Pull your Sox up – Jose Iglesias

Jose Iglesias was recently named forty-second prospect (out of 50) in the Minor Leagues. Not to mention the fame he receives from Red Sox Nation itself. On several lists, put out in 2010 and now again in 2011, Iglesias fights Ryan Kalish for the first spot on the Sox Prospects list. There is no doubt Iglesias puts up that fight well. Unfortunately, he did not have much time to prove himself in the 2010 season because of an injury to the wrist. This was one of the worst things that could have happened to Iglesias, mostly because of where he would be if he hadn’t injured himself. His stats would have improved, his profile would have only gotten larger and he might not be seeing Double A Portland this year. Fans of both Major Leagues and Minor Leagues can only wonder where he might have been this year. All we have to deal with is the numbers he did achieve and the progress he did make in this short period of time. What will  Jose Iglesias be in 2011?

Fans and managers would love to see Iglesias rise to be the shortstop some people already see him as. Hitting .290 at least and of course keeping his ability as a position player. I believe Iglesias is going to shine in the 2011 season wherever he is. Sure, he wont be in Triple A Pawtucket, however he can only benefit from the extended amount of time at Double A. As a shortstop, great defensive skills, strong arm, great command and instincts. As an offensive batter, there is some minor adjustments that are in Iglesias’s near future. In this coming season, some patience is going to be key. At bat, Iglesias seems to have quick wrists and enough power, but needs to work on the patience with the opposing pitcher. Hitting to all field will become necessary when reaching a higher level. Once Iglesias does these things, offensively he will improve greatly. His small build allows him to get around the bases pretty quickly so once the perfect hit comes off his bat, men in scoring position will be done even more frequently.

In 2011 expect nothing but pure achievement from Iglesias. As long as he stays off the DL and manages to improve his offensive skills, there is no doubt he is the next Red Sox shortstop. Reading through some of Iglesias’s scouting reports and fan lectures, I’ve found his ETA is late 2011. This really stood out, Iglesias might make the most progress in the Minor League, might attend the 2011 All Stars and might even win some awards, but the Red Sox would have to have some key people on the disabled list (much like last year) in order to stick a Double A shortstop in the Major Leagues. In my opinion, Iglesias should be able to make the Pawtucket roster by the end of the 2011 season and might even get 10-20 games in, but I would not expect much more.