3 AL East rookies who Red Sox must prepare to face in 2022
The Red Sox have an elite rookie class to deal with in their division
Most of our focus during the offseason is directed toward how teams will improve by adding players through free agency or the trade market but some upgrades will be found internally. While the Boston Red Sox will use their farm system as a resource, several division rivals are expected to call up their top prospects during the 2022 season to present new challenges from within the AL East.
Last year saw the Tampa Bay Rays promote Wander Franco, who was widely considered the top prospect in baseball at the time. His late-June call up prevented him from running away with the Rookie of the Year award but he still finished third in the race based on his strong 70-game debut. Franco was arguably the best position player on the field during the ALDS, a series where the Red Sox defeated the Rays in four games. Even as a rookie, Franco’s performance threatened to shift the balance in the American League.
Triston Casas is expected to make his major league debut for the Red Sox at some point this year. The first baseman has star potential with plus raw power in his bat, solid contact skills and an advanced recognition of the strike zone. Jarren Duran is still eligible as a rookie and the speedy outfielder should improve upon the underwhelming production from his brief major league debut. Both players can be found on many top 100 prospect lists, potentially providing the Red Sox with two valuable internal upgrades.
A few other teams in the AL East have their own highly-touted prospects who can make an impact as rookies this year so the Red Sox should expect to get plenty of exposure to these future stars.
Red Sox must prepare for Rays pitcher Shane Baz
Shane Baz made his major league debut for the Rays last season, posting a 2.03 ERA in 13 1/3 innings. While he only made three starts, that was enough to convince Tampa Bay he was ready to start in Game 2 of the ALDS.
The Red Sox knocked Baz out of his lone postseason start before he could make it out of the third inning. That brief sample that went in Boston’s favor doesn’t necessarily foreshadow future success against the right-hander though.
Baz dominated the minor leagues last year, producing a 2.06 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 12.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 17 starts split between Double-A and Triple-A.
His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s but he can dial it up to triple digits. His wipeout slider gives him another plus pitch to work with and he’s shown improvement with a curve that should become an above-average weapon.
While he had some control issues early in his professional career, Baz displayed impressive command last year while becoming an elite strikeout pitcher. He showed flashes of that potential during his brief time in the big leagues and if he can maintain anything close to those strikeout and walk rates at this level, Baz will be a future front of the rotation starter. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him emerge as the ace of the Rays staff this year.
Assuming he begins the year in Tampa Bay’s rotation, the Red Sox could see him in the opening series of the season.
Red Sox must prepare for Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpe improved his stock with a strong 2021 season, silencing critics who questioned the Yankees for selecting him in the first round of the 2019 draft. Once viewed as a high-IQ player with intangibles who lacked any plus tools, Volpe changed the narrative by making better quality contact and putting more loft in his swing to increase his power production. Now he’s suddenly viewed as a five-tool talent who has drawn comparisons to Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.
Volpe hit .294 with a 1.027 OPS, 27 home runs, 86 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 109 games split between two levels of A-ball.
He’ll almost certainly begin the 2022 season in Double-A but he could move quickly through the Yankees system if his success at the lower levels translates to facing stiffer competition. In ESPN’s bold predictions for top prospects, Buster Olney predicted that Volpe could force his way to the Bronx at some point this year.
It’s an aggressive timeline but it’s hardly unprecedented for top prospects to skip a level if they are thriving at Double-A and a major league club fighting for a playoff spot needs their best talent available. The Yankees have a need at shortstop with Gleybor Torres better suited for second base and it’s not hard to imagine them getting impatient if there’s a hole in their lineup that Volpe could fill.
New York has been linked to the top free-agent shortstops on the market but that’s only because the Yankees are expected to bid on every top free agent. If they don’t open their checkbooks to land a star in their prime, it’s because they expect Volpe to be a star at the position in the near future.
Red Sox must prepare for Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman
The worst team in the AL East has the best prospect in baseball waiting in the wings, which means the Baltimore Orioles might not stay in the basement much longer. ESPN, MLB Pipeline and The Athletic all rate Adley Rutschman as the No. 1 overall prospect.
Rutschman is a nearly flawless catching prospect with plus tools for every aspect of his game. He hit a respectable .285 across two minor league levels last year, an average that increased to .312 when he advanced to Triple-A for his final 43 games. The switch-hitter has exceptional plate discipline with a strikeout rate that put him in the top 15 percent of all Double-A and Triple-A hitters last year. There’s power in his bat with 23 home runs and 25 doubles in 123 games.
Getting this type of production from the catcher position is part of what makes Rutschman an elite prospect. As high as his ceiling is with the bat, his work behind the plate might be even more valuable. Rutschman is an outstanding receiver with a plus arm. He’s an excellent game-caller and has all the intangibles you could want from a catcher.
Rutschman has drawn comparisons to Buster Posey. While it’s premature to project a similar career to that of the future Hall of Famer, Rutschman is probably the best catching prospect to enter the big leagues since Posey.
Long-term, the only thing holding Rutschman back is the wear and tear that comes with the catcher position. It’s difficult to project catchers because the beating they take behind the plate can take a toll.
Short-term, the only factor that could keep him out of the Rookie of the Year race is service-time manipulation. Baltimore might not be in a hurry to call up their top prospect in a year they aren’t going to be a contender. If the rules in the new collective bargaining agreement decrease their incentive to keep him buried in the minors, Rutschman could very well be the Opening Day catcher for the O’s.
The Red Sox host Baltimore in their second series of the season so it shouldn’t be long before we get our first look at baseball’s best prospect.
"Sleeper" prospect in the Red Sox farm system. dark. Next