WooSox enter third season with newest look, with prospects, veterans and other familiar faces
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WORCESTER — The third edition of the Worcester Red Sox is scheduled to make its debut Friday afternoon at Polar Park, and how should this roster be described?
Things change quickly in Triple A. The WooSox used 14 players when they opened the 2022 season with a 6-5 victory in Jacksonville last April 5. Only two of them, Jarren Duran and Ryan Fitzgerald, played in Worcester’s final game of the year, an 8-6 triumph in Rochester.
The WooSox had several New Look incarnations throughout 2022, so this year’s version is probably best called the Newest Look Worcester Red Sox. The team starts the season with an intriguing roster that includes a couple of very highly regarded prospects making their Triple-A debuts, very familiar faces like Fitzgerald and catcher Ronaldo Hernandez, and a fairly familiar face in Daniel Palka.
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The Triple-A rookies are outfielder Cedanne Rafaela and middle infielder David Hamilton, although both are versatile defensively.
Rafaela is 22 and from Curaçao. He started last season at High-A Greenville but quickly moved up to Double-A Portland. Rafaela’s Double-A offensive numbers were good for a debut season at .278 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs.
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Like virtually every young player these days, he would do well to cut down on his strikeouts. Rafaela was an excellent defensive shortstop who has converted to center field where, in Portland, he became one of those rare players so good that people bought tickets as much to see him catch the ball as hit it.
Rafaela is expected to play both shortstop and center field with the WooSox. Polar Park’s outfield dimensions being what they are, Rafaela could be a lot of fun to watch.
Hamilton is 25 and fast. The Red Sox got him from the Brewers as part of the Hunter Renfroe trade in December 2021, and the Sox were prescient. Hamilton should be one of those players the new rules favor with the kind of speed that can turn a walk or infield hit into a double.
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He stole 70 bases at Portland in 2022 and is a candidate for the Red Sox’ Triple-A record for steals in a season, currently held by Lee Graham, who had 51 for Pawtucket in 1983. Another speed note — in 531 plate appearances last season, Hamilton grounded into one double play.
The 2023 WooSox hope to get plenty of innings from southpaw pitcher Brandon Walter, a control freak, and that is meant as a compliment. Walter issued three walks in 50 innings with Portland last season. That earned him a callup to Worcester, but he only was able to make two appearances before a neck injury shut him down for the year.
Victor Santos, Chris Murphy and Bryan Mata should all spend time on the WooSox mound, as they did last season. Santos is just 22 and was a workhorse last season between Worcester and Portland. He threw 144 innings and led the Sox’ minor leaguers in decisions with 22 as he went 10-12.
The WooSox should start the year with Enmanuel Valdez at second base, which is where he finished 2022. Valdez arrived here in early August as part of the Christian Vazquez trade with Houston and homered in his first game. Valdez had a streaky rest of the season at the plate, and when he was hot showed a lot of potential.
Palka spent the past two seasons with Rochester, then Syracuse, so he played often at Polar Park. He is a proven left-handed power hitter who had 29 home runs with the White Sox in 2018-19, and who heads into this season with 98 career homers in Triple A. Palka batted .263 with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs last year in Syracuse.
Unlike their parent Red Sox, who will play every other big league team at least once this season, the Worcester Red Sox have a similar schedule to their first two seasons. WooSox fans will get to see two new opponents, though, as the Norfolk Tides and Columbus Clippers make their first trips into town.
One scheduling difference is that the season commences on March 31. It is the first ever March game for a Red Sox Triple-A affiliate and will give WooSox fans an early view of the Newest Look Worcester Red Sox.
—Contact Bill Ballou at sports@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillBallouTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Red Sox ready to open with their newest look at Polar Park
