Last week, the Boston Red Sox’s minor league teams had a mixed performance, with a combined record of 10-15 and being outscored 99-86 by their opponents. In Triple-A, the Worcester Red Sox struggled, going 2-5 and being outscored 36-22. The Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs, also faced difficulties, posting a 1-5 record and being outscored 34-24. However, the High-A team in Greenville had a solid week, going 4-2 and outscoring their opponents 23-13. The Single-A affiliate, the Salem Red Sox, had a balanced series, splitting their games and outscoring their opponent 17-16.
The standout performer of the week was RHP Juan Daniel Encarnacion, who was recognized as the Pitcher of the Week for the South Atlantic League while playing for the Greenville Drive. In his Saturday start, he pitched five shutout innings without allowing a hit. He also hit a batter, walked one, and struck out six. So far this season, across five starts, Encarnacion holds a 1-0 record with a 3.27 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched.
RHP Juan Daniel Encarnacion began his career with the Red Sox when he was signed on September 3, 2018. In his debut season in 2019, he played in the Dominican Summer League for the Red Sox, making 14 starts. During this time, he posted a record of 0-5 with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and accumulated 49 strikeouts over 56 innings pitched.
The following year, in 2020, Encarnacion did not play due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he returned to action in 2021, playing in the Red Sox rookie league. He made 12 appearances, with ten of those being starts, and recorded a 2-1 record with a 2.96 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and 56 strikeouts over 45.2 innings pitched.
Moving on to 2022, Encarnacion pitched at both High-A Greenville and Single-A Salem, making a total of 26 appearances, with 25 of them as starts. He achieved a record of 10-5 with a 4.05 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and garnered 129 strikeouts across 113.1 innings pitched.
In the subsequent year, 2023, Encarnacion continued his tenure at Greenville, making 24 appearances, 21 of which were starts. However, he faced challenges during this season, recording a 4-9 record with a 6.32 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts over 99.2 innings pitched.
