Red Sox prospects named to Baseball America’s Top 100
By Mike El-Far
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.