Five Prospects To Watch In Red Sox-Braves ‘Spring Breakout’ Game

The Boston Red Sox have a prime opportunity to showcase one of the best farm systems in the sport during their “Spring Breakout” game against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Boston takes the field with a star-studded cast of young talent in the matchup at JetBlue Park.

With so many impact players to watch, here are five standout prospects to keep an eye on as the future takes the field for the Red Sox and the Braves.

Big Three (Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel)
Alright, so there are actually seven players on the list. For now, we’ll group Boston’s three top prospects together.

This is the trio that the Red Sox have bet their future on and will surely attract the majority of Saturday’s audience. Across the board, the prospects rank at the top of the Red Sox farm system, creating legitimate buzz for the next great core at Fenway Park.

With Teel at catcher, Mayer at shortstop and Anthony in the outfield, Boston has a strong core to build around up the middle. With talent around them, the Red Sox get a prime look at having all of them on the field together with this unique game.

Wikelman Gonzalez
While the strength of the Red Sox farm system rests with its position players, Gonzalez offers plenty of intrigue on the mound as a potential starter in the future.

The right-hander from Venezuela elevated his game after being promoted to Double-A during the 2023 season. Gonzalez answered the challenge, racking up 63 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings over 10 starts with the Portland Sea Dogs. The righty even tossed the first six innings of a combined-no hitter for Portland last July.

Along with fellow right-hander Luis Perales, Gonzalez represents the best of Boston’s pitching future in the minor leagues.

Nick Yorke
2024 marks a highly important season in Yorke’s development.

The 2020 first-round pick found middle ground in 2023 after a fantastic 2021 campaign and an injury-riddled 2022 season. Yorke has taken steps forward defensively in recent years, though the Red Sox have a steady flow of middle infielders at the big-league level.

Yorke gets a true chance to show that he is ready to hit his way to the next level.

Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela plays in the game with rookie eligibility, though he has already made his MLB debut last season with the Red Sox, showing quick flashes in addition to his elite outfield defense.

With a chance to make the roster, Rafaela has shown Boston exactly what the team needed to see this spring. The 23-year-old has gotten the most at-bats of any Red Sox player this spring, posting a .908 OPS with an improved approach at the plate.

Could the “Spring Breakout” game be the finishing touch on Rafaela’s pitch to be the Red Sox’s Opening Day center fielder?

Miguel Bleis
This should be an exciting return for the Red Sox.

Bleis had a fantastic 2022 campaign, hitting .301 with a .896 OPS in a full season of rookie ball. A season-ending shoulder injury blocked that potential in 2023, setting up Bleis for a highly-anticipated return to the diamond in the Red Sox system.

Saturday’s game can show the start of how far the newly-turned 20-year-old outfielder is.