Boston Red Sox Minors: 2019 will be the year of C.J. Chatham

The Boston Red Sox have plenty of prospects that the following season could be good too. Just exactly who will make it their year in 2019 though?

2018 was undeniably a great year for the Boston Red Sox. They won a franchise record 108 games during the regular season. Then they followed that up by steam-rolling past the 100-win New York Yankees and 103-win Houston Astros in the playoffs. Finally, they capped it off by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to become the World Series champions.

It was also a great season for plenty of individuals. 2019 is a new year though. Who will make 2019 the year of them? Let’s take a look at some minor leaguers that have a chance to do just that.

C.J. Chatham enjoyed easily his best (and healthiest) season in the minors in 2018. The shortstop appeared in 114 games after appearing in only 42 combined over his first two seasons.

Before 2018, Chatham had appeared in just one Full-A game. In 2018 he appeared in 19, then moved up to Advanced-A for the final 95 games of the season.

Despite leveling up in competition, Chatham had no issues at the plate. The right-handed hitter posted a .314/.350/.389 slash line with 52 RBI and 11 steals. So why will 2019 be the year of Chatham?

Promotions.

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Chatham probably won’t spend the majority of the season in the Majors in 2019. Best case scenario he’s starting in Double-A, so he’ll have a little climb no matter what. There is a chance he gets there though.

What is likely to happen is finding himself in Triple-A by the end of the year. The Red Sox already traded away second baseman Esteban Quiroz (don’t get me started) this offseason. That makes their depth in the minors even thinner at the middle infield positions.

Last season, Chatham proved that when healthy -he’s an elite prospect. He also proved that he had no problem with Advanced-A pitching. If Chatham starts the season in Advanced-A, he won’t be there for long.

The Double-A Portland Sea Dogs roster only has one true shortstop in Jeremy Rivera. Meanwhile, the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox currently hold none. Obviously, this will change – but it bodes well for Chatham. He’s Boston’s eighth ranked prospect so they’ll give him a chance to prove himself. It’s not like he’ll get buried by outside veteran talent brought in.

Chatham will be near the top (if not directly at the top) of the list of players to fill the infield void in both Double-A and Triple-A. He’ll be a stones-throw away from Fenway Park. Ready to fill-in should injuries or poor-play happen. Even if neither of those play out, a September call-up could be in order.

Chatham’s first two seasons were mired by injuries. Last year was a different story though, and Chatham put himself back on the map. Now 2019 is set up to be the year he hits the mainstream as a potential contributor to the Major League squad. 2019 will be the year of C.J. Chatham.