Red Sox Prospect Watch: Spring Training’s halfway point
With Spring Training passing the halfway mark, there is limited time for Red Sox prospects to make their impact on the coaching staff. Here are some of the players who have benefited from major league camp.
The Boston Red Sox have officially passed the halfway mark of Spring Training, and soon the roster will be cut down to 25 men. For the players who are fighting for a roster spot, this is currently crunch time. Also, for the prospects who are getting MLB-experience now, this is a time to really hone in their skills.
Both sets of players have one thing in common during Spring Training: making sure they get into their routine. Whether it’s the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, Andrew Benintendi, or a young player like Rafael Devers waiting to make his mark. Both types of players need to come into camp and hopefully start out hot and can carry their success into the regular season.
A storyline that could affect some of the pitching prospects is the health of David Price. If his arm proves to be an injury that causes him to miss serious time, there are a couple young pitchers that could benefit from the roster spot he would vacate.
With camp ending in the next couple of weeks, this is the last time Red Sox Nation will be able to see some top prospects from the comfort of their living room. Guys like Devers and Sam Travis will not be starting the season in Boston, and therefore most fans will not be able to watch them. So enjoy seeing these players while you can, because very soon they will be playing for any of the Sox affiliates.
Andrew Benintendi
In roughly a month, Benintendi will no longer be considered a prospect. The expectations are very high for the 7th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He is joining Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr to create one of the best outfields in baseball. These three players have the ability to be one of the most productive outfields over the next decade.
Benny Baseball has been playing a lot this spring, checking in with the second most at-bats on the team. And Benintendi has made the most of his time in the spring. He is currently hitting .367 with two home runs in 30 at-bats.
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The high average is something that is a very intriguing factor. Benintendi made Red Sox Nation believe in him in part due to his great hitting. A player who can hit the ball all over the park, he is showing his contact prowess even more this spring.
Now while these are just Spring Training stats, there is something very positive about this. Obviously with the retirement of David Ortiz, this offense is losing some serious production. Obviously Benintendi is not going to produce at the same level as the greatest clutch-hitter in Boston’s history. But, if he is able to hit around .300 and drive in lots of runs, the blow will definitely be lessened.
Again, Spring Training is somewhere where statistics can be overvalued. It would be one of the most shocking events in modern baseball if Andrew Benintendi hit .367 on the season. Even still, he can keep the hot streak rolling, and become the next emerging young superstar on the Red Sox roster.
Hitters
Even though Benintendi has been receiving all the praise this spring, there are other prospects who could crack the roster. Both of these players have a small amount of major league experience. Also, these are two guys who have a high probability of spending some time at Fenway this year. These players are Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero.
Hernandez might not be the highest rated prospect in the system, but he has been having a monster spring. The 24 year-old is hitting .355 in 31 at-bats, which is the most of any player on the roster.
Hernandez is a very versatile player who can play a multitude of positions. While the Red Sox already have a player like that in Brock Holt, you can never have too many utility players. Also, if there is an injury to someone in the starting lineup, Hernandez is someone who can easily plug the hole. It will very interesting to see what John Farrell wants to do with Hernandez once the season is underway.
Following in Hernandez’ footsteps is Marrero, who is also having a very good spring. Marrero was originally seen as a middle infielder of the future, but Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts have essentially stopped that idea ever coming to fruition. Because of that, Marrero has become a utility player in the hopes he can start a major league career in Boston.
Marrero is hitting .310 with a couple RBIs in 14 games. But, his strikeout to walk ratio is 7:2, so that is something to monitor going forward. What helps Marrero is his play in the outfield. He has recently been playing the corner outfield positions. While Marrero is all but destined to start the season in Pawtucket, there is a good chance he makes the major league roster sometime this year.
Pitchers
While Hernandez and Marrero have taken advantage of their time in Fort Myers, Brian Johnson has done the exact opposite. His struggles started last year in Pawtucket, and he has not been able to reverse those this spring. Just a short time ago, Johnson was seen as a possible 4 or 5 starter. Now, it is highly unlikely that he even comes up to Boston this year.
Johnson has a 5+ ERA in three appearances, and cannot seem to get batters out. Batters are currently hitting .367 against him, which is never good. Also, Johnson has only started one game, which shows the lack of faith Farrell has in him.
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His struggles could not have come at a worse time due to multiple injuries in the rotation. If Johnson was pitching well, there is a chance he could have been a part of the rotation. But, it seems like Johnson will only get a chance to be a part of the Red Sox if there is a spot start. Johnson is currently on pace to be the next Henry Owens.
I wish I could report some good news out of the bullpen, but that is not the case either. Luis Ysla, who is a top 20 prospect for Boston, has also struggled this spring. He has appeared in 6 games, and there are mixed feelings about his performance.
His ERA is 5.06, which is awful as a reliever. But he has limited batters to just a .190 average, and has saved one game. With Carson Smith not going to be ready for this team for at least six weeks, Ysla could have taken his spot to start the year. But much like Johnson, he probably will not see Boston until September call-ups.
Non-Roster Invitees
Sam Travis, one of the hottest players to start the spring, has cooled off a little bit. Now hitting .280, the 24 year-old first baseman of the future is still very productive. Of his 7 hits, 5 of them are extra-base hits. With JetBlue Park having similar dimensions to Fenway, it seems that Travis’ power should translate well.
Travis is still coming off of a torn ACL that ended his season last year in May. Both the signing of Mitch Moreland and Hanley’s ability to be an adequate defensive first baseman seem to block Travis this year.
Moreland only has a one year deal with Boston, and should be on a new team come next season. Travis will more than likely spend most of this year in Pawtucket, but the production he is showing this spring is amazing. It proves that Dave Dombrowski was correct in not trying to acquire a first baseman of the future during the offseason.
Contrary to Travis’ success, star prospect Rafael Devers has struggled. The number 2 prospect in the system has had a spring to forget, just hitting .136 in 22 at-bats. Also, he has failed to record an extra base hit so far. For a prospect known for his power, he has not been able to showcase it.
Now, it is not time to hit the panic button on Devers. He is only 20 years old, and should spend the entire season with the Portland Sea Dogs. The earliest he would be a regular part of Boston’s lineup would be the middle of 2018.
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However, it is more likely that he will not ready until 2019. That is important, because it is the last full year of Pablo Sandoval’s contract. The Red Sox have a club option for 2020 with Panda, but if Devers is MLB ready I doubt they accept it.