Red Sox Prospects: Keep an eye on first baseman Josh Ockimey

For the Red Sox, there are plenty of hopeful prospects within their ranks. Josh Ockimey is one of these and is beginning to make a name for himself.

To the majority of baseball fans, spring training isn’t something that’s looked at too intensely. Anything terrific that a player does pull off during the spring must be taken with a pinch of salt. At the end of the preseason schedule, all numbers will go out the window and everyone will look towards what really counts in the regular season. What does matter, however, is the chance that the clubs’ hierarchies have to watch their teams’ prospects on a first-hand basis. For the Boston Red Sox, there are many talents within the depths of their minor league rosters.

The likes of Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec are nearing the point where they become household names for die-hard Sox fans – and this is what spring training’s all about. Sure, it’s predominantly about getting into shape for a new year, but it’s also about these talented prospects who are hungrier than ever to do their thing. Josh Ockimey is someone who many Sox fans wouldn’t have heard of before this spring. He’s one of the youngsters who’s showing what this farm system is all about.

Back in 2014, Boston selected Ockimey with the 164th overall selection. Being a fifth-round pick doesn’t come with the pressures of being selected in the first couple of rounds, but this was a big decision for the first baseman. Ockimey passed up the opportunity of going to college to sign with the Red Sox, following his selection.

As a high schooler who batted .500 in his senior year, you might’ve said that the Sox were right to take a chance on this kid in the mid-rounds. The decision to skip college and head straight to a professional organization is a huge one for any athlete, one that doesn’t pay off more often than it does pay off. For any mid-to-late rounder, it is always going to be a waiting game, and it’s looking like Ockimey’s patience will pay off.

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Through five long years in Boston’s farm system, Ockimey has put together a nice looking resume as a pro ball player. Enduring stints with basically every minor league partner of the Sox, Ockimey has displayed an array of talents.

Last year, the 23-year-old has put up 20 home runs and 71 RBI in time split between AA and AAA. As well as coming along at the plate, the first baseman has been solid at his corner – a position where opportunities could undoubtedly convey theirselves.

Ockimey looked decent at the plate and on the diamond so far. Nothing spectacular has occurred for him, thus far, but he’s definitely somebody for Sox fans to keep an eye on. The prospect is yet to play in the big leagues, but he’s got plenty of tools to become a competent player at this level.

With a basically unchanged defending World Series roster, it’ll be near-ominous as to what players will be there on Opening Day. However, breaks come in all shapes and sizes in baseball and, at the age of 23, Ockimey’s in the right place to progress his career and make an impact in this terrific organization.