prospect out of Venezuela has quickly become the Red Sox’s top pitching prospect despite a series of injuries. Since debuting in the Sox system in 2021 Perales has thrown 161 innings across 44 games, 42 of them starts. Yet despite all the injuries and setbacks, Perales reached Double A in 2024, where in two games, he surrendered only a single run in 7 1/3 innings and struck out ten before the need for Tommy John surgery cut his season short. In November of 2023, Perales was added to the 40-man roster to be protected in the Rule 5 draft. In 2024, Perales made nine starts, throwing 33 2/3 innings with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. More impressively, however, was the young right-hander’s strikeouts per nine innings, where he had a career-high of 15 and tied his career-low for his walks per nine at 3.2. Despite the strong start to the season, Perales suffered an elbow injury in June and Tommy John surgery near the end of the month, which will likely keep him out of pitching until late 2025. Statistics courtesy of FanGraphs What to Like: Perales has an incredible fastball; FanGraphs has it sitting between 96-98 mph and topping out at 100 before his surgery. The velocity of his fastball had already improved since 2023. Along with the speed, the pitch has around 20 inches of induced vertical break, allowing it to play up in the zone to induce swinging strikes. Along with the fastball, he has a variety of other pitches as he throws a cutter, slider, and changeup. While none are as good as his fastball, his cutter and slider are interesting pitches. His cutter has shown flashes of potential but will need a more consistent arm speed to make it more deceptive. Perales gets an 11-to-5 shape with the slider, and it’s viewed as advanced for his age. With a good feel for the spin, he can locate either in or out of the zone for swinging strikes. What to Work On: Right away, he needs consistency with his delivery and the ability to repeat it better within outings. If he can’t become consistent with his delivery, his potential role would likely be out of the bullpen. Another aspect that Perales must improve is his ability to handle a full season’s workload. While he can’t control Tommy John surgery, Perales has only pitched in 10 or more games twice in his career, in 2022 and 2023, the latter being when he pitched in a career-high 21 games. Finally, his changeup and cutter need improvement. These two pitches have shown to be his most inconsistent when pitching. While the changeup has a chance of being an average offering for Perales, it seems his cutter will be below average even if he improves it. What’s Next: Coming off of Tommy John surgery, it is likely that Perales will miss most of the 2025 season. Depending on the Red Sox's position in the playoff race, there is a chance they could have him rehab as a reliever in hopes that he could boost the bullpen for the last few weeks of the season. It would likely be a 2026 pro debut, so long as he doesn’t suffer another injury. As for Perales’ future, it could vary. In some projects, he will have the potential to become a middle-of-the-rotation arm if he can find consistent delivery and hone his secondary pitches. At the same time, he will likely become a backend-of-the-rotation option or even a multi-inning reliever with the possibility of being a setup man. Overall, Perales has a lot of talent. Whether he can harness it all will be determined on how well his body can hold up over a full season and possibly a shift to the bullpen. Regardless, it seems like the Red Sox have an interesting pitcher to continue developing. With his recent injury he will have time to rehab and grow stronger and despite being in the system for quite some time now, he's still young as Perales won't turn 22 until April. He has time on his side to develop, but hopefully there won't be too many more setbacks. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! After breaking down spots 20 through 16 and spots 15 through 11, we’re officially into the top 10. Leading off is none other than Jhostynxon Garcia, aka The Password, as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #10 OF Jhostynxon Garcia (Salem Red Sox, Greenville Drive, Portland Sea Dogs) Garcia signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2019 for a bonus of $350,000. Over four seasons, he has played in 256 games across four levels, compiling a .259/.356/.462 slash line. He didn't make his full-season debut until 2023, and it wasn't until the 2024 season when The Password finally unlocked the potential the Red Sox development and scouting teams saw in him. Splitting the season between Salem, Greenville, and Portland, Garcia played in a career-high 107 games, slashing .286/.356/.536 over 459 plate appearances. Garcia set career-highs in nearly every offensive category and looks primed to start the season in Portland, though his stay there could be short if his performance stays consistent. Below are his 2024 stats. Level G PA HR SB BB% K% AVG OBP SLG wRC+ A 24 104 5 14 14.4 24.0 .258 .365 .517 155 A+ 53 229 16 1 5.2 21.8 .311 .371 .627 176 AA 30 126 2 2 5.8 19 .263 .320 .386 103 Total 107 459 23 17 7.2 21.6 .286 .356 .536 151 What to Like: Garcia is officially listed at 6'0" and 163 pounds, but he's already added plenty of muscle to his sturdy frame. FanGraphs has him listed at 6'2" and 220. He's known for his plus bat speed and he has improved against secondary pitches. His natural ability to backspin the ball results in plus raw power that should translate to games. He's already demonstrated high-end exit velocities, which helped him lead the Red Sox minor league system with 23 home runs in 2024. What to Work On: Garcia’s great power is accompanied by an extremely aggressive approach. His plus bat speed comes with a long swing, and his game involves a lot of swing-and-miss. In an encouraging sign, he ran a 24% strikeout rate in Salem, which dropped to 22% in Greenville and 19% in Portland. His walk rate also plummeted at each stop, so it remains to be seen whether he has fixed something or simply managed to put some more balls in play. He’ll be tested by the faster velocity of the upper minors. Despite the improvements that Garcia made during the 2024 season, it’s clear that the 21-year-old still has more room to grow. Originally a shortstop as an amateur, Garcia moved to the outfield, and although he's primarily played center, he seems destined for a corner outfield spot, so his bat will need to shine. What’s next: Garcia ended the season with a 30-game stint in Portland, where he put up a .263/.320/.386 slash line and a 103 wRC+ over 126 plate appearances. There’s a chance he could end up as a non-roster invitee during spring training, but he'll likely begin the 2025 season back in Portland. A promotion to Worcester should not be out of the question for Garcia next year, and it will be interesting to see whether the Red Sox view him as a piece of the future or a key addition to a trade either over the offseason or during the 2025 season. View full article

Roman AnthonyMarcelo MayerKristian CampbellKyle TeelBraden MontgomeryFranklin AriasLuis PeralesChase MeidrothMiguel BleisYoeilin CespedesDavid SandlinRichard FittsJhostynxon GarciaPayton TolleMikey RomeroElmer Rodriguez-CruzHunter DobbinsJohanfran GarciaWikelman GonzalezYordanny Monegro