Red Sox prospects named to Baseball America’s Top 100
Baseball America released an updated list of their Top 100 Prospects, which shows two Boston Red Sox prospects cracking the list.
Ah, the Baseball America Top 100 Prospect list. For someone who constantly looks toward the future of baseball, this is like Christmas morning. While BA is only one of a couple different prospect lists, I find it to be if a higher quality. They follow both high school and college baseball, as well as the top prospects of the game.
Baseball America provided an updated version of this year’s list earlier this week. You can find all 100 prospects listed over on BaseballAmerica.com, but we’ll be focusing on the prospects in the Red Sox system.
Obviously, Boston’s farm system is not what it was a year ago. The No. 1 prospect on the list is Yoan Moncada. Along with Moncada, the number 24 prospect Michael Kopech were the key pieces to acquire Chris Sale.
But, the Red Sox do have two very talented prospects in this list. Both players are ranked in the top 50, and have tremendous upside.
Starting at number 41, let’s look at left-handed pitcher Jason Groome. He was the star of Barnegat Academy in New Jersey, and his talent was seen as a top 3 prospect entering the 2016 MLB Draft.
Maturity issues, coupled with Groome’s declaration for wanting a high signing bonus kept some teams away. Dave Dombrowski could not resist, taking Groome with the 12th overall pick. Groome spent most of the summer negotiating with the Red Sox, and they finally came to a deal.
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It is safe to say that we have simply not seen enough from Groome in his professional career. In 2016, he had a total of three starts. He made his first two starts for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, and then started one game for the Lowell Spinners. 2017 was supposed to be the very early measuring stick for Groome. But, his 2017 has not been a fruitful one.
In his first start with the Greenville Drive, Groome was able to only record four outs. He also gave up a staggering 9 runs, and walked three batters. It was very uncharacteristic of the left-hander, who has extreme control. Also, he was only able to record one strikeout, which is completely unlike his game.
After the start, it became clear why Groome struggled so much. He was put on the disabled list with a lat strain, and has not been activated yet. The injury happened on April 10th, so there is clearly something wrong with Groome’s back. Again, he is just a 19 year old kid, so Boston clearly does not want to rush him back.
The player comparison for Jason Groome is Madison Bumgarner. Now, that is obviously high praise. But, it is based in some truth. First, Groome has a very advanced fastball, as he can dial it up to 97 mph. But his out pitch is an absolutely nasty curveball. During the pre-draft coverage, ESPN’s Keith Law rated Groome’s curve as the best pitch in the 2016 Draft.
So, what is next for Groome? Realistically, Groome should be coming back to Greenville in the next couple weeks. Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to miss three months with a similar injury, but Groome’s is viewed as less severe. If he can return to full health within the next couple weeks, he might be able to salvage his first full season in professional baseball.
With the obvious hype for Groome, you may be asking when his ETA for pitching at Fenway is. As a 19 year-old who has made four professional starts, it is still a long while away. Hopefully Groome comes back from injury soon, and can have somewhat of a full season. Groome will need a couple seasons of minor league work. As of right now, Jason Groome is on track for MLB pitching in 2020 at the earliest.
Now, the prize of the Red Sox farm system. Ranking at No.14 on BA’s list is the 20 year old third baseman of the future, Rafael Devers. There is only one true third baseman ranked higher than Devers, and that is a testament to the ceiling many scouts see for the young Dominican. Signed as an international free agent in 2013, Devers has done nothing but impress all who have seen him play.
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If you don’t follow the prospects, here is a quick breakdown of what makes Devers so special. First, his best skill is clearly his bat. If you like a player who can hit for average while slugging monster home runs, Rafael Devers is your guy. What separates Devers from your average prospect is his bat speed. Scouts have proclaimed that he is able to turn on balls and find the gap no matter what pitch is thrown his way.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at Devers’ current stats for Double-A Portland. In just shy of 100 at-bats, he is hitting .313 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI’s. Many scouts say that Double-A is where the most talent is. If that sentiment is true, then it speaks to the skill of Devers even more.
There is one knock on Devers’ game though, and it is his fielding. Many scouts project him to be an average to below-average fielder at the MLB level. In 116 games last year at Salem, he committed 15 errors. In 24 games for Portland this year, he has already committed four. Clearly, there is some work Devers needs to do in order to polish up his defense.
With the extreme lack of production at the third base position, there is an outside shot that Devers gets the call up this year. But, looking at what the front office has done with his development, it is unlikely. Devers has spent essentially a full season at every level. When the calendar turns to September, and the rosters expand to 40 men, that is when Devers should make his MLB debut.
The current problem Devers is facing is being blocked by a $95 million contract. Pablo Sandoval is locked up until after the 2019 season. Even if Rafael Devers gets called up in September, expect him to start the 2018 season in Pawtucket. Unless Dave Dombrowski can swindle a team to pay Panda almost $20 million a year, 2019 seems like the first full season Devers will be in the majors.
While the farm system is not the “prospect machine” it once was, both Groome and Devers look to be very good MLB players in the future. Clearly Dombrowski valued these two players highly, due to his lack of dealing them in the offseason. And with a young core of players, it does not seem that a major trade involving either of them is on the horizon.