August 12, 2010
Minor league notebook: Sox prospects shine
by Roger Brown/
The first week of August turned out to be an exceptional week for New England minor league teams in terms of individual awards.
Portland first baseman Anthony Rizzo was named the Eastern League’s Offensive Player of the Week, Pawtucket outfielder Josh Reddick was named the International League’s Offensive Player of the Week and Lowell starting pitcher Miguel Celestino was selected as the New York-Penn League’s Pitcher of the Week.
– Rizzo hit .444 (12-for-27) with four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and a .926 slugging percentage in six games during the week that ended Aug. 8. He began the week by collecting four hits (including three doubles) in five at-bats with four RBI and three runs scored in a 14-8 triumph over Bowie. Rizzo, who turned 21 on Aug. 8, also collected four hits with a home run and four RBI in a 16-8 loss to Richmond on his birthday.
During the week Rizzo ranked first among Eastern League players in RBI (12) and total bases (25), and tied for first in hits (12), extra-base hits (seven) and home runs (three). He also finished tied for third in runs scored (seven), ranked fourth in slugging percentage (.926) and OPS (1.370) and tied for fourth in doubles (four).
Rizzo began the 2010 season with Single-A Salem and earned a promotion to Double-A Portland on May 10. Through 81 games with the Sea Dogs he was hitting .271 (87-for-320) with a team-high 14 home runs and 56 RBI. If his statistics with Salem and Portland are combined, Rizzo leads all Red Sox minor league players with 19 home runs and ranks third in RBI with 76. He hit .327 with 11 doubles, five home runs and 24 RBI in his first 23 games after the All-Star break.
Baseball America ranks Rizzo as the No. 8 prospect in the Red Sox organization. In 2009, he was a South Atlantic League All-Star. He was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.
– Reddick hit .464 in six games and led the International League with three home runs, 10 RBI and 13 hits during the week. His best game during that period was a four-hit performance during a 12-0 triumph over Durham. He finished that contest with a single, two doubles, a home run, five RBI and two runs scored.
Reddick went on to collect multiple hits in each of his next three games. He increased his batting average by 20 points during the six-game stretch.
Reddick, 23, is in his fourth season of professional baseball. The Red Sox selected him in the 17th round of the 2006 draft out of Middle Georgia College. He appeared in 27 games for Boston last season and has appeared in 11 games with Boston this season.
– Celestino was 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in two starts with Lowell during the week. He allowed four hits, one earned run and struck out 11 in 11 innings. The victories were his first two in the New York-Penn League.
In his first start, Celestino carried a no-hitter against the Connecticut Tigers into the fifth inning. He ended up allowing one run and struck out six in six innings.
Celestino surrendered two runs – one earned – in five innings against the Auburn Doubledays in his second start. He struck out five and allowed three hits in five innings.
