Five Red Sox prospects who have performed well this spring
We are entering week three of spring training and there have been a few rounds of roster “cuts” from big league camp. With guys set to come back from the WBC over the next week or so, we might see more prospects reassigned to minor league camp. So far though, there have been quite a few of the younger guys flashing their potential during games this spring.
Bryan Mata
Mata is the highest rated pitching prospect in the Red Sox system, which he showed this spring before being optioned to AAA Worcester on Sunday.
He has pitched seven innings so far this spring with zero runs given up. He also has six strikeouts and has only given up four hits. Mata has shown that he will be in line for a call-up at some point in 2023 to pitch meaningful innings for the Red Sox.
Matthew Lugo
Lugo isn’t as high of a prospect as guys like Marcello Mayer and Nick Yorke, but the former second round pick is certainly part of that next wave of prospects coming through the system.
Lugo was among the first set of prospects to be reassigned to minor league camp this spring. After carrying a 1.144 OPS this spring, Lugo will be looking to carry this momentum with him when he starts at third base for the Portland Sea Dogs to start the year.
Chase Shugart
Shugart is the lowest rated prospect in this bunch and has mostly flown under the radar during his time in the Red Sox system.
Shugart has pitched three innings this spring so far and has only given up one hit. He has also come up in some big spots against some big time names. He has fared well against Joey Gallo and Jazz Chisholm in a couple of high leverage spots. Shugart is going to be part of a loaded Worcester bullpen along with another guy on this list.
David Hamilton
The best trait for Hamilton is obviously his speed, and it won’t take you long to pick up on that when watching him in a game.
Hamilton is currently a member of the 40-man roster and is looking like he will be the starting shortstop in Worcester to start the year. While the defensive part of his game at shortstop still needs to come around, Hamilton figures to be a depth option call-up at some point this year for Boston. It never hurts to have a guy who can play multiple positions with speed come off the bench, as we have seen with Jarren Duran.
Taylor Broadway
Broadway is in the same boat as Shugart, as he is a lesser commodity than some of the higher pitching prospects in the system.
Broadway has pitched three innings this spring and has only given up one hit. Alongside Shugart, Broadway figures to be an intriguing piece of the Worcester bullpen to start the year. He might not be as high on the call-up list as others in the bullpen there, due to the fact he has yet to throw an inning above AA. The former closer at the University of Mississippi knows what it takes to get outs in high leverage moments and will look to do more of the same in Worcester.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @ByAndrewParker
For additional Red Sox and Major League Baseball content, follow Beyond the Monster: Boston Red Sox on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr