SoxProspects News

Cup of Coffee: Arias homers in Sea Dogs win; Sandoval struggles in rehab start

2026-04-15T07:55:00.002-04:00

4/15 Cup of Coffee: Only one Red Sox affiliate was victorious on Tuesday night, as the Sea Dogs won a pitching duel behind a two-run shot by Franklin Arias. The WooSox fell as Patrick Sandoval struggled in his second rehab start. Starting pitchers Shea Sprague and Leighton Finley (pictured) delivered strong starts but both Greenville and Salem lost their series openers.

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Nashville Sounds (MIL) 9, Worcester Red Sox 4

Patrick Sandoval was roughed up in the second start of his rehab assignment, allowing five runs on three hits and four walks in two innings pitched. He threw only 59 pitches (30 for strikes) after building up to 63 in his first rehab start. Reidis Sena followed him with two innings of relief, allowing one run. Tyler Uberstine struggled with his control in 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, walking four batters and giving up three runs (two earned). Noah Song was the only pitcher who escaped unharmed, as he threw 1 1/3 scoreless frames.

Nashville starting pitcher and old friend Shane Drohan fared better against the WooSox than he did against the Red Sox in his MLB debut last Wednesday, striking out eight WooSox hitters and allowing two runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings. Jason Delay was responsible for both of Worcester's early runs, hitting a solo home run in the third and drawing a bases-loaded walk in the fourth as part of a 1-for-3 game. Mickey Gasper was 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI after he drew a bases-loaded walk of his own in the seventh.

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Portland Sea Dogs 4, Altoona Curve (PIT) 2

It was a successful bullpen game for the Sea Dogs, as four pitchers threw multiple innings and stymied Altoona in a low-scoring game. Isaac Coffey threw the first two innings, allowing a run on two hits and two walks. Cooper Adams was excellent as the first pitcher out of the bullpen, striking out four and giving up just one hit in three shutout innings. Cade Feeney struck out four and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings pitched and Patrick Halligan also struck out four but allowed one run in his pair of innings.

It was a fairly quiet night for the Portland bats as well, but Franklin Arias got the Sea Dogs off on the right foot with a two-run blast in the third inning, his first home run of the season. Arias was 1 for 4 in the game. Ronald Rosario and Ahbram Liendo drove in Portland's other two runs with RBI singles in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively. Catcher Nate Baez was the only Sea Dogs hitter with multiple hits, going 2 for 4.

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Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 3, Greenville Drive 0

The Drive offense was completely shut down by the Hot Rods on Tuesday night, recording only one hit in the game: a double by Yophery Rodriguez in the sixth inning. While the Greenville pitchers were impressive in their own right, they were unable to overcome the lack of run support. Starter Shea Sprague tossed five innings, striking out five while allowing two runs. Jojo Ingrassia struck out three batters and walked a pair while allowing one run in two innings. PJ Labriola threw two scoreless innings of relief.

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Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 7, Salem RidgeYaks 5

The RidgeYaks took an early lead with a four-run outburst in the fourth inning but they were unable to hang onto the lead in their series opener in Hickory. That fourth-inning rally was powered by an RBI double off the bat of Enddy Azocar and a three-run homer for Skylar King. Azocar was 2 for 4 with two runs scored in the game. Catcher Kleyver Salazar drove in a run with a double in the fifth inning, going 1 for 3 on the night.

Starter Leighton Finley struck out five batters while walking only one but he was let down by his defense as he allowed three runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 frames. Adam Bates struggled out of the bullpen, allowing four runs (three earned) in 1 1/3 innings. Harry Blum tossed two shutout innings, walking a pair of batters.

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Player of the Day: Making the second start of his professional career, Leighton Finley was impressive in 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday night. In total, he allowed three runs against Hickory but only one of those runs was earned as the RidgeYaks made two errors in a two-run third inning for the Crawdads. Finley struck out five batters while walking only one. A sixth-round pick out of Georgia last year, Finley is the 36th-ranked prospect in the system.

Photo Credit: Leighton Finley by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Samaniego makes MLB debut; Crawford and Sandoval begin rehab assignments

2026-04-14T12:00:00.249-04:00

The minor league season is now in full swing, as Portland, Greenville, and Salem played their first full six-game series last week. The Red Sox system's last week was highlighted by electric performances from several top pitching prospects, the returns of a pair of rehabbing veterans, and a major league debut.

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Top pitching prospects deliver standout starts

The Red Sox drafting and development strategy has heavily tilted toward pitching in recent years and the early returns on Boston's pitching development pipeline have been promising. Payton Tolle, a second-round draft pick in 2024 who tore through the minors last season to become the top prospect in the system, took the mound for Worcester on Sunday and punched out six batters in five scoreless innings. Tolle has gotten off to a great start, posting a 3.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 15 innings with the WooSox this season. He will be a strong candidate for a promotion if a spot in the Red Sox rotation opens up.

Last year's third-rounder Anthony Eyanson threw 4 1/3 perfect innings on Saturday, retiring all 13 batters that he faced and striking out seven. Eyanson's velocity has ticked up in his first full season in the organization and he has been phenomenal through his first two professional starts. In an interview with Ian Cundall of Baseball America (and SoxProspects.com, of course), Eyanson talked about his childhood diagnosis with achalasia and his plan to donate money to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) for every strikeout this season. Juan Valera (pictured) caught national attention after throwing a 101.7 mph fastball last Thursday, the hardest pitch that any starting pitcher has thrown in the minor leagues this season. The 19-year-old Valera recorded nine strikeouts across five shutout frames.

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Sandoval and Crawford return on rehab assignments

Two key pieces of rotation depth for the Red Sox are on the road to recovery, as both Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford began rehab assignments with the WooSox last week. Sandoval was activated from the injured list last Wednesday and allowed three unearned runs on three hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings in his first start in the Red Sox organization. Sandoval is expected to make his second rehab start on Tuesday. Crawford started for Worcester on Saturday and allowed five runs on six hits in three innings, though he did strike out five while only walking one batter.

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Samaniego makes major league debut

Tyler Samaniego was called up last Wednesday and made his major league debut the same day against the Brewers, striking out the side and walking one batter in a shutout inning. He appeared in Friday night's game as well, walking two and striking out a batter in 2/3 of an inning. Samaniego was acquired along with Johan Oviedo and Adonys Guzman from Pittsburgh last offseason and he ranks as the 19th prospect in the system.

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Arias leading minor leagues in batting average

Franklin Arias has been off to a torrid start despite the chilly weather in Portland. Arias is hitting .588 (10 for 17) through six games this season and currently leads the minor leagues in batting average. The slick-fielding Arias hit .278/.335/.388 in 116 games across Salem, Greenville, and Portland last season and he will play the entire 2026 season at 20 years old.

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Injuries and other transactions

Anthony Siegler, who was acquired from the Brewers alongside Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio this winter, was activated from the injured list and made his organizational debut with Worcester. He is 1 for 7 with a double through his first two games. Right-handed pitchers Caleb Bolden and Jose Bello were also activated from the injured list and added to the Portland and Salem rosters, respectively.
The Red Sox placed WooSox lefty TJ Sikkema on the 7-day injured list with an ankle sprain. Portland also placed right-hander Jorge Juan and utility player Max Ferguson on the injured list.
Joe Vogatsky was promoted from Greenville to Portland.
The Red Sox signed a pair of international free agents: right-handed pitcher Maikel Vargas and catcher Dilan Mata.

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New podcast episode

In the latest episode of the SoxProspects.com podcast, Ian and Mike broke down some of the most exciting performances from the first couple of weeks of the season.

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Where are they now?

A longtime Red Sox minor leaguer, Shane Drohan made his major league debut against his former team last Wednesday. The Brewers lefty was tagged with the loss, walking four batters and allowing three runs in 2 2/3 innings. Initially drafted by the Red Sox in the fifth round in 2020, Drohan was previously selected by the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft before the 2024 season but was ultimately returned to the Red Sox organization. He was electric in 12 games with the WooSox last season, striking out 67 batters with a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 innings. Drohan was included in the aforementioned trade with the Brewers, in which the Red Sox also dealt Kyle Harrison and David Hamilton to Milwaukee. Harrison did not appear in this reunion series, but he has pitched to a 3.07 ERA through his first three starts of the season. Hamilton is 6 for 30 (.200) with four stolen bases in 11 games.

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Players of the week April 7-13

Andrews Opata, OF, Salem RidgeYaks

4 G, 14 AB, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 4 SB, .571/.647/1.000

Signed as an undrafted free agent last season out of North Georgia, Opata has gotten off to a fast start in his first taste of professional baseball. Opata has shown off his plus speed, stealing five bases in six games, and he has been impacting the baseball as he has collected four extra-base hits over the last week.

Juan Valera, RHP, Greenville Drive

1 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 0.00 ERA

Valera's outstanding stuff was on full display in his start against Hub City on Thursday. He struck out his first batter of the game on a 95 mph changeup and went on to strike out nine batters in the game, setting a new career high. Valera came into last season as one of the prospects with the most helium in the system after impressing in spring training. However, he posted a 5.45 ERA in 10 starts before missing the rest of the season with elbow soreness. In his first two starts in 2026, Valera has shown just how dominant he can be when fully healthy as he has struck out 16 batters and allowed just two runs on four hits through 8 1/3 innings.

Photo Credit: Juan Valera by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep #410: Early Season Standouts

2026-04-13T13:33:00.001-04:00

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Editor-In-Chief Mike Andrews to discuss the latest Red Sox major league and minor league news. They discuss the Red Sox finding their footing this week and how reliant they will have to be on their pitching going forward. After that they dive into the minor league side of things and check in on each affiliate and highlight a few players who have caught their eye. They then wrap the show up by answering your emails.

