9 Red Sox Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30

The Red Sox Top 30 prospects rankings are up now for Baseball America subscribers, with full scouting reports, BA grades and tools grade projections for all 30 players.

Through the process of narrowing the list down to a Top 30, there are other intriguing names who didn’t make the cut but are worth monitoring, with the potential to jump into the Top 30 in the future. Some of those are players who might be in the upper levels and could see big league time this year, though likely in a limited role, while others are lower-level players still in the complex leagues with more upside but plenty of risk.

Beyond the Top 30, these are nine prospects to watch in Boston’s farm system.

David Hamilton, SS/2B. A plus-plus runner, Hamilton spent all of 2022 with Double-A Portland and tied an organizational record with 70 steals. He got away from his offensive approach at times, but he toned it down toward the end of the year and hit .267/.368/.408 in his last 54 games, profiling as a depth option with a chance to emerge as a steady reserve by the end of 2023.

Alex Binelas, 1B/3B. Acquired in a trade with the Brewers after the 2021 season, Binelas has plus power and could emerge as a power-hitting, corner infield platoon player.

Allan Castro, OF. Castro is getting more attention as he matures physically, making consistently hard contact with solid defense and speed. He hit .279/.355/.451 as a 19-year-old in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2022. 

Freili Encarnacion, SS. Encarnacion has considerable upside as a 6-foot-4, power-hitting shortstop who likely ends up at third base. If he can control his strikeouts, he possesses serious thunder.

Christian Koss, 2B/3B/OF. Koss doesn’t have loud tools but his defense, baserunning and bat-to-ball abilities should result in big league opportunities.

Ryan Fernandez, RHP. Fernandez, a 23rd-round pick in 2018 out of high school, has seen his fastball steadily gain power. The relief prospect gets into the high 90s, and he has a promising slider and a cutter, though elbow inflammation sidelined him for the final months of the season.

Juan Daniel Encarnacion, RHP. Encarnacion delivered a solid performance in Low-A Salem in 2022. He’s a strike-thrower with a low-90s four-seamer, a slider and a changeup, with upside in both his physical projection (6-foot-4, 170 pounds) and mix (he started developing a cutter) to create upside as a depth starter.

Johanfran Garcia, C. Garcia hit .268/.366/.333 as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. He has a chance to emerge as a physical catcher with solid hit and power grades.

Wyatt Olds, RHP. Olds features a mid-90s fastball from a low slot that represents a nightmare for righties. If he can reliably throw his changeup or slider in the strike zone, he could be a valuable late-inning arm.