Red Sox have 4 prospects in ESPN top-100 list
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
Yoan Moncada
Age: 20
Position: 2B
Top Level: Class A
“The best projection for Moncada right now is as a second baseman who hits for a high average with 15-18 homer a year, since neither of his swings right now are geared to drive the ball,” writes Law. “Given his inexperience — he played only about 100 games in Cuba before defecting — he still needs more time and room to grow than your typical 20-year old.”
When Moncada first signed with the Red Sox last year he predicted that he would fly through the minor league system to make it to the big leagues in no time, but he’s pumping the breaks a bit after his first taste of professional baseball in this country. Moncada got off to a slow start when he debuted in Greenville last May, but recovered to hit .305/.414/.503 after July 1, while cutting his strikeout rate from a concerning 28 percent to a more reasonable 20 percent.
More from Red Sox News
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
He remains an impressive hitter from both sides of the plate, but may not have the power stroke he was initially projected for. Moncada showed up to the Red Sox Winter Weekend with muscles bursting out of his t-shirt, so perhaps he has built up his strength enough to exceed the modest power projections Law made based on the sample he saw of him last year. Even if his power tops out around the level Law suggests, it won’t be an issue if he sticks at second base. After all, Dustin Pedroia has only topped 18 home runs once in his career and he’s still been a pretty good hitter for the last 9 years.
Moncada still has All-Star upside, but his inexperience puts his timeline to reach the big leagues behind the younger Devers. With Pedroia signed to play second base through the 2021 season, there’s no need to rush their prized prospect.
Next: Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Benintendi
Age: 21
Position: OF
Top Level: Class A
“He’s a plus runner with above-average to plus power, and the early consensus on him in pro ball is that he will stay in center field, or at least won’t have to move, although Boston has a surfeit of legitimate plus defenders in center who could push a couple of qualified gloves to the corners,” writes Law. “He’s probably a 55 defender in center when it’s all said and done, an above-average runner with good instincts, a potential 20-homer, 20-steal guy at a position where, other than Mike Trout, that kind of player just doesn’t exist much anymore.”
Boston’s first-round pick in last summer’s amateur draft is on the fast track to the big leagues. He’s a true five-tool player that will soon give the Red Sox another option to consider for their deep outfield.
More from BoSox Injection
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
Jackie Bradley will enter the season in center field boasting the defensive skills to be among the best at his position. If he hits anywhere near the level we saw during his scorching August last year then he’ll lock down the position for years to come, which means Benintendi will have to settle for one of the corner spots.
The Red Sox appear to be set in the outfield for now, but questions remain regarding what Bradley and Rusney Castillo will produce at the plate. If either of them were to falter then it could open the door for Benintendi to force his way onto the roster ahead of schedule. Only Mookie Betts has the offensive upside that Benintendi projects to have among Red Sox outfielders, so if he continues to thrive at the minor league level then he could eventually move ahead of Bradley or Castillo on the organizational depth chart.
Of the four elite prospects on this list, Benintendi is the closest to being major league ready.
Next: Anderson Espinoza
Anderson Espinoza
Age: 17
Position: RHP
Top Level: Class A
“He sat 94-99 mph all summer, and also showed a plus changeup and a plus curveball, although he wouldn’t necessarily have all three pitches working on any single night,” writes Law. “He has great confidence in the changeup and will use it against right-handed batters, a great sign for his pitching acumen, given his youth. His body looks as if it’ll fill out enough for him to handle a starter’s workload, but he’s already throwing so hard — and so easy — at 17 that it’s hard to come up with enough comparisons in recent memory to talk intelligently about the odds he’ll stay healthy as a starter. If he does, we’ll be talking about him in the same way as we did a young King Felix and Doc Gooden.”
Those are some pretty impressive names to be categorized with for a pitcher that has also drawn some comparisons to Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez. Espinoza’s talent has scouts salivating over his potential as a once-in-a-generation type pitcher.
The biggest issue is that durability is a far greater concern for pitchers than it is for position players, especially for one as young as Espinoza. It’s not uncommon for highly touted pitching prospects to flame out during their minor league careers or encounter arm troubles that set back their timetable. No matter how dominant he is now, Espinoza is still years away from cracking the major league roster.
The Red Sox have David Price anchoring their rotation these days after locking him into a 7-year free agent deal this winter. Espinoza projects to be an ace of similar caliber, which potentially will give the Red Sox a devastating lefty-righty combo at the top of their rotation a few years from now. Boston hasn’t had a pair of aces that promising since Pedro and Curt Schilling led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2004.
Next: Red Sox need to steer clear of Cliff Lee
Espinoza also gives the Red Sox insurance in case Price opts out of his deal after three years in search of an even more lucrative free agent contract. If the young right-hander is ready to take on the ace mantel at that point then the Red Sox may decide to let Price walk and focus their financial resources elsewhere.