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Cup of Coffee: Tolle dazzles again; Futrell sets down 15 straight

2026-04-13T07:00:00.011-04:00

4/13 Cup of Coffee: Both Allan Castro and Payton Tolle helped Worcester cruise to an easy victory, while Drew Ehrhard had a wild ninth inning for Portland. Greenville dropped a tough one as its defense sputtered, and Salem won big behind Luke Heyman and Devin Futrell (pictured).

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 2

Allan Castro entered the day with a .514 OPS and ended it at .695 as he broke out in a big way on Sunday. Castro launched two home runs, including a grand slam, as he drove in six runs to lead the WooSox. Tsung-Che Cheng went 1 for 4 with a double, while Braiden Ward went 1 for 2 with a walk and two steals. The run support was more than enough for Payton Tolle as he improved to 2-0 with five shutout innings. He allowed three hits and a walk while striking out six. Tommy Kahnle finished the game off with a scoreless ninth that included a strikeout.

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 15, Portland Sea Dogs 9

The Sea Dogs had a four-run lead after five innings, but the bullpen struggled and first baseman Drew Ehrhard pitched the ninth. It was a strong bounce back from Hayden Mullins as he allowed two runs (one earned) over four innings while striking out seven. Joe Vogatsky, who was making his Double-A debut, followed but was tagged for eight runs while recording four outs. Ehrhard allowed a home run in the top of the ninth, but he got his revenge by clubbing a three-run homer of his own in the bottom of the frame. Ronald Rosario led the team with three hits as he went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Nate Baez reached base four times as he went 1 for 1 with three walks.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 6, Greenville Drive 5

It was another shaky outing for Marcus Phillips as Hub City earned a series split. Phillips surrendered three runs (two earned) over his three innings while walking one, striking out three, and allowing a home run. The loss went to Austin Ehrlicher, though he was let down by his defense. Only one of the three runs he allowed were earned. Yophery Rodriguez and Adonys Guzman each had a single and a double, while Guzman drove in three runs. Yoeilin Cespedes went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk, and Henry Godbout had a tough day in the plate and in the field. The 22-year-old went 0 for 4 while committing three errors.

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Salem RidgeYaks 16, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 3

It was a rout in Salem as the RidgeYaks scored in all but two innings. Five starters had multi-hit games, led by Luke Heyman who went 2 for 3 with a home run, walk, and three RBI. Andrews Opata capped off a massive series against Wilson by going 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI. Anderson Fermin went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBI, and Stanley Tucker went 2 for 4 with a double, walk, and RBI. Devin Futrell was able to cruise behind all the run support as he fired off five hitless innings with four strikeouts. He retired 15 straight after allowing a leadoff walk to begin the game.

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Player of the Day: Both Allan Castro and Devin Futrell have strong cases, but the nod will go to Futrell who fired off five near-perfect innings. The 23-year-old left-hander has posted some absurd numbers on his first two trips through the rotation. He has allowed just three baserunners over nine innings while striking out 10. The pitching rotations in the lower minors are stacked with strong performers, but Futrell is doing all he can to show he is ready for a tougher assignment.

Photo Credit: Devin Futrell by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Arias can't stop hitting in Portland, Eyanson pitches perfectly in Greenville

2026-04-12T07:00:00.146-04:00

While it was a split result across the four Boston farm system games on Saturday, there were plenty of newsworthy performances to show for. In Worcester, Kutter Crawford made his first rehab appearance after missing all of 2025. Franklin Arias recorded another multi-hit outing in Portland, and Anthony Eyanson looked overwhelming to hitters as Greenville earned a victory.

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 7, Worcester Red Sox 0
Kutter Crawford took the mound for the first time since 2024 as he began his rehab assignment with the WooSox. While Crawford struck out five Clippers in three innings, he showed some rust of the mound. The right-hander allowed five runs on six hits but only walked one hitter while throwing 43 of his 60 pitches for strikes. Wyatt Olds replaced him and pitched the fourth and fifth, allowing an unearned run with five of his six outs coming on strikeouts. Jacob Webb followed with two scoreless frames of his own on the mound and Tayron Guerrero punched out two in the eighth before Nathan Hickey finished off the game pitching the ninth.

Offensively the Worcester offense only mustered three hits and three walks in the contest. Anthony Seigler picked up the only extra-base hit for the WooSox on a double in the fourth for his first hit of the season.

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Portland Sea Dogs 2, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 1
John Holobetz took the mound for his second start of the season and was impressive once again. While avoiding jams in the first and fourth innings, the right-hander managed to allow a single run over his four frames with three hits, two walks and a season-high nine strikeouts. He also threw 50 of his 79 pitches for strikes.

While New Hampshire struck first in the fourth, Portland grabbed its two runs of the contest in the bottom of the fifth. Caden Rose doubled to lead off the inning and Franklin Arias singled him to third to put runners on the corners with one out. In consecutive hitters following Arias, Marvin Alcantara hit a ground-rule double to center field to plate rose and Nate Baez hit a sacrifice fly to score Arias and give the Sea Dogs the lead for good.

Arias finished the game 3 for 4, raising his eye-popping slashline to .588/.636/.706 through his first 22 plate appearances this season.

After Holobetz was replaced on the mound, Jorge Juan earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He walked a pair of hitters and struck out one. Caleb Bolden followed with 2 1/3 frames of his own while holding New Hampshire off the scoreboard, and Patrick Halligan took home the save with a scoreless ninth.

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Greenville Drive 6, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 1
After dazzling in his first professional start last week, Anthony Eyanson was once again dominant on Saturday. He retired all 13 hitters he faced to go along with seven strikeouts. Through his first two outings, the right-hander has struck out 13 batters in 7 1/3 innings along with a 0.41 WHIP. Jay Allmer came on in relief and pitched two innings of his own, allowing the lone Hub City run of the game on two hits and two walks.

Greenville scored its first run of the game in the seventh as Nazzan Zanetello walked to open the frame, stole second base, advanced to third on a fly out by Natanael Yuten and came home to score on a sacrifice fly by Antonio Anderson. The Drive exploded for five runs the following inning thanks to a two-run single by Adonys Guzman, a two-run double by Zanetello, and a wild pitch that plated the Drive's centerfielder two batters later.

Calvin Bickerstaff relieved Allmer and earned the win with a perfect 2 2/3 frames to go along with three strikeouts.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 6, Salem RidgeYaks 3
In his season debut, Jose Bello earned the start for the RidgeYaks and got his season off to a good start with a scoreless first and second with no hits and a lone walk on his pitching line. Following Bello, Christian Foutch struggled to find command of his pitches, walking five hitters that resulted in three runs (two earned runs) while not allowing a hit. He also struck out two in 2 1/3 innings of work, where he would be charged with the loss. Harry Blum and Gilbel Galvan followed and added another five walks and nine strikeouts while allowing the other three runs to cross the plate in what turned out to be an 11-walk outing for the Salem pitching staff.

The RidgeYaks offense scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings. Kleyver Salazar got the scoring started with a solo home run for his first big fly of the season, Ilan Fernandez drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Avinson Pinto plated another with an RBI groundout. Amid the loss, Salazar has started the season hot, slashing .381/.409/.667 in 22 plate appearances.

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Player of the Day: While there are plenty of pitching prospects who have looked strong early in the season, Anthony Eyanson has been as dominant as can be through two starts. After his latest outing that resulted in no baserunners over 4 1/3 innings, Boston's third-round pick from last year's draft has missed plenty of bats while limiting traffic on the bases. In his outing on Saturday, Eyanson recorded 11 whiffs along with his seven strikeouts. He is currently the sixth-ranked prospect at SoxProspects.com.

Photo Credit: Anthony Eyanson by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Cheng hits for first cycle in WooSox history; Arias keeps rolling

2026-04-11T07:00:00.041-04:00

4/11 Cup of Coffee: It was a memorable day down on the farm, led by a cycle from Tsung-Che Cheng (pictured) in the Worcester victory. Cheng's effort supported another strong start from Jake Bennett. Franklin Arias had a three-hit night in Portland's win, while the entire RidgeYak lineup contributed to the Salem victory. Greenville took the system's only loss on Friday despite a strong effort from 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 5

The first-place WooSox won their third straight game and eighth of their last nine. Tsung-Che Cheng tripled, walked, doubled, then homered in his first four plate appearances. Needing only a single, he came to the plate in the eighth with Allan Castro on first and nobody out. A well-placed bunt down the third-base line was fielded by the pitcher, whose throw sailed past the first baseman, with Castro scoring and Cheng racing to third. The play was scored a single and two-base error, making Cheng the first player in the WooSox' six-year history to hit for the cycle. The last player in the franchise's lineage to do so was Henry Ramos of the PawSox in 2016.

Along with Cheng's historic effort, both Kristian Campbell and Braiden Ward were on base four times. Campbell drove a 105.1 mph line drive off the left field wall for an RBI double, his third of the season, and he registered three walks. Ward walked once and was hit by pitches three times, stealing a base. He now has a .474 OBP despite a batting average of only .259.

Jake Bennett turned in a strong effort on the mound in his third Worcester outing. He allowed one run on only two hits across 5 1/3 innings, striking out four without issuing a walk. It was the first earned run that Bennett has surrendered this year, raising his ERA to 0.68. Kyle Keller, Noah Song, and Tommy Kahnle gave up one earned run apiece to hold the WooSox advantage.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 2

Franklin Arias has been on a tear to open the 2026 campaign. The 20-year-old shortstop had another three hits on Friday, recording a double and two singles along with an RBI and a run scored. He is now 7 for 13 in his first five games. Nate Baez delivered the big blast for the Sea Dogs, a third-inning three-run homer that gave them a lead they would not relinquish. Tyler McDonough added a pair of hits. Starter Dalton Rogers went the first 3 2/3, allowing a pair of unearned runs, walking three, and striking out two. Cade Feeney was credited with the win for his 2 1/3 shutout innings of relief. Erik Rivera went three scoreless frames for the save.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 3, Greenville Drive 2

Kyson Witherspoon was solid in his second pro appearance, but the Drive were held to just three hits by a quartet of Spartanburgers. Witherspoon went four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits. He pounded the strike zone, throwing 44 of 57 for strikes as he struck out six batters without issuing a walk. Ben Hansen struck out four across three hitless innings of relief, allowing two baserunners on a walk and a hit batter. Hub City walked off with the win with a ninth-inning RBI single off of PJ Labriola. Mason White and Yophery Rodriguez both singled and were hit by a pitch for Greenville, with White scoring a run and Rodriguez recording an RBI.

