Matchup with Red Sox affiliate features top
Dunkin’ Park will be the place to see some of the top prospects in baseball this week. The Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox’s Double A affiliate, ranked No. 3 on Mlb.com’s recent list of top minor league teams, come to play the Yard Goats, fourth on the same list.
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer, hitting .314, centerfielder Roman Anthony (two homers, four RBI) and catcher Kyle Teel (two homers six RBI), three of the top 40 prospects in the minor leagues, hit in the middle of the Portland lineup. The Red Sox have been keeping them together as they rise through the system, envisioning them hitting together in Boston one day. Wikelman Gonzalez, the Red Sox’s top pitching prospect, is on Portland’s staff and infielders Nick Yorke and Blake Jordan, two of Boston’s top 20 prospects, will also be with Portland this weekend.
The Yard Goats have 11 of the parent Rockies’ top 30 prospects. Adael Amador, the 26th-ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB pipeline, and Colorado’s top prospect, starts at second base, though he is off to a slow start, 4 for 35, he has 10 walks. Yanquiel Fernandez, Sterlin Thompson, Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery, who has two homers and 10 RBI in 1 games, all among the Rockies’ top 10 prospects, are in Hartford’s regular lineup. Veen, who missed much of last season with an injury, is hitting .342. Carson Palmquist, Mason Albright and Jaden Hill are top pitching prospects on the Goats’ staff. Palmquist, 2-0, has started the season with 16 scoreless innings.
These teams opened the season in Portland April 7, a 1-0 Yard Goats victory after games on the 5th and 6th were postponed due to weather.
The Sea Dogs (9-4) and Yard Goats (8-5) are the top two teams in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division so far in the young season,
The six-game series opens Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. with Albright, a lefty, facing righthander Isaac Coffey on the mound for Portland. The teams play Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:10. Saturday at 6:10 and conclude the series Sunday at 1:10 p.m. Righthander Connor Van Scoyoc, Palmquest, a lefty, Jared Cande (RH), Andrew Quezada (RH) will pitch for Hartford Wednesday through Saturday, with Albright coming back on Sunday.