Future WooSox players to watch at Boston Red Sox Spring Training

We are now less than a week away from the Boston Red Sox reporting to Fort Myers, Florida for Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers had their first formal workout on Wednesday, February 14, and the rest of the organization’s invitee roster arrives five days later. After an arduous offseason, it is finally time to begin the 2024 baseball season.

Many past and present Worcester Red Sox are expected to receive significant playing time during the spring exhibitions, aiming to either break camp with the big league club or leave an impression that could land them in Boston at some point during the summer months. On Friday, January 26, the Red Sox announced 13 non-roster invitees to Spring Training, with seven of those players appearing in Triple-A Worcester in 2023.

In 2024, the WooSox can anticipate elevated attention on the field with top organizational prospects expected to reach Triple-A throughout the season. Among those who could make the leap to Worcester are Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel––all of whom are ranked in the top 50 prospects in baseball according to mlb.com. After spending time together at Fenway Park for the Red Sox Rookie Development Camp last month, the trio will be a focal point this spring and are slated to participate in the inaugural MLB Spring Breakout series taking place from Thursday, March 14, to Sunday, March 17. Announced by Major League Baseball in early December, the MLB Spring Breakout will feature the game’s top organizational prospects in exhibitions throughout the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. As part of the series, the Red Sox prospects will host the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park on Saturday, March 16.

As a story-filled spring approaches, let’s take a look at some past, present, and future WooSox to keep an eye on over the next six weeks.

SS Marcelo Mayer

Regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, Mayer is entering his third full season in the Red Sox organization after being selected fourth overall in 2021. At just 21-years-old, the shortstop reached Double-A Portland in 2023 and batted .337/.414/.582 before injuring his shoulder in May. Now fully healthy, Mayer is due for a breakout season in the upper level of the minor leagues before a possible big league debut later this year.

OF Roman Anthony

Named as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Player of the Year, Anthony burst onto the scene last year as a teenager. The outfielder, who doesn’t turn 20 until May, has established himself as one of the organization’s top offensive prospects with excellent plate discipline and consistent hard contact. Finishing 2023 with 14 home runs and an .869 OPS across three levels, Anthony has plenty of room to grow and could be in for a big 2024. While he’ll likely begin in Portland, he should find himself in Worcester at some point during the summer.

C Kyle Teel

After winning ACC Player of the Year in 2023 at Virginia, Teel was selected 14th overall by the Red Sox and has quickly rose through the minors in his first taste of pro ball. Demonstrating more athleticism than the average catcher, Teel is a well-rounded backstop that possesses the ability to be successful offensively and defensively. While he’s only played nine games in Double-A, it’s possible Teel could quickly find himself in Worcester before an MLB debut this summer.

2B Nick Yorke

Selected in the first round in 2021, Yorke is entering his second big league Spring Training and looking to build off his bounce back 2023 season. The second baseman spent all of last year in Double-A where he earned the opportunity to the play in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. Demonstrating gap-to-gap power and an innate ability to control the strike zone, Yorke is likely to begin his 2024 in Worcester and could make his Major League debut this summer.

RHP Wikelman Gonzalez

Placed on the 40-man roster this offseason due to Rule-5 implications, Gonzalez will be entering Spring Training as the top-ranked Red Sox pitching prospect. Splitting time between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2023, the righty made 25 starts and compiled 168 strikeouts in just 111.1 innings. His superb performance earned him the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. Poised for another big year in 2024, Gonzalez will likely spend most of his season in Portland and Worcester on his path to Boston.

RHP Richard Fitts

Acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade with the New York Yankees this offseason, Fitts joins Gonzalez in what could be a dominant one-two punch in the Red Sox farm system. The righty spent all of his 2023 in Double-A Somerset, where he amassed 152.2 innings and held opponents to a .227 batting average. Entering his age 24 season, Fitts appears ready to take the next step at Triple-A and could find himself on the Fenway mound this summer.

UTL Nick Sogard

After slashing .266/.370/.391 with 20 doubles and 17 stolen bases, Sogard will be heading back to Major League Spring Training for the second consecutive year. The 26-year-old utility man played a variety of roles with the WooSox, logging innings all over the diamond. This spring, he will try to showcase why his versatility deserves a shot in Boston. However, as a non-roster invitee, Sogard has his work cut out for him and will likely begin the year in Worcester.

RHP Luis Guerrero

Finishing his 2023 in Worcester after spending most of the season in Portland, Guerrero earned his first Major League Spring Training invite in 2024. Awarded the Red Sox 2023 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year honor, Guerrero finished the season with 19 saves and a 2.32 ERA while striking out 68 in 54.1 innings. The 23-year-old righty figures to be a big part of the WooSox bullpen in 2024 as he looks to earn a promotion to the big league club.

OF Corey Rosier

Like Guerrero, Rosier will be making his first appearance at Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. The 24-year-old outfielder spent most of his 2023 in Portland before finishing the year in Worcester, slashing .285/.351/.431 and stealing 49 bases across the two levels. While he hopes to make an impression with the Red Sox this spring, Rosier will likely begin his season at Triple-A where he will continue to develop.

Other former WooSox players to receive non-roster invites are C Stephen Scott and RHPs Justin Hagenman, Chase Shugart, and AJ Politi. Additionally, prospects C Nathan Hickey and 2B Chase Meidroth are attending their first Major League Spring Training and could find themselves in Worcester this season after the two split their 2023 in High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland.

With the next generation of Red Sox poised to reach the upper levels of the minor leagues this year, Spring Training 2024 is set to be an exciting six weeks. For WooSox fans, this spring will provide a glimpse of what is sure to be a can’t-miss season at Polar Park.