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Salem RidgeYaks 5, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 4

Salem advanced to 6-1 on the young season with its fifth straight win and fourth in a row over Wilson. Every Salem batter reached base in the effort, with Stanley Tucker going 2 for 4. Skylar King blasted a solo homer, and Starlyn Nunez ripped a two-run double in the fifth that gave Salem crucial insurance runs. Enddy Azocar added a triple and a walk for the RidgeYaks. Madinson Frias overcame some wobbly control as he walked five batters in 3 1/3 innings but allowed only two runs (one earned) while striking out four. Ethan Walker was outstanding in 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, striking out nine of the 17 batters he faced. Adam Bates surrendered a pair of runs in his 1 1/3 innings but held on for the save.

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Player of the Day: Tsung-Che Cheng put himself into the Worcester record books with the first cycle since the team's move from Pawtucket in 2021. Claimed off waivers from the Pirates in the offseason, Cheng has been a standout in the Worcester lineup. Through nine games, he is 11 for 30 with a double, two triples, three homers, and nine walks, giving him a .367/.513/.833 slash line. The 24-year-old was originally signed by the Pirates in 2019, reaching the majors for three games in 2025.

Photo Credit: Tsung-Che-Cheng by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Valera headlines strong night of starting pitching

2026-04-10T07:00:00.256-04:00

4/10 Cup of Coffee: Thursday's slate featured strong starting pitching across the board as Boston's affiliates went a perfect 4-0. In Worcester, Jack Anderson and Tyler Uberstine combined to pitch a shutout. In Portland, Eduardo Rivera struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his 2026 debut. Juan Valera (pictured) led the way with a career-high nine strikeouts over five scoreless frames for Greenville. In Salem, Dylan Brown fanned eight in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

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Worcester Red Sox 5, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 0

Jack Anderson was superb in his second start of the season for Worcester, scattering three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over a career-high six scoreless innings. He threw 76 pitches (54 strikes) and generated eight whiffs. Fellow righty Tyler Uberstine, in his first appearance since making his major league debut this past Sunday, followed with three strikeouts across three scoreless frames of relief to preserve the shutout.

Offensively, Braiden Ward stood out by going 1 for 2 with one RBI, one run scored, and two stolen bases. Vinny Capra and Jason Delay both recorded RBI doubles, while Nick Sogard doubled and scored one run. Mickey Gasper and Kristian Campbell each drove in runs as well. Anthony Seigler, who was acquired from the Brewers as part of February's Caleb Durbin trade, drew one walk, stole one base, and scored one run in the first game of a rehab assignment to mark his 2026 debut.

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Portland Sea Dogs 4, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 3

Eduardo Rivera went 4 1/3 innings in his season debut for Portland, allowing one earned run on three hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches (45 strikes) and generated eight whiffs. Isaac Coffey followed out of the bullpen and surrendered two earned runs in two innings. Cooper Adams picked up the win after striking out five over 2 2/3 scoreless frames of relief. On the flip side, Nate Baez went 1 for 3 with one RBI, one walk, and one stolen base. Drew Ehrhard crushed a two-run homer for his lone hit of the night. Ahbram Liendo drew one walk and stole one base before coming through with a walk-off single that scored Nelly Taylor in the bottom of the ninth.

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Greenville Drive 2, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 0

Juan Valera was dominant in his second start of the season for Greenville. The 19-year-old righty yielded just two hits and one walk with a career-high nine strikeouts over five scoreless innings. He threw 56 pitches (39 strikes) and generated 15 whiffs. Joey Gartrell and Steven Brooks combined for eight additional punchouts across four scoreless frames out of the bullpen. At the plate, Isaiah Jackson provided the only scoring with a two-run triple that drove in Henry Godbout and Yoeilin Cespedes. Justin Gonzales doubled for his side's only other extra-base hit.

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Salem RidgeYaks 2, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 1

Dylan Brown tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his second start for Salem, scattering one hit and three walks while striking out eight. He threw 73 pitches (45 strikes) and generated 13 whiffs. Griffin Kilander allowed one unearned run over the next 2 1/3 innings, while Nicolas De La Cruz and Wuilliams Rodriguez combined for three additional shutout frames to end it. Offensively, Andrews Opata and D'Angelo Ortiz accounted for four of their side's six hits. Opata went 2 for 3 with one run scored, one walk, and two stolen bases. Ortiz went 2 for 4 with one RBI. Luke Heyman doubled and drew one walk, while Avinson Pinto tripled and scored one run. Anderson Fermin drew two walks and stole one base.

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Player of the Day: Juan Valera gets the nod for his first standout start of 2026. Not only was the Dominican-born hurler efficient on Thursday night, but he was also lighting up the radar gun by reaching triple digits with his fastball. Through his first two outings of the season, Valera has struck out 16 of the 31 batters he has faced. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 4 pitching prospect behind only Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and Kyson Witherspoon.

Photo Credit: Juan Valera by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Sandoval rehabs in Worcester amid bevy of debuts

2026-04-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

4/9 Cup of Coffee: It was a welcoming day in the Boston organization, as three of the four starters were making their first appearances in the Red Sox system. Patrick Sandval began his rehab assignment for Worcester after the former Angel spent all of 2025 on the shelf following elbow surgery. Newly-acquired righty Gage Ziehl was on the bump for Portland. A trio of debuting arms, all from the SEC, were on assignment in Salem: LSU's Jake Mayers went first, followed by Texas A&M product Myles Patton and Brandon Neely (pictured) via the University of Florida. Salem and Worcester were able to greet their new companions with victories, while Portland dropped its contest. Greenville also fell on Wednesday as the system drew a split.

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Worcester Red Sox 8, Columbus Clippers (CLE) 5

Patrick Sandoval made his first professional appearance in 22 months as he begins his post-Tommy John rehab assignment. A pair of first inning errors (one of his own) led to three unearned runs in the first inning, but he settled in and threw two scoreless frames after that. Overall, Sandoval surrendered three hits across those three frams, walking and striking out three apiece. He was at 92 with his fastball and threw 62 pitches, 35 for strikes. Seth Martinez retired all eight batters he faced in relief. Reidis Sena and Devin Sweet battled shaky control, combining for seven free passes. Sweet vultured the winning decision, allowing a pair of inherited runners to score but getting credit after Worcester's three-run eighth.

A patient approach once again paid off at the plate for Worcester as the lineup worked nine walks in addition to seven singles. Mickey Gasper went 1 for 2 and drew three of those walks, raising his early-season OBP to .548. Kristian Campbell and Mikey Romero drove in two runs apiece, while Vinny Capra had a hit, walk, and hit batsman.

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 11, Portland Sea Dogs 3

It was a tough introduction to the organization for Portland starter Gage Ziehl, acquired over the offseason in the deal that sent David Sandlin to the White Sox. The 22-year-old righty allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits in 2 1/3. A combination of hard-hit balls, seeing-eye singles, and a pair of errors doomed Ziehl, who struck out five and did not issue a walk but saw batters reach base on 10 out of 12 balls in play. Michael Sansone did yeoman's work in bulk relief, going 5 1/3 innings and surrendering four runs (three earned). Catcher Drew Ehrhard was pressed into pitching duty for the final 1 1/3, striking out one batter on an Eephus pitch. The offense managed five hits, two of which came from Franklin Arias, who doubled, hit a sac fly, and drove in all three Sea Dogs runs. Ahbram Liendo was 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored, and Marvin Alcantara tripled for the other Portland knock.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 4, Greenville Drive 1

Greenville managed just one hit in the loss in Spartanburg, with Jack Winnay breaking up the no-hit bid with a one-out single in the sixth. Luis Cohen surrendered a pair of homers as he allowed four runs in 3 2/3 frames, striking out three and walking one. Alex Bouchard went 4 1/3 scoreless in his first appearance of the season, fanning one, walking one, and inducing five ground ball outs.

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Salem RidgeYaks 6, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 3

Salem took its second straight in its inaugural matchup with the former Carolina Mudcats. Three of the RidgeYak hurlers were making their pro debuts. Starter Jake Mayers, Boston's ninth-round pick last July out of LSU, got the start. He surrendered two runs on three hits in three frames, striking out four against three walks. Seventh-round pick Myles Patton got credit for the win in his introduction to the pros Patton went three innings as well, allowing a run on two hits, with four strikeouts and four walks. Brandon Neely was the most impressive of the debuting arms, as the 2024 third-round was finally able to take the mound after missing all of 2025 with elbow soreness. Neely dominated, striking out five of the seven batters he faced in two hitless frames, with the only baserunner coming on an error. Harry Blum, the veteran of the group, recorded the save in his second pro outing.

Avinson Pinto led the way at the plate with a 3-for-4 evening that included two doubles, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored. Andrews Opata tripled twice and was twice driven in by Ty Hodge. Hodge was 1 for 2 with a walk and his 6 for 13 (.462) with five RBI in four games.

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Player of the Day: The long-awaited professional debut of Brandon Neely went as well as could have hoped, with the 22-year-old former Florida Gator went two hitless innings, striking out five. Neely dropped into the third round after an uneven Junior campaign in which he posted a 5.13 ERA but struck out 108 batters in 79 innings in a swingman role. He was unable to debut last season because of elbow soreness that he was able to rehab rather than get surgery. He is currently ranked 49th in the system.

Photo Credit: Brandon Neely by Kelly O'Connor

Adonys Guzman plans to 'impact games behind the plate' for Greenville

2026-04-08T12:00:00.006-04:00

The Red Sox added a catching prospect this offseason who grew up a diehard Yankees fan. Thirty years after Manny Ramirez, Adonys Guzman was born and raised in the Bronx, right down the road from where Ramirez went to high school. Both ended up in the sworn enemy’s uniform.

