Kristian Campbell went from unranked on Baseball America’s 2024 Red Sox preseason Top 30 prospect list to the game’s No. 24 overall prospect in five months.
Campbell, Franklin Arias (No. 91) and Braden Montgomery (No. 59) all earned spots on Baseball America’s Top 100 list during the 2024 season, joining fellow Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony (No. 1), Marcelo Mayer (No. 10) and Kyle Teel (No. 25).
Which Red Sox prospect (or prospects) might earn his way onto BA’s Top 100 list in 2025? Below are nine candidates.
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1. Miguel Bleis, OF: The speedy center fielder with power made Baseball America’s Top 100 list entering 2023. The publication ranked him No. 88. But Bleis was limited to just 31 games that year because of a left shoulder subluxation that required season-ending surgery.
Bleis gained more than 30 pounds of muscle while rehabbing and seemed poised for a strong comeback season in 2024. But he struggled for the most part. He batted .257 with a .349 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, .746 OPS, four home runs, 10 doubles and one triple in 43 games (195 plate appearances) while beginning the season at Low-A Salem. He received a promotion to High-A Greenville where he posted a disappointing .191/.265/.319/.584 line with seven home runs and six doubles in 52 games (234 plate appearances).
But it was his age 20 season and he was coming off a significant injury. And so he’s still very young — two years younger than the average High A player. There were certainly signs last year of his five-tool potential. He had 38 steals and showed some of his raw power with 11 homers, 16 doubles and one triple in 95 games overall. He has the talent to reclaim a Top 100 spot in 2025.
2. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS/2B: Like Bleis, Cespedes looked poised for a big season in 2024 after being named 2023 Red Sox Latin Program Position Player of the Year. But he was limited to 25 games in the Florida Complex League when a hamate bone injury put him on the 60-day IL.
Cespedes, who is expected to be ready for spring training, posted impressive numbers before his injury. He batted .319 with a .400 on-base percentage, .615 slugging percentage, 1.015 OPS, five homers, 10 doubles and one triple in 105 plate appearances.
He just turned 19 in September and has oodles of potential. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 9 prospect and he certainly is a candidate to break onto BA’s Top 100 list in 2025.
3. Zach Ehrhard, OF: The Red Sox have been quite successful with fourth round picks in recent years.
They drafted Chase Meidroth in the fourth round in 2022. He has a .425 on-base percentage in 255 minor league games, including a .437 OBP in 122 games at Triple-A Worcester last year. Baseball America ranks him No. 8 on its Top 10 Red Sox prospect list.
Boston then selected Kristian Campbell in the fourth round in 2023. Campbell made it all the way to Worcester in his first full season and won Red Sox 2024 minor league Offensive Player of the Year award. Baseball America ranks him No. 24 on its Top 100 list.
Might the Red Sox have hit again with 2024 fourth rounder Zach Ehrhard?
The organization obviously likes him a great deal because it has drafted him twice. Boston first selected him out of high school in the 13th round in 2021 but he kept his commitment to Oklahoma State.
Boston again selected the 21-year-old outfielder this past summer and sent him right to High-A Greenville. He went just 12-for-77 (.156) in 22 games but he’s known for strike zone discipline. And despite struggling to collect hits, he did have a 12.1% walk percentage in his 91 plate appearances at Greenville.
“I love that his athleticism just helps him so much,” said Ehrhard’s brother, Drew Ehrhard, a Red Sox minor leaguer who played for Greenville and Portland in 2024. “He’s a true Swiss Army knife. He’s incredibly strong and incredibly fast. He has a great arm. There’s just so much that he’s able to do because of how much of a pure athlete he is. It’s a testament to his passion, his drive, his work ethic, his dedication. He’s always trying to better himself and it shows out on the field.
“He has one of the most incredible eyes at the plate that I’ve ever seen,” Drew added. “Some of the pitches I see him spit on are just barely outside of the zone. And for him to be able to recognize those and see when it’s a good pitch in the zone, it’s really impressive to watch.”
4. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP: How about another former fourth rounder?
Boston selected Rodriguez-Cruz in the fourth round in 2021 out of the Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
The righty, who just turned 21 in August, posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 21 outings (20 starts) between Salem and Greenville in 2024. He limited hitters to a .198 batting average.
He held High A hitters to a .180 batting average in his seven starts for Greenville.
His fastball was between 95-98 mph this past summer. He also throws a curveball, slider, splitter and sweeper. The sweeper was a new pitch in 2024.
5. Payton Tolle, LHP: Boston drafted the 22-year-old lefty in the second round (50th overall) out of TCU in 2024.
There’s a lot for the Red Sox development staff to work with here. Tolle already has a five-pitch mix (fastball, slider, cutter, changeup, curveball), above-average extension and the prototypical size of a workhorse starter. He is listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds.
His fastball ranged from 90-96 mph at TCU. The Red Sox’ new pitching infrastructure has put an emphasis on minor leaguers adding velocity and breaking ball movement. His slider has good spin — and with his size, he should be able to add more velo.
“He’s every bit of 6-6,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in July. “I think the profile of the modern pitcher has maybe changed a bit. Big, projectable body. And he’s got some unique release traits and some characters that we really like.”
Tolle will be 22 for the entire 2025 season. He averaged 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his final college season.
6. David Sandlin, RHP: The 23-year-old righty certainly has the stuff to put himself on Baseball America’s Top 100 list this coming summer. He reached 100.4 mph with his fastball and struck out 33.2% of the batters he faced in ‘24.
But now he needs to translate his big stuff into results over the course of a full season. He had a 5.34 ERA in 18 starts between Greenville and Portland in ‘24. He spent from May 14-June 15 on Greenville’s IL with forearm tightness, then never threw more than 4 innings in any of his 14 starts after being activated.
“The ability to maintain his power stuff throughout a long season is incredibly hard,” director of player development Brian Abraham said at the end of the regular season. “So everything he does this offseason will be vital for that.”
Last month, MassLive listed Sandlin as one of nine Red Sox prospects who could make their MLB debut in 2025.
7. Yordanny Monegro, RHP: The Dominican Republic native has a 3.30 ERA in 54 outings (49 starts) in the Red Sox minor league system since Boston signed him in February 2020.
He recorded a 2.84 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 18 outings (17 starts) between the FCL and Greenville in 2024. Fifteen of those outings came at High A where he held opponents to a .176 batting average and averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Monegro throws a fastball, sinker, splitter, curveball and cutter. His fastball was between 93-97 mph this past summer.
8. Juan Valera, RHP: At just 18 years old, the Dominican Republic native posted a 1.99 ERA in 18 outings (16 starts) for the Florida Complex League Red Sox and Salem last year.
He’s already 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and he allowed only 26 hits in 63 ⅓ innings. Opponents batted .125 against him.
He needs to improve his control/command. But he has all the ingredients to become a Top 100 prospect. His fastball was between 94-99 mph in 2024. He throws a slider, sweeper and changeup as well.
9.Dalvinson Reyes, RHP: The Dominican Republic native just turned 18 in November. He made five starts in the Dominican Summer League in ‘24 after signing in January. He didn’t allow a run in 17 innings. He also gave up just eight hits and two walks while striking out 19.
His fastball was up to 94 mph and he “pounds the strike zone,” assistant GM Eddie Romero said.
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Publish date : 2024-12-10 22:02:00
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