Five players to watch at Low-A
Who to follow at Salem in 2023
For the next six weeks, I’ll be profiling five players from each level in the Red Sox system that I’m excited to follow heading into the 2023 season. This week it’s going to be the Low-A Salem Red Sox.
Previous write ups:
Five players to watch at Triple-A
Five players to watch at Double-A
Five players to watch at High-A
Let’s go over the rules for how I select these prospects, or more specifically, who I DON’T select.
If a player is on the 40-man roster or has appeared in at least one major league game, they are excluded from the list. That means potential MLB rookies like Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Enmanuel Valdez won’t be included due to their 40-man status nor will MLB veterans like Niko Goodrum, Jake Faria, or Raimel Tapia. That’s it. Those are my only parameters.
On that note, lets dive on in.
Name: Mikey Romero
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: L/R
Position: SS
Blurb- The Red Sox 2022 first round draft pick did nothing to dispel the notion that he has one of the best hit tools of the high schoolers in his draft class. The third Californian high school shortstop the Red Sox have drafted out of the first round in as many years, Romero made a nice impression slashing .304/.368/.506 with seven doubles, three triples, a home runs, and 17 RBI over 19 games split between Salem and the FCL. Small sample sizes to be sure, but he actually performed better after his promotion. Romero might not stick at short in part due to the presence of childhood friend Marcelo Mayer. His bat could be good enough to play at second base or even left field.
Name: Miguel Bleis
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: R/R
Position: OF
Blurb- Considered by many scouts to be the best overall player in the Florida Complex League last year, the 19-year-old wunderkind profiles as a five-tool player with excellent speed, defense, and even a cannon for an arm. He put together a solid line of .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 18 stolen bases, and 27 RBI over 40 games in the FCL. Those numbers and the "borderline irresponsible" comparisons some scouts have offered him have led to appearances on a few top 100 lists including #20 on FanGraphs despite never playing a game above the FCL. It would not be a surprise to see him continue to rise in the ranks as 2023 moves forward. This may be the highest ceiling player the Red Sox organization has seen in some time.
Name: Roman Anthony
Age: 18
Bats/Throws: L/R
Position: OF
Blurb- The Red Sox lost out on slugging college outfielder Jud Fabian who wouldn't sign after the 2021 draft. Thankfully, Anthony is a solid replacement that the Red Sox were able to use Fabian’s comp pick on. The 6'3' outfielder out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida hit well in his late season sampling, slashing .306/.374/.361 over 20 games split evenly between the FCL and Salem. He walked more than he struck out (9-8). His power, which SoxProspects has described as "plus to better" in part due to a swing "designed to drive the ball with loft and backspin" hasn’t revealed itself just yet. Defensively, he profiles as average at either corner although there in a belief within the organization that he can stick in center.
Name: Luis Perales
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: R/R
Position: SP
Blurb- Keith Law of the Athletic took significant points off the Red Sox farm system as a unit due to their lack of pitching prospects. He'll eat those words next year if Luis Perales has anything to say about it. The 19-year-old righty offers three potential plus pitches including a fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a curveball described by SoxProspects as "advanced for his age", and a work-in-progress changeup that has shown potential to miss bats. Over 35.2 innings between the FCL and Salem, the Venezuelan native posted a 1.77 ERA with 50 strikeouts to 20 walks, and a 1.121 WHIP.
Name: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: L/R
Position: SP
Blurb- While the Bloom regime has mostly drafted hitters in the early rounds during their tenure in Boston, they made an exception with Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, dubbed “the King of Limbs”1 by SoxProspects.com executive editor Chris Hatfield, presumably for the 6'3'/160 lb Puerto Rican righty's lankiness. The 2021 fourth round draft pick's best two pitches are his fastball that currently tops at 95 mph, and his 11-to-5 curveball. He also offers a changeup and slider that are still works in progress. In 2022, Rodriguez-Cruz posted a 1.88 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 15 walks, and a 1.200 WHIP over 38.1 innings mostly at the FCL although he posted a 1.50 ERA over six of those innings in two starts at Salem.
I think this is a reference to Radiohead’s 2011 album of the same name.
Copy cat writer. Your not Qualified to making up a list like this. For one you have never seen any of them suit up. You have zero scouting experience and absolutely zero Analytical scouting experience. You have no clue what comes to Player Development Hand. Fine love your team and be loyal but also be realistic and the reality is there isn’t any room for pop up social media phony reporters. Hand anyone can read Baseball America and rewrite what they say in your words. Do your self go and learn how to be a scout and how Player Developement works and then write because then it just might be in your own words. You remind me of a kid that just couldn’t make his HS team but loved baseball and then he got on social media and knew everything about the game from the front office to GCL,DSL Ball and International scouting. Concentrate on your real job Ed(I use my own ) Hand