Guzman was traded to the Red Sox this offseason alongside Johan Oviedo and Tyler Samaniego. The trade came just six months after he was selected in the MLB Draft by Pittsburgh.

"I didn’t really expect it going into it," Guzman said of the trade. "I had just been drafted. I didn’t even know you could get traded that quickly, honestly. But it was a huge blessing. I’m with the new team and I get to play baseball every day. I am meeting new people almost every day. I also have some old teammates here that I played with in college. There is a great culture here and a great environment. I am loving the Red Sox so far."

The University of Arizona product got down to Fort Myers as soon as he could in the first week of January to prep for his first spring training as a professional. "It has been all about learning," Guzman said of his time at the complex. "Just watching the big leaguers work and go about things was eye opening when they were down here. Everything they did was precise and on point. I knew that is what it looked like to be a professional. I was learning as much as I could every single week. Last year, I only got to play in one game in Low-A Bradenton. I just have been learning how it works and what being a pro is all about."

The one game in Low-A is all Guzman has under his belt entering the 2026 season in which he was assigned to Greenville. Red Sox fans will get their first look at Guzman as he will take the field for the Drive this weekend, but what kind of things has he been working on since joining the organization?

"It has been simplifying things on the defensive side," Guzman noted. "I have been working on cleaning up some attack angles. I want to be a little more consistent at the bottom of the zone and have cleaner moves and paths. I am trying to perfect that craft and be as consistent as possible with that. On the offensive side of things, it is all about understanding the kind of hitter I am. I need to understand what I can be and what I can do at the plate. I have been trying some new things out on that end while still keeping my main focus, which is putting the bat on the ball. I don’t like to strike out much, but I am trying to add a little more power. It feels like I am trying new things on a daily basis and trying to see what clicks and what works. I feel like I have learned so much since joining the organization."

As far as the offensive side of his game, as Guzman showed off more of his plate approach during his last season in college.

"I am a guy who puts the bat on the ball," Guzman said. "I like to make contact, but I also feel like I can drive the ball pretty well gap-to-gap for some power. We are working on getting a little more ball flight. That is something I improved a lot on in my later years at Arizona. I think I am a guy who could be useful if I strike out less than twenty-five, thirty percent of the time. I pride myself in my plate discipline. Overall, I am going to put the ball in play, not strike out much, and will still hit doubles and home runs."

Guzman started two games for Greenville during opening weekend and went 1 for 6 with three walks and two strikeouts. Two games is a very small sample size, so what will we see from the 22-year-old throughout the season?

"I think my defense is a very strong attribute of mine," Guzman said. "I think I am a really good hitter too, but I think I can impact games from the defensive end more than some people can. I have a really good arm behind the plate. I like to try to make things happen as a catcher. I will do the best I can with the receiving part because I have a really good arm. I can block pretty well behind the plate too and you will be seeing that over the season."

Photo Credit: Adonys Guzman by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: White powers late rally for Greenville; Finley throws four innings in debut

2026-04-08T07:00:00.255-04:00

4/8 Cup of Coffee: There was plenty of offense throughout the system on Tuesday night, as all four Red Sox affiliates scored at least seven runs. However, the WooSox bullpen was unable to hold onto a late lead and the Sea Dogs could not overcome an early deficit in their home openers. Strong pitching performances in Greenville and Salem led Boston's A-ball affiliates to wins to open their first full series of the season.

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Columbus Clippers (CLE) 14, Worcester Red Sox 10

The WooSox lost in a rollercoaster of a game in the home opener at Polar Park. Worcester fell behind early but put together a seventh-inning rally which saw them cut their deficit to one run on an RBI double by Mikey Romero and then take a 10-8 lead on a three-run blast by Matt Thaiss (pictured). However, the bullpen was unable to hold the late lead despite a strong performance from the WooSox lineup. Romero was 2 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI, raising his average to .342 as he continued a hot start to the season. Kristian Campbell was 3 for 5 with a double.

The WooSox pitching staff was hit hard early and often by the Columbus bats. Starter TJ Sikkema allowed four runs in the first inning and was pulled after two frames. Jacob Webb allowed three more runs in 1 2/3 innings of work while Kyle Keller was able to get through 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Tommy Kahnle made his first appearance with the WooSox after signing a minor league deal a week before the start of the season, allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk in one inning. Noah Song and Wyatt Olds each allowed three runs in shaky relief outings.

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 12, Portland Sea Dogs 7

It was a tale of two innings for Hayden Mullins in his first start of the season. Mullins struck out the side in the first but in his second frame, he walked five batters and was unable to escape the inning. All five runners came around to score as part of a 10-run inning for the Fisher Cats, who scored five more runs off Jorge Juan. Cade Feeney followed him with 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. The Sea Dogs saw their best pitching of the night with the game out of reach in the later innings, as Patrick Halligan and Max Carlson were both excellent. Halligan struck out seven in three shutout frames and Carlson punched out five in two scoreless innings of his own.

The Sea Dogs bats chipped away but were unable to come back after New Hampshire's early offensive outburst. Catcher Nate Baez ripped an RBI double in the second inning and was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored in the game. Miguel Bleis hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, as part of a 1-for-4 night. Will Turner was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

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Greenville Drive 7, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 2

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Drive were blanked through the first five innings on Tuesday night. However, Greenville finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth inning on an RBI forceout off the bat of Isaiah Jackson before second baseman Mason White laced an RBI double to tie the game. That duo delivered again in the eighth inning, as Jackson put the Drive ahead with an RBI single and then White ripped a two-run homer. White, a fourth-round draft pick last year, was 2 for 4 with three RBI in the game. Justin Gonzales was 2 for 5 in the game and drove in a run with a single in the ninth.

Starting pitcher Shea Sprague tossed four solid innings to open the game, allowing two runs while striking out four batters with no walks. Jojo Ingrassia was lights out in three innings of relief, allowing just one walk and no hits while fanning four. Austin Erlicher struck out a pair of batters in two scoreless innings to close out the win.

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Salem RidgeYaks 10, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 2

In a big night for the Salem lineup, catcher Kleyver Salazar was right in the middle of the action out of the third spot in the lineup. Salazar was 4 for 5 with two doubles and he drove in a pair of runs with RBI singles in the first and fourth innings. Enddy Azocar, the 15th-ranked prospect in the system, was 2 for 5 and collected an RBI double in the fourth inning. Ty Hodge was 3 for 4 with a walk and drove in a pair of runs with a double.

A sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft, starting pitcher Leighton Finley made his organizational debut on Tuesday night and threw four strong innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks. Barrett Morgan struck out two batters in 2/3 innings of relief before departing with a back injury. Gilbel Galvan allowed an unearned run on two walks while striking out three batters in 2 1/3 innings. Adam Bates allowed three walks in two scoreless innings to finish the game.

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Player of the Day: Catcher Matt Thaiss had a monster performance in Worcester's loss, reaching base four times as he went 2 for 2 with two walks. Thaiss also delivered a clutch three-run homer in the seventh inning and a sacrifice fly as he drove in four runs in the game. Thaiss signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox over the offseason and is off to a strong start through five games, going 5 for 16 (.313).

Photo Credit: Matt Thaiss by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Organization gets pair of Rule 5 picks back, Uberstine makes Major League debut

2026-04-07T12:00:00.055-04:00

The baseball season kicked off in its fullest this week as the High-A and Low-A seasons began over the weekend. While the Minor League season got into full swing, a Boston farmhand made the trip to Fenway Park to pitch in the big leagues for the first time in his career.

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Uberstine makes Major League debut

With pitcher Johan Oviedo going to the injured list with an elbow strain and Garrett Whitlock heading to the paternity list over the weekend, the Red Sox made a pair of call-ups from Worcester before the team's home opener. One of those promotions was starting pitcher Tyler Uberstine, who capped off an incredible journey to reach the Major Leagues for the first time in his career. Uberstine debuted on Sunday afternoon against the Padres and looked impressive. While the right-hander took the loss in Boston's 8-6 defeat, he pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits (one home run) with a walk and three strikeouts.

Uberstine was drafted by the Red Sox in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB draft and appeared in Worcester's second game of this season, pitching four innings, before getting the promotion.

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Rule 5 returnees

A pair of Rule 5 selections from the Red Sox farm system were officially returned to Boston after failing to stay on Major League rosters.

Angel Bastardo, who last pitched in the organization in 2024, was returned from the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander missed all of 2025 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery and was assigned to Worcester and placed on the development list.
After making the Opening Day roster for the Chicago White Sox, Jedixon Paez was returned to Boston and assigned to Worcester as well. Paez made his Major League debut on Opening Day and appeared in three games for the White Sox, allowing six runs in three innings while walking three and striking out none.

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Other Transactions

In the early season, the lone injury of the week came from Portland, where Opening Day pitcher Blake Wehunt was placed on the 7-day injured list with a hamstring injury. Wehunt managed to record just one out and allowed three runs before leaving the game.
To complete the trade that landed the Red Sox Sonny Gray, Boston sent Patrick Galle to the Cardinals on Monday. Galle, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted in the 17th round in the 2025 draft out of Ole Miss and appeared in one game for Salem. He allowed a run on two hits with one strikeout in two innings of work.

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Where are they now

With plenty of trades made by Boston over the last year, a plethora of former players have made their mark on their new clubs early on

Arguably, no player has started their season hotter than James Tibbs III. Through his first nine games with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the outfielder has slugged seven home runs and boasts a 1.719 OPS in 43 plate appearances. Tibbs III, along with Zach Ehrhard, were acquired from Boston in last July's deadline deal that landed the Red Sox Dustin May.
In Milwaukee, a pair of former Red Sox from last season have hit the ground running. Infielder David Hamilton has appeared in six games for the Brewers and has slashed .235/.458/.235 with four stolen bases along with a 7:4 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Along with Hamilton, starting pitcher Kyle Harrison has been spectacular in his first two starts with his new team. The left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA across 10 innings with 14 strikeouts and just three walks. Both Hamilton and Harrison were dealt to Milwaukee in the winter deal that sent Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monestario, and Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox.

