Red Sox Prospect Watch: April is in Full Swing
As April is already over halfway over, some Red Sox prospects have been making their mark on the team. Here is a recap of the week.
Over the past week, the state of Massachusetts was able to celebrate two holidays: Easter and Patriots Day. Patriots Day is something that is hard to describe to fans outside the state of Massachusetts. It is a day where we celebrate the Revolutionary War and the Boston Marathon. This day is so much more than that, as it is an un-official start of summer.
A day where we remember the past, but also look towards the future and see what it holds. The same could be said about prospects in baseball. There is a natural comparison of a player to someone in the past. For example, Andrew Benintendi has drawn comparisons to a former great player for Boston, Fred Lynn.
But they are also a look towards the future. While not every prospect lives up to his potential, the ones that do keep the future looking very bright. Case in point: the 2017 Boston Red Sox. Players like Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Xander Bogaerts have formed this young core of emerging superstars.
The future is very bright is Boston, but are there any more young players that could be impact players either this year or next? The answer is a resounding yes. Even though Dave Dombrowski traded 6 of the top 10 prospects in the system over the past 24 months, there are some bright spots in the minors. Including a top 10 prospect who has found his way onto the major league roster.
Boston Red Sox
That top-10 prospect that was mentioned in the last slide was Marco Hernandez. The 24 year-old has been on the roster since April 7th, and it seems that he factors to be a bench option for most of the season. Offensively, Hernandez has not been very productive, hitting only .230. But he has been exceptional defensively, with plays like this.
Hernandez profiles as a middle infielder, but if he is able to be an everyday player this year it will be at third base. While Pablo Sandoval has virtually half of the team’s home runs, he is also hitting well under the Mendoza line. If his lack of production continues past the middle of May, I think Red Sox Nation will be seeing a lot of Hernandez.
Last night, former highly-touted prospect Brian Johnson was able to make a spot start last night in Toronto. Unfortunately, he did not look overly impressive, giving up 4 earned runs over only 5 innings. What was more alarming was the two home-runs he gave up. Giving up two bombs to the team who has struggled more than any other team in baseball is never a good sign.
Now, Brian Johnson should be optioned by Thursday the latest. His time in Boston was supposed to be short lived, as he was only in Boston on a spot start. Eduardo Rodriguez left the team on Monday to be with his wife, as they welcomed a baby boy. If the rotation continues to add up injuries, Johnson seems to be the next man up to take over the 5th spot in the rotation.
Pawtucket Red Sox
While there was great news to report about prospects in Boston, the same cannot be said about the young players in Pawtucket. The 3rd best prospect in the system, Sam Travis, has not started the season off great. Currently, Travis is hitting .172, which is 2nd worst among qualified batters in Pawtucket.
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As referenced last week, Travis was involved with Blake Swihart in a collision. While it was a minor injury that Travis only missed 3 games from, it is something to keep in mind. Travis, who is less than a year removed from tearing his ACL, is hoping to be the everyday first baseman next season. But he will need to have a strong showing in Pawtucket this year until he gets the call to Boston in September.
Any thought of Travis being called up sooner than the September call-up has been effectively crushed for one major reason: the emergence of Mitch Moreland. Moreland signed a one year deal to come to Boston, and many saw it as a “prove it” type of contract.
This is a player who is the defending AL Gold Glove winner. And his performance in Boston through the first two plus weeks of the season has been nothing short of phenomenal. If Moreland continues on this pace, he will definitely fetch a big contract from a team who needs a first baseman in the offseason.
Another name to look for is Brandon Workman. A fan favorite in 2013, he has battled multiple injuries over the past couple seasons. Coming out of the pen, he has been very productive for Pawtucket, going 5 scoreless innings over two different outings. If a pitcher in the bullpen falters, Workman could very well get the call to come to Boston.
Portland Sea Dogs
In Portland, there are a couple players who have been performing very well. And that starts with the crown jewel of the Red Sox farm system, Rafael Devers. The 20 year-old third baseman is hoping to turn the corner and make a major leap in his development this year. Devers, as well as the front office, is hoping to go from a player with a high ceiling to someone who is knocking on the door of a major league team.
More from Red Sox Prospects
- Red Sox risk repeating rookie mistake with Eric Hosmer release
- Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
- Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox
- 3 players the Red Sox could’ve DFA’ed instead of Jeter Downs and Eric Hosmer
- Red Sox cut bait with key Mookie Betts trade piece in latest roster move
Devers is currently having a great year in Portland, but it is only on one side of the ball. Hitting .375 in 10 games, Devers is seeing the ball very well. When you add in 6 doubles to that, it is clear that he is very skilled.
While Devers is someone who is hitting the ball well, it has been a different story defensively. He is the only Sea Dog to commit multiple errors, with 3 already. While it would be great to see Devers in Boston earlier than September, if he keeps making errors I doubt he overtakes the struggling Sandoval.
Luis Ysla has had 4 outings out of the pen in Portland, and has looked great. Even though he has given up a run, he has gotten strikeouts for 75% of his outs. Clearly, the talent level in Double-A is different than the MLB. But, it is a great sign to see Ysla getting players to swing and miss. Just like Workman, Ysla could be a dark horse for a possible bullpen arm that could factor later in the year.
Salem and Greenville
In both Salem and Greenville, there are young players trying to make the first steps to a great career. Bobby Dalbec, the 3rd round pick of last year’s draft, has started that process.
A third baseman, Dalbec was the star of the Arizona Wildcats in last year’s College World Series. He has continued his success into professional baseball, hitting .318 with a home run. Something to pay attention to is his high strikeout rate, which is currently around 40%. Obviously it is a small sample size, but it is something to keep an eye on.
The first round pick in last year’s draft, Jason Groome, has not fared as well as Dalbec. In his first start, he gave up an astronomical 9 runs in 1.1 innings. After the game, there was an explanation for the rough outing.
Diagnosed with a lat strain, he is currently on the DL. This is obviously not the way Groome wanted to start his first full season of professional baseball. Hopefully this injury is minor, and Groome can get back to pitching well.
While Dalbec and Groome are currently in Greenville, Josh Ockimey is tearing it up in Salem. A first baseman, Ockimey was a 5th round pick in 2014. And while he is seen as someone who is a below average defender, his bat is what is currently turning heads.
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Ockimey has an OPS of 1.105, which is great to see. He has a couple doubles, and a triple and a home-run to boot. While Ockimey is still awhile away from being a MLB player, if his bat continues to develop the Red Sox will have a diamond in the rough.