Season Ending Reports: Gulf Coast League Red Sox

[Cuzittt]

Record: 33-22 (First in South Division)
Playoff: Lost to Eventual Champions (Tigers West) in 1st Round Game (in 11 innings)

If success in the minor league circuit is defined by winning divisions and getting to the playoffs, the GCL Red Sox of 2018 were clearly a step above the other eight teams the Red Sox fielded this season. After an off-season in 2017 (finishing last (although essentially in a three-way tie)), the GCL Sox regained their perch as champions of the South (a pedestal they had held in every single season from 2012-16) and continued the Red Sox long run of having at least one affiliate make their respective leagues playoff – Now ongoing since 1991!

Of course, the GCL – much like the DSL – is different than most of the actual leagues as all the play is intradivision. Or, to put it more succinctly, the Red Sox played the Twins, Rays, and Orioles exclusively. So, comparing their output against the league as a whole is difficult. Furthermore, the Red Sox finished the season with basically the same record as the Rays and Twins who all feasted on the abysmal Orioles who finished an astonishing 20 games behind the Red Sox (in a 55 game season!). So, as we talk about the Red Sox performance against that of their league brethren, one may wish to take a couple of heaping tablespoons of salt along with the numbers.

Pitching:

While the Red Sox pitching staff was one of the older pitcher staffs in the league (20.8 years of age vs. a league average of 20.4), they were also by most measures the best staff in the league. The Red Sox staff led the circuit in ERA (3.01 League Average: 3.95), RA9 (3.77 LA: 4.93) and WHIP (1.186 LA:1.372). They were second in both Runs Allowed and Earned Runs allowed (to the Tigers West who had 40 fewer innings pitched), were the best team at preventing long balls (11), the best at avoiding walks (134), and in the top four of fewest hit by pitches (32) and wild pitches (32). If there was a weak spot in the arsenal... it was in strikeouts, where they ranked dead last with only 376.

Batting:

The Red Sox were also on the slightly older side in the batting side (19.9 vs 19.7)... but since these stats are based on whom actually played, injuries played a significant part in generation of the number. The Red Sox OPS of .692 ranked them seventh in the league, but top of their division (with the Rays just below, the Twins a little lower and the Os ranking at the bottom of the league with an abysmal OPS of .584 (despite being the statistically oldest team). The Sox were midpack in Batting Average at .249, in the upper half of the league in OBP at .343, and back in the middle in slugging at .349. The Red Sox (unsurprisingly) led the league with 229 walks and ranked in the upper half of the league standings with doubles (91) and triples (18). The team wasn't a particular good at stealing bases (19 of 36) but also didn't push themselves... their 36 attempts were second least in the leagues (Os, 26)... and four teams had more caught stealings than Red Sox attempts.

Of course, while being tops in the division is a nicety (and keeps that streak alive for another year), developing individuals is the key to the process. And, well, like the DSL, the top prospects didn't play too much. First round draft pick Triston Casas saw five plate appearances over two games before a thumb injury put him on the shelf for the rest of the season. Nick Decker, the second round draft pick, didn't make his debut until late August due to a wrist injury, also seeing five plate appearances this year. Their future development is a key in bringing the Red Sox organizational... but like Antoni Flores and Danny Diaz, they'll have to wait until next year.

We'll look at the individuals that DID play a significant role in the next posts.

 

[Hawk68]

Thanks for doing this. To me, baseball is and always will be America's pastime because like America it always about the hopeful future. Even in the midst of a fantastic present.

 

[Cuzittt]

Pitching:

First, we'll start with a note... 31 pitchers combined to pitch the 475 2/3 innings the GCL pitchers tossed... which means on average each pitcher only threw 15 1/3 innings. Obviously, such low numbers are not extremely useful. 14 of the 31 pitchers tossed fewer than 10 innings... and while some of those pitchers may be useful to the Red Sox as soon as next season (Austin Maddox and Mark Montgomery who both threw two innings over two rehab appearances) and others who could quickly jump up prospect lists next season (Chase Shugart, Alex Scherff, Zach Schellenger), it is not useful to parse their numbers too finely.

Starters:
Yasel Santana: Santana, after one season in the DSL in 2017, was the veteran of the starting staff (at 21 years old). Pitching a team high 45 2/3 innings, Yasel went 3-1 over 10 starts, putting up an ERA of 1.97 and a WHIP of 0.985 (both second on the squad). Yasel was stingy with the walks (9) and punched out nearly one per inning (42), putting up a 4.67 K/BB ratio. Got a five-inning start for Lowell at the end of the season which he dominated (1 hit, 1 walk, 7Ks).

Rayniel Adames: At 2 2/3 innings behind Santana was Adames, who in his second season in the GCL improved quite a bit. Adames put up a 3-2 record over 11 games (8 starts) with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.163 WHIP. Adames does have some projection issues however. While he was able to reduce his walk rate in his second season (from 6.0/9 to 2.1/9), it may have come at the expense of his strikeouts (from 7.1/9 to 5.0/9). He also gave up two homers which is only an issue in relative terms (Santana and two other starters did not give up any). Still, at only 20, writing off Adames at this point would be premature.

