The Boston Red Sox have plenty of prospects that the following season could be kind to. Just exactly who will make it their year in 2019 though?
The world of prospect rankings is one of flash. If you don’t throw 100, you might get overlooked. If you aren’t hitting 25 bombs or stealing 30 bases, you might get overlooked. That’s where Pedro Castellanos comes into play for the Boston Red Sox.
Castellanos stole exactly one base and hit exactly one home run in 2018. Due to that, many people may be quick to overlook the 21-year-old. There’s plenty in his game to suggest big things are coming for Castellanos though.
In 2016, Castellanos hit .326 in Rookie Ball and followed it up with a .338 average in 2017 between Rookie Ball and Full-A.
Then, all of 2018 was spent in Full-A – where Castellanos hit .302 with 20 doubles in 344 at-bats. He also managed 34 RBI and 39 runs scored over 88 games. Again, clearly there’s a lot of positives to build off of.
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At just 21, the right-handed hitter is expected to have a power bat arrive at some point. This is why some regard him as an exciting prospect and others as a nothing prospect. Some might feel like the power will come, so he’s got plenty of potential. Meanwhile, others will see he’s hit 6 home runs over 775 professional at-bats and feel there’s no power there.
I look at it in another way though. The power is an added bonus for Castellanos. So far, he’s proven he can produce without power to the tune of a .319 career batting average. If the power comes it’s just more reason to get excited.
So why will 2019 be the year of Pedro Castellanos? Growth. There are things other than home runs that Castellanos can improve upon.
His clutch hitting (.263 w/RISP) is something that should see an increase. He’s proven he can hit at an elite level, now he needs to do so in high-leverage situations.
Castellanos appears defensively at first base and in the corner outfield spots. He’s much better suited for first base though, and should get plenty of time to show what he can do at the position in 2019.
Finally, there are promotions. Castellanos appeared in two games in Full-A in 2017 and spent all of 2018 there. He’s proven he has no problems at that level, and the Red Sox will definitely want to see what he can do against higher talent. 2019 should see Castellanos in Advanced-A with a chance of Double-A.
The Red Sox have no reason to rush him though, which means he’ll have plenty of time to perfect his craft in the minors. With that in mind, Castellanos shouldn’t have to worry about being promoted too fast. He’ll be given time to adjust at each level – which should lead to more solid slash lines from the Venezuelan in 2019.