Top prospect Yoan Moncada made his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform Wednesday afternoon, starting at second base and batting ninth in Boston’s Grapefruit League matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s safe to say he’s already making an impression.
Moncada went 0-for-2 with one walk and one run scored in a 6-2 Red Sox win, but starting pitcher Joe Kelly’s biggest takeaway from the rookie’s debut had nothing to do with stats.
At just 20 years old, the Cuban defector stands a chiseled 6-foot-2, 205 pounds — the type of size Kelly is used to seeing in middle linebackers, not middle infielders.
Moncada, who received a record $31.5 million signing bonus when he signed with the Red Sox last February, put up solid numbers with Single-A Greenville last season, posting a .278/.380/.438 slash line with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 81 games. He also swiped 49 bases — good for third in the South Atlantic League — and was caught stealing just three times.
“He’s a young, athletic guy who seemingly has a really bright future ahead of him,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters Wednesday morning, via the Boston Herald. “As far as being game-ready, he’s good to go. … I think it would be great if sometime during the spring we put an infield on the field that is all young guys in our system who have a chance to be in the big leagues at some time in the future.”
Thumbnail photo via Jonathan Dyer/USA TODAY Sports Images
