Yairo Muñoz is now carrying a 26-game hitting streak for Worcester. It is the longest such streak in modern day Red Sox Triple-A history.
It's just the latest piece of Muñoz's resume that suggests he represents major league talent.
Go back to 2017 and you will find St. Louis Cardinals' prospect ranking that put him one spot in back of current Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena.
When given the chance to show his stuff for the 2020 Red Sox, Muñoz managed a .333 batting average and .844 OPS in 44 at-bats, not walking once. It was a stint where he played exclusively in the outfielder, having since been moved to play all over the WooSox's infield.
"Muñoz is probably one of my favorite guys this summer," said Worcester Red Sox manager Billy McMillon after the completion of the 2020 campaign. "He was always happy. A ton of energy. He would play anywhere. Right before he got called up we kind of thought he might have to get to some more exposure to the outfield so for the last couple of days before he got called up we had him in the outfield.
"He's got a cannon. He's very aggressive at the plate. And he's very emotional. It was a delight to see him every day and interact with him. You could see why he had as much time in the big leagues as he had just because of how he goes about his business. I really liked being around Munoz this summer."
And it wasn't just the minor-league staff that was left with a positive impression from Muñoz.
"He has the ingredients and to me as a hitting coach it's what he swings at," said Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers when appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast this past offseason. "He's a very aggressive hitter and he can put bat to ball, but as they make adjustments to him, the league, and they see what they can and what he can't do can he make those adjustments to be consistent."
So, what's the hold-up when it comes to a major league promotion?
Well, for starters, Muñoz isn't on the 40-man roster, having cleared through waivers after being designated for assignment in the offseason.
The 26-year-old -- who is hitting .306 with a .775 OPS -- also hits from the right side, which isn't exactly a great fit for this current big-league roster. (His splits in Worcester are just about even.)
And there is the lack of walks (just 4 in 139 plate appearances) that might concern a Red Sox team which preaches control of the strike zone.
But Muñoz, who owner of 208 major league games, should still add intrigue as we enter the regular season's final months.
"He’s doing a good job," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora prior to his team's Wednesday night win. "One thing about Yairo, he brings energy on a daily basis. And he has that bat-to-ball skill regardless of where the ball is, you know, can be way up up there or way down there and he’ll find a barrel. We’re very pleased with the way he’s doing, not only because of the results, but doing the things he’s supposed to do, playing hard and doing the things winning players do. This is a guy that has experience at the big league level. I saw him from afar last year. And what he did last year here, as far as running the bases, being versatile and finding ways to get on base, it was interesting. Obviously we pay attention to everything that’s going on. We’re very pleased with the way he’s going about it. I’m not saying he’s on the radar or he’s not, but we’re aware of what’s going with him. Every report we get is a positive one."