See Dogs play and bond at core of Portland club
It’s 12:30 a.m. in Portland, Maine. The Portland Sea Dogs game finished hours ago and the players are back at their houses, with their host families, getting ready to sleep. Most of the players, that is. Matthew Lugo, Boston's second-round pick in 2019, lies in bed, attempting to block out
It’s 12:30 a.m. in Portland, Maine. The Portland Sea Dogs game finished hours ago and the players are back at their houses, with their host families, getting ready to sleep.
Most of the players, that is.
Matthew Lugo, Boston's second-round pick in 2019, lies in bed, attempting to block out the whooshing sounds coming from across the room, where Nick Yorke is posted up in front of a mirror taking practice swings. Along with No. 11 overall prospect Marcelo Mayer, they help form a special core on a special team, each helping to make the others better.
“[Yorke] will stay up until like two or three in the morning, just doing dry swings over and over and over again,” said Lugo, who has roomed with Yorke for the better part of the past two seasons.
But the constant swinging isn’t just Yorke. Once the sun rises, the roles flip.
“If he has free time, he’s hitting,” said Yorke, the sixth-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system.
In recent months, Portland has become the pinnacle of the Red Sox Minor League system. The team is home to seven of Boston’s Top 30 prospects, including Mayer and Yorke who each rank among the Top 10 prospects at their position -- the No. 4 shortstop and No. 9 second baseman respectively.
“As a clubhouse, all together, we get along really well,” said Mayer, who is the top-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system. “It’s a brotherhood we got going on here; they make it fun coming to the ballpark every day.”
Lugo, Mayer, Yorke and Blaze Jordan -- Boston's No. 12 prospect -- round out a group of Portland players who were all drafted in the top two rounds over a three-year span -- 2019-2021 -- and have played together at several stops during their ascent through the organization.
“We’re all best friends,” Jordan said. “We all hang outside of the clubhouse and everything.”
Jordan and Mayer roomed together in High-A Greenville at the beginning of the season. Their days off consisted of playing against each other in MLB The Show 23, watching the reality show “Perfect Match” on Netflix and analyzing film of their at-bats.
“It’s always great to learn from somebody like that,” Jordan said. “It was pretty great living with him.”
In Portland, Jordan’s roommate is outfielder Tyler Esplin and Mayer's is right-handed pitcher Christopher Troye, but no matter what the living situation is, the entire team finds time to meet up for a lobster roll or other Maine delicacy.
“I actually had one when I got drafted, when I went up to Boston, and I hated it,” said Mayer, who was drafted fourth overall in 2021. “[When I got to Portland] I gave it a second shot and ended up loving it. Now every off-day or late report I’ll go and eat a lobster roll with some of the dudes.”
Lugo’s go-to meal is Latin food, no matter how difficult it is to find.
“He will drive hours just to go find a good Latin food place to get a little taste of home,” Yorke said. “You would be surprised at what Lugo can find in terms of Latin food, he will find it, wherever it is.”
The shortstop may have a knack for finding Northeast restaurants that remind him of his home in Puerto Rico, but the real Latin food gatherings come courtesy of relief pitcher Luis Guerrero and his culinary expertise.
He puts together major spreads, inviting four or five lucky teammates over to enjoy them.
“He loves to cook,” Yorke said. “We’ll go over there usually like once a week when we’re back home in Portland and he’ll cook up a good Latin meal for us.”
Guerrero doesn’t just cook, he’s also a darn good pitcher. So far this season, he has appeared in 37 games for Portland, tallying 15 saves and a dominant 1.67 ERA, good enough to land the Dominican Republic native a spot on the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game roster alongside Mayer and Yorke.
“That was the most people I’ve played in front of ever,” Yorke said. “Just to be able to share that experience with Luis and Marcelo it was pretty cool. Me and Marcelo were talking about it, and we were like ‘We don’t want this to just be the Minor League All-Stars. We want to do this when we’re in the big leagues together.’”
The cohesiveness of the group is obvious. Instead of an individual player talking about his own performance, their first instinct is to compliment one of their teammates.
What Jordan excels at is taping bats.
“He’s actually the designated team bat grip dude,” Mayer said. “You look at Blaze and he’s always sitting down gripping everyone's bats, just because he’s so good at it.”
Oh, he can also hit. There’s a reason he won the 2020 High School Home Run Derby; he has raw talent and lots of it.
“I talk hitting with him, I talk in the cage with him, I just feel like I get better personally just being around him,” Yorke said. “He’s one of those guys that will roll out of bed and just hit .300, just rake, his first swing of the day is just a backside missile at 107 mph. It’s unbelievable.”
Those conversations are a constant among the team, helping each other with tweaks and swing improvements. While Jordan is the type of player who can roll out of bed and send lasers to all fields, Yorke said Mayer is the kind of guy who would rather just stay in bed altogether, spending most of his off-days sleeping and recharging for the days to come.
“He could fall asleep in any position at any time,” Yorke said. “Any point of the day, if you say, 'Hey, we got 30 minutes here,' he’s out cold in 30 seconds.”
So, while Yorke is taking dry swings in the hotel room and checking his form in the mirror, it’s safe to say there’s at least one Sea Dogs player who is sleeping right through it.
Brendan Samson is a contributor to MiLB.com.
