The Boston Red Sox have had some mixed results in spring training so far, but one thing is for certain, their prospects are making some noise.
When you think of the Boston Red Sox the farm system isn’t usually one of the first things that will come to mind. However, a little over a week into spring training and it’s their prospects that are making the most noise in Fort Myers.
At one time the Red Sox had one of the highest-rated farm systems in the league but the Dave Dombrowski era in Boston put an end to that. I can’t put the full blame onto Dealin’ Dave’s shoulders though as that’s his modus operandi and he executed it to perfection. His style is to wheel and deal with the prospects to gain pieces that allow the team to win today, and he succeeded.
With Chaim Bloom now leading the way in the front office his expertise in cultivating a farm system is greatly needed. This group of prospects in camp right now is full of talent and promise and so far they’re backing up the faith that’s been shown in them by the organization. In fact, when you look at the stats so far this spring they’re the ones making the waves in camp.
Though not all of the Red Sox veterans have gotten into the swing of things in spring training a majority have with some good showings and some not so good. Boston holds a 3-3 record in the Grapefruit League after today’s loss to the Phillies with many of those runs coming by way of the prospects.
Coming into camp the big names that Red Sox Nation had their collective eyes on were Jarren Duran and Bobby Dalbec. Others like CJ Chatham and Tristan Casas also have plenty of momentum behind them as well but Duran and Dalbec are at the top of the list.
Duran has been the biggest star of the prospects to this point owning a .625 AVG with a triple, homer, and 2 RBI under his belt. If any of the prospects were to make a case at being on the Opening Day roster it’ll be hard to overlook what Jarren has done so far. Dalbec hasn’t quite reached the heights of his counterpart but he’s not missing out on the action with a .250 AVG and a double to his name.
It’s not so much the individual actions of the prospects so far but what they’re doing as a unit. This is an organization that is sitting at the bottom of the barrel as far as their farm system is concerned and yet these guys are raking. Josh Ockimey has a pair of homers this spring and Jonathan Arauz belted a 3-run shot in today’s clash with Philly.
Oh, remember Connor Wong? The guy that nobody was excited for in the Mookie Betts deal? Yeah, he smashed a grand slam the other day to help propel Boston’s offense. Once again, it isn’t just one or two players that are stepping to the plate but it feels as if the collective are all rising at once to compete for those coveted 40-man roster spots.
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The Red Sox are reaping the benefits of their previous prospect boom with Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Michael Chavis, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr., all being major factors in Boston’s squad. If they can grow another strong crop of super-talented young players then this team will be set for years to come.
Boston is still waiting for Rob Manfred to complete his investigation into the 2018 team and the allegations of illegal sign-stealing. Any possible punishment could result in forfeiture of draft picks in the future, so Bloom needs to make sure he’s maintaining his current crop, and not shipping them off like his predecessor.
I’m incredibly excited to see how well the current gang of youngsters is performing in camp and hope to see a handful of them on the Opening Day roster. There’s a level of competition right now among them to receive the promotion to the big leagues and it’s fostering great results. Sadly, we all know the injury big will eventually rear its ugly head at some point, but it’s a relief knowing we have the platoon to call upon when it does.
Though it may not look like it on the outside, Boston has a great crop of young talent that can rise to the occasion if called upon. We still have plenty of time in spring training to see the prospects battle for spots on the 40-man roster and I’m excited to see what they can do. One thing feels like a certainty, this group of players will be running around Fenway Park for the foreseeable future