Could (insert pitching prospect here) be the first front-of-the-rotation arm that the Red Sox have drafted and developed since Jon Lester? A question that I, and countless others, have uttered thousands of times in recent years now applies to Payton Tolle. For the first time, that question feels like it could be a "Yes," last night's results notwithstanding. But how many times have we been reeled in by that possibility over the last 20 years?
Kyle Harrison's biggest issue in Triple-A has been his efficiency, as he often requires 20-25 pitches to make it through an inning, even a clean one. This time in Durham ( Rays AAA), the lefty got through three innings without much incident in 38 pitches. That's better! I'm running out of times saying "this might have been his last start in Worcester"
Cincinnati Reds 2B/3B Sal Stewart sure is doing his best to force the franchise to promote him to the major leagues soon, and fantasy managers must notice. Stewart, outside the top 100 prospects in the original Kiley McDaniel list entering this season, has thrived and is among the better options now, appearing at No. 31 on his updated list, published last week.
Good news, Dylan Crews is officially returning from the 60-day IL today. But it comes with bad news, as it will likely result in a demotion for a fellow young outfielder like Daylen Lile or Robert Hassell III.
Schultz's season began with a solid performance in Double-A, posting a 3.34 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 56.2 innings, but fell sharply after moving to Triple-A, where he allowed 15 earned runs in just 11.1 innings across three starts.