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Players of the Week March 30-April 6

Mickey Gasper, C, Worcester Red Sox

6 G, 25 AB, 10 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 7 BB, 7 K .400/.531/.840

Gasper has made quite the impact in his first week back with the Boston organization since 2024. The 30-year-old backstop has recorded a hit in each of the first six contests he's appeared in and has shown tremendous control of the strike zone in the early going. Gasper's best game of the young season came on Sunday when he went 3 for 5 with a solo home run, a grand slam, five runs driven in, and a walk in Worcester's 11-9 extra-inning victory over St. Paul.

Jake Bennett, LHP, Worcester Red Sox

2 G, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 0.00 ERA

In his first taste of the Boston organization since coming over from Washington in a trade, the southpaw has looked the part through his first two outings. Bennett got the Opening Day nod and pitched three innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts. Bennett's second start topped his first as he recorded five shutout frames with a single hit and four strikeouts to round out his pitching line.

Photo Credit: Tyler Uberstine by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep #409: Opening Day Rankings Discussion

2026-04-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Editor-In-Chief Mike Andrews to discuss the latest Red Sox major league and minor league news. They discuss the Red Sox slow start, Johan Oviedo’s injury, players off to hot starts in the minors and Blake Wehunt’s injury. After that, they go in depth on the SoxProspects opening day rankings and breakdown all the risers, all the fallers and the grade changes! They then wrap up the show by answering your emails!

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Cup of Coffee: Tolle strikes out seven; Gasper homers twice

2026-04-06T07:00:00.081-04:00

4/6 Cup of Coffee: With Greenville and Salem off and Portland rained out, all eyes were on the WooSox. Payton Tolle and Mickey Gasper (pictured) helped the team sweep a doubleheader over St. Paul. Kristian Campbell also went deep for Worcester, while Mikey Romero continued his hot start.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, St. Paul Saints (MIN) 2 (Game One)

It was a great bounce back start for Payton Tolle as he stifled the Saints in the first game of a doubleheader. Tolle allowed two runs (one earned) over six innings while walking one and striking out seven. He threw 50 of his 74 pitches for strikes, and he generated 11 whiffs. The save went to Noah Song as he pitched a spotless seventh. On offense, Nate Eaton accounted for the team's lone extra-base hit as he laced a 111-mph double. Mikey Romero ripped a two-run single as part of a 1-for-4 day, and Allan Castro went 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a throwing error.

Worcester Red Sox 11, St. Paul Saints 9 (Game Two, 10 innings)

Mickey Gasper staked the WooSox to an early lead, and they needed every bit of it to hold off the Saints. Gasper hit a solo home run in the first inning and he followed that up with a grand slam in the second. He finished 3 for 5 with a walk and the five RBI. Kristian Campbell also went deep for his first home run of the year. Aside from Gasper, the other two players with multi-hit games were Vinny Capra and Romero. Capra went 2 for 3 with two doubles, two walks, and three runs scored, while Romero went 2 for 4 with a double.

Worcester used five pitchers, with Seth Martinez and Reidis Sena being the only two to not allow multiple runs. Martinez allowed one run over two innings, while Sena picked up the win by throwing the last three innings and allowing just an unearned run.

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Portland Sea Dogs @ Somerset Patriots (NYY), PPD (rain)

After splitting the first two games of the series, the rubber match got rained out. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on April 29.

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Player of the Day: Two home runs, including a grand slam, from Mickey Gasper helped lead the WooSox. The 30-year-old catcher only played in one of the team's two games on Sunday, but he did enough damage to earn this award. He is now hitting .400 with a 1.371 OPS through his first 25 at-bats. This is after posting a 1.062 OPS in spring training. The New Hampshire native has made three starts at first base and two at catcher as he splits time behind the plate with Matt Thaiss and Jason Delay.

Photo Credit: Mickey Gasper by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Sogard stays hot at the plate, Eyanson makes pro debut in Greenville

2026-04-05T07:00:00.117-04:00

It was a day full of headlines across the Boston farm system. Nick Sogard continued his torrid start to 2026 in a Worcester win while John Holobetz dazzled for Portland. Down in Greenville, a pair of 2025 draft picks made their pro debuts on the mound.

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Worcester Red Sox 5, St. Paul Saints (MIN) 3

The WooSox flexed their power on Saturday, scoring all of their runs from home runs. Mickey Gasper started the day offensively for Worcester with a two-run shot in the top of the first, which drove in Nick Sogard, who walked to start the game. In the third frame, Sogard would add his third home run of the young season with a solo shot. Nate Eaton followed the infielder with his first big fly to cap off a back-to-back attack. The final tally of the day came off the bat of Tsung-Che-Chung, who connected with his second home run to put Worcester out to a 5-0 lead after four innings.

On the mound, Jake Bennett was stellar in his second appearance. Over five innings of work, the left-hander held St. Paul scoreless while allowing a single hit with two walks and five strikeouts added to his line. Jacob Webb followed Bennett with a pair of scoreless innings before Kyle Keller ran into trouble in the eighth. Keller was charged with three earned runs on four hits (one home run) and a walk. Tayron Guerrero came on in the ninth and grabbed his second save of the year with a scoreless ninth.

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Portland Sea Dogs 1, Somerset Patriots (NYY) 0

Three Portland pitchers combined for the shutout as John Holobetz turned in a strong outing in his first start of the year. After posting a 3.03 ERA in 2025, the right-hander tossed five shutout frames along with a pair of hits, a pair of walks, and three strikeouts. While Holobetz was keeping Somerset scoreless, the Sea Dogs scored their lone run of the game in the third. After Tyler McDonough reached on a fielder's choice, he stole second, advanced to third on a single by Nate Baez, and eventually scored on an RBI groundout from Ronald Rosario.

After Holobetz, Isaac Coffey pitched the following two innings, allowing a single hit but preventing any runs from scoring. After Coffey, Erik Rivera earned a two-inning save with a scoreless eighth and ninth with three strikeouts.

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Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 10, Greenville Drive 4

Anthony Eyanson made his first appearance in professional baseball as he got the start. The third round pick in last year's draft struck out six over three innings with just a solo home run standing as the only blemish on his line while throwing 33 of his 51 pitches for strikes. Fellow draft pick Marcus Phillips relieved Eyanson in what was hoped to be a bulk outing. Phillips struggled with his command and managed to only get two outs in the fourth inning before being taken out. The right-hander walked three, gave up three hits, and three runs. Calvin Bickerstaff came on after Phillips and pitched well over 3 1/3 innings, allowing no runs with two strikeouts. P.J. Labriola struggled in the eighth and ninth innings, allowing five runs on just two hits (both home runs) while only recording four outs.

Offensively, Yoeilin Cespedes stayed hot at the plate with a 3-for-5 outing with his fourth double of the season. Justin Gonzales also belted his second home run in as many days, sending an eighth-inning pitch over the left field wall. Jack Winnay added a hit and walked twice in the contest as well.

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Salem RidgeYaks 5, Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 3

It was another pro debut for one of the 2025 draft picks as Christian Foutch earned the start and struck out a pair of hitters over three scoreless innings. Foutch departed with the RidgeYaks leading 2-0 after Salem plated a pair of runs in the second inning. With two outs in the inning, Avinson Pinto reached base on a throwing error, and Stanley Tucker followed him with a single, sending Pinto to third. With Frederik Jimenez at the plate, a wild pitch scored Pinto and sent Tucker to second. The very next batter, Tucker stole third base and came home to score on another throwing error. The RidgeYaks added a run in the fifth on a Luke Heyman run-scoring single and two in the eighth on an RBI walk by Jimenez and a wild pitch that plated Pinto for the second time.

Following Foutch on the mound, Devin Futrell pitched in bulk relief and held Delmarva scoreless over four innings while striking out six. After Harry Blum pitched a scoreless eighth, Griffin Kilander allowed three runs and had the tying run on second base before closing the game out for the victory.

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Player of the Day: Arguably, no one in the Boston organization has been off to a hotter start to 2026 than Nick Sogard. After a 1-for-3 day with two walks and a home run on Saturday, the infielder is slashing .368/.571/.895 with three home runs, six runs batted in, along with a 9:2 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Sogard has tapped into his power early on after only hitting five home runs with Worcester across 91 games last season.

Photo Credit: Nick Sogard by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Witherspoon debuts and Gonzales goes deep in Greenville

2026-04-04T07:00:00.036-04:00

4/4 Cup of Coffee: It was tough going on the system's first scheduled slate of full-season games. Three teams combined to allow 40 runs while Worcester was unable to play for a second straight day. Kyson Witherspoon had mixed results in Greenville for his professional debut, while Justin Gonzales (pictured) had a big day at the plate and afield. Salem surrendered a late four-run lead despite the best efforts of Anderson Fermin. Little went right in Portland's season opener as the Sea Dogs were outhit 22 to three in a blowout loss.

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Worcester Red Sox @ St. Paul Saints, canceled

A rainy and cold day in Minnesota made Friday's game unplayable. The teams will make up Thursday's rainout with a doubleheader on Sunday, while the Friday contest will not be scheduled.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 18, Portland Sea Dogs 2

It was a season opener to forget for the Sea Dogs. Blake Wehunt drew the starting assignment coming out of a strong showing in spring training, but he faced just four batters, allowing two homers, a walk, and a fly out before departing with an injury. A quartet of relievers fared little better, giving up 15 runs in 7 2/3 innings. It was a promising start to the season for the organization's top position player prospect, as Franklin Arias went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Max Ferguson hit a solo homer to account for the other Portland score.

