It's the end of another season for the Boston Red Sox, which means it's time to evaluate the farm system and name the top 30 prospects in the organization.
Any player that has appeared in the Major Leagues is disqualified from this list. That means players like Luis Guerrero and Richard Fitts aren't featured.
Also disqualified from the list are players that haven't appeared in at least Single-A (Salem). Players from the draft who haven't appeared yet and players from the FCL/DSL are excluded because they've never played a professional game.
Outside of that, everything is fair game. The grading system is the same one that the MLB uses. Each tool gets a grade between 20-80 (in intervals of five). Their overall grade might not be a perfect average of all their tool grades. That's because factors like age and potential are involved.
At the same time, some tools weigh more heavily for specific players and different positions. A catcher having a 35-grade speed tool won't hurt his overall as much as having a 65-grade hit tool will help it. Meanwhile, a pitcher's fifth pitch won't mean as much as his first pitch.
Boston Red Sox top 30 prospect rankings after the 2024 season
No. 30: Catching prospect Brooks Brannon
Injuries have altered the beginning of Brooks Brannon's professional career. That has made it hard to figure out where to place him.
Brannon is a catcher who was already considered heavily offense-first. His injury history could have him moved to first base faster than expected. Brannon still has value due to his great bat, but it drops some if he's not behind the plate.
The right-handed hitter has plus-plus power potential. He slashed .251/.326/.396 with eight doubles, two triples, and six home runs in 54 games in Single-A this season. Thor posted 24 RBI, 22 runs, and five steals for Salem. Brannon has swing-and-miss potential (67 strikeouts in 230 plate appearances), but he makes hard contact often. It also needs to be stressed that Salem's ballpark is notoriously tough on hitters. That makes the power numbers even more impressive for Brannon.
The 20-year-old struggled with runners in scoring position (13-for-66, .176). However, he should get plenty of opportunities to improve on that number, as he was a middle-of-the-order bat the entire season.
The bat is legitimate. His power will play at every level. However, speed is not a part of his game. The defense needs work, but it's not impossible to imagine he can become a good defensive catcher if he gets enough time there. It helps that Brannon has a great arm.
Brannon looked fine at first base, but it's nothing spectacular. He's not terrible behind the plate, but again, it's not anything you'd get too excited about. There have been flashes of greatness thanks to his athleticism.
The power is the selling point here. As Brannon matures and moves away from Salem, expect to see him post some gaudy extra-base hit numbers. The question will be, what other tools come with it?
Brannon could climb the ranks if he improves on his hit or defense tools. Then, the only thing standing in his way will be a few catchers who will be named later.
Hit: 40
Power: 60
Run: 35
Arm: 60
Field: 40
Overall: 40
No. 29: Third base prospect Antonio Anderson
Antonio Anderson had a deceptively positive season. A look at his numbers would have fans thinking otherwise, but there are a few factors that we'll get into.
Anderson turned 19 on June 28, in the middle of the season. Even in Single-A, he was young for the level. If Short-A was still alive, that's where Anderson would've started the year.
The switch-hitting third baseman slashed .186/.311/.270 with 17 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. He recorded 34 RBI, 53 runs, and three steals.
Next is his plate discipline. "Double-A" drew 69 walks in 482 plate appearances (14.3% walk rate). Sometimes, it felt like he was digging himself into holes by being too patient, which is better than being a free-swinger.
Then, there was the miserable start to the season. Anderson was hitting .120 entering play on June 4. He hit a much more respectable .232 for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, 17 of his 23 extra-base hits came after that mark.
It also needs to be mentioned again that Salem is not a hitter's park. Anderson missed out on a few home runs due to the stadium's dimensions. Anderson's hit tool is better than the average indicates. He's young, and it's raw. But he still showed positives with the walks.
Meanwhile, his power flashed potential in 2024. That's one thing we should expect to see spike up in the future. He can hit hard from both sides of the plate.
Anderson also looked solid at third base. He has a great arm, and good footwork for the position (was drafted as a shortstop). Anderson should be an average-at-worst defender at third base.
He has solid speed, but nothing spectacular. It's good for the position and he possesses above-average athleticism. He could lose some of that if he fills out more as he matures (currently listed at 6'2" 205 lbs). Anderson made some base running mistakes in 2024, but that could be marked down to his age/experience.
