The Boston Red Sox spent a second-round pick on Nazzan Zanetello in 2023. He was a right-handed hitting shortstop with an exciting mix of raw tools.
However, Zanetello only got two at-bats in Single-A in 2023 before an injury ended his season and kept him out of the beginning of the 2024 season. He'd also miss spurts throughout the year.
The overall numbers weren't pretty. Zanetello slashed .156/.279/.279 with 11 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs in 78 games. He drove in 21 runs, scored 38 more, and stole four bases. The biggest issue was the strikeout numbers. Zanetello fanned 151 times in 345 plate appearances for a staggering 43.8% strikeout rate.
The poor 2024 led to many writing Zanetello off, but there are multiple things to remember when considering the prospect. First, he just turned 19 during the 2024 campaign. Zanetello is still incredibly young, and those tools are still raw.
Nazzan Zanetello is a top bounce-back candidate for the Red Sox organization
Coming out of high school with his skill set, Zanetello was a perfect candidate to play last season in Low-A Lowell if it was still around. However, without Lowell, he started the year in Single-A Salem.
Most important, though, was his health. Zanetello was very clearly dealing with multiple issues last year. We saw it hurt his swing, which led to more strikeouts, but he's still a phenomenal athlete with intriguing tools (don't forget that his first Single-A home run was an inside-the-park job). One bad first season in the minor leagues while dealing with injuries doesn't change that.
In 2025, we'll get to see a hopefully healthy Zanetello who now has a little more professional experience.
— The Salem Red Sox (@salemredsox) April 27, 2024
There's an electricity to his game that makes Zanetello such a fun prospect to follow. Given the chance to prove himself, he could turn a lot of fans back into believers quickly.
The Red Sox's farm system is highly touted for its Big Three, but there's also a lot of depth to help boost the rankings. Zanetello was considered one of the prospects who could step up following the graduation of top names before last year.
His stock has taken a dip, but he has the raw talent to bounce back in 2025 and become one of those names again.