FORT MYERS, Fla. — Team chairman Tom Werner gave an unsolicited shoutout to a rookie during Red Sox Winter Weekend in January.
“I’m looking forward to Wilyer Abreu having 400 at-bats,” Werner said. “There’s a lot to be excited about. We admit that our pitching wasn’t strong last year but I expect improvement. I expect the people who are on our team — and we have a young core — will be a step closer to being excellent.”
Abreu is aware of Werner’s comment because his agent told him about it.
“Of course it makes you feel good,” Abreu told MassLive through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez at JetBlue Park. “Somebody of that stature naming you is always good and also it gives you kind of an understanding that the team is going to trust in me. So that’s something that was really exciting.”
Abreu is an important member of that young Red Sox core that Werner referenced. He showed excellent plate discipline in his first stint in the major leagues late last season. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter batted .316 with a .388 on-base percentage, .474 slugging percentage, .862 OPS, two homers, six RBIs, 10 runs, 14 RBIs and three stolen bases in 28 games (85 plate appearances).
Abreu made a massive leap in the prospect rankings. He jumped from No. 22 to No. 6 in Baseball America’s Top 30 prospect rankings. He also ranks No. 6 on MassLive’s Red Sox Top 25 prospect list.
He was unaware he jumped 16 spots in BA’s rankings.
“I haven’t had the chance to see it,” Abreu said. “Obviously it’s good news for me but being in the top 10 doesn’t mean I have anything secure. So I don’t take it for granted. And my focus is to keep working and to keep getting better.”
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%).
“Last year was a very successful year for me not only on the field but off the field” Abreu said. “I had my first child, which is great news for me. So I think that having such a nice year last year helped me to relax a little bit this offseason — not on the work side but on the personal side and the mental side.”
Abreu was limited to 86 games at Triple-A Worcester last year because he strained both his right and left hamstrings.
“My focus this offseason was trying to strengthen my hamstrings,” Abreu said. “I tried to get a better workout for them so I can be durable during the whole season. That was my main focus: trying to strengthen my hamstrings and my legs.”
Boston acquired Abreu from the Astros in the Christian Vázquez trade at the 2022 deadline. He was unranked among the Astros’ top 30 prospects entering ‘22. Why did he go so under the radar in terms of prospect rankings until now?
“To be honest, I don’t know,” Abreu said. “Like I said before, I don’t pay attention to that. My only focus is just to go out there, have fun and play my game. And just have fun. That’s my main focus. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. To be honest, I don’t really focus on anything like that or really care about it.”
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Abreu is fighting for a spot on the 26-man roster and he has a good chance to make the team after what he showed last season. Of course, he has Werner’s endorsement.
“I want to have fun here in this camp with my teammates and enjoy this time of the year with all of them,” he said. “I don’t want to do more than I need to. I just want to control my body, control everything that I can control.”
