A few Red Sox prospects among league leaders for 2023 in MiLB
It’s no secret that the Red Sox farm system is much improved this year than it has been in previous seasons.
We saw the Red Sox be very aggressive with promotions over the course of the season and the promotions were well-earned. Every level in the minor league system had a winning record besides Salem. Greenville won the championship in High-A. It was overall a very successful year for the Red Sox minors. There were a few prospects towards the top of the leaderboards around the entire MiLB.
Final thoughts from inside the WooSox clubhouse
It all starts with the damage Bobby Dalbec did in Worcester this season. I know Dalbec isn’t really considered a prospect at this point in his career, but you still have to mention him since he finished tied for third in all of the minor leagues in home runs. He hit 33 during his time with the WooSox and they were all no-doubters to be honest. His promotion to Boston to finish the year was deserved.
David Hamilton is next up on the leaderboard in the stolen bases department. Hamilton finished the year tied for sixth in all of the minor leagues in the category. That came one year after sealing 70 bags in 2022. His speed is elite.
Next, we turn to the pitching side of things with the great year Wikelman Gonzalez has put together. Gonzalez was tied for sixth in all MiLB with 168 strikeouts. On top of that, the 21-year-old finished fourth in batting average against at .190. The Venezuelan has shot up the prospect rankings after finishing the year in Portland.
Luis Guerrero earned a promotion to Triple-A after a stellar season in Portland. The flamethrower ended up finishing third in the minors in saves with 19. He even picked up his first career Triple-A save during the last week of the season and will be right in the thick of things for the closer role in Worcester in 2024.
To finish things out on the leaderboards is a bit of a surprise name. Brian Van Belle finished the season in Worcester after being a consistent anchor in the Portland rotation. Van Belle finished with 141.1 innings pitched between Portland and Worcester, which was good for ninth in all of the minors. The right-hander will be right back in the WooSox rotation to start 2024.
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