Red Sox Prospect Watch: The month of May begins
With the first month of baseball officially in the books, which Red Sox prospects have been progressing well? Which ones have struggled?
As the month of May begins, trends in players’ progressions are starting to form. Obviously if a guy is struggling in a week, it is not a big deal. If they are struggling over the course of a month, it is something that should be monitored accordingly.
In the first month, the Boston Red Sox farm system has had a lot of shakeups. Their top prospect graduated into a full-fledged MLB rookie. Their No. 1 pitching prospect was not so lucky, and ended up spending his first time of his young career on the disabled list. Finally, two of the top 10 prospects were called up to Boston in the first month alone.
Everyone who follows the Sox knows that Dave Dombrowski depleted the farm system over the winter. Whether that was trading a young player who shot up through the system like Mauricio Dubon or trading away two top-level prospects to acquire Chris Sale, Dombrowski’s wheeling and dealing didn’t help the pipeline of prospects.
Even still, there are some quality level players in the system. Dombrowski, in his first draft with Boston, was able to add some very talented players in the first couple rounds. While all three have some time before they are MLB-ready, it is a step in the right direction to build the system back up.
But, farm systems usually have ties to multiple GM’s. The same can be said for Boston’s. Not only is Dombrowski trying to leave his mark, both Ben Cherington and Theo Epstein have left theirs in the system. Speaking of Theo Epstein, that is where we begin this week.
Boston Red Sox
As mentioned earlier, Theo Epstein can be attributed to the current success of the Boston Red Sox. Epstein was the man who pulled off one of the best drafts in recent memory, the 2011 draft. Matt Barnes, Jackie Bradley, Henry Owens, Blake Swihart, and Travis Shaw were most of the highlights of that draft. The other highlight? Getting Mookie Betts in the 5th round.
After Epstein left Boston to go to the Chicago Cubs, he had his eye on a young, upstart pitcher named Felix Doubront. Ben Cherington found a valuable asset in the Cubs system, and the deal was done. Currently, this player is a top 10 prospect for the Red Sox, and is currently sporting a better batting average than Betts.
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- 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
That would be Marco Hernandez. Now, before I get into how great Hernandez has been, this is a disclaimer. Under no circumstances is Hernandez a better player than Betts. With that being said, Hernandez currently has the 3rd best average on the team (.291). Marco has done that while playing in only three fewer games than Betts.
With the injury to Pablo Sandoval, and Brock Holt also battling a case of vertigo, Marco seems to be in the right place at the right time. If Sandoval and Holt miss extended periods of time, and he keeps his offensive production, Hernandez could turn into the everyday third baseman for the rest of the year.
With that being said, Hernandez still has to improve. He has already struck out (14) almost as many times as he has gotten a hit (16). Also, he has not stolen a base, but has been caught stealing. These are minor flaws, but hopefully Hernandez can figure it out and be an important piece to this roster.
Pawtucket Red Sox
While Hernandez has taken advantage of his situation, Sam Travis has not been able to do the same. Travis, the No. 3 prospect in the Red Sox system, has struggled in the first month of 2017. He tore his ACL a little less than a year ago rounding first base, and it seems that the injury has zapped him of some of his production.
Travis is only hitting .219 on the season, which is 50 points lower than his average last year. For those who did not watch Spring Training this year, Travis wowed Red Sox Nation by putting balls in the seats on multiple occasions. It is very clear that playing at the University of Indiana with Kyle Schwarber helped him realize his power potential.
One of the most alarming stats from Travis’ first month is his lack of RBI’s. He currently only has 1 RBI in 18 games, which should cause major concern. It came on a solo home run, his only one this year. As a power hitting first baseman, driving in runs is something that Travis needs to excel at. He is not the best defender in the world, so he needs to rely on his bat in the hopes of breaking the major league roster sooner rather than later.
It seems clear to many that Travis will make his major league debut in September, barring any injuries. Mitch Moreland has been a great free agent signing, and doesn’t seem to be losing his job anytime soon. If Travis keeps struggling, he might have to wait even longer. And if that happens, Dave Dombrowski might have to figure out an alternative for the future of first base at Fenway Park.
Portland Sea Dogs
Most fans hear about the Sea Dogs and think of one player: Rafael Devers. The 20 year-old third baseman is the top prospect in the system, and projects to be a very good MLB player. While Devers is deserving of all the praise, there is another player on Portland who is having a very good season.
More from Red Sox Prospects
- Predicting top Red Sox outfield prospect Ceddanne Rafaela’s timeline to the majors
- Predicting Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer’s timeline to the majors
- 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
That would be top 20 prospect Jalen Beeks. A left-handed pitcher, Beeks has strung together four very good starts, sporting a 1.99 ERA over 22.2 innings pitched. His last two starts are where he has really turned it on. In the first game of a double header on April 23rd, Beeks threw a complete game shutout.
On April 30th, Beeks went 7 shutout innings again while striking out 4. Currently, Beeks has a 10.5 K/9 rate, which is something to keep an eye out for. While Jalen Beeks does have four different pitches that he offers, many scouts did not think any of those pitches were great offerings.
Realistically, Beeks’ chance to make the major league team this year is very low. Even with the injury to David Price, there is just no room for Beeks. But, his dominance over the first month in AA is something that is a pleasant surprise for the system. While the number 2 prospect in the system is a pitcher, he is 18 years old and has struggled in the few starts he has made.
With the system loaded with position players who seem to have a bright future, the emergence of Jalen Beeks could be one of the most beneficial things to happen to the system this year. Maybe in a year or two, Beeks could crack the rotation and be another skilled lefty.
Salem and Greenville
As mentioned earlier, Sam Travis is going through some struggles this year. Obviously the Boston Red Sox are loaded at first base, with Moreland and Hanley Ramirez. Sam Travis is obviously next on that depth chart, but there is a first baseman who is having a great start to 2017.
Josh Ockimey, a 5th round draft pick in 2014, has been white hot to start the season. The starting first baseman for the Salem Red Sox, Ockimey has been their brightest star so far. Over the past month, his slash line is an astounding .347/.454/.560. Also, he has slugged 3 home runs and driven in 22 RBI’s. Below is a home run from last year that shows the raw power Ock has.
Just like Sam Travis, Ockimey’s best tools lie with his bat. It is highly unlikely that he will ever an award from his defense, and Ockimey has below average speed. So, in order for him to further his career, he needs to keep up the offensive production. And so far, he has done that.
Now, the chances that Josh Ockimey plays in Boston this year are virtually zero. While anything can happen, he is still a year or two away from being even close to MLB ready. Even still, seeing this production out of a recent draft pick is always a good thing. If Travis continues to struggle while Ockimey continues to play great baseball, Travis might come up in trade talks.
Next: Ramirez continues power surge
Personally, I expect Ockimey to get the call up to Portland as early as next month if he continues on this path. Now, there probably will be a downturn in his production when he gets the call. But, if he can still drive in runs and hit above average, the Red Sox might have found another diamond in the rough, just like Mookie Betts.