Red Sox Prospect Watch: Talent is showing in minor leagues
With the regular season in full swing, many Red Sox fans are wondering who in the minors is producing. Here is a recap of the players who could make Fenway their future home.
It is very well known that the Red Sox farm system is not what it was just 12 months ago. With Boston being a big market, it was very obvious that Dave Dombrowski wanted the team to take another step forward. In acquiring Chris Sale and Tyler Thornburg, the farm system was depleted of its top prospect and two other top 10 prospects.
But, there is still a lot of talent that is in the system. There are a couple players that are in the top 100 in all of baseball. And there seems to be some younger players that could make an impact down the line for the Red Sox. Not all is well, as a top-10 prospect who found the promised land of Boston is currently on the disabled list.
With the 2017 season well in motion, the development of players, or lack thereof, is starting to become clearer. There are some players in the organization that analysts have dubbed 2017 as a “make it or break it” year. For others, this is just the start of what they hope to be a long career in professional baseball.
With the MLB Draft just roughly a month away, the Red Sox player development staff is currently working hard. They are assessing who they feel is poised to take the next step, and what players seemed to have hit a wall. This week, we start with a former first round pick who seems to have done the latter.
Boston Red Sox
Even though the Red Sox have a very young core, there are very few prospects that are on the team. When Marco Hernandez went down with a left shoulder subluxation, that left the roster with only one prospect. That would be Deven Marrero.
The former first round pick out of Arizona State University, Marrero has been a letdown in his time in the organization. Marrero has not had a batting average over .260 since 2014. Also, Marrero has not been the defensive wizard he was in college. In less than 100 games in Pawtucket last year, he committed 14 errors.
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Realistically, Marrero is only in Boston due to the multiple injuries that the roster has seen. First, Brock Holt goes on the DL with vertigo. Then, Marco Hernandez goes on the DL. Now, third base has Josh Rutledge playing full-time. Also, the Red Sox picked up Chase d’Arnaud from the Atlanta Braves on waivers, and he now occupies a roster spot.
Marrero will be optioned down to Pawtucket as soon as players come off of the DL, especially due to his limited playing time in Boston. John Farrell has decided to use Josh Rutledge primarily at third. Also, it seems the pinch-hit attempts are going to Chris Young and Chase d’Arnaud.
While Marrero will soon be out of Boston, it seems that his time in the organization is up. I would be shocked if Boston keeps him on their 40-man roster, and Marrero could easily be picked up by another team in the rule 5 draft. While Marrero is a high draft pick who never panned out for Boston, there is a another first round pick who has produced in Pawtucket.
Pawtucket Red Sox
The aforementioned first round pick is Brian Johnson, and he has had a very good 2017 campaign. The former University of Florida standout has had an up and down career in Boston’s system, but he seems to have put it together this year. In 5 starts this year, Johnson has a very good 2.64 ERA. Also, he has racked up 26 strikeouts, which is a high number for him.
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The only concerning statistic for Johnson is his high 1.34 WHIP. For those who are not familiar, that is walks and hits divided by innings pitched. It is a very good barometer of how a pitcher is performing, because it shows truly how dominant, or lack there of, a pitcher is.
Brian Johnson already made a spot start this year in Toronto. It was not the best start, as he gave up 4 runs over 5 innings. With the current state of the rotation in Boston, there is an outside chance that he would be able to make the MLB roster.
There are realistically three spots that are locked up. Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, and a healthy David Price all will be in the rotation. Drew Pomeranz is out of minor league options, but he might not be a starter all year. He came out of the bullpen last year, and that could easily happen this year. Also, Eduardo Rodriguez still has an option left, and he has injury concerns.
Enter Brian Johnson. Currently, Kyle Kendrick is in the rotation. Personally, I don’t understand why he is and not Johnson. If Johnson keeps pitching well, he might force his way back into Boston.
Portland Sea Dogs
The No. 1 prospect in the Red Sox organization is living up to his high expectations. The 20 year-old Rafael Devers has been simply sublime this year. Devers was recently named to MLBPipeline’s prospect team of the week, and his slash line proves that. Over the course of 7 games, he hit .440 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI’s. Also, his slugging percentage was an insane .920 in that span.
On the season, Devers has a .322 average with 6 home runs. One of Devers’ best tools is his raw power. He has the strength to hit the ball out of the park in all areas. Add in that Devers is projected to be a very good defender and his future is very bright. Below is a video that shows two of his home runs this week.
While third base has been a sore spot for the Boston Red Sox, Devers is the future at the hot corner. It is highly unlikely that he gets called up to Boston before September. Even though he is lighting up double-A, he is still not MLB ready.
It seems that the Red Sox are determined to take their time with Devers. It is clear that Dombrowski liked Devers enough to not trade him in the offseason. If Pablo Sandoval struggles over the next two years, it is realistic to assume that Devers would take over the third base position. Devers probably will spend 2018 in Pawtucket, and Boston will look to deal Pablo at that time.
Salem and Greenville
Players in A-ball have a long road to go if they are lucky enough to make a major league roster. For Travis Lakins, he has done everything right so far. Boston’s 6th round pick two years ago, the right-handed pitcher from Ohio State has impressed many in his time in Salem.
In 7 games this year, Lakins is a very impressive 5-0 with a very good 2.61 ERA. One of the most impressive features of Lakins’ game is his high strikeout numbers. He was able to record 43 strikeouts in those 7 games, and seems to be skilled at making guys miss.
Lakins seems to be one of the best pitchers the Red Sox have in the minors. While he is still awhile away from being in the majors, it is a great sign to see. Hopefully he keeps it going and can be a diamond in the rough for the Red Sox.
Shaun Anderson is another exciting pitching prospect. The University of Florida star who was the third round pick for Boston last year, Anderson has done nothing but been lights out in Greenville. In 6 games, Anderson is 3-0 with a dominant 1.87 ERA.
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Anderson has been able to keep his control during his outings, as he sports a 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio. If Anderson keeps dominating the competition, it does not seem like he would spend the entire season in Greenville. While there are some questions of pitching depth at the major league level, Boston might have some very talented pitchers coming to the big leagues in the future.