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is underway, and through the first two days of the four-day prospect showcase, there has been no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Spring Breakout resumes Sunday with 4 games
Spring Breakout has returned for the second season after debuting last year to much fanfare. The weekend began with a bang as the Rays edged the Red Sox on Thursday night with home runs coming from Boston's top three prospects and Tampa Bay's No. 1. Like last year, all 30
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring
'Hungry' Alcántara hoping to pounce on big league prey in '25
MESA, Ariz. -- The thing about jaguars is, you don’t want to see one when it’s hungry. So when Cubs legend Sammy Sosa spoke to the organization’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- and the No. 89 prospect overall -- the former slugger gave him some apt advice. “His
Rainiers broadcaster Pay talks historic role on MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
Switch-pitcher Cijntje deals from both sides in Spring Breakout
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jurrangelo Cijntje knew who’d be waiting for him in the batter’s box when he emerged from the visiting bullpen on Friday evening. The Mariners’ switch-pitcher had seen Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana recently at a card-signing event, to which they each joked, “I’m going to see you soon,”
Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- In the inaugural Spring Breakout game a year ago, as he was coming out to pitch the ninth inning, Bubba Chandler slammed a Red Bull and declared “let’s do this” before pumping upper-90s heat.
Caglianone swaps jerseys with old friend at Spring Breakout
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Royals top prospect and MLB’s No. 22 prospect Jac Caglianone stepped to the plate in the seventh inning Friday night, he saw the D-backs' outfielders take a step back. Well, maybe a few steps back. Arizona pitcher Philip Abner, watching from the dugout, thought that was
Cards' young fireballer draws ... Kershaw comps?
JUPITER, Fla. -- Dating back to the first time Cardinals roving instructor Ryan Ludwick saw left-hander Quinn Mathews flash his fiery competitiveness and overpowering stuff in a 2024 live batting practice session, one very favorable comparison kept coming to mind. Clayton Kershaw -- a career 212-game winner, two-time World Series
De Vries, Salas show why they're top prospects at Spring Breakout
PEORIA, Ariz. -- It's been precisely one year since the Padres traded for Dylan Cease. Nearly two months later, they landed Luis Arraez. At the ensuing Trade Deadline, they made two major moves to bolster their bullpen. Naturally, those deals depleted the upper levels of their farm system. Still, the
Nezuh, Pecko flash elite potential in Astros' Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jackson Nezuh, who has one of the most effective fastballs in the Astros’ system, and the organization's 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Ethan Pecko, flashed elite stuff by striking out the side in consecutive innings in Friday’s 6-6 tie against the Nationals in
Rays, Red Sox prospects rekindle friendships at Spring Breakout
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- For one moment, the future was the present along Florida’s Gulf coast. Roughly 90 minutes before first pitch of Thursday’s Spring Breakout opener between the Red Sox and Rays at Port Charlotte Sports Park, Red Sox No. 1 and 3 prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer
Don't sleep on these prospects at Spring Breakout -- 1 from each team
The second edition of Spring Breakout is bursting with high-profile prospects. Seventy members of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 are slated to participate, including Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (No. 2), Tigers outfielder Max Clark (No. 6), Red Sox infielder Kristian Campbell (No. 7), Rays shortstop Carson Williams (No. 9) and
Meet the 14 women who run MiLB teams
From California to Massachusetts, from Arkansas to Iowa, leadership in professional baseball is evolving. Coming into the 2025 season, there are 14 women in general manager positions across Minor League Baseball. When most fans think of the GMs in baseball, they likely assume the job is all about building a
2024 Draft class gets early chance to take center stage at Spring Breakout
When players are taken in the early rounds of the MLB Draft, it’s easy to dream about seeing them under the bright lights of the big leagues, but a common refrain has been that fans don't get to see those players for years after they're selected. Thanks to Spring Breakout,
From Spring Breakout to MLB? Here are nine players who could soon be in The Show
The inaugural Spring Breakout in 2024 provided a platform for fans to meet many of baseball's top prospects before they began standing out in the Majors shortly thereafter. Paul Skenes striking out Jackson Holliday. Jackson Chourio reaching twice and scoring a run. Jace Jung hitting a pair of homers.
Brewers' 17-year-old international signee draws comparisons to Chourio
PHOENIX – A farm system loses an elite-level prospect like Jackson Chourio, who was the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball at the start of the 2024 season, to the big leagues, it’s easy to understand that it would take a hit in this year’s farm system rankings. So don’t
Cubs have MLB stars AND loaded farm system
MESA, Ariz. – It’s a testament to where a farm system is when a Top 100-caliber hitter gets traded away and there’s still a desire to tout the bats. The Cubs traded Cam Smith to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker deal, but they still have seven players on the
Griffin boosts Pirates system, known for producing arms, with some pop
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Pirates’ strength in pitching is obvious. This is the organization that drafted Paul Skenes after all and saw him become the National League All-Star starter one year later. Jared Jones and Mitch Keller serve as more developmental success stories on the bump, and Top 100 prospects
New Rays prospect additions fitting right into the organizational mold
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Thirteen members of the Rays’ Top 30 prospect list weren’t in the organization at this time last year. Two arrived in the 2024 Draft, one was a 2025 international signee and a whopping 10 have come over in trades since last March. Normally with that level
Headlined by big-name bats, Mariners' system strong on pitching depth, too
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Mariners placed fifth in MLB Pipeline's new farm system rankings, thanks in large part to their seven Top 100 Prospects. That total ties them with the Cubs for the most in baseball, and all seven of them are hitters. Don't get the impression that the organization
All eyes turn to hurlers Sykora, Susana in Nats camp
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Last year in Spring Training, Nationals manager Dave Martinez named the section of young hitting prospects in big league camp led by James Wood and Dylan Crews "Hope Row." While Robert Hassell III and Brady House are still prospects, Wood has graduated and Crews will