Red Sox have 4 prospects in ESPN top-100 list
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox have four prospects that ESPN’s Keith Law placed in his top-100 list, giving them one of the strongest farm systems in baseball.
ESPN’s Keith Law released his annual Top-100 Prospects list this week, which shows the Boston Red Sox in a very enviable position.
The Red Sox have four prospects on Law’s list, all of whom rank in the top-40. Few organizations can match the talent that Boston’s farm system has in the top half of this list. All four of them are under 22 years old, which means they could move up the list as other prospects further along in their development earn promotions to the big leagues.
Third baseman Rafael Devers leads the pack among Red Sox prospects, coming in at No. 7 on Law’s list. He’s followed by infielder Yoan Moncada (No. 17), outfielder Andrew Benintendi (No. 18) and right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (No. 38).
Every source that you turn to for rankings is going to have different variations of how they value prospects. MLB.com’s most recent list in 2015 had Moncada rated as the highest Red Sox prospect at No. 8 overall, with Devers not far behind at No. 13, yet Law essentially has those two swapped in his rankings. A review of the latest Baseball Prospectus rankings shows Benintendi as the top Red Sox prospect.
Regardless of where these individual prospects rank, these sources all agree that the Red Sox have a strong farm system with elite talent near the top of their lists.
Let’s take a closer look at what Law has to say about these four prospects and what it means for their path to the majors.
Next: Rafael Devers