The Boston Red Sox's farm system has received a lot of well-earned praise over the last two seasons, but a new, young face has captured headlines in the American League East.
The Tampa Bay Rays on April 18 called up their No. 7 prospect Chandler Simpson. The 24-year-old has stunned fans with his speed and sparked the Rays' offense in the process.
Simpson is slashing .281/.311/.298 over 15 games in the big leagues. Fifteen of his 16 hits have been singles, but his blazing speed makes him a threat all over the base paths. He's stolen six bags, scored nine runs and run out infield grounders that have no business being hits.
Chandler Simpson can absolutely FLY! 🏃 pic.twitter.com/erG91RcWxA
— MLB (@MLB) May 4, 2025
Simpson recently scored on an infield hit to second base against the Yankees, and Aaron Judge called him "a game-changer." The Red Sox have a few game-changers of their own in the minor leagues, and they could use their help, especially as Simpson and the Rays encroach on their slim hold of second place in the AL East.
The Red Sox should follow the Rays' lead and call up their top prospects to spark their offense
The Red Sox hold the AL lead in strikeouts and have mustered no more than four runs in four of their last five games. Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, or both would give Boston a nice offensive lift after a disappointing stretch in the easy part of its schedule.
☝️☝️☝️ pic.twitter.com/lVaWMDafIe
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) April 24, 2025
Anthony and Mayer have been lighting up Triple-A pitching, and the Sox have an open roster spot after Triston Casas' devastating season-ending injury. Anthony has a more realistic path to the roster since Boston's middle infield is packed, but it would still have to do some shuffling to fit him in.
Anthony is slashing .294/.410/.495 with five doubles, a triple and five homers in 30 games. Mayer is batting .267/.326/.483 with a staggering 34 RBI, which ties the major league lead between Pete Alonso, Aaron Judge and Teoscar Hernández. Mayer is also a top-tier defender and adding him to the middle infield wouldn't be a step back from Trevor Story's athleticism and skill.
Simpson has been a spark plug for the Rays and the Red Sox could stand to take a page out of their book. They won't be able to justify keeping their top prospects in Triple-A much longer, especially since the major league offense has been so inconsistent.