Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow harped on how important it was to build for the future all offseason and cited a young prospect core as an excuse to punt on 2024 and use the season to get the team ready for future seasons.
While shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Kyle Teel were the big three consistently mentioned -- they are not the only blue-chip prospects. Before those three took center stage, a highly promising outfielder made a name for himself in the lowest level of the stateside minors with constant comparisons to Ronald Acuna Jr.
After a season that was cut to just 31 games due to a season-ending shoulder injury in 2023, the toolsy 20-year-old has returned to action and is now one step closer to the big leagues.
"Outfielder Miguel Bleis has been promoted from Single-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to a major league source," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Monday.
Bleis hit .257 with 15 extra-base hits including four home runs, 22 RBIs and a .747 OPS in 43 games for the Salem Red Sox to open the season.
While his numbers do not jump off the page, a slow start and some unlucky results with hard-hit balls have dampened his production. Still, he's been red-hot as of late.
"Over his last 24 games dating to May 3, Bleis hit .313/.400/.490 with 4 homers and 9 steals while posting an 11 percent walk rate and 21 percent strikeout rate," Speier wrote.
It was only a matter of time before the five-tool talent started to prove that he's a lot better than the average Single-A player -- and he'll continue to do so until his next promotion.