With the Triple-A season underway and other full-season minor league affiliates entering their third week of play, here’s a look at some of the notable early-season performances in the Red Sox minor league system.
Triple-A Worcester (9-11 record)
– Right-hander Richard Fitts (ranked the No. 11 Red Sox prospect by Baseball America), has a 1-0 record with a 2.35 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and just two walks in 15⅓ innings. He’s been missing bats with his 91-95 mph four-seam fastball and has shown a decent slider.
– Infielder Chase Meidroth (No. 13) has been a proverbial on-base machine, posting a .255/.463/.340 line thanks to a disciplined approach that has produced more than twice as many walks (16) as strikeouts (7).
– First baseman Niko Kavadas is hitting .286/.446/.643 with four homers, doing most of his damage against fastballs while struggling against breaking balls.
Double-A Portland Sea Dogs (9-4 record)
– Shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 1) opened the season with a 10-game hitting streak. He’s hitting .314/.333/.451 through 12 games, including a .364/.400/.546 line against righties.
– Right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez (No. 7) is struggling with his control at the start of the season, issuing nine walks in 5⅔ innings.
– Lefthander Zach Penrod has turned heads with a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss changeup. At the least, he looks like a future big league reliever; if his slider progresses, he could emerge as more than that.
High-A Greenville Drive (4-11 record)
– Center fielder Kristian Campbell has showcased his power, hitting a 113 mph rocket for a 450-foot homer.
– Shortstop Luis Ravelo has hit two homers and six extra-base hits through 11 games in Greenville this year.
– Right-hander Yordanny Monegro (No. 18) is likely to join Greenville in May.
Single-A Salem Red Sox (6-9 record)
– Brothers Jhostynxon and Johanfran Garcia are both mashing. Jhostynxon Garcia is hitting .325/.426/.575 with two homers and 10 steals in 11 games. Johanfran Garcia (No. 14) is hitting .333/.404/.571 with a pair of homers in 11 contests.
– Miguel Bleis (No. 5) is hitting just .200/.313/.309 through 14 games, but he’s posted a solid 12.5 percent walk rate and his strikeout rate is down to 17.2 percent.
