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Red Sox Prospect Watch: Start of Regular Season

By Mike El-Far

Mar 13, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (74) throws to first for the out on Toronto Blue Jays batter Kevin Pillar (11) in the fourth inning of a baseball game during spring training at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (74) throws to first for the out on Toronto Blue Jays batter Kevin Pillar (11) in the fourth inning of a baseball game during spring training at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitches Jason Groome walks onto the field prior to a game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitches Jason Groome walks onto the field prior to a game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Salem, Greenville, and Lowell

The nitty-gritty of minor league baseball: A-Ball.  For anyone who is unfamiliar, I’ll do a quick breakdown here.  There are three levels of single-A.

Low-A is a team that plays in a short season league.  They usually start in June and end in August.  For Boston, that team is the Lowell Spinners.  Lowell won’t factor into the conversation for the first 8 weeks of the season as they do not start until June.

Above that is single-A.  In this system, that is the Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League.  The highest level of A-Ball is Advanced A, or High-A.  The Red Sox affiliate is the Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League.

Ok, now that everyone knows the flow of how prospects move through single-A, let’s breakdown some of the big names that will spend some time in A-Ball.  In Greenville, there are some great players.

The 12th overall pick in last year’s draft will be toeing the rubber in Greenville.  Jason Groome will have his first full professional season this year, and hopes to showcase his exceptional skills.  The player who has been compared to Madison Bumgardner only had one start at Lowell last year.  While Groome is very young, all of Red Sox Nation is excited to watch him pitch his first season.

Next: An interview with Mookie Betts

Salem boasts one of the more intriguing prospects in Roniel Raudes.  A international free agent who signed in 2014, he is a volatile prospect.  It is very hard to try and project what he can be.  He could be someone who could shoot up the system and be in the big leagues in a couple years.  Or he could flame out in the minors.  While the jury is still out on Raudes, this will be a year to keep an eye on him.

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