The future appears to be bright in Boston.
Over the last few years, the Red Sox' collection of young talent has given fans something to look forward to. Led by standouts Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and Brayan Bello, the farm system went from being one of the worst in MLB to arguably a top-10 group.
There were growing pains for Boston's top prospects once they reached The Show. But lately, we've seen why Chaim Bloom and Co. were so bullish on the talent in the pipeline. The Red Sox' young guns are a big reason why the 2023 club remains competitive and in the playoff hunt at the season's midpoint.
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Here's a closer look at just how impressive Boston's former top prospects have been.
Brayan Bello
Bello has been the ace of Boston's starting rotation over the last month and a half. The second-year right-hander, who turned 24 in May, has a 2.68 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in eight starts (47 innings) since April 30.
His last two starts were dominant performances against the New York Yankees. He propelled Boston to victory in both games, allowing only three earned runs while striking out 11 Yankees hitters in 14 total innings (seven innings in each start).
Boston Red Sox
“He keeps getting better,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after Sunday's win vs. New York. “His usage is getting where we want to. He’s been able to develop his slider in the big leagues. His changeup has always been a weapon. Using his fastball in different areas. It’s not easy to do, face the same lineup in back-to-back outings and go seven.”
Bello showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie in 2022, but he seems to have reached the next level in his development this season. That's huge for a Red Sox staff that recently lost Chris Sale and Tanner Houck to injuries.
Through 11 appearances this year, Bello is 4-4 with a 3.49 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
Jarren Duran
The Red Sox never gave up on Duran despite the rough start to the speedy outfielder's big-league career. So far in Year 3, Duran has rewarded them for their faith.
The 26-year-old has been one of Boston's best all-around players this season. In 55 games, he boasts a .300/.360/.467 slash line with three homers, 26 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.
Duran's defense has taken a significant step forward. He's in the 76th percentile in MLB in outs above average and 96th percentile in outfielder jump, per Baseball Savant.
Duran's adjustments at the plate have been a game-changer. Rather than focusing on power, he has relied on his speed and wreaked havoc on opposing teams by stretching singles into doubles. Three of his 21 doubles this season came in Monday night's win over the Minnesota Twins.
Triston Casas
Casas' advanced plate discipline immediately translated to the big leagues during his brief cameo with Boston last year. The slugging first baseman walked 19 times in 95 plate appearances.
But to start his rookie campaign in 2023, Casas experienced growing pains that left some wondering whether more time in Triple-A would be beneficial. He has answered that question with an emphatic "no" over the last month-plus.
Since May 3, Casas is slashing .271/.371/.467 with five homers and a .838 OPS. His defense at first has also improved since he was called out by manager Alex Cora earlier this month.
Casas leads the team in walks with 12 and is third in OPS (.894) so far in June.
Connor Wong
Wong arrived in Boston alongside Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The young catcher was the least exciting part of that deal at the time, but he has since turned into an important piece of this Red Sox team.
Wong, 27, has emerged as the club's starting catcher after proving himself both at the plate and behind it. He has been an offensive upgrade from Christian Vazquez with six homers and a .751 OPS through 52 games. Defensively, he's in the 94th percentile in pop time and has gunned down 10 runners on the basepaths.
Josh Winckowski
Winckowski saw less-than-ideal results as a starter last season but showed enough potential to be utilized out of the Red Sox bullpen in 2023. That transition could not have worked out any better for both sides.
The 24-year-old, acquired in the trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals in 2021, has arguably been Boston's most reliable reliever this season. Through 26 appearances (42 1/3 innings), he has posted a 2.34 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 31 strikeouts.
Winckowski currently leads all Red Sox relievers in bWAR (1.2). He's second on the pitching staff behind only Bello (1.8) and tied for fourth on the entire club.