2022 will be the year of Boston Red Sox prospect Stephen Scott
Boston Red Sox prospect Stephen Scott entered the 2021 season as a pretty unknown player. In fact, he’s sort of entering 2022 that way as well. There really isn’t much hype around him at the moment.
There are a few reasons for that. First of all, he was a 10th-round pick in 2019. So it’s not like he was some top-round prospect that everyone knew. Then there’s the fact that he turned 24 on May 23 last season. So he’s not exactly young. Finally, Scott spent the majority of his season in Low-A before finishing out the year in High-A.
A lot of those problems still face Scott. The Vanderbilt product is going to be 25 this year. He’s probably starting the year in High-A too. So it’s not like he’s knocking on the door of the Majors to start the season.
That being said, 2021 was proof that he can dominate. And there are a few things in his game that makes Scott a pretty interesting prospect for the Red Sox. 2022 could be the year that he puts himself on the map for a lot more casual fans. Here’s why.
Scott had an “eh” showing after being drafted in 2019. In 39 games in Short-A, the left-handed hitter slashed .248/.364/.400 with 10 doubles and three home runs. The power was there a bit, and he was drawing walks. But overall there was nothing to get too excited about.
Then came 2020 and everyone lost a year in the minors. That sucked.
But in 2021, the MiLB came back. And Scott was suddenly in a not-so-desirable spot. An almost-24-year-old about to start a season in Low-A… which would be the highest level he played at to that point.
Facing an uphill battle, Scott would have to show out if he wanted to get on any radars. He started the year strong, slashing .259/.381/.453 with 17 doubles and eight home runs in 61 games (212 at-bats) in Low-A. Scott also drove in a strong 42 runs and scored 49 more.
The OBP and slugging percentage were both great. He also had really strong run production. To be honest though, that average probably isn’t moving the needle. Things turned around for Scott when he was promoted to High-A though.
At a new higher level, Scott slashed .338/.430/.606 in 39 games (142 at-bats) in High-A. He hit 12 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. Meanwhile, he drove in 29 runs and scored 24 more. This boosted his season numbers tremendously and also gave us a great preview of just how good his bat can be.
One of the most impressive stats that Scott had on the season wasn’t his combined .291 average, or 29 doubles, or 16 home runs, or 71 RBI, or even his .400 OBP. To me, it was the fact that in 100 games he struck out 78 times while drawing 62 walks. A “power” type hitter walking nearly as many times as he strikes out is always impressive – even more so when it’s a prospect still working on his game.
A good average, a great on-base percentage, and a phenomenal slugging percentage. This all leads to major run production as well.
So Scott really does have a lot of potential with the bat. There’s potential for 25-plus homers to go along with a solid average and a phenomenal on-base percentage. He’s not a speed threat and he’s not known for his defense though. So some might see him as having a clear ceiling. The defense is where he gets interesting though.
Scott isn’t some elite defensive outfielder or anything. But he did appear in left and right field last season, as well as first base. What gives him that extra spice though? Scott appeared in 19 games as a catcher. Adding the rare utility ability to play catcher as well as multiple other positions adds a lot to his value.
Scott is going to be 25 and starting the year likely in High-A. So he’s not going to be on all that many people’s radar to start the year.
He proved how dominant he can be in 2021 though. So in 2022 there’s no reason to expect him not to make waves. And when he does that, it will be on a higher stage. Not only that, but it will propel him to even higher levels. We could see Scott not only get to Double-A, but possibly even Triple-A in 2022.
Now, I don’t think he’ll become seen as one of the Red Sox top prospects. Boston is absolutely stacked when it comes to their minor leagues. A 25-year-old starting the year in High-A, that was drafted in the 10th round, probably won’t get much attention from the media.
What he does should start to get him more love though, not just from the media but from the fans.
In 2022, we could see Scott continue to get on-base at an insane clip. Could 30 doubles and 20 home runs be in the realm of possibility? What about 80 RBI? He almost hit all those numbers last year in just 100 games, so why not?
If we see that with Stephen Scott getting at least to Double-A, the talk will have to start up right? I’m not saying this will make him the most coveted prospect or anything. But he’s got the potential to be an extremely valuable player for the Boston Red Sox in the future. And 2022 could be the year he starts to get the recognition he deserves for that.