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