Boston Red Sox 2018 minor league awards
The Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series. They’ll be excused for not worrying too much if their farm system isn’t the deepest in the game at the moment!
As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will finish with the Boston Red Sox.
We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.
After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!
Boston Red Sox minor leagues
Many blame Dave Dombrowski for tearing down the Boston Red Sox farm system. However, once the World Series trophy was raised this week, all was certainly forgiven with the work he did to build the Boston championship club.
While the Red Sox farm system is not deep, there is still plenty of talent in the system, especially at the lower levels, and if developed well, those players could be big in the future.
Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:
Organization Leaders (min. 150 PA, 50 IP)
BA: Jarren Duran .357
OBP: Garrett Benge .450
SLG: Bobby Dalbec .558
OPS: Bobby Dalbec .919
R: Bobby Dalbec 73
H: Rusney Castillo 151
2B: Bobby Dalbec 35
3B: Jarren Duran 11
HR: Bobby Dalbec 32
RBI: Bobby Dalbec 109
SB: Tyler Hill 27
TB: Bobby Dalbec 254
W: Denyi Reyes 12
G: Robby Scott 45
GS: Jhonathan Diaz, Kutter Crawford 27
IP: Jhonathan Diaz 157 1/3
SV: Ryan Brasier 13
K: Kutter Crawford 157
ERA: Miguel Suero 1.56
WHIP: Brayan Bello 0.73
K/9: Jalen Beeks 12.1
K/BB: Eduard Bazardo 10.50
Let’s look at the award winners…
Boston Red Sox Minor League Hitter of the Year: Bobby Dalbec
Level(s): high-A Salem, AA Portland
Stats: .257/.361/.558, 129 G, 543 PA, 35 2B, 32 HR, 109 RBI, 66/176 BB/K
A dominant pitcher and hitter for the University of Arizona during a title run during his sophomore year of college, Dalbec’s numbers fell off in his junior year, which allowed him to fall to the 4th round of the 2016 draft, where the Boston Red Sox were happy to pick him up.
Dalbec’s long swing will lead to heavy strikeouts and likely a low batting average, but he’s done well to get a good idea of the strike zone at the plate, which will allow for a solid OBP along with those power numbers. His “three true outcome” approach has served him well thus far.
Dalbec plays a very solid third base with an incredibly powerful arm, and if he is moved off of third base, he’d fit well in a corner outfield. He’ll likely open in AA in 2019, but he could get time in Boston to finish the season.
Runners-up
A 7th round pick this June out of Long Beach State, Jarren Duran is a gifted athlete. He showed off that athleticism, splitting time between second base and outfield while hitting .357/.394/.516 across two minor league levels with 14 doubles, 11 triples, and 24 stolen bases over 67 games.
Tanner Nishioka was drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of Pomona College. The Hawaii native had a very solid first full season in the Red Sox system, playing third base primarily for low-A Greenville, though he got a call to AA Portland to finish the year during their playoff run. Nishioka’s final line was .322/.398/.511 with 22 doubles and 11 home runs over 87 games.
Suspended to open the 2018 season due to PEDs, Michael Chavis played in just 46 games in the Boston Red Sox system in 2018, but he showed well in that time. He hit .298/.381/.538 with 14 doubles and 9 home runs, even stealing 3 bases, spending the majority of his time in AA. He’s in the Arizona Fall League, and he’s one to watch for 2019 as he’s likely to move to first base long-term, but his offensive potential is real.
Definitely a misstep in the Cuban market, Rusney Castillo has shown himself to be more of a quad-A outfielder than a star, and he’s still being paid very well until 2020 by the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, he hit very well for AAA Pawtucket, hitting .319/.360/.416 with 31 doubles, 5 home runs, and 13 stolen bases.