A Red Sox fan’s minor league All-Stars
Mar 20, 2014; Fort Myers, FL, USA; A view of the stadium before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Just what is the determinant for my version of a Red Sox minor league All-Star? The criteria is simple: No major league service time and that excludes several performers at Pawtucket who had exceptional seasons; most notably is Brian Johnson, who had one lone appearance in Boston.
The glut of talent at certain positions also makes it necessary to just designate a player as infield or outfield without an assigned position. Shortstop, in particular, could have several worthy candidates.
During the season BSI has produced many articles on the farm system and particular players who may be recognizable names in the future or relegated to the prospects dust bin. As a minor league junkie, I enjoy reading the online sports sections of the papers where the Red Sox have farm clubs and catching a game when possible.
So some of my selections may be a bit off the beaten trail for prospects, but during the season they grabbed my attention. And some selections are the ones that you would expect to be top of the line prospect.
Mar 7, 2015; Sarasota, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at a spring training baseball game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Infielders and catcher
When you pay a signing bonus that shatters all records you better produce – not for yourself, but for baseball operations that approved such a contract. Yoan Moncada has done just that.
The slow start in lowly Greenville was attributed to rust and that was a spot on analysis. When Moncada took off it was like a P-51 Mustang. A switch hitter with speed, power, agility and about a hundred other superlatives. Recently a comparison to Mike Trout surfaced.
Moncada, age 20, slashed .278/.380/.438 with eight home runs and 38 RBI for The Drive. And the speed! A final total of 49 steals in 81 games. Moncada will move up fast (no pun intended).
Marco Hernandez appears to be a PTBNL that may actually accomplish something. Extracted from the Cubs in exchange for Felix Doubront the free swinger (17 walks) slashed an impressive .326/.349/.482 at Portland to warrant an advance to Pawtucket.
The 23-year-old left handed hitter started slow at Pawtucket, but finished at .271. Hernandez has some excellent speed, but that hasn’t translated into a bundle of steals. Hernandez also is a fundamentally sound shortstop with a strong arm. Look for him to be at Pawtucket in 2016.
Javier Guerra is – yet again – another shortstop. The 19-year old is a left-handed hitter with exceptional defensive skills. A native of Panama (so was Rod Carew) Guerra slashed .279/.329/.449 in his full season 116 games for the Greenville Drive. The attention getter was 15 home runs and 68 RBI.
When the Red Sox talk trade invariably the name Rafael Devers is mentioned somewhere in the discussion.
The 18-year-old left-hand hitter played third for the Greenville Drive and slashed .288/.329/.443 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI. What the scouts mention is his hitting potential and his physical “room to grow” that means legitimate MLB power potential.
Devers will move up next season and may just finish off the season in Portland.
Sam Travis moved from Salem to Portland during the season and the jump had no impact on his performance. Travis, a right-handed hitting first baseman, is a second round draft choice in 2014 who slashed .300/.384/.436 at Portland.
Travis’ extra base potential was on display in 2015 with a combined nine home runs and 72 RBI while hitting 32 doubles and six triples. Travis may be locked in at first base for the 2016 PawSox.
Mauricio Dubon is primarily a shortstop, but has seen extensive duty at second base and a bit at third base.
A 21-year-old right-hand hitter who split duty between Salem and Greenville in 2015 for a combined slash of .288/.349/.376 with 30 steals in 37 attempts. Dubon has good defensive skills and versatility that may offer opportunity.
Michael Chavis is a raw talent with some excellent power potential. Chavis plays primarily at third with some DH tossed in. Two things stand out is the home runs (16) and the strikeouts (144). At 20-years-old Chavis the .223/.277/.405 slash will have to improve.
Being a catcher in the Red Sox system is not the most fortuitous position to be in with Blake Swihart and Christian Vasquez both young and talented.
Jordan Procyshen, a 22-year-old right-hand bat, started out in Greenville and moved on to Salem half way through the season and moving up a level showed as his average dipped from .285 to .209. Procyshen is, like the rest of the catchers in the system, a long way off.
