5 Overlooked Red Sox Prospects Performing Well At Halfway Point

The Boston Red Sox farm system is the strongest it’s been in recent memory.

Five players from the organization are ranked on Baseball America’s latest midseason Top 100 Prospect list.

Prospects are being promoted to Boston on a regular basis with some encouraging overall results. There has been so much fanfare involving some of the higher-end prospects such as Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela, Brayan Bello and the slew of pitchers that were elevated to the majors that other talented prospects have been glossed over.

Here are five prospects to keep an eye on moving forward:

All rankings by SoxPropects.

Miguel Bleis, OF, Florida Complex League (No. 7 prospect)
Bleis is the most tantalizing player on the list and likely will become a household name in the near future. At 18 years old, he’s hitting .292 with nine extra-base hits including three home runs, 15 RBIs, eight steals in nine attempts and a .850 OPS in 23 games in the FCL.

“Bleis is a head-turning five-tool talent. Earlier this week, he had his first multi-homer game, clearing the fences on two pitches in the upper 90s,” The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote Thursday.

“He’s probably the best player in the (FCL) right now,” a National League scout told Speier.

Bleis is nowhere close to reaching the big leagues given his age, but he’s a 6-foot-3, athletic specimen with raw power and plenty of time to develop into his slender frame. He could make his way through Single-A and potentially reach Double-A at some point next season if everything comes together. At that point, he’ll be getting all the attention he deserves.

Chris Murphy, LHP, Worcester Red Sox (No. 10 prospect)
Murphy, a 2019 sixth-round pick, has progressed steadily this season and is on the doorstep of becoming major-league ready. The 24-year-old posted a 2.58 ERA with a 91-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio with a .170 batting average against in 76 2/3 innings with Double-A Portland.

He was recently promoted to Triple-A Worcester where he’s continued to impress. Murphy is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts, six walks and a .177 BAA in three starts since moving up a level.

The southpaw could soon enter the mix of swing starters that currently includes Josh Winckowski, Kutter Crawford, Connor Seabold and Bello.

Blaze Jordan, 1B/3B, Salem Red Sox (No. 14 prospect)
Jordan had no shortage of hype when selected in the third round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, but some breakout seasons from other prospects have caused the hulking corner infielder to fall through the cracks.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound slugger can hit a ball as far as anyone, and is putting together a nice all-around season in Single-A. Jordan is hitting .295 with 35 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 45 RBIs and a .840 OPS in 78 games.

Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark is one of the largest ballparks in the Carolina League, so his home run numbers are right where they should be, and his 24 doubles and three triples prove that he’s hitting the ball hard.

Frank German, RHP, Worcester Red Sox (No. 27 prospect)
German has a great chance to develop into a high-leverage reliever with an upper 90s fastball, an above-average splitter and quality slider with potential to become a wipeout pitch.

German has a 3.41 ERA with 41 strikeouts to just 12 walks combined with a .173 BAA in 29 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester this season. He’s only allowed two extra-base hits, a double and a home run.

The 24-year-old right-hander has elite stuff and boasts 12.72 strikeouts per nine innings. His ceiling is extremely high for an organization that currently lacks dependable back-end relievers.

Niko Kavadas, 1B/DH, Greenville Drive (No. 29 prospect)
Kavadas is known for one thing, mashing baseballs. He projects as a first baseman at best, designated hitter at worst, but hits the longball with the best of them.

The six-foot-one, 235-pound slugger has hit .296 with 42 extra-base hits including 21 home runs, 64 RBIs and a 1.116 OPS between Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville. He also has an 85-to-70 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is as good as it gets for a power hitter in this era. Kavadas had arguably the best stretch of any Red Sox prospect this season when he was red-hot in June.