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Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 11, Greenville Drive 7

The long-awaited debut of 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon began auspiciously enough, as he quickly erased a leadoff ground ball single with a 5-4-3 double play. However, several grounders found eyes into the outfield, and he surrendered a solo home run. Overall, Witherspoon gave up four runs on six hits in 3 1/3, striking out two and walking one. He pounded the strike zone, throwing 39 of 60 pitches for strikes. Joe Vogatsky had a strong effort out of the bullpen, giving up just one unearned run in 3 1/3 innings, striking out four without walking a batter. Catcher Hudson White was called in for mop-up duty to pitch a scoreless ninth.

Justin Gonzales led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer, his first in 13 games with the Drive, going back to last year. The system's eighth-ranked player also ripped a pair of singles, driving in another run. It was not only at the plate where he excelled; Gonzales threw out two runners from right field, one at second base and another at third. Yoeilin Cespedes went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles, while Mason White and Nazzan Zanetello both went deep for the Drive.

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Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 11, Salem RidgeYaks 10

The first loss of the RidgeYak era came after squandering a 10-6 advantage. Anderson Fermin was a catalyst for the offense, hitting a two-run homer, drawing three walks, and scoring three runs. Stanley Tucker had a three-run shot of his own, along with a single, a walk, and a stolen base. Ty Hodge was on base four times, going 2 for 3 with two walks and three runs scored. Starter Madinson Frias allowed six runs on six hits in 1 2/3. He struck out and walked three apiece. Adam Bates allowed one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless frames of relief.

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Player of the Day: Coming on the heels of his 2025 breakout performance, Justin Gonzales had a monster day Friday. The 19-year-old did not surprise anyone when he blasted a leadoff homer and singled twice. However, for those unfamiliar with the rest of Gonzales' game, the right fielder showed off his strong arm with a pair of outfield assists. Those two match his total in 76 games in the outfield last year.

Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Brown shines for Salem in pro debut; Valera fans seven in Greenville

2026-04-03T07:00:00.207-04:00

4/3 Cup of Coffee: While Worcester's game in St. Paul was postponed, Greenville and Salem opened their seasons at home on Thursday. Juan Valera struck out seven, and Freili Encarnacion homered, but the Drive ultimately fell to Greensboro in extras. In Salem, Dylan Brown (pictured) got the RidgeYaks era off to a promising start by delivering five scoreless innings and a win in his professional debut.

A reminder that Portland opens its season on the road against Somerset (NYY) on Friday evening.

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Worcester Red Sox @ St. Paul Saints (MIN) (PPD)

This game was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on a date still to be determined.

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Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 9, Greenville Drive 5 (11 innings)

Juan Valera got the start in Greenville's season opener and went 3 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits (including one homer), two walks, and seven strikeouts. The 19-year-old righty threw 53 pitches (32 strikes) and generated 13 whiffs. Joey Gartrell, making his High-A debut, took over out of the bullpen and struck out a pair over 2 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. Steven Brooks, also making his High-A debut, struck out three across two innings of one-run ball. Jay Allmer, who took the loss, and PJ Labriola combined to surrender six runs (four earned) in extras.

Offensively, Greenville was held scoreless until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Freili Encarnacion got his side on the board with a game-tying three-run shot for his first home run of the season and lone hit of the night. Jack Winnay went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, while Isaiah Jackson drove in one run and scored another. Yoeilin Cespedes doubled and drew one walk in his High-A debut.

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Salem RidgeYaks 5, Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 4

Dylan Brown earned the win in his professional debut for Salem. The 2025 eighth-rounder out of Old Dominion got the start and tossed five scoreless innings, scattering just two hits and no walks while striking out six of the 16 batters he faced. He threw 52 pitches (40 strikes) and generated nine whiffs. Fellow 2025 draftee Patrick Galle took over out of the bullpen and allowed one run in two innings of relief. Gilbel Galvan surrendered three additional runs over the contest's final two frames but held on to secure the victory.

At the plate, Skylar King got his first full season in pro ball off to an encouraging start by going 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs. D'Angelo Ortiz also went 2 for 4 with a pair of stolen bases. Starlyn Nunez went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and one stolen base out of the leadoff spot. Batting behind him, Enddy Azocar drove in one run and scored another. Luke Heyman (making his professional debut) and Ilan Fernandez (making his full-season debut) combined for five walks and two runs scored. Andrews Opata drew one walk and swiped one bag in his pro debut as well.

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Player of the Day: Dylan Brown gets the nod for his performance on the mound in Salem. The 21-year-old left-hander was clearly dialed in for his first professional start, as he faced just one over the minimum across five efficient innings of work. He is currently ranked as the No. 60 prospect in the organization after receiving a $229,000 signing bonus last July.

Photo Credit: Dylan Brown by Kelly O'Connor

2026 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 2 - Pitchers

2026-04-02T12:00:00.327-04:00

For the second and final part of SoxProspects.com's 2026 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we turn our attention to the mound and recognize some of the more well-regarded pitchers in the Red Sox farm system. This group of eight includes five starting pitchers who all rank in the system's top 10, and three relievers in the upper minors.

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Kyson Witherspoon: Starting Pitcher, Greenville Drive

The first of three 2025 draftees on the list, Witherspoon will headline a stacked Greenville rotation in 2026. The first-round pick out of the University of Oklahoma was an NCAA First-Team All-American and Golden Spikes Semifinalist in 2025 after pitching to a 2.65 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 95 innings. The Red Sox drafted him 15th overall despite him being a consensus top-10 talent. In the Spring Breakout game, his fastball averaged 96 mph while also featuring a slider, cutter, and changeup. He only threw the changeup twice, and that will be a key pitch for him to develop to neutralize left-handed hitters. Red Sox fans will hope he follows in Payton Tolle's footsteps, as Tolle was promoted after just 49 2/3 innings with the Drive.

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Juan Valera: Starting Pitcher, Greenville Drive

Valera was the 2024 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year and a 2025 SoxProspects.com Pre-Season All-Star, but he spent a significant amount of time on the injured list beginning in May 2025 with elbow soreness. The 19-year-old has premium velocity, and he once again hit 100 mph in the Spring Breakout game. His fastball averaged 99 mph in that game while mixing in a cutter, changeup, sinker, and sweeper. Staying healthy while continuing to refine his secondary pitches could rocket Valera up the national prospect lists, and MLB Pipeline predicted he would be the system's top prospect in 2028. Valera has a high-variance profile, but his upside is up there with any prospect in the organization.

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Jake Bennett: Starting Pitcher, Worcester Red Sox

Bennett was acquired from Paul Toboni and the Washington Nationals in exchange for Luis Perales in December 2025. The Nationals drafted Bennett in the second round in 2022, and the 6-foot-6 left-hander took a big step forward in 2025. Also a product of the University of Oklahoma, Bennett was great in Low-A in his first full season in 2023, but he hurt his elbow in the summer and ultimately got Tommy John surgery. This caused him to miss the entire 2024 season and the first month of 2025. Once he debuted, his stock started to rise as he posted a 1.90 ERA in High-A and a 2.56 ERA in Double-A. He went to the Arizona Fall League, where he was named a Rising Star as he struck out 25 over 20 innings with a 4.50 ERA in the hitter-friendly environment. He is on the 40-man roster and slotted into Worcester's rotation, and he will look to push his way into the big league picture as an important depth piece.

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Anthony Eyanson: Starting Pitcher, Greenville Drive

Eyanson was arguably the breakout star of the Spring Breakout game on March 20. After topping out at 97 mph last year at LSU, Eyanson hit triple-digits with his fastball against the Orioles. His cutter and curveball were also very impressive as he struck out the side in his only inning of work. The 21-year-old fell to the third round in the 2025 draft, and Boston signed him to an above-slot deal valued closer to pick 39 than his actual draft position of 87. He was the number two starter on an LSU team that won the College World Series in 2025, and he also pitched for the Team USA Collegiate National Team. He finished third in Division I in strikeouts as a junior and was a First Team All-American.

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Marcus Phillips: Starting Pitcher, Greenville Drive

The third pitcher on the list who the Red Sox drafted out of an SEC school in 2025 is Phillips. The 21-year-old was the number two starter for the University of Tennessee behind fifth-overall pick Liam Doyle. While Phillips did not hit triple digits in the Spring Breakout game, he did register a 100 mph fastball in college. The 33rd-overall pick pitched out of the bullpen in 2024, so he only threw 20 innings that season before ramping up to 83 innings as a junior. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox manage his innings differently than Witherspoon or Eyanson, as Phillips is the lower-mileage arm of the three. The high-ceiling right-hander was originally slated to start the year in Low-A Salem, but the Red Sox decided to keep the three 2025 draftees together in Greenville. All three players lived together last summer in Fort Myers, and they continued to do so this spring.

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Tyler Samaniego: Relief Pitcher, Worcester Red Sox

Samaniego did his best to push for a major league roster spot this spring after throwing 5 1/3 shutout innings while allowing one hit and two walks to go with six strikeouts. He was ultimately optioned to Worcester, where he will be the top left-hander in the bullpen. The 27-year-old was acquired this offseason from Pittsburgh along with Johan Oviedo and Adonys Guzman in exchange for Jhostynxon Garcia and Jesus Travieso. Pittsburgh added him to the 40-man roster last November after he posted a 3.08 ERA over 26 1/3 innings with 30 strikeouts in Double-A. He is now getting his first taste of Triple-A as he looks to take another step forward in 2026. He did undergo an internal brace procedure in 2024, but he came back in 2025 with a cleaned-up delivery that helped improve his command and control.

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Noah Song: Relief Pitcher, Worcester Red Sox

Song's time in the organization goes back to 2019, when he was a fourth-round pick out of Navy. He appeared in seven games after being drafted, but was then ordered to report to flight school in June 2020 while the minor league season was cancelled. He graduated in April 2022 from flight school, and he submitted a service waiver request to resume his baseball career. Before that was approved, the Phillies selected him in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. His waiver was approved, and he returned to the mound in 2023. A back injury cost him three months, and the Phillies ultimately sent him back to the Red Sox in August 2023. He then had Tommy John surgery in April 2024 and returned to throw 55 innings in 2025. He was one of the more interesting players in camp in 2026, using a plus slider to allow one run on three hits over eight innings in spring training. The Red Sox plan to develop him as a multi-inning reliever, and he figures to be a fan favorite in Worcester's bullpen.