Anderson didn't have the numbers anyone was hoping for in his first professional season. Looking beyond the stats, he has a bright future and is someone Red Sox fans should pay attention to as a potential breakout in 2025.
Hit: 40
Power: 50
Run: 40
Arm: 50
Field: 45
Overall: 40
No. 28: Pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia
On May 15, Jojo Ingrassia made his first start of the season. It was his first professional start, and also his first since high school.
If you watched him pitch, you never would've known he was in uncharted territory. It didn't matter if it was the nine relief appearances or the 12 starts. Ingrassia was disgusting. The left-handed pitcher posted a 1.85 ERA, .179 BAA, and 0.99 WHIP in 21 appearances (12 starts). He struck out 93 batters compared to 20 walks in 58 1/3 innings.
Ingrassia only pitched five innings twice in 2024. However, the team likely didn't want to press him too much, considering he had been a reliever for the last few seasons.
Salem's pitching staff saw plenty of big pitching performances this year, but Ingrassia was consistently their most filthy. He has a three-pitch mix. His fastball sits in the low 90s. Despite not having fantastic velocity, it will miss bats. He uses good movement and fantastic control of the pitch to do so.
The lefty's slider works around 80 MPH. It has a strong break and can escape on lefties. Ingrassia feels he can use the pitch in any count. The splitter is Ingrassia's (and my) favorite pitch of his. It sits in the low-to-mid 80s and has a heavy late drop. The splitter is Ingrassia's (and my) favorite pitch of his. It sits in the low-to-mid 80s and has a heavy late drop.
It will also be interesting to see if Ingrassia adds some pitches now that he's working as a starter. However, it's not a must. He has three pitches that could be above average. There are plenty of starters that would commit crimes for three good pitches.
Jojo Ingrassia's first full season in the Boston system was a major success. Fans of the Red Sox will be seeing his name a lot in 2025.
Fastball: 40
Slider: 40
Splitter: 45
Control: 40
Overall: 40
No. 27: Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean
Noah Dean's 2023 season was impossible to figure out. There were flashes of brilliance, and it was clear he had great stuff. However, the command was an infuriatingly serious issue. He averaged 10.29 walks per nine innings. It's important to remember that Dean was converting to a starter after being a reliever in College.
Those issues cropped up at times in 2024 (especially at the end of the year when Dean was gassed). The left-handed pitcher significantly cut down on the walks, though. He dropped it down to 6.10 BB/9 this season.
Dean posted a 4.52 ERA, .152 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP in 22 appearances (15 starts) between Single-A and High-A. He struck out 116 batters compared to 54 walks in 79 2/3 innings pitched. The control is still a concern, but you can see how untouchable Dean is. His .152 opponent's batting average was only outshone by a ridiculous 13.10 K/9 rate.
The most ridiculous stat, though? Dean had three separate games where he tossed five no-hit innings. There was another game where he didn't allow a hit over 3 1/3 innings, one where he tossed 3 2/3 hitless innings, and one where he didn't allow a hit in four frames.
The lefty has a five-pitch mix. Dean's fastball works in the low-to-mid 90s and can get over 95 MPH. He said he feels comfortable in the zone and believes it works well up high. The pitch misses bats well.
Dean has a changeup in the low-to-mid 80s. He throws it against both righties and lefties. The pitch runs against lefties and forces righties to chase. It has shown the ability to disappear on hitters.
His slider works around the mid-80s. Dean loves to use the pitch against lefties and get them chasing as it runs away from them. It looks devastating at times.
He has a curveball in the mid-to-high-70s. It's Dean's slowest pitch and something he uses when the count is in his favor. Dean also has a slurve, which is his newest pitch. It sits in the mid-80s and has plenty of horizontal movement, which should work against lefties and righties.
Dean has the same situation with all his pitches. He can miss them every once in a while, but all can be devastating when he's found his grip.
Dean is among the more intriguing pitchers in the Boston system entering 2025. He has excellent stuff that helps him rack up strikeouts and severely limit hits. If he can take another step forward with his command, big things are on the horizon.
Fastball: 50
Changeup: 40
Slider: 45
Curveball: 40
Slurve: 45
Control: 35
Overall: 40