Minor league report: Are the Red Sox’ Big Three now a Big Four? - The Boston Globe (2024)

Notably, his performance has improved since his promotion this month. Last week, Campbell went 8 for 14 with six walks and three strikeouts, pushing his Double A line after 17 games to .431/.526/.692.

“At this point, we’re almost surprised when he gets out,” said Anthony. “We were joking the other day, he started the game 0 for 2, like, ‘Man, he’s in a slump.’

“We call him Barry Bonds. What he’s done here so far, we’re just like, it’s Barry Bonds. The video looks like it’s in fast motion, like it’s sped up with how hard he swings and with how hard he hits the ball.”

▪ Triple A Worcester: 3-3 last week, 35-40 overall

Righthander Richard Fitts (Baseball America’s No. 10 Red Sox prospect) had an overpowering outing Saturday, allowing three hits over five shutout innings while striking out a season-high nine. Fitts averaged 95.4 miles per hour on his four-seamer and topped out at 97.2, easily his best velocity of the season.

Fitts got only two swings and misses on his fastball, but the pitch set up his secondary offerings, as he got six swings and misses on both his slider and changeup.

Fitts has had a solid if mostly unspectacular year, with a 3.84 ERA and 23 percent strikeout rate over 61 innings. However, his willingness to pound the strike zone stands out; his 67 percent strike rate ranks seventh among 99 Triple A pitchers with 750 pitches.

With Triple A getting rid of the squeezed, fully automated strike zone in favor of a challenge system for all games (it had been split 50-50), Fitts could take advantage of the larger zone with his command.

“He throws hard on his worst days, but he had something extra on Saturday,” said Josh Winckowski. “He’s got a ton of talent. I’m excited to see him progress.”

First baseman Niko Kavadas continued to destroy baseballs, going 8 for 20 with a pair of homers while forging a .400/.429/.700 line last week. The 26-year-old’s production continues to come mostly against fastballs as well as cutters, pitches he has obliterated for a .356 average and .692 slugging mark with nine homers.

His struggles against breaking balls (.149 with a .358 slugging mark and an alarming 51 percent whiff rate when swinging) remain jarring. Still, his power has been considerable.

▪ Double A Portland: 2-4 last week, 36-33 overall

Anthony (No. 1) struggled through a 3-for-23 week in which he walked four times with seven strikeouts. For the year, the 20-year-old is hitting .255/.370/.455. Mayer (No. 2) went 8 for 20 with (yes) two more doubles, bringing his Double A-leading total to 25. For the season, he’s hitting .309 (best among qualifying Eastern League hitters) with a .373 OBP, .482 slugging mark, 9 percent walk rate, and 20 percent strikeout rate. Teel (No. 3) went 5 for 20 with a double and a homer. He’s hitting .307/.401/.484 with a 25 percent strikeout rate — impressive sustained performance given the physical and mental demands of his first full professional season at a taxing position (catcher).

While the position players have excelled, it’s been a brutal stretch for the rotation. Luis Perales (No. 9) and Angel Bastardo (No. 26) are likely to require Tommy John surgery. Though the Sox still plan to move him back to the rotation, Wikelman Gonzalez (No. 5) made a second straight appearance out of the bullpen last week, allowing three runs in 1⅔ innings to raise his ERA to 7.94.

▪ High A Greenville: 2-4 last week, 27-42 overall

Every year, a player gets promoted from the cavernous environment in Salem to the bandbox of Greenville and goes on a homer binge. This year’s entrant is 21-year-old outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, whose homer Sunday was his seventh in 19 games since moving up.

Garcia has a .311/.378/.649 line. Though his walk rate has plummeted from 14 percent in Salem to 6 percent in Greenville, his strikeout rate has decreased slightly (24 to 22 percent).

Though his performances have been inconsistent, lefthander Connelly Early (a 2023 fifth-rounder out of Virginia) has shown flashes of a starter’s mix with good feel for his craft. Last week, he threw five shutout innings while allowing just one hit, walking two, and striking out six. For the season, he has a 31 percent strikeout rate and 7 percent walk rate.

▪ Single A Salem: 4-2 last week, 36-33 overall

Catcher/first baseman Brooks Brannon — who has some of the most impressive raw power in the system but will have to control his swings and misses — had a strong week, going 8 for 15 with two walks and two strikeouts. In 12 games since joining Salem following knee surgery, the 20-year-old is hitting .333/.385/.500.

Lefthander Jojo Ingrassia, a 14th-round selection out of Cal State Fullerton last year, tossed four shutout innings with six strikeouts. For the year, Ingrassia (who works from a low three-quarters arm slot) has a 2.21 ERA with a 40 percent strikeout rate — third-highest in the minors among pitchers with 40 innings.

▪ Florida Complex: 3-2 last week, 17-16 overall

Shortstop Franklin Arias has heated up in June, posting a .293/.408/.537 line with two homers, six extra-base hits, and five steals in 11 games atop standout defensive play.

▪ DSL: Red, 10-5 overall; Blue: 7-8 overall

Righthander Dalvinson Reyes ran his scoreless-innings streak to 11 through three starts. Center fielder Jhoan Peguero, 18, has shown interesting tools while hitting .277/.382/.319 with five steals through 13 games.

Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.