Andrew Benintendi is stealing all the headlines these days, but his former Double-A Portland teammate also has been pretty impressive of late.
Boston Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada recently transitioned from second base to third base, a move that could help him reach the big leagues quicker. Moncada made a few nice plays at third Monday for the Sea Dogs, and he flashed the leather again Tuesday night with an athletic stop on a ground ball to his left.
The 21-year-old Cuba native also impressed with his bat, blasting a three-run homer to right field that traveled an estimated 411 feet. Fortunately for us, there’s video of both highlights.
Yoan Moncada helping the @PortlandSeaDogs with the glove and the bat tonight #Mesports pic.twitter.com/y1hkgLpM9J
— Joe Bailey (@joebaileysports) August 24, 2016
Here are a few more details on Moncada’s homer, which he hit very hard:
Moncada up in 2nd inning with runners on 1st & 3rd, 2 outs: Launches 93 mph fastball for HR to right center .102 mph exit velocity. 411 feet
— Kevin Thomas (@ClearTheBases) August 23, 2016
Moncada’s towering shot was his 10th in just 39 games for the Sea Dogs, as he now has 26 RBIs and 19 extra-base hits with Portland since getting called up from High-A Salem earlier this season.
Rated Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect in July, Moncada appears to be living up to the hype, both at the plate and in the field. Benintendi already got the call up from Portland a few weeks ago, but if Moncada keeps playing like this, he might not be far behind.
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