Jun 4, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view of baseballs that were signed by Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel for Boston Red Sox players prior to a game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Manziel signed the game balls during a rain delay. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox have seen the outfield prospect list take a slip in 2015. The most significant prospects all have infield talent, but a few do stand out and the most notable is Manuel Margot – a 20-year-old right-handed hitter from the DR.
Margot has speed that is translated into steals, outfield skills and getting on base. Do not expect power as Margot had six home runs in his split season between Salem and Portland, but expect a developed understanding of the strike zone and the ability to make contact as Margot had 51 strikeouts in 480 plate appearances.
Plate discipline is valued in baseball and the 2015 number one pick, Andrew Benintendi, certainly demonstrated that in his inaugural professional season. Splitting the season between Lowell and Greenville, Benintendi walked 35 times while striking out 24 times.
The speedy 20-year-old left-hander also showed the same power he had in college with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 54 games. Add on 10 steals in 13 attempts and some stellar defensive skills and the Red Sox may have a gem in Benintendi.
Nick Longhi is a potential power bat from the right side and that always gets attention with Fenway Park in mind. Longhi, a 30th round selection is 2013, drifts between first base and the outfield.
Longhi spend 2015 as part of the league leading offense of the Greenville Drive slashing .281/.338/.403 with seven home runs and 62 RBI. Longhi is considered an above average defensive player and will move on to Salem in 2016.
From Lowell is another Red Sox International Free Agent – Luis Alejandro Basabe. Basabe, a 19-year-old switch hitter, is rated as an excellent defensive player with a bat that needs developing.
Basabe slashed .243/.340/.401 for the Spinners with seven home runs and 21 RBI. In 56 games Basabe was 15-19 in steals.
Mar 22, 2014; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat, sunglasses, and baseballs sit in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports
Pitchers
Being young without talent is meaningless, but being young with talent is something special and that applies to Anderson Espinoza. Espinoza, only 17-years-old, is a right-handed pitcher who is among the highest ranked Sox prospects.
In the Gulf Coast League the stat line was quite impressive as Espinoza tossed 40 innings with a 0.68 ERA and a WHIP of 0.82. Expect Espinoza to start 2016 at Greenville.
Texas produces power pitchers and the 98 MPH fastball of Michael Kopech certainly meets that standard. Kopech, a first round selection in 2014, is a tall right-hander who spend 2015 with Greenville and tossed 65 innings with 70 strikeouts.
The downside is Kopech received a 50 game suspension for violating drug policy.
Logan Allen is an 18-year-old left-hander who was drafted in the eighth round in 2015. Allen possesses a skill that is rarely seen in young pitchers and that is reasonable control. In his foray into the professional ranks for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Allen walked one batter in 20 innings. In Greenville it was no walks in 4.1 innings.
The GCL stats were 24 strikeouts in those 20 innings and an ERA of 0.90 and a WHIP of 0.65. Expect Allen to stay at Greenville.
Roniel Raudes is another 17-year-old with an impressive beginning in the GCL.
Raudes pitched 20 innings with an ERA of 0.90 and a WHIP of 0.95. Raudes may have earned a promotion to Greenville, but the Red Sox just may wish to move slowly with his development.
Dayan Diaz is an under the radar possibility at 26-years-old. The 2013 free agent right-hander has been in professional baseball since 2008 and Boston is his third organization.
Diaz split 2015 between Portland (0-0, 1.15) and Pawtucket (2-1, 1.89) working primarily in long relief. In 57 innings at Pawtucket, Diaz walked 28 and that has generally been an issue. Expect Diaz to be in Pawtucket.
Another 26-year-old right-hander arrived in the system via Australia. Jorge Marban (7-2, 1.32) went right up the minor league food chain from Salem through Portland and on to Pawtucket.
Is Marban a possibility? With the shaky Boston bullpen anything is possible and even a four year vet of Indy ball is a possibility. At Pawtucket, Marban was 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in a meager six innings. For 2015 his slate was 38 games and 62 innings exclusively in relief. The downside? The walks – 33 in those 62 innings.
Sources: Sox Prospects/MLB Prospect Watch/baseball-reference