Potential Red Sox Opening Day right fielder ranks 6th on MassLive’s Top 25

Wilyer Abreu put together an exciting five weeks in the major leagues last year after being promoted in late August. He even caught the eye of ownership.

“I’m looking forward to Wilyer Abreu having 400 at-bats,” team chairman Tom Werner said last month at Red Sox Winter Weekend.

The Red Sox have done little in free agency this offseason. Their plan is to build from within. That means young players like Abreu likely will receive big opportunities in 2024. Abreu enters spring training with the chance to be the starting right fielder on Opening Day. Boston could use Abreu in right and newly-acquired Tyler O’Neill in left field, the position he has played for the majority of his career. The Sox then could use Masataka Yoshida most often in the DH spot.

Abreu lands as Boston’s No. 6 prospect on MassLive’s Top 25 prospect list.

MassLive is releasing its Top 25 Red Sox prospect list in stages Monday-Friday. It began with the Nos. 25-21 prospects Monday and will conclude Friday with the top five prospects in the system. Below is a look at prospect Nos. 10-6.

This week’s MassLive prospect ranking schedule:

• Monday, Feb. 5: Prospects 21-25
• Tuesday, Feb. 6: Prospects 16-20
• Wednesday, Feb. 7: Prospects 11-15
• Thursday, Feb. 8: Prospects 6-10
• Friday, Feb. 9: Prospects 1-5

10. Nick Yorke, 2B

Age: 21

Bats/Throws: R/R

How acquired: Drafted in first round (17th overall) in 2020 out of Archbishop Mitty High. Signed for $2.7 million.

2023 stats: Double-A Portland: .268 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, .435 slugging percentage, .785 OPS, 13 homers, 25 doubles, five triples, 74 runs, 61 RBIs, 51 walks, 122 strikeouts, 18 steals in 110 games (506 plate appearances).

ETA: 2025

Report: The 2020 first-rounder, who will turn 22 on April 2, exploded onto the scene in 2021 when he batted .325 with a .412 on-base percentage, .516 slugging percentage, .928 OPS, 14 homers, 20 doubles, five triples, 52 walks and 69 strikeouts in 97 games (442 plate appearances) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville as just a 19-year-old. He had an impressive 11.8% walk percentage and 15.6% strikeout percentage. He ranked No. 31 on Baseball America’s Top 100 list entering 2022.

But he fell off BA’s Top 100 list during the 2022 season when he was limited to just 80 games because of injuries to his toe, back and wrist. He had only a .232/.303/.365/.668 line in 373 plate appearances for Greenville. His strikeout percentage increased (25.2%) and his walk percentage dropped (8.8%).

The 2023 season was a tale of two halves at Portland and his strikeout rate (24.1%) remained about the same. He had a .286/.377/.475/.852 line in the first half but then posted a .248/.317/.388/.705 line during the second half. “I just so happened to hit one of those slumps after the break,” Yorke said. “But I did find a way to get out of it, finish a little stronger (had a strong August). So I was very grateful for that. I’m really excited to get out there and show what I can do in ‘24.

He’s still so young and maybe ranking him No. 10 (and not higher) is being too tough on him. But it would be nice to see him reduce the strikeout rate and increase the batting average to where both were in 2021 before being ranked higher. He needs to focus on what worked for him in 2021 (making contact, hitting the ball hard on a line, controlling the strike zone). If he does that, the on-base percentage and slugging percentage should be better. Baseball America picked him as the best hitter for average in the system entering 2024. So he’s capable of hitting better than .268.

More info: Red Sox’s Nick Yorke motivated by bad 2022 to get back on to top 100 list

9. Luis Perales, RHP

Age: 20

Bats/Throws: R/R

How acquired: Signed as an amateur international free agent July 2, 2019, out of Venezuela. Signed for $75,000.

2023 stats: Low-A Salem: 4-4 record, 3.21 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, .197 batting average against, 71 strikeouts, 28 walks in 13 starts. High-A Greenville: 0-3 record, 4.95 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, .275 batting average against in eight starts (36 ⅓ innings).

ETA: Late 2025

Report: Baseball America ranks Perales’ fastball, which has ride, the best fastball in the system. He has topped out at 98 mph and he uses it effectively up in the zone like his favorite pitcher to watch, Justin Verlander. Perales also throws a cutter, slider and changeup. He considers his slider — which has horizontal movement — his best secondary pitch. He has a fastball that director of player development Brian Abraham said “explodes out of his hand” but the Red Sox wanted him to throw his secondary pitches more often last season after he was heavy on fastball usage in 2022.

He finished the 10th best strikeout percentage (29.3%) among Red Sox minor league pitchers in ‘23. But he also walked 50 batters in 89 ⅔ innings (an average of 5.0 walks per nine innings). He’ll need to improve his command if he wants to remain a starter. Baseball America has him listed as the team’s closer in its 2027 Red Sox projected lineup.

More info: Top Red Sox prospect with ‘best’ fastball (98 mph) studies Justin Verlander

8. Wikelman Gonzalez, RHP

Age: 21

Bats/Throws: R/R

How acquired: Signed as an amateur international free agent out of Venezuela on July 2, 2018, for $250,000.

