Which Boston Red Sox prospects could crack the top 100 next season?
By Hunter Noll
Boston Red Sox prospects that are inevitably going to make the list
There’s one person on this slide. Sorry if that’s anti-climatic, but there are only 100 “top 100 prospects” at one single time. And with 29 other teams in the league, there is plenty of competition. So it stands to reason that no one team is going to take up too many of those spots.
With that in mind, there’s only one person not on the list at this current moment that should absolutely crack it in 2023.
If you didn’t already guess, it’s Miguel Bleis.
The outfielder has somehow captured the imagination of every Boston fan, despite no one really getting to see him play. Bleis spent 2022 in Rookie Ball, where there aren’t broadcasts of those games. The best most people have gotten are some highlights from TikTok.
The right-handed hitter slashed .301/.353/.542 with 14 doubles, four triples, and five home runs last season. He drove in 27 runs, scored 28 more, and stole 18 bases in just 21 attempts.
Bleis is the perfect combination of … everything. He grades out as a great defensive outfielder with a strong arm. Good contact skills, meaning he should hit for a high average. Meanwhile, not only is he going to clock plenty of extra-base hits, but he possesses a lot of speed. Legitimate 30-30 potential.
What’s crazy is Bleis doesn’t turn 19 until March 1. He would’ve made his Low-A debut at the end of last year, but an injury kept that from happening.
Bleis will start 2023 in Salem. And honestly, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he flew through the level and made it to High-A with plenty of time left in the season to do some damage there as well.
MLB already has him ranked as the Red Sox fifth-best prospect. They are just as enamored with him as Boston fans are. So if Bleis even shows glimpses of that insane potential, they could pull the trigger on him relatively early.
It feels like a lock for Bleis to be the next Boston Red Sox prospect in the top 100. Not only that, but would anyone blink an eye if he ended 2023 already in the top 50?
You shouldn’t strap the prospect to a rocket too soon. Hype will make fans excited, but it will also make them turn on prospects quickly if they don’t put up insane numbers (there are a lot of people who love to stat watch without actually watching the games). But Bleis feels like such a sure thing, it would be stupid not to hype him up.