Jose Gonzalez: The 19-year old Gonzalez easily had the best stats of the primary starters, going 2-0 with a 1.22 ERA and a 0.973 WHIP over 37 innings in his second go-round in the GCL. His walk rate (based upon his previous three season) stayed steady at 1.9/9 but his K-rate went down significantly (5.1/9). He was bumped up to Lowell where he pitched in six games where he had some troubles (0-3, 5.82 ERA, 1.477 WHIP, 4.22 BB/9) but did see his K-rate rally to his historical norm (7.9/9).

Edilson Batista: The fourth of the DSL veterans, Batista also was in his second go-round in the GCL and also saw improvement; going from a 6.37 ERA to a 2.84 and a 1.951 WHIP to a 1.168. His walk rate was reduced by more than half (going from a 4.6/9 to a 2.0) but his strikeout potential remained untapped, with only 16Ks in 31 2/3 frames.

Ryan Fernandez: The only 2018 draftee in the starting rotation, Fernandez put up the worst overall numbers (3.46 ERA, 1.308 WHIP, 3 HRs) but with intriguing peripherals that could place him above his peers in the rotation. Specifically, Fernandez whiffed 31 in only 26 innings (10.7 K/9) while walking only six, giving him a 5.17 K/BB ratio. Fernandez was limited to no more than three innings in each of his 10 appearances with his 8/3 start wrecking his numbers (6 H, 6 ER in one inning). Finished the season in the bullpen where he had three consecutive, three-inning, scoreless appearances with 3 hits, one walk, and 14 Ks over nine innings.

We'll move onto the pen in our next post.

 

[Cuzittt]

The Bullpen:

Yoan Aybar: Previous to this year, Yoan Aybar had spent four seasons in the Red Sox organization playing in the outfield. Apparently, both the Red Sox and Aybar thought his cumulative line of .241/.279/.345 with 60 extra-base hits and 23 steals (with 18 caught stealings) was not going to get him to the Majors. So, Aybar made the conversion to the pitching mound and the lefty put in 26 1/3 innings over 15 appearances out of the pen. Aybar was decidedly mediocre, with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP; however, he did strike out 27 (or more than a batter per inning)... so there is some hope. The 20-year-old also picked up two games at Lowell at the end of the season, so the Red Sox feel the experiment could bear fruit.

Yusniel Padron-Artilles: A 22nd-round draft pick out of Miami, the Cuban righty picked up three wins in his first professional season, putting up a 3.74 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP over 21 2/3 innings (11 games, 2 starts). Yusniel was stingy with the free passes (3) and had decent strikeout numbers (19).

Andres Jimenez: After a brilliant season in the Dominican in 2017 (0.719 WHIP), Jimenez made the jump stateside and struggled a bit. The 19-year-old pitched in a dozen games encompassing 21 1/3 innings; getting 3 wins in four decisions with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP. Jimenez does not give up walks (three this season, four last) but his strikeout ability took a tumble this year (only 13).

Rafael Gomez: Also jumping up from the Dominican after a two-year apprenticeship, Gomez tossed 20 1/3 innings in 14 games out of the pen. The 20-year-old kept up his stats from his 2017 season (2.21 ERA, 1.180 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9) but couldn't keep his strikeout numbers up (only 11 all season) and was the victim of abysmal luck, losing three of four decisions.

Eddy Reynoso: You may remember Eddy Reynoso as a catcher who played for Salem in May. But, after a dozen plate appearances this season and an additional 492 in the previous three seasons, Reynoso did the Aybar and went to the mound. The 23-year-old made a pretty good debut too, going 4-1 in 15 appearances (18 2/3 innings) with a 1.45 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP. Reynoso was a little wild (seven walks, three wild pitches) but seems to have a live arm (17Ks). And, one of these days, a Red Sox conversion project is going to pitch for Boston (again).

Luis Rivero: In his fourth season for the Red Sox organization, the 20-year-old righty continued to, well, win. Over 12 games (18 2/3 innings), Rivero won three games (without a loss) to add to his 15 wins from his three Dominican League seasons. Rivero continued to do the little things to earn the wins mind you, putting up a 1.93 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP. His key is not in preventing walks (although, five isn't a lot) or striking people out (13 with a 6.3 K/9, his worst in his career) but in preventing hits. Rivero gave up all of 11 hits this year after giving up only 17 (in 34 innings) in 2017.

Robbie Baker: The undrafted free agent signing from Richmond did nothing to disappoint in his 11 games and 17 1/3 innings. Baker put up a 1.56 ERA and a 1.154 WHIP with 17 Ks. The 23-year-old will certainly get a shot in a full-season league next season.

Juan Morillo: Morillo was ridiculously lucky in 2017 with the DSL squad, putting up a 0.96 ERA with a 1.214 WHIP. The luck didn't hold as he moved to the states, where his ERA rose to 7.94 and his WHIP to 1.471. There was nothing really good in his line... he gave up more walks (6) and the same amount of hit by pitches as Ks (5). He gave up 19 hits, eight for extra-bases. But, he did pick up two wins against one loss... so there is a positive.

