Boston Red Sox: Grading shortstop prospect Ryan Fitzgerald

Grading the aspects of Red Sox shortstop prospect Ryan Fitzgerald

It’s been said a lot lately, but the Boston Red Sox really do have one of the better prospect pools in all of baseball. There is a ton of talent at the top that many believe are poised to be stars. Meanwhile, the depth is pretty fantastic at this point. One player that has slipped through the cracks due to this is Ryan Fitzgerald.

Now before we go anywhere else in this article, let’s discuss the shortstop for a few seconds. Ryan Fitzgerald gets little-to-no-fanfare. I’m not going to pretend like I don’t know why either.

Let’s start with the fact that he was undrafted. Not only was he undrafted, but he was 24 when he joined the Red Sox. That’s not old by any means. But a 24-year-old undrafted prospect probably isn’t going to get any fan that isn’t paying attention to the minors too excited. They’re looking for the really young players, the high-draft picks, and the ones that have already proven themselves for a few years.

Well, now we’re three years in on Fitzgerald’s career – and he’s certainly proved himself. The defense has always been there. The bat has always been there as well. Now he’s added power to his game. So we’ve seen him improve, and we’ve seen him perform. Can we stop acting like this isn’t a talented prospect? At 27, Fitz could still have a long and impressive career. And yes, he will make it to the Majors, there are too many positives to his game.

If his career begins with the Red Sox, I fully expect fans to wonder who he is. And frustratingly, if he isn’t hitting .300 after 10 games – they’ll never want to see him again. It’s the way of the fan, I understand it. If you aren’t following the minor leagues, why would you know about someone who isn’t a “top prospect”. Now, the knee-jerk reaction part annoys me. Because everyone slumps. Imagine if fans wanted Dustin Pedroia gone after he hit .191 in 98 plate appearances in 2006 and got their wish. Boston wouldn’t have three World Series rings since 2007 – I can promise you that.

Anyways, now that that rant is done, let’s focus on the tools of the game for Ryan Fitzgerald. Just how good is he in all the classic categories? Giving him the grading scale that the MLB uses of 20-80, let’s try and figure it out.

This is a category that Fitzgerald has always been good at. In 2018, the right-handed hitter slashed .274/.337/.396 in Low-A, then managed a .271/.345/.375 slash line in 2019 in High-A. This year saw a big boost in a specific area, you’ll notice it immediately. Fitz slashed .270/.350/.512 between Double-A and Triple-A. He doesn’t strikeout too often and has a strong eye that can get him on-base even if he isn’t swinging at hot bat at the moment. He also showed a clutch-gene with a litany of big-time hits and good numbers with runners in scoring position. This led to some great run production, with 58 RBI and 55 runs scored. A .275 hitter who walks a decent amount and keeps the strikeouts low seems like a legitimate area for him. Hit: 55

As you probably noticed with the slash lines, that slugging percentage took a massive leap in 2021. That was due to a home run surge. Fitzgerald managed four triples, while setting new career-highs in doubles (32) and home runs (16). That was seven more doubles than any previous season and eight more home runs. In fact, it was five more home runs than he had in his other two seasons combined. Fitz has always shown that he can be a good gap-power type guy, capable of racking up 30-ish doubles and a few triples. Now he’s shown that 15-20 homers is also there for the taking. Power: 55

Fitzgerald is far from slow. I’m not going to sit here and say he’ll be a serious threat on the base paths. But he is going to steal some bases. 5-10, nothing wild. It’s enough to keep the pitcher on their toes though. Sort of like, he can run on you. The issue is (and this is a good issue), Fitz is a very smart base runner. So he knows when to go, and with his speed not being elite, he doesn’t risk it often. He’ll stretch for extra bases or go first-to-third though. And will make some very smart and impressive base running plays. Run: 50

Wow, this is where it gets really fun for Fitzgerald. He is one of the very best fielders in the entire Boston Red Sox system. And with it, comes a phenomenal arm. He’s a shortstop by trade, but the Red Sox have had him move all over the diamond to give him some extra versatility. I see this as them realizing he’s a very talented player, and someone they could want to utilize in the Majors. So they want to give him some extra positions because Xander Bogaerts is the current shortstop. The arm is a cannon though, it plays at all spots, and it’s very accurate. Arm: 65

I sort of already said it all while talking about his arm. Fitzgerald is an elite-potential glove at shortstop. Meanwhile, he’s shown that the glove plays at second and third, as well as all three outfield spots. He’s even taken a few innings at first base. There’s nothing Fitz can’t do in the field. Very fluid, makes all the “routine” plays. Meanwhile, he has enough range and phenomenal instincts that help him get to balls others might not be able to. Really zero negative things to say about his defense. Field: 65

Ryan Fitzgerald will be in the Majors within the next two years. In fact, I’ll say he’ll be in the Majors at some point next year. He started 2021 in Double-A and got some time in Triple-A. There, he performed very well, continuing to show off a lot of that surprise power. I don’t know why he didn’t get a longer stay in Worcester. But he’ll likely start the year in Triple-A knocking on the door to the Majors immediately. We could even see him make the team out of Spring Training. It’s no secret that I love Fitz as a prospect and think the Red Sox hit the jackpot when they brought him in. Give him a chance and let him win over the fans with his Brock-Holt-like-utility-abilities, his A1 glove, and his fun offensive potential. In my strongest Batista-yelling-at-Triple-H-voice “GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!” Overall: 55