Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Prospect Deemed 'Best International Prospect Since Rafael Devers'

The Red Sox farm system is loaded with talent

Scott Neville

Red Sox Prospect Deemed 'Best International Prospect Since Rafael Devers'
Red Sox Prospect Deemed 'Best International Prospect Since Rafael Devers' /
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The Boston Red Sox have one of the most enticing international prospects in the league, and he's been receiving high praise all along.

After making a successful transition to professional baseball in the United States with the rookie-level Florida Complex League, center fielder Miguel Bleis is flying onto the radar. The 18-year-old rising star was mentioned by MLB.com's Jim Callis for being a fast riser in the system.

"The fifth-ranked Red Sox prospect will need to develop more plate discipline, but time is on his side and he's a potential 25-25 player whose instincts impress along with his tools," Callis wrote Wednesday. "He should be able to remain in center, and if he has to shift to a corner, his offensive upside and arm strength will profile nicely in right. He's Boston's best international prospect since Rafael Devers."

The 18-year-old came over to the FCL in June and hit .301 with 23 extra-base hits including five home runs, 27 RBIs and a .895 OPS in 40 games. He also logged 18 steals on 23 attempts. 

Callis mentioned the struggles with plate discipline, which can be depicted by his somewhat concerning 45-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. More than one strikeout per game is concerning, but he was the equivalent of a high school senior last season and showed plenty to be excited about. 

While Callis mentioned Devers to quantify his talent level, a better player comparison would be Mookie Betts. In fact, he's been compared to the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar before.

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Bleis is approaching his first full season in professional baseball after two short stints mainly due to his age. He'll have a chance to flourish as he cements his spot on the Red Sox's top 30 prospect list.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Just Made Rafael Devers 'Substantially Improved Offer

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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