Who were the Red Sox top offensive minor leaguers for the month of April?
The first month of the baseball season is under way, and there’s plenty of players in the Red Sox system making noise with their bats. Here are the top minor league offensive performers at each position through the Red Sox system. With the focus on the “Big Three” in Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel, other prospects and minor leaguers led the way at their respective positions. Mayer was the only one of the three top prospects to make the cut, with Matthew Lugo being the top offensive star of April.
C: Johanfran Garcia, Salem Red Sox (Low-A)
April: .354/.446/.583 with 17 hits and 5 2Bs in 48 AB
Garcia was off to a monster start in 2024 but is now out of action with a knee sprain he suffered this week. During the month of April, Salem’s starting catcher put up huge numbers in 13 games, including five doubles, for which he was tied with two other players for the team lead. His .354 average and team-leading 1.029 OPS earned him the honor of being the top offensive catcher in the Red Sox system for the month. When healthy, Garcia offers solid defense and above-average power in the middle.
1B: Niko Kavadas, Worcester Red Sox (AAA)
April: .286/.453/.661 with 5 HRs and 6 2Bs in 56 AB
Kavadas had a breakout month in April, with five homers and six doubles hitting anywhere from the middle to the bottom of the WooSox lineup. The other impressive number was his OBP; he was second on the team, trailing Meidroth with a .453. The slugger has played sound first base platooning with Nathan Hickey and has been a constant contributor in the lineup. With Triston Casas down for the next few months, Kavadas bat will generate buzz, and if players like Garrett Cooper and Dom Smith struggle, it could open the door for the Notre Dame alum to make his big league debut.
2B: Chase Meidroth, Worcester Red Sox (AAA)
April: .294/.462/.353 with 19 BBs and 10 RBI in 68 AB
Meidroth has been an on-base machine with Worcester. His manager, Chad Tracy, credited him with impressive knowledge of the strike zone. He led the WooSox with 19 walks in April with a .462 OBP. With only three hits in his first eight games, Meidroth has been swinging one of the hottest bats on the team. He finished the month 6-for-19 (.318) and six walks.
Why do we like Meidroth? In the words of Brad Pitt from Moneyball, “Check your reports or I'm gonna point at Pete... He gets on base.”
3B: Blaze Jordan, Portland Sea Dogs (AA)
April: .268/.325/.437 with 14 RBI and 6 2B in 71 AB
Jordan was on fire in April, earning Eastern Player of the Week honors for the week of April 22nd-28th. He hit .444 (12-for-28) in six games for Portland during the week, where he collected four doubles, two home runs, and eight RBI. Jordan led the league with 22 total bases and 8 RBI and tied for first with four doubles. He ranked second in average (.444), runs scored (5), slugging percentage (.815), and tied for second with two home runs. He also ranked third in the league in OPS (1.244).
He closed out April with a 10-game hitting streak and five multi-hit games.
SS: Marcelo Mayer, Portland Sea Dogs (AA)
April: .308/.345/.474 with 2 HRs and 9 RBI in 78 AB
Mayer has been a completely different player with Portland this season. He opened the year with an 11-game hitting streak and hit a team-high seven doubles in the month of April. The 21-year-old also led the Sea Dogs with 24 hits and was fourth on the team in OPS at .819. Mayer is healthy and mashing, and he could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future.
OF 1: Matthew Lugo, Portland Sea Dogs (AA)
April: .313/.411/.792 with 5HRs and 16 RBI in 48 AB
Lugo has been off to a torrid start for the Sea Dogs. With Red Sox fans locked in on the “Big Three," Lugo has been the most productive hitter in Portland’s lineup, batting primarily out of the No. 5 hole. Lugo earned Eastern League Player of the Week honors for April 15th-21st. He tormented the New Hampshire Fisher Cats pitching staff with hits in five games; he went 7-for-16 (.438 AVG) with three doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs, and five walks.
OF 2: Miguel Ugueto, Greenville Drive (High-A)
April: .349/.396/.465 with 15 hits and 5 2Bs in 43 AB
Ugueto swung a hot bat over the last five games of April, 9-for-22 (.409) with five doubles and two RBI. The 21-year-old offers above-average power with more upside at the plate. He’s not a strong outfielder; his value comes with his bat. He’s off to a phenomenal start despite playing just 12 games; he has offensive momentum heading into May.
OF 3: Allan Castro, Greenville Drive (High-A)
April: .258/.407/.419 with 16 BBs and 10 RBI in 62 PA
Castro was one of the most consistent contributors in the Greenville Drives’ lineup in the first month of the season. His .407 OBP led the team, which was largely driven by the 16 walks he drew at the plate. He had five games where he had at least two hits (18 games played). Castro closed out the month with a 2-for-4 performance on April 30, mashing his first homer of the season.
