The '25 R5 list is now updated with the survivors of the '24 one...
https://soxprospects.com/rule5.htm
Some quickie thoughts...
December 2025
Karim Ayubi
Alex Binelas
Miguel Bleis - Bleis should be in AA by like June & should need protecting assuming he is still what I think he is.
Caleb Bolden
Jonathan Brand
Taylor Broadway
Allan Castro - Big year coming up for Castro. Had 117 (very bad, 52 wRC+) PAs in AA last year. I would be a bit surprised if he becomes exciting, but one still has to root for it. All of his power (14 of 15 homers, 20 of 23 doubles in '24) comes as a LHH.
Juan Chacon
Isaac Coffey - Has earned a place in AAA rotation after putting up a 3.17 ERA in 113.2 IP in AA last year, 11.7 k/9, 4 bb/9. Seems like there will be a lot of competition for those roles, though, when you factor in the possibilities of Priester, Fitts, Dobbins, Criswell, Winck, Drohan, Penrod, Gambrell, Fulmer, Murphy, Mata, etc.
Nathanael Cruz
Noah Dean - Thought the Noah Dean hate from SP went too far in '23 & the love went too far in '24. I think it's about time to see what he can do in a 2-3 inning role & whether they actually have something there.
Kelvin Diaz
Matt Donlan
Shane Drohan - Drohan turns 26 next month & is no longer that super promising guy who dominated for 6 starts to the start the year for Portland in '23: 34 IP, 1.32 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 9.5 k/9, 2.4 bb/9. Is that guy still in there somewhere? That would be a pretty awesome bonus.
Nate Eaton
Max Ferguson
Nathan Hickey - Red Sox are still short a high-level catcher or 2 unless they're looking to run back the Hickey at catcher for Worcester experiment again. I think he has a chance for a bit of a bounce back season if he focuses on 1B (with Dalbec & Niko gone) & hitting.
Alex Hoppe - After a very impressive pro-debut in '23 across A+ & AA, Hoppe was expected to start the year closing for Portland & to make it to Worcester. He missed the first couple weeks of the season due to I believe a lat issue & never really got into the groove for most of the year. He did finish fairly strong in the last 31 days or so: 19.2 IP, 3.20 ERA, 9 bb, 22 k. He turns 26 this month & hopefully the hard throwing righty will be back to making an impact & potentially even earning a look with the Red Sox by the end of the year.
Blaze Jordan - Big year for Blaze. He kind of stalled out last year but was derailed by a couple flukey injuries & a 98 wRC+ as a 21 y/o in AA isn't awful. I think there's room for a leap & for him to become interesting again.
Ahbram Liendo
Enderso Lira
CJ Liu - Healthy year from Liu would be nice. Only pitched 21 innings last year, all between May 9th & July 5th. Has some interesting stuff that might play in the pen.
Andy Lugo - Lugo doesn't turn 21 until March & was good in A-Ball (120 wRC+) & not so good in 79 high-A PAs (72 wRC+). He was in the SP Top 60 prior to missing the whole '23 season with injury & I think he'll hop back in this year & probably get to AA before the end of the year. Don't think he'll be far enough along to need protecting, though.
Marcelo Mayer - Decent little ballplayer when healthy. Looking forward to seeing what he can do in Worcester this year.
Tyler McDonough
Daniel McElveny
Alvaro Mejias
Tyler Miller
Yordanny Monegro - YORDANNY. Probably visiting my family in Boston later in the Summer next year. May try to get to a Yordanny game.
Juan Montero
Hayden Mullins - LHP with fun stuff. May end up profiling as a reliever but should probably start the season in the Portland rotation after a year in Greenville.
Christian Nunez
Wyatt Olds
Jedixson Paez - JEDI! Curious to see what it will take to get Paez some respect. A 10.9 k/9 to 1.1 bb/9 as a 20 y/o in High-A didn't seem to do it. But if he can add a bit more velo...
Eybersson Polanco
Luis Ravelo
Eduardo Rivera
Dalton Rogers
Ronald Rosario
Corey Rosier
David Sandlin - Kind of a muddy year for Sandlin where the ERAs (5.12 in A+ & 5.61 in AA) far underperformed the underlying stuff (2.81 & 3.46 xFIP). Had severe home run & BABIP problems. Not sure if that's a result of bad luck or some bad pitches, but definitely room for growth. Only threw 57.1 innings. Still a lot to be excited about as hopefully he can put together a healthy & dominant season in AA & perhaps beyond. The stuff is nasty.
Michael Sansone
Armando Sierra
Phillip Sikes
Adam Smith
Noah Song - Song is 27 1/2 & has a grand total of 49.2 professional innings. Pretty crazy. Looks like he had his TJ surgery in early April, so probably will be 28 before getting to add to that total.
Cristofer Soriano
Christopher Troye - Troye is in that Hoppe group of older college relievers who impressed in '23 but failed for much of '24. Troye was quite successful for the last 7 weeks or so: 25.2 IP, 2.81 ERA, 16 bb, 32 k... his 5.6 bb/9 during that stretch lowered his season total to 6.2... which was significantly better than '23 when he walked 7.8 per 9 in AA. Basically, dude needs to figure out where his pitches are going because the stuff plays.
Tyler Uberstine
Brian Van Belle
Diego Viloria
Jacob Webb
Jeremy Wu-Yelland
I would post about some more of these guys, but I already wasted wayyyyyy too much time on this.