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Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Relief Pitcher, Portland Sea Dogs

Wu-Yelland was a 2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star after striking out 71 over 45 2/3 innings between Greenville and Portland. The left-hander has struggled to stay on the mound throughout his career, but he is an impressive pitcher when healthy. Drafted in the fourth round in 2020, Wu-Yelland missed all of 2022 with Tommy John surgery, and he made only three rehab starts in 2023 before being shut down with another injury. He then missed about two months due to injury in 2024, and just under a month in 2025, with lower back stiffness. He drastically improved his control in 2025, and his deceptive delivery and intriguing arsenal have allowed him to miss bats at every level. Fans will hope he can build on his results with Portland last year, where he was dominant before a late-season trip to the injured list.

Photo Credit: All except for Tyler Samaniego by Kelly O'Connor. Tyler Samaniego by MiLB.com

Cup of Coffee: Cheng, Romero spur Worcester comeback

2026-04-02T07:00:00.010-04:00

4/2 Cup of Coffee: The WooSox didn't draw 20 walks like they did in Tuesday's series opener, but three players with three-hit games was enough to come away with the win. Worcester will get some company on the schedule Thursday, as Greenville and Salem both open the Class A schedule.

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Worcester Red Sox 5, St. Paul Saints (MIN) 4

Far from Tuesday's walk in the park, Worcester fell into an early hole before clawing its way back to the comeback win. Starter Jack Anderson surrendered a grand slam to highly-touted Twins outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez in the third inning, giving the Saints a 4-0 advantage. The WooSox responded in the fourth with a Tsung-Che Cheng (pictured) solo homer. Cheng added a pair of singles and a stolen base, as well as executing a ninth-inning squeeze play that knotted the game at 4-4. Matt Thaiss followed with a go-ahead single, his third knock of the game. Mikey Romero made loud contact all afternoon with a double, two singles, and two 113-mph lineouts.

Outstanding work by the Worcester bullpen shut down the Saints following that third-inning blast. Noah Song went 1 1/3, striking out one and walking one. Zack Kelly and Tyler Samaniego worked a scoreless frame apiece, while Wyatt Olds went the final two, striking out three, to earn his second victory of the year.

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Greenville and Salem both kick off their seasons on Thursday. The Drive will host the Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) in a shortened series, while the RidgeYaks era begins in Salem against the Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL). Portland follows with its season opener on the road in Somerset (NYY) on Friday.

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Player of the Day: It was an all-around strong performance for Tsung-Che Cheng, who played both the longball with a solo homer and small ball with a stolen base and a bunt squeeze. Originally signed as an international free agent by Pittsburgh back in 2019, Cheng reached the majors for three games in 2025 with the Pirates. Designated for assignment at the end of last season, Boston nabbed him on waivers as an important piece of its infield depth.

Photo Credit: Kelly O'Connor

2026 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 1 - Position Players

2026-04-01T12:00:00.522-04:00

For the first part of SoxProspects.com's 2026 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we start with the position players. This group of nine includes seven of the organization's top 20 prospects and two others who are also ranked. Stay tuned for the pitching portion of the 2026 Pre-Season All-Stars list coming on Thursday.

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Luke Heyman: Catcher, Salem RidgeYaks

Heyman, 22, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 31 prospect. A 14th-round selection of the Mariners in last year's draft out of Florida, Heyman was acquired by the Red Sox for right-hander Alex Hoppe in November. In his junior season with the Gators, the right-handed hitter earned All-SEC First Team honors by batting .301/.397/.578 with seven doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 44 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 22 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 49 games (204 plate appearances). He did not play in an affiliated game after signing with Seattle for an over-slot $230,000 in July, as he was rehabbing from a broken forearm. To that end, he will make his professional debut once he takes the field for Salem to start the 2026 campaign.

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Justin Gonzales: First Baseman, Greenville Drive

Gonzales, 19, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second consecutive year and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 8 prospect. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000 in January 2024, Gonzales turned heads in his 2025 stateside debut. In 93 games between the FCL, Salem, and Greenville, the right-handed hitter batted .281/.363/.390 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 32 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 39 walks, and 65 strikeouts over 310 plate appearances. He was recognized as a Carolina League Post-Season All-Star and SoxProspects.com's Breakout Player of the Year. On the heels of another eye-popping spring, Gonzales is slated to return to Greenville out of the gate in 2026.

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Henry Godbout: Second Baseman, Greenville Drive

Godbout, 22, is another first-time Pre-Season All-Star and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 11 prospect. The Virginia product was selected by the Red Sox with the 75th overall pick in last year's draft, which they had received as compensation for losing Nick Pivetta to the Padres in free agency. He signed for $1.0938 million in July and made his professional debut with Greenville in August. Though an injury limited him to 13 games, the right-handed hitter slashed an impressive .341/.473/.477 with six doubles, five RBIs, six runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and six strikeouts over his first 55 plate appearances for the Drive. Like Gonzales, Godbout is expected to return to Greenville for the start of his first full season as a pro.

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Mikey Romero: Third Baseman, Worcester Red Sox

Romero, 22, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second straight year and is currently ranked one spot below Godbout as the No. 12 prospect in the system. The 2022 first-rounder out of Orange Lutheran is coming off a solid 2025 campaign in which he batted .245/.300/.452 with 33 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 76 RBIs, 61 runs scored, five stolen bases, 34 walks, and 132 strikeouts in 111 games (489 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester. He led the organization in several offensive categories and was rewarded with his first non-roster invite to major league camp this spring. The left-handed hitter returned to Worcester to start his 2026 season.

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Franklin Arias: Shortstop, Portland Sea Dogs

Arias, 20, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second straight year and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect behind only left-hander Payton Tolle. Signed out of Venezuela for $525,000 in January 2023, Arias burst onto the scene in his 2024 stateside debut and followed that by advancing through three levels in 2025. The slick-fielding right-handed hitter slashed .278/.335/.388 with 27 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 66 RBIs, 62 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 53 strikeouts in 116 games (526 plate appearances) between Salem, Greenville, and Portland en route to picking up SoxProspects.com All-Star honors. He is slated to return to Portland to begin 2026.

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Harold Rivas: Outfielder, FCL Red Sox

Rivas, who turns 18 in May, is another first-time Pre-Season All-Star and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 18 prospect. The native Venezuelan received the second-largest bonus ($950,000) in Boston's 2025 international signing class and had a solid pro debut in the Dominican Summer League last season. In 46 games for DSL Red Sox Blue, the right-handed hitter batted .258/.393/.384 with six doubles, four triples, two home runs, 20 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 35 strikeouts over 196 plate appearances. After arriving in Fort Myers earlier this spring, Rivas is in line to make his stateside debut once the 2026 Florida Complex League season begins.

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Enddy Azocar: Outfielder, Salem RidgeYaks
Azocar, 19, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time and is currently ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the system. Signed out of Venezuela for $40,000 in January 2024, Azocar really did not appear on the radar until arriving for his first stateside spring training last year. He then got his 2025 season off to a blistering start in the Florida Complex League before cooling off upon moving up to Salem in late May. Between the two affiliates, the right-handed hitter slashed .232/.302/.355 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 78 strikeouts in 85 games (345 plate appearances). Despite the offensive struggles at Low-A, Azocar still produced intriguing batted ball data. He is expected to return to Salem to start his 2026 season.

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Allan Castro: Outfielder, Worcester Red Sox

Castro, who turns 23 in May, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second time and is currently ranked one spot below Azocar as the organization's No. 16 prospect. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $100,000 in July 2019, Castro spent all of 2025 with Portland. The switch-hitter was recognized as the Sea Dogs' MVP after batting .268/.353/.400 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 37 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 44 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 92 games (388 plate appearances). He broke camp with Worcester this spring to reach the Triple-A level for the first time.

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Dorian Soto: Utilityman, FCL Red Sox

Soto, 18, is a first-time Pre-Season All-Star and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 9 prospect. The Dominican native received the largest bonus ($1.4 million) in Boston's 2025 international signing class and earned Dominican Summer League All-Star honors in his professional debut. The switch-hitting infielder slashed .307/.362/.428 with 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 47 games (186 plate appearances) between DSL Red Sox Blue and Red. Like Rivas, expect Soto to make his stateside debut in the 2026 Florida Complex League.

Photo Credit: All by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Sogard homers twice, WooSox draw 20 walks in blowout win

2026-04-01T07:00:00.145-04:00

4/1 Cup of Coffee: The patience and power of the WooSox lineup was on full display on Tuesday night, as the WooSox drew an incredible 20 walks and homered four times in their series opener in St. Paul.

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Worcester Red Sox 19, St. Paul Saints (MIN) 3

The WooSox came out of the gates hot, as they batted around and scored eight runs in the top of the first. Worcester's monster first inning was highlighted by three home runs, including a three-run homer by Allan Castro and back-to-back home runs by Vinny Capra and Nick Sogard (pictured). Worcester put together another offensive explosion in the sixth inning, batting around again and scoring another ten runs. Sogard capped the rally with a grand slam and Jason Delay laced a two-run double in the inning. Capra and Delay both reached base five times in the game, each going 2 for 3 with three walks. Castro's first-inning homer was his first hit at the Triple-A level, as he was 1 for 4 with two walks and four RBI on the night.

Left-hander TJ Sikkema started for the WooSox, making his first appearance in the Red Sox organization after signing a minor league deal this winter. Sikkema struggled with his control but was able to minimize the damage in 2 2/3 innings, walking four batters and allowing three hits but allowing only one run to score. Reidis Sena allowed two runs on three walks in 1/3 inning of relief. Seth Martinez posted the strongest pitching performance of the night, as he tossed three innings and allowed only one baserunner on a hit by pitch. Devin Sweet added two scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and a walk. Tayron Guerrero closed out the game with a shutout ninth inning.

