Moncada highlights Sox headed to Fall League
OAKLAND -- The Red Sox will send seven prospects to the annual Arizona Fall League, headlined by MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect Yoan Moncada, who was called up to join Boston on Friday.
All seven prospects will report to the Surprise Salgueros, which will be managed by Red Sox Double-A Portland manager Carlos Febles. In addition to Moncada, Boston will send Trey Ball, Jalen Beeks, Jamie Callahan, Michael Kopech, Mauricio Dubon and Danny Mars.
• 2016 Fall League rosters revealed
2016 Arizona Fall League rostersMoncada excelled in the Minors this season, slashing .294/.407/.511 between Class A Advanced Salem and Double-A Portland, while also adding 15 homers and 45 steals. The Red Sox called Moncada up Friday in the hopes he'll impact their playoff run, and plan to play baseball's top prospect at third base moving forward. He'll primarily face right-handed batters.
"We feel he can come up here and contribute at the big league level and help us win some ballgames," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Friday.
The Sox will also send several impressive pitching prospects, including Kopech, who is the team's No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Kopech, 20, features a fastball that tops out north of 100 miles per hour, a slider in the low 90s and a breaking ball. A first round draft pick in 2014, the righty is 4-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 12 starts for Salem this season. He's struck out 86 batters in 56 1/3 innings.
Ball, a first-round draft pick in 2013, has struggled over three full seasons as a professional, but is showing improvement this year with Salem. The lefty is 8-6 with a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts, but walks remain an issue, as he's struck out 86 batters but walked 68. He's currently the team's No. 14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
Dubon, 22, is Boston's second-highest-rated position player among the seven, and is currently the team's 12th-best prospect. A shortstop, the Honduras native is slashing .332/.367/.532 in 58 games with Portland this season. He began the season in Salem, where he stole 24 bases.