Where is the hitting in Boston? The Red Sox have had back-to-back seasons of a power outage that is epic in proportions when compared to Red Sox teams of the past. Off-season signings have accomplished little in rectifying this situation, but somewhere within the organization hitting does exist.
Take a trip to Greenville, South Carolina in the South Atlantic League and you will find a Red Sox team, called “The Drive,” that brings back memories of that production that has spoiled Red Sox fans.
Greenville plays at Flour Field, a replica of Fenway Park, in the Class-A league that is composed of 14 teams. Greenville is currently leading the league in runs, RBI, average and slugging. The Drive are third in home runs and second in OBP.
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Greenville is not a baseball one trick pony as the pitching staff is holding their own with a 5th place in ERA and 4th in WHIP.
The “Big Gun” for The Drive is hot shot prospect Rafael Devers, who is slashing .318/.353/.458. Catcher Ben Moore, a converted outfielder, checks in with a line of .319/.356/.426. The infield duo of Mauricio Dubon and Javier Guerra, both top 20 prospects, hover around .300 and bring some serious speed to the lineup. Dubon has 15 steals while only being nabbed twice.
An interesting prospect at Greenville is catcher Jordan Procyshen, whose home run power was clearly on display in college, is waiting for it to translate to professional ball. Procyshen is still hitting .281. And speaking of power – top ten ranked prospect Michael Chavis leads the team, along with Guerra, in home runs. The downside is the 19-year-old Chavis is barely hitting his weight.
The Drive also features two Cubans. The first is veteran Carlos Mesa, who the Red Sox brought in to aid in nurturing high priced Cuban import Yoan Moncada. Mesa, 27-years-old, is contributing with a .279 average and some decent power with four home runs and 17 RBI in 28 games. Moncada, however, continues to adjust after a year off and is hitting at .216.
Nick Longhi is only 19-years-old and is ranked 21 on Sox prospects. Longhi, who bats right and throws left, is considered a potential power hitter in the early stages of his professional development. Longhi is slashing .277/.333/.410 with three home runs and 28 RBI.
So for the real hitting Red Sox one must venture to Greenville to see a lineup that is raking since it certainly isn’t happening in Boston.
Statistics through 6/6 via SAL.
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