Red Sox farm system ranked No. 3 in baseball this decade

MLB.com ranked the Boston Red Sox third on their list of the best farm systems of this decade, crediting them for several late-round steals.

The minor league system is considered a weakness of the Boston Red Sox organization with few major league-ready prospects and limited star power. That hasn’t always been the case though. Boston has depleted their farm system by graduating prospects to the big leagues and using others as trade chips to acquire proven stars. Looking back at the players they drafted and developed, the Red Sox have had one of the best farm systems in baseball this decade.

Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked the Red Sox No. 3 on his list of the best farm system of this decade. Their early-round success has been very hit-or-miss, which makes sense considering Boston is often selecting near the end of the round. They have found several diamonds in the rough deep in drafts to balance out those early inconsistencies and they have an excellent track record on the international market.

It’s a bit too soon to judge the 2019 draft. It doesn’t help that spending into the luxury tax pushed their first selection back 10 spots out of the first round to No. 43 overall. Noah Song stands out as a potential steal of this draft. He brings tremendous upside but fell to Round 4 due to his commitment to the Navy.

Triston Casas was the club’s first-round select in 2018. The slugging corner fielder is currently the only Red Sox prospect listed on MLB.com’s top-100 rankings. Third-round pick Durbin Feltman has had a rocky start to his minor league career but projects as a potential future closer.

Boston’s highest selection of the decade came back in 2015 when they used the No. 7 overall pick on Andrew Benintendi. The sweet-swinging lefty took a step back this year but he’s flashed 20/20 production with the ability to hit for a high average. Benny still has a bright future worthy of his draft selection.

2014 first-round pick Michael Chavis made his major league debut this year. He got off to a scorching start before an injury derailed his season. He’ll need to learn to cut back on the strikeouts but he appears poised to claim a starting role with this club in 2020. The Red Sox also selected Michael Kopech in the second round that year. The right-hander currently ranks as the 17th best prospect in baseball and was a key asset involved in the trade to acquire Chris Sale.

The 2011 draft was the highlight of the decade for the Red Sox farm system. Arguably the best draft pick any team made this decade was when Boston selected Mookie Betts in the fifth round. How a five-tool talent of his caliber slipped that far is baffling but Betts quickly proved his worth by racing through the system to make his major league debut after only two full seasons in the minors. Matt Barnes and Jackie Bradley Jr. are also key pieces on the current roster who were selected in the first round of that year’s draft.

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The Red Sox nailed several other late-round picks in the previous decade who spent time in the minor league system in the early part of this decade. Christian Vazquez (2008 – Round 9) has emerged as one of the game’s best catchers. Travis Shaw was selected in the 32nd round that year, only to later be traded away in one of the worst deals of the decade.

Anthony Rizzo (2007 – 6th Round) was traded to the San Diego Padres to acquire Adrian Gonzalez in 2010 before moving on to the Chicago Cubs where he became an All-Star.

Some of the best players to work their way through the Red Sox farm system this decade were signed on the international market. Xander Bogaerts was signed out of Aruba and spent parts of four seasons in the minors before he debuted with the Red Sox in 2013. Rafael Devers followed a similar path four years later when he came over from the Dominican Republic.

Cuban native Yoan Moncada was one of the best prospects in baseball while he was in the Red Sox farm system. He debuted in the majors in 2016 and highlighted the trade package to acquire Sale from the White Sox after that season.

The Red Sox may not have any top prospects knocking on the door to the majors but their current roster is built around several homegrown players who played a significant role in their 2018 World Series title. One of Chaim Bloom’s primary tasks as the new leader of Boston’s front office will be rebuilding the farm system so that the next decade can bring more of these gems to supplement their roster.