Boston Red Sox top 30 prospect rankings after 2023 season
By Hunter Noll
No. 26: Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey
Cutter Coffey had a confusing 2023. The infielder spent most of his season in Single-A but did get a taste of High-A to end the year.
The right-handed hitter slashed .210/.325/.315 with 16 doubles, two triples, and six home runs between the two levels. He drove in 35 runs, scored 59 more, and stole 19 bases in 99 games (362 at-bats).
Coffey drew walks (56) but struck out 100 times and struggled to get into an extended groove.
The now-19-year-old hit exactly .200 in both April and May. He had much better months in June (.247) and July (.264) before slumping to end the year.
Coffey has much more impressive at-bats than the numbers let on. He works a lot of counts and fights off tough pitches. With that in mind, he should be a solid OBP guy. There's raw power in his bat that shines through on occasion. He hit a few baseballs extremely far in 2023. Getting away from Salem for all of next year should help (as will his body maturing more).
Coffey's not a burner, but he's got decent speed that should translate to some solid steal numbers.
Defensively, I was impressed with Coffey this season. He played shortstop, as well as second and third base. Coffey showed off solid range and was constantly making impressive plays in the field. It looks like he'll be fine in any of the three positions.
That being said, his strong arm lends itself best to a spot on the left side of the diamond. I wouldn't be surprised to see Coffey get a lot of playing time at third base next season.
Cutter Coffey is still a raw prospect who spent the entire 2023 season as an 18/19-year-old playing most of his games in Salem's hitter-unfriendly park.
It's tough to grade players based on production with that in mind. But his solid defense, good arm, and ability to draw walks are extremely promising. If he can tap into the power potential, Coffey could be in store for a big 2024.
That power could be the grade that takes the biggest jump when we return here next season.
Hit: 50
Power: 45
Run: 45
Arm: 60
Field: 50
Overall: 50