Quick hits
He’s been called the right-handed version of Rafael Devers, and aspires to be like Ronald Acuña Jr.
His name is Miguel Bleis, and he’s one of the most promising talents in the Red Sox organization.
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021, Bleis was one of the top players available in that international signing class. A hard-hitting outfielder with a strong arm and serious speed, he’s already earning a rare baseball label: Five-tool player. “You don’t talk about five-tool players too often, but he is one of them,” Red Sox farm director Brian Abraham told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe last fall.
Acuña is a role model for that reason, Bleis told Speier through Red Sox translator Carlos VilloriaBenitez.
Bleis is the No. 4 prospect in the Red Sox organization and No. 93 in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects. He’s in the top 100 at Baseball Prospectus (67) and Baseball America (88), Keith Law ranked him No. 72, and Kiley McDaniel put him at No. 95. FanGraphs ranks him No. 20.
“His well-rounded skill set and ability to make consistent hard barrel contact is rare,” Baseball America writer Geoff Pontes lauded in October. In January, BA editor Josh Norris wrote, “Miguel Bleis was one of the most outstanding prospects in the 2022 Florida Complex League,” and predicted, “the upside is there to be a superstar in the coming years.”
He’s trying to make his big-league debut within the next two years.
He turned 19 on March 1. “I have a goal. In my mind, at the end of my 21-year old season, that will be a nice thing to do if I make my debut in the big leagues,” he told Speier. “I’m going to play hard and show the team I’m getting ready in all the aspects they want me to.”
Bleis made his first Grapefruit League start on Monday, and though the Red Sox fell to the Blue Jays 16-3 in Dunedin, anyone who sat through Toronto’s onslaught was rewarded with glimpses of the young player’s enormous, wellrounded potential.
He showed off his arm in the bottom of the first inning. Scooping up a ball that shot through the right side of the infield, the 6’2″ outfielder fired home to Stephen Scott in time to make the tag. Ironically, Scott was an outfielder and is moving to catcher.
At the plate, Bleis faced Blue Jays’ righty Alek Manoah, an All-Star who finished third in American League Cy Young voting last year. With a 1-2 count, two outs, and the bases loaded in the second, he turned a Manoah two-seam fastball into a single to right, bringing in two runs to tie the game.
When Enmanuel Valdez followed suit with a linedrive single of his own, Bleis hit the gas and went from first to third.
Still, Bleis is only in the earliest stages of his professional career, and that was evident on Monday, as well. He needs to work on seeing breaking balls and sliders; Manoah got him to strike out swinging on a slider in the fourth inning.
In 40 games in rookielevel Florida Complex League last season, Bleis stole 18 bases and hit .301/.353/.543. He collected 46 hits, including 14 doubles, four triples, and five home runs, scored 28 runs, and drove in 27. He also struck out 45 times and only drew 10 walks, for a 26.9% K rate and 6.0% BB rate.
Following Monday’s game, the Red Sox optioned infielder David Hamilton, infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, and lefthanded pitcher Brandon Walter to Triple-A Worcester, a formality for 40-man roster players.
Connor Wong (hamstring strain) took batting practice and caught a pair of bullpens on Monday.
Rafael Devers collected his first hit for Team Dominican
Republic on Monday, a first-inning double. They beat Team Nicaragua 6-1.
The Red Sox have their first day off on Thursday.