FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox were supposed to have a soft launch to their game schedule on Friday afternoon when they played Northeastern University.

But there is nothing soft about the launch when prospect Bobby Dalbec gets a hold of a pitch he likes.

Dalbec, who is ranked third among Red Sox prospects by MLB Pipeline, marked his first Spring Training in Major League camp by hammering a solo shot to center in his first at-bat.

“It felt pretty good. Get it out of the way,” said Dalbec. “Center-cut fastball just trying to put a good swing on it. Not trying to do too much.”

There was a humorous interaction when Dalbec returned to the dugout. When Red Sox manager Alex Cora was working for ESPN and covering the College World Series, he was sure that two-way star Dalbec would wind up as a starting pitcher.

But Dalbec’s passion is hitting, and his manager saw that firsthand on Friday.

“When he came into the dugout, I said, ‘I was wrong. I thought you were going to be a pitcher.’ But you can see it,” Cora said. “He has a pretty good idea what he wants to do at the plate. The first pitch, the takes, you see it in live BP and he’s been improving."

There were a couple of other good signs from Friday’s 6-0 win. Blake Swihart, who is in competition to be the starting catcher, threw out a runner trying to steal third.

“I tried to lead Dalbec right there to third base. I know he’s an athlete over there, and he made a good play,” said Swihart. “I think we’re all ready for the games now. You can only practice so much and get in a rhythm.”

The Grapefruit League portion of the schedule starts on Saturday, with the rival Yankees making their lone visit to Fort Myers this spring.

First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Yankees have Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Greg Bird and Aaron Hicks on the travel squad.

The plan for Cora is to ease his regulars and his pitchers in this first week of Grapefruit League games. Rafael Devers will start at third base against the Yankees, and Sandy Leon will catch. Non-roster right-hander Josh A. Smith will get the start for the Sox, and Travis Lakins, a highly touted pitching prospect, will throw in relief.

Cora expects that most of his position players will get on the field by Wednesday at the latest, though Dustin Pedroia could be a little slower as he comes back from his left knee woes of the last two years.

Here are some storylines to follow during Grapefruit League action:

Closing time

It sure seems like Matt Barnes is best positioned to win the closer’s competition. Cora continues to mention how dominant he was against the heart of opposing lineups last year. But there will be competition. Ryan Brasier, assuming the toe infection on his right foot clears up soon, will fight for the job. And don’t count out Tyler Thornburg, who finally seems recovered from the surgery he had to repair thoracic outlet syndrome two years agao.

Catch-22

Which two catchers will survive out of Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Leon? And once that is decided, which one will emerge into the starter? The Red Sox are high on all three of their catchers defensively. If one of the three can show some encouraging signs at the plate this spring, that could help make the decision easier. Though the Red Sox won the World Series last year, they didn’t get nearly enough offense from the catching spot.

Pedroia watch

Cora isn’t sure yet when Pedroia will start playing in games. But once he does, all eyes will be on him. Pedroia was only able to play three games last season after having extensive surgery on that left knee after the 2017 season. Though all current signs are encouraging, the Sox won’t truly know until they see how his body responds to a game schedule.

Young guns

This will be an interesting spring for the Red Sox to evaluate their next wave of prospects. Dalbec got off to a good start on Friday, and he should get more looks in the coming days. Michael Chavis, Boston’s top prospect, missed 75 games of development last season due to a PED suspension. He is trying to make up for lost time, and Cora said he is going to play first, second and third in games. Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez is the club’s top-ranked pitching prospect and he looked the part on Friday, retiring all six batters he faced, including three strikeouts. Lakins is another pitcher to keep a close eye on. His stuff is explosive.