Looking back at the most hyped prospects in recent Red Sox memory

Red Sox LF Andrew Benintendi

After a last-place finish in 2014, the Red Sox had a top 7 pick in the MLB draft for only the third time since 1965. The previous two picks were about as different as you can get. In 1993, the Red Sox selected Trot Nixon, a high school outfielder out of New Hanover who would become a fan favorite and World Series Champion during his decade in Boston. The Sox again had the seventh pick in 2012 and they selected Trey Ball, a high school lefty who never made it to the show.

In 2015, the Red Sox would again go the outfielder route, taking Arkansas’ Andrew Benintendi. Despite standing at just 5’9 and 180 pounds, Benintendi had emerged as the best hitter in college baseball, batting .380 with 19 home runs in the stacked SEC and taking home the Golden Spikes Award.

Benny kept right on hitting upon his arrival to the Red Sox system, showing such an advanced approach that they had him bypass Triple-A and arrive in Boston just over a year after getting drafted.

It’s not that Benintendi has been bad at the major league level. It’s just that he hasn’t been as the once-in-a-generation hitter he appeared to be in the minor leagues. If I told you back then Benintendi would have a .758 OPS from his age 24-27 seasons, you would not have believed me.

So what went wrong with a guy who scouts raved about having a perfect swing? For one, I believe Benintendi sold out too much for power. He put on weight and tried to add more loft to his swing in 2019, and he lost the all-field approach that made him so special.

He’s begun to recapture that a bit in Kansas City, but playing in such a cavernous park prevents him from ever hitting for average power. Benintendi has made himself into a fine player, a decent hitter, and a Gold-Glove level defender. But a perennial .300 hitter with 20 home run power? Probably not.