Backfields Standouts: March 21, 2024
Chris breaks down six players that have stood out to him in Minor League Spring Training games.
Another day in paradise in Fort Myers, Florida, spending time at Minor League camp and Spring Training. On Thursday, I took in the Rays and Red Sox action which was a lot of fun, but let’s talk about some players standing out.
Minor League Spring Training Standouts
Yoeilin Cespedes, SS, BOS
Cespedes missed the last week of action as the team was just being cautious with a very minor injury. I will say this: It did not look like Cespedes was injured at all. He is already very physically mature for an 18-year-old with quite the bat speed. When he walked out for batting practice, what first stood out to me was how strong he was. Cespedes’ arms are massive, and they have strong forearms and wrists.
He hit some majestic home runs, which is impressive considering he did not turn 18 until September. He is already filled out, but it would not be uncommon to see him grow an inch or two, given his age. Obviously batting practice in a cage does not show us a ton, but the good news is we got more.
We moved over to another field where Cespedes took lives against Richard Fitts, a solid arm that pitched 152.2 innings in Double-A last year with a 3.48 ERA. Fitts was up 98 mph but consistently sitting 95 mph.
Cespedes took five at-bats in which he made hard contact four of the times. There were a couple of whiffs, but every at-bat ended with the ball in play. In Cespedes’ first at-bat, he smoked one to the centerfield wall. Two other batted balls ended up in the outfield grass as well.
It was a highly impressive showing for an 18-year-old bat who has only played in the Dominican Summer League. To me, he already looks like a top-100 prospect, given what I saw and his Dominican Summer League performance.
Cespedes was the big-name signing for the Red Sox in the 2023 international signing period, landing a $1.4 million bonus. He hits the ball hard and generates easy power, collecting six home runs and 25 extra-base hits in 26 Dominican Summer League games. The power comes naturally as Cespedes posted 101 mph in the 90th percentile, which is quite an impressive mark for a 17-year-old who also saw a max of 107 mph.
I am in.
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