Red Sox

These are the top 15 Red Sox prospects, as ranked by MLB experts

Shortstop Marcelo Mayer is widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

By Peyton Doyle

February 21, 2023

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While the Red Sox are bringing a team of mostly established players to Fort Myers this spring, they still have plenty of talented prospects who will be looking to make an impression in Florida.

To see how the guys in the minors compare to one another — and to the top prospects in other organizations — we have ordered the top Red Sox prospects based off their rankings from MLB experts.

The rankings are drawn from four different sources. The first is MLB.com’s rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball heading into 2023. The second is MLB.com’s 2022 list of the top prospects within the Red Sox organization. The third is Prospects 1500’s list of the top Red Sox prospects. The final is where each player ranks on Keith Law’s lists of top Boston prospects and prospects league-wide. 

Here’s the top 15 for the Red Sox.

Marcelo Mayer, Shortstop

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – No. 9; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 1; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 1; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 1, Overall – No. 11

• 2022 stats: .280/.399/.489 with 17 stolen bases in 91 games between A and High A. 

• Age: 20

• Current assignment: High A Greenville

• What to know: Mayer was the top selection by the Red Sox in the 2021 draft, going No. 4 overall out of high school. He gets tons of power from his lefty swing and he grades as a potential Gold Glove defender.

Triston Casas, First base

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – No. 23; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 2; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 2; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 3, Overall – No. 40

• 2022 stats: .766 OPS with five home runs in 27 games for the Red Sox. .889 OPS in 76 minor league games.

• Age: 23

• Current assignment: Red Sox

• What to know: A first-round selection by the Red Sox in 2018, Casas has flexed his top tier power at every level of the sport and is a solid defender at first.

Ceddanne Rafaela, Outfield/Shortstop

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – No. 86; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 3; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 3; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 2, Overall – No. 37

• 2022 stats: .299/.342/.539 in 116 games between AA and High A.

• Age: 22

• Current assignment: AA Portland but at Red Sox spring training

• What to know: One of the top defenders in all of minor league baseball, Rafaela was the organization’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year each of the last two seasons. 

Miguel Bleis, Outfield

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 5; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 6; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 4, Overall – No. 72

• 2022 stats: .301/.353/.543 in Rookie Ball

• Age: 19

• Current assignment: A Salem

• What to know: Bleis was signed as an international free agent in 2021 out of the Dominican Republic and is solid all around but has no standout skill.

Bryan Mata, Righthanded pitcher

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 6; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 5; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 5, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: 2.49 ERA in 19 appearances across four levels.

• Age: 23

• Current assignment: AAA Worcester, at Red Sox spring training

• What to know: Mata’s top two pitches are his mid 90s fastball and an upper 80s slider.

Nick Yorke, Second base

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 4; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 4; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 6, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .232/.303/.365 in 80 High A games. 

• Age: 21

• Current assignment: High A Greenville

• What to know: Yorke was Boston’s first-round pick in 2020 at No. 17 overall. He impressed in his first year as a pro, hitting .325 between A and High A, but saw regression last season. 

Mikey Romero, Shortstop

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 8; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 9; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 7, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .304/.368/.506 in 19 games between Rookie ball and A.

• Age: 19

• Current assignment: A Salem

• What to know: Romero was the third straight first-round pick out of high school by the Red Sox when they took him at No. 24 in 2022.

Brandon Walter, Left Handed Pitcher

Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 7; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 11; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 9, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: 3.59 ERA in 11 starts between AA and AAA

• Age: 26

• Current assignment: AAA Worcester, at Red Sox spring training

• What to know: Walter was a 26th round selection by the Red Sox in 2016 and has profiled as more of a finesse pitcher during his professional career. 

Roman Anthony, Outfield

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 10; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 8; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 12, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .306/.374/.361 in 20 games between A and Rookie ball.

• Age: 18

• Current assignment: A Salem

• What to know: A 2022 draft pick, Anthony has great bat to ball skills but still is a long way away from contributing at the upper levels of the minors, and he struggled to tap into his power in his pro debut.

Blaze Jordan, Third base/First base

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 9; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 12; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 10, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .289/.363/.445 in 120 games between A and High A.

• Age: 20

• Current assignment: High A Greenville

• What to know: Jordan’s right-handed swing provides some of the biggest power in the minors, and so far his contact skills have been there to support it.

Matt Lugo, Shortstop/Third base

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 12; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 15; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 8, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .282/.338/.492 at High A and AA.

• Age: 22

• Current assignment: AA Portland

• What to know: Lugo, the nephew of longtime MLB outfielder Carlos Beltran, does his best work on the defensive side of the ball.

Eddinson Paulino, Infield/Outfield

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 13; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 11; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 13, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .266/.359/.469 with A Salem.

• Age: 20

• Current assignment: A Salem

• What to know: Paulino signed with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old in 2018 and has shown big time power at every level up to this point.

Chris Murphy, Lefthanded pitcher

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 11; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 14; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 11, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: 4.03 ERA in 30 games between AA and AAA.

• Age: 24

• Current assignment: AAA Worcester, at Red Sox spring training

• What to know: Murphy’s fastball touches 98 miles per hour, and he has a plus changeup that he pairs with it well.

Wikelman Gonzalez, Righthanded pitcher

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 14; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 16; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 15, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: 4.67 ERA in 25 starts between High A and A.

• Age: 21

• Current assignment: High A Greenville

• What to know: Gonzalez lacks solid command but he has three plus pitches in his fastball, changeup, and curve.

Niko Kavadas, First base/Third base/Outfield

• Ranks: MLB.com 2023: Overall – NA; MLB.com 2022 team ranking: No. 20; Prospects 1500: In Boston’s system – No. 13; Keith Law: In Boston’s system – No. 19, Overall – NA

• 2022 stats: .280/.443/.547 across three levels.

• Age: 24

• Current assignment: AA Portland

• What to know: While Kavadas is likely blocked at first base by Casas for the near future, he does have experience playing at third and in the corner outfield spots.