Jose Bens: After missing a whole international signing period, the Red Sox went hog wild and signed a slew of international players. And, they weren't demanding. If you had some ability, the Sox were willing to cultivate it. Enter Jose Bens, a 23-year-old who started in the GCL because he was too old for the DSL. His 16 1/3 innings (13 games)... well, they were more Yugo than Mercedes. 4.96 ERA, 2.082 WHIP, 14 walks and only nine Ks. Sometimes a dice roll comes up snake eyes.

Gregorio Reyes: The 27th round draftee from Puerto Rico saw action in seven games (five were technically starts... but he only tossed 13 total innings) putting up a 4.15 ERA and a 1.308 WHIP. The left-hander is only 19; we'll get more data next year.

 

[Cuzittt]

Offense:

Juan Carlos Abreu: One of the veterans of the GCL offense (at 21 year of age), Abreu led the team batting average (.351) and OBP (.423) in his third go round in Florida. Was also second on the team in slugging (.497), pounding out six doubles and a team high eight triples. Played seven games in Lowell at the end of the year.

Brandon Howlett: The 2018 21st round draft pick impressed in his first professional season, leading the team with 15 doubles and a Slugging percentage of .526, with his BA (.307) and OBP (.405) just behind Abreu and his five HRs just behind Chad Hardy. The 18-year-old saw action in five games at the end of the season in Lowell, hitting a double and a dinger and drawing six walks.

Juan Hernandez: In his sixth season with the Red Sox and his second full season with the GCL squad, Hernandez put up a line of .291/.399/.385 with eight doubles, five walks, and only two fewer walks (16) to Ks in 37 games.

Elih Marrero: The 8th round draft pick in this season's draft, the catcher put up a respectable line of .289/.390/.349 with three doubles and one triple. He liked Lowell a little better, getting three doubles and one triple in only four games at the end of the season. Caught 11 of 21 would be base-stealers... but also was charged with 10 passed balls.

Jonathan Diaz: 18-year-old catcher jumped up to the GCL in his second pro season, putting up a line of .261/.317/.402 with four doubles, three triples, and one jack in 27 games. Caught 10 of 19 baserunners in 19 games behind the dish with six passed balls.

Keibert Petit: In his first season stateside (after three DSL seasons), Petit basically copied his line from 2017 (with a little less batting average), going .223/.350/.359 with 10 extra-base hits in 34 games. Petit played exclusively at 1st base this season, after playing first, catcher, and OF in the DSL.

Chad Hardy: After missing nearly all of last season, Hardy showed intriguing power and not much else over his 41 games this season. Hardy batted .215/.263/.424 with 10 doubles and six homers. Led the team in Ks with 53 while only walking seven times.

Jecorrah Arnold: The 19-year-old undrafted free-agent signing from 2017 showed improvement in year two, batting .245/.362/.320 with eight doubles and a homer in 42 games. The infielder (SS/2B/3B) appears to have solid skills in the field, committing only eight errors while collecting 112 assists and being involved in 17 double plays.

Nicholas Northcut: 19-year-old 11th round draft pick had a huge month of July (.333/.437/.517; 8 2B, 1 HR in 17 games) but was otherwise stymied at the plate with a .240 OPS in June and a .480 OPS in August. Was still given the bump up to Lowell to end the season where he participated in six games. Struck out 55 times in 47 games between GCL and NYPL.

Ricardo Cubillan: 21-year-old started his season as the Shortstop for the Greenville Drive, putting up a .214/.327/.250 line with two extra-base hits in 27 games. Ended the season with 46 games in the GCL (playing SS/2B/1B) where he didn't do much better aside from walking, batting .218/.356/.252 with four extra-base hits in 46 games.

Carlos Pulido: Saw sporadic action over 20 games (at catcher and 1B) this season, batting .213/.263/.267 with four doubles and four walks.

Freiberg Marin: Middle infielder didn't do much to impress in his first season in Florida, batting .197/.270/.212 over 23 games. Didn't see action after the beginning of August, possibly due to injury.

Ivan Houellemont: Went 0-for-June (16 ABs, one walk) before finally getting a hit on Independence Day. Saw very little action in August. Switch hitter – was absolutely abysmal from the portside (.100/.190/.120) but showed promise (in very little action) from the right side (.455/.600/.455)... a split that has been consistent (if not as pronounced) through his three season career.

Caleb Ramsey: Rough first season for the 25th round draft pick; batted .153/.287/.165 with more walks (15) than hits (13) in his 29 games.

Renzeng "Justin" Qiang: 17-year-old from Tibet saw limited action in his first season, compiling a line of .135/.256/.162 over 17 games. Saw eight innings of action behind the plate; otherwise saw all of his action at the DH. Needs more reps.

 

[Cuzittt]

One thought to ponder... Do the Red Sox have two GCL teams next season?

The eight minor league teams the Red Sox field are fewer than 11 other teams who each field a ninth (or a partial ninth), with an extra rookie league team in the GCL/AZL or the Pioneer/Appalachian League.

[The Yankees are weird as they only fielded one DSL squad, but two GCL squads and an Appy squad.]