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Player of the Day: In a banner night for the WooSox lineup, Nick Sogard was the star of the show. He collected his first two home runs of the season, including a grand slam in the sixth, and went 3 for 5 with a walk, three runs scored, and five RBI on the night. Sogard is off to a hot start this season, as he has gone 5 for 11 (.455) in four games with the WooSox.

Photo Credit: Nick Sogard by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Early breaks camp in rotation, Triple-A season begins

2026-03-31T12:00:00.007-04:00

The 2026 season is underway, as Boston and Worcester kicked off their seasons on Thursday and Friday last week. Portland, Greenville, and the newly-branded Salem RidgeYaks will follow in the coming days. Here at SoxProspects.com, we switch into regular season mode with our Minor Notes, the weekly breakdown of all the news on the system.

Early makes rotation as rosters are set

The final tweaks to the major league roster came down last week, and the most notable news was that 23-year-old lefty Connelly Early (pictured) made the major league rotation out of spring training. Early, currently ranked third in the system, was initally expected to open in Worcester, but a strong spring training on the heels of his impressive introduction to the majors at the end of 2025 earned him the nod. News that he would make the major league squad came last week, and the confirmation that Early would start was announced as the MLB rotation was set. Ryan Watson (#30) held on for the other open roster spot. Watson was taken in the Rule 5 draft by Oakland and then flipped to the Red Sox for infield Justin Riemer. Had he not made the roster, Boston would have needed to offer him back to the Giants.

The rest of the MLB and Triple-A rosters went largely as expected. The WooSox roster features the system's top ranked prospect, left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle. Other ranked prospects include Jake Bennett (#6), Mikey Romero (#12), Tyler Uberstine (#13), Allan Castro (#19), and Tyler Samaniego (#26). The full list of assignments can be found on our 2026 Projected Rosters page.

Transaction Log

With the finalization of the season-opening rosters, the Red Sox placed several players on the injured list. First baseman Tristan Casas, third baseman Anthony Seigler, and pitchers Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval will all begin the season on the IL. Casas continues his recovery from the patellar tendon injury that knocked him out for much of 2025. Crawford continues his road back from his 2025 wrist surgery, while Sandoval was out for all of '25 after his Tommy John procedure. Seigler is suffereing from tendonitis in his left knee which kept him out of spring training.

The team also released four players:

Brendan Rodgers was released from his minor league deal and then signed to a two-year deal. The MLB veteran and former first-round pick was expected to compete for a spot on the major league bench, but he suffered a shoulder injury early in spring training that is likely to keep him out for much of the season.
Vinny Nittoli was also released. Another veteran signed to a minor league deal in the offseason, Nittoli suffered a UCL injury that will require internal brace surgery, knocking him out for 2026.
Minor leaguers Juan Chacon and Yohander Linarez were released. Chacon was the team's top international free agent in the July 2019 class, getting a $900,000 bonus. He showed some on-base skills but his ability to hit with authority never followed.

Rule 5 maneuvering

As mentioned above, Ryan Watson made the Red Sox opening day roster. He will need to stick with the team all year or be placed on waivers. If he clears, he would be offered back to the San Francisco Giants, who would not need to keep him on their 40-man roster.

Jedixson Paez made the Chicago White Sox in a long relief role. The right-hander has appeared in two games, allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Paez has excellent control, having walked on 49 batters in 307 minor league innings.

Angel Bastardo did not make the Blue Jays, but there has not yet been an update to his roster status. The right-handed pitcher missed all of 2025 after Tommy John Surgery. Due to weirdness in Rule 5 specifics, Bastardo would have only needed to stick for 90 days this season. However, unlike the White Sox, the Blue Jays have legitimate championship aspirations, making it harder to protect a not-quite-ready player on the 26-man staff.

Podcast jamboree

The team released a pair of podcasts this week. First, podcast guest chapmion Alex Speier joined Ian Cundall to discuss the opening day roster, the development of Marcelo Mayer, and share other observations around spring training. Then, Mike Andrews and Ian hopped online to discuss their thoughts on the opening weekend, with Ian giving some observations from his first look at the Worcester squad.

Ian Cundall joins Baseball America

The SoxProspects.com team was very proud to announce that our longtime Owner and Scouting Director Ian Cundall has taken a full-time role with Baseball America. While his scouting responsibilities with the site will shift, the good news is that he will remain on the SoxProspects team as host of the podcast.

Photo Credit: Connelly Early by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep #408: And Away We Go

2026-03-30T16:33:00.001-04:00

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Editor-In-Chief Mike Andrews to discuss the start of the Boston and Worcester seasons. They give their thoughts on ABS after a few games and an update on Angel Bastardo’s unique situation. After that, they discuss the Worcester season opening roster and what Ian saw from on opening day from Jake Bennett and Noah Song. After that, they preview the other affiliate rosters and answer all your emails. Ian then ends the show with an announcement.

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Ian Cundall Joins Baseball America

2026-03-30T13:58:00.002-04:00

We’re excited to announce that Ian Cundall will be joining Baseball America full‑time as a Prospect Writer beginning April 1. The good news for SoxProspects readers is that Ian will continue hosting the SoxProspects.com Podcast and remain a valued friend of the site. SoxProspects fully expects to maintain the same high standard of content our audience has enjoyed for years.

Ian first joined the SoxProspects staff in October 2010 as our Northeast Scout. He became a regular presence on the podcast in July 2011 and was promoted to Director of Scouting in November 2013. Over the years, Ian has scouted hundreds of games across the Red Sox system, including stops in Boston, Worcester, Pawtucket, Portland, New Hampshire, Greenville, Salem, Lowell, and Fort Myers.

In November 2025, Ian began contributing to Baseball America in a part‑time role, and he will now be expanding that role in the weeks and months ahead. As most of our readers and listeners know, BA has been a leading authority on prospects across the MLB, college baseball, the international market, as well as the MLB Draft for over 45 years.

At SoxProspects, we take immense pride in developing talented prospect writers and analysts and helping them advance to full‑time roles in the industry. Our staff members and alumni have gone on to work for or contribute to ESPN.com, Baseball Prospectus, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, The Worcester Telegram, MLB.com, and more - and Ian’s next step is yet another example of that tradition.

Cup of Coffee: Tolle struggles through four innings; Gasper collects three hits

2026-03-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

3/30 Cup of Coffee: It was a rough day for Worcester's pitching staff, as top prospect Payton Tolle only made it through four innings. The offense kept the team in the game, with Mickey Gasper's three hits leading the team.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 10, Worcester Red Sox 8

The Mets scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth to win a back-and-forth contest. Starter Payton Tolle lasted only four innings and gave up six runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out six. It was an atypical pitch mix for Tolle, who threw his four-seam fastball only 25 percent of the time. His sinker and cutter were used more frequently, with the sinker being a new pitch in his arsenal in 2026. Zack Kelly allowed one hit over two shutout innings, and Jacob Webb surrendered two unearned runs in his 1 2/3 frames. The loss went to Kyle Keller, who allowed a two-run home run in the top of the ninth.

The top of Worcester's lineup kept them in the game, led by Mickey Gasper, who went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Braiden Ward and Nate Eaton were productive at the plate and on the bases, with Ward going 2 for 4 with two RBI, a walk, and a steal, while Eaton went 1 for 3 with two walks, an RBI, and a steal. Mikey Romero went 1 for 3 with a double and three RBI, and Matt Lloyd went 1 for 2 with an RBI and three walks.

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Player of the Day: Three hits for Mickey Gasper led the way on a strong day for the Worcester offense. Gasper is back with the WooSox after posting a .367/.471/.592 line in 48 games with them in 2024. He spent the 2025 season in the Twins organization, appearing in 29 games with the big league club. He struggled to a .488 OPS in Minnesota and was designated for assignment in the offseason. He was claimed by Washington, designated for assignment a week later, and the Red Sox picked him back up in February. He had a great spring that saw him post a 1.062 OPS, and he has kept that going into the first few games of the Triple-A season.

Photo Credit: Mickey Gasper by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Romero slugs first home run of the season, Uberstine turns in strong outing

2026-03-29T07:00:00.060-04:00

With the Minor League season just two days old, only Worcester was in action on Saturday as the following ranks of the organization await their respective opening days next week.

Worcester Red Sox 5, Syracuse Mets 3

After a quiet day offensively on Opening Day, the Worcester offense had plenty of traffic on the bases thanks to seven hits and six walks on the afternoon. Tyler Uberstine made his first start of the season and was strong over his four innings of work in a no decision. Throwing 36 of his 56 pitches for strikes, the right-hander allowed a run with a pair of hits, a lone walk and three strikeouts. He would depart the game with the WooSox leading 2-1 thanks to a sacrifice fly by Matt Lloyd in the bottom of the second and the first home run of the season for Mikey Romero. After hitting 17 home runs across two levels in 2025, Romero sent an 0-2 changeup over the right-center field fence. The WooSox tacked onto the lead in the fifth. After Braiden Ward singled and Nick Sogard walked, Mickey Gasper roped a two-run double to right field to plate a pair and extend the lead to three. Worcester got one more run in the eighth on an RBI double by Jason Delay.

Wyatt Olds earned the win after following Uberstine with 1 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing a run on a hit with two strikeouts. Tyler Samaniego earned a hold with 2 1/3 innings in his Red Sox organization debut, and Tayron Guerrero picked up the save with a scoreless ninth.

Player of the Day: Mikey Romero showcased his power profile that Boston fans saw plenty of last season. Romero's first home run of 2026 in the fourth inning gave Worcester the lead for good. Romero belted nine home runs in 45 games in his time with the WooSox last season and is off to a strong start toward adding to his power as the year goes on.

Photo Credit: Mikey Romero by Kelly O'Connor