Red Sox Prospect Watch: Almonte emerges, Moncada explodes

Jose Almonte excelling in Greenville, Yoan Moncada goes on a doubles tear and Henry Owns is still wild as we take a trip around the Red Sox minor league system

Mar 9, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Yoan Moncada (22) waits for the ball as Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte (6) slides into second base in the second inning of the spring training game at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

After the implosion of the pitching staff in Baltimore this week, fans might be wondering more than ever what is down on the farm from the pitching side.  While today’s Watch won’t be all about pitching, there are some guys that are turning heads in terms of performance.  Unfortunately, these guys are years away in most cases.  We will be looking at guys who have had some taste of the majors and other guys who are striving for their first opportunity to show what they can do.

Guys whose names that you have seen in the Watch on a regular basis are struggling some, struggling whether it is in a new level of competition or just the natural ups and downs of the long baseball season.  This is why, absent an incredible level of dominance, it takes weeks or months to advance levels to move up the ladder to the pinnacle of becoming a major leaguer.

As this column has talked about before, prospects can be just as valuable as trade chips as they are for performance at the major league level.  Certainly, the Red Sox and other teams are evaluating their own needs as the pennant races start to heat up, both what they might need and who they might be willing to part with to make a championship run.

Let’s get started.

Next: Triple-A Pawtucket