2023 stats: High-A Greenville: 6-3 record, 5.14 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, .210 batting average, 105 strikeouts and 42 walks in 15 starts. Double-A Portland: 3-1 record, 2.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .162 batting average against, 63 strikeouts, 28 walks in 10 starts (48 ⅓ innings).

ETA: Late 2024, early 2025

Report: Gonzalez had a brutal start to the 2023 season, allowing 15 earned runs in 8 ⅔ innings over four starts during April. Greenville pitching coach Bob Kipper and pitching coordinator Nick Otte then had a meeting with the righty and explained to him why they were asking him to do certain drills and early work to give him a better understanding of the process. He posted a 2.55 ERA (49 ⅓ innings, 14 earned runs) in 10 starts in May and June, including a 12-strikeout performance and two 10-strikeout performances. He received a promotion July 14 to Portland where he dominated. It led to him to being named Red Sox minor league Pitcher of the Year. He was second among Red Sox minor league pitchers, and first among starters, in strikeout percentage (35.2%, 168 strikeouts, 477 batters faced).

Boston selected Gonzalez and Luis Perales to the 40-man roster in November to protect them from being available to other teams in the Rule 5 Draft.

Like Perales, Gonzalez must improve his command if he wants to remain a starting pitcher. If he doesn’t, he could end up in the bullpen. He averaged 5.7 walks per nine innings last year and has averaged 4.8 walks per nine innings in his minor league career.

Has been between 94-99 mph with his fastball this season. He also throws a changeup, curveball and cutter. He added the cutter during the fall instructional league following the 2022 season and he began focusing on it more last spring training. It is another weapon he can use against left-handed batters. He considers his changeup his second best pitch while Baseball America lists his curveball as the best curveball in the Red Sox minor league system.

More info: Red Sox’s next Brayan Bello? ‘Driven’ prospect up to 99 mph feels ‘close’

7. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS

Age: 18

Bats/Throws: R/R

How acquired: Signed as an international amateur free agent out of Dominican Republic on Jan. 15, 2023, for $1.4 million.

2023 stats: Dominican Summer League: .346 batting average, .392 on-base percentage, .560 slugging percentage, .952 OPS, six homers, 15 doubles, four triples, 37 runs, 38 RBIs, 14 walks, 24 strikeouts, one steal in 46 starts (209 plate appearances).

ETA: 2027

Report: Baseball America wrote July 11, “Already, Cespedes looks like one of the top hitting prospects to come through the organization’s academy since Rafael Devers a decade ago.” It also lists him as the team’s second baseman in its 2027 Red Sox projected lineup.

Cespedes was named Red Sox 2023 Latin Program Position Player of the Year. He is an aggressive hitter who knows he will need to improve his swing decisions as he works his way up the minor league system. The Red Sox view him as someone who will hit for power, something he showed as a 17-year-old in the DSL.

Red Sox assistant GM Eddie Romero said last July, “A lot of hard contact. I think he’s working on being a little bit more patient at the plate. … He’s not pull-oriented. He uses the whole field. He hits the ball hard everywhere. And he hits the ball hard to a lot of quadrants that are pitched to him too, which is good. He doesn’t strike out much. He makes a lot of contact. There’s a lot of good, positive indicators there.”

More info: Exciting Red Sox SS prospect with ‘super power’ emulates Xander Bogaerts

6. Wilyer Abreu, OF

Age: 24

Bats/Throws: L/L

How acquired: Acquired in trade from Astros with Enmanuel Valdez for Christian Vázquez on Aug. 1, 2022.

2023 stats: Triple-A Worcester: .274 batting average, .391 on-base percentage, .539 slugging percentage, .930 OPS, 22 homers, 11 doubles, one triple, 67 runs, 65 RBIs, 59 walks, 74 strikeouts, eight steals in 86 games (363 plate appearances); Boston: .316 batting average, .388 on-base percentage, .474 slugging percentage, .862 OPS, two homers, six RBIs, 10 runs, 14 RBIs, three stolen bases in 28 games (85 plate appearances).

ETA: Made MLB debut in 2023

Report: Nobody took a bigger jump in 2023 than Abreu. He went from No. 22 to No. 6 in Baseball America’s Top 30 prospect rankings. He also is ranked No. 6 on MassLive’s Top 25 list.

His advanced pitch recognition skills helped him post an impressive 25.1% chase percentage and 10.6% walk percentage in 85 plate appearances for Boston. He has a very similar approach to Triston Casas who as a rookie last year finished in the 86th percentile in chase percentage (22.1%) and 93rd percentile in walk percentage (13.9%).

His pitch recognition skills have been well documented. He was one of only five minor leaguers in all of affiliated ball in 2022 to finish with 100 or more walks. He walked 114 times.

Abreu has dealt with hamstring issues during his pro career and spent time on Triple-A Worcester’s IL with a right hamstring strain last season. He said he is going to try to work on building more strength this offseason to prevent those moving forward.

He has a strong arm and should compete to be the Opening Day right fielder.

More info: Motivated Red Sox rookie will ‘fight’ for 2024 Opening Day roster spot

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