Red Sox prospect #3: Kole Cottam
Okay, so far this list might be confusing to you because we are going backward. Madden played in Double-A, Baldwin had not. Kole Cottam has played in Advanced-A but not nearly as much as Baldwin.
So how is the 23-year-old Cottam “closer” to contributing in the Majors than those two? Easy, that offense.
Cottam is a legitimate offensive threat. He has plenty of power and could be a phenomenal run producer. In 2019, Cottam appeared in 87 games (76 in Full-A and 11 in Advanced-A). In that time he hit 25 doubles and eight home runs and drove in 44 runs. That’s a really strong season.
The right-handed hitter has a career .249/.340/.414 slash line. He gets on base at a good clip and has legitimate 25-home run potential. Meanwhile, he has improved drastically on defense. He is looking good behind the plate, has a good arm, and is calling games better. That gives him a nice well-rounded game to go with great offense.
Cottam could fly up the Majors and is likely already someone the Red Sox are considering for the future of the position.