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Boston Red Sox

Milliken: 6 Red Sox prospects making some early noise in 2023

By Tyler Milliken and Zolak & Bertrand May 18th

While Chaim Bloom is getting some credit for the 2023 Red Sox being better than many expected, he also seems to be hitting on a number of prospects he has his fingerprints on.

Since joining the organization after the 2019 season, Bloom has emphasized the importance of having a consistent pipeline flooding the big league roster.

The 6 names below have a chance to do just that as Bloom’s vision for the future starts to come into fruition.

  • 1. Marcelo Mayer, SS

    After the departure of Xander Bogaerts over the offseason, all attention turned to Marcelo Mayer as the shortstop of the future for the Red Sox. So far, he’s looked the part down in High-A on both sides of the ball despite battling some shoulder soreness earlier this month.

    Across 26 games, he’s slashing .315/.395/.537/.932 with 4 homers and 10 doubles for a 147 wRC+. It’s still a bit early for a promotion, but it’d be a surprise if he wasn’t heading up to Portland in June or July. He’s also hitting the ball harder than ever after adding muscle over the offseason, leading to his best exit velocity numbers yet.

    MLB Pipeline now has him ranked as #5 prospect in all of baseball with Jordan Walker, Jackson Chourio. Jackson Holliday,  Elly De La Cruz ahead of him. Not a bad showing for Mayer’s age-20 season

  • 2. Nick Yorke, 2B

    Last season was nothing short of a disappointment for Nick Yorke, who battled injuries and his mechanics after a massive breakout in 2021. Yet, he flashed the impact bat the Red Sox front office dreamed on, while down in the Arizona Fall League. That’s carried right into 2023 in his first taste of Double-A.

    Over 30 games, Yorke is hitting .267/.397/.483/.880 with 5 homers and 4 doubles for a 145 wRC+. His 16.3% BB% is as impressive as any of his marks on the season, showing that he’s controlling the zone despite going up against the best pitching he’s faced so far. Not to mention, Portland is not a fun place to hit in April and early May.

    Yorke entered 2023 right outside of Fangraphs Top 100 list, but he has a chance to sneak back in if he continues to swing the bat like this.

     

  • 3. Shane Drohan, SP

    Out of every name in the Red Sox system, nobody has seen their stock rise like Shane Drohan over the last few months. The 2020 5th-round pick had an average fastball velocity of 90.8 MPH in 2021 and is now up to 92.6 MPH. It’s become a game-changer in his arsenal and has led to a promotion to Triple-A after just 6 starts in Double-A.

    In those 6 starts in Portland, Drohan dominated the competition with a 1.32 ERA/2.31 FIP in 34.1 IP. He hasn’t had any issues missing bats either, posting a 9.5 K/9 with an impressive 2.4 BB/9. Despite it being his age-24 season, there’s an interesting floor considering his stuff from the left side with some projection as well if his velocity continues to climb.

    Entering 2023, SoxProspects.com had him ranked 12th in the system behind arms like Bryan Mata, Brandon Walter, and Luis Perales, but he’s moved up to 5th spot and is being viewed as the best pitching prospect in the organization.

  • 4. Wilyer Abreu, OF

    All the attention has been on Enmanuel Valdez in 2023, but the other part of the Christian Vazquez return might be an even better player. After showing some interesting flashes during spring training before suffering a hamstring strain, Wilyer Abreu has done nothing but impress in his first shot at AAA. His profile of above-average corner outfield defense, power, and strong on-base skills could keep him in the big leagues for a long time.

    In Abreu’s first 28 games at the AAA level, he’s slashing .294/.393/.480/.874 with 5 long balls, a 14.8% BB%, and a 122 wRC+. He’s even cut his K% despite moving up a level, going from 26.8% in Portland to 23% in Worcester. That was arguably the weakest part of his profile heading into 2023, so making strides in that department levels up the entire profile a bit.

    It’s fair to question what his future in Boston might be with a crowded outfield being on the horizon this season and moving forward, but he could be an intriguing trade piece as well. But his approach at the plate seems to fit the type of hitters the Red Sox have been targeting as of late.

  • 5. David Hamilton, 2B/SS/CF?

    Similar to Abreu, David Hamilton wasn’t the focus of the package the Red Sox received for dealing Hunter Renfroe, but he’s showing much more than Alex Binelas. He’s flashed off a toolsy profile in Triple-A that has a chance to be an intriguing weapon on a big league bench. Especially with the current base-stealing environment in the big leagues.

    Hamilton is registering a slashline of .266/.356/.511/.867 with 8 homers and 21 stolen bases in 36 games. He’s also been increasing his versatility as well, spending time at shortstop, second base, and soon to be center field. The defense at shortstop is definitely still a work in-progress, but as we’ve seen with Enmanuel Valdez, the Red Sox are willing to let guys develop defensively despite some warts.

    It feels like only a matter of time before we see him in the big leagues in 2023. While I don’t believe the ceiling is that high, Alex Cora has shown his appreciation for speedy and versatile options off the bench.

  • 6. Blaze Jordan, 1B

    There’s been a ton of hype surrounding Blaze Jordan since he was a teenager, and while questions continue to surround his bat, he’s producing at High-A alongside Mayer in his age-20 season.

    Over the course of 31 games, he’s batting .287/.341/.500/.841 with 5 jacks and 9 doubles for a 118 wRC+. He’s also lowered his K% significantly from last season at High-A, going from 25.5% to 16.3%. There’s a ton of pressure on the bat with his limited defensive profile at first base, but he’s shown a knack for crushing breaking balls since entering the Red Sox system.

    Chaim Bloom’s 2020 draft class has a chance to be pretty impressive, with Nick Yorke, Shane Drohan, and Jordan also surging early in 2023.

Listen to Zolak & Bertrand from 10-2 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Marc “Beetle” Bertrand, Scott Zolak, and Rob “Hardy” Poole. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @ZoAndBertrand on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the show!

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