Sox Top Prospects (End of Year)

Cesar Crespo

79
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Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Curious to see where other people rank the prospects. Amazing how the team still has so many elite prospects after all the players they have graduated over recent years (X, Betts, JBJ, Swihart, EdRod etc). I'm assuming Marco Hernandez isn't a prospect, otherwise he'd slot around 13th.

1. Benintendi
Not just to be different either. I think his floor is a lot higher than Moncada's and his ceiling isn't much lower. He has great command of the strike zone and the sweetest swing you will ever see and plays good defense. He has quickly adjusted everytime he's been promoted. Andrew has the type of profile that is closer to Mookie than X or JBJ and I'm guessing he will be one of the top contenders for ROY. I could see Andrew and Betts battling it out for who the best player is on the Sox for the next 10 years.

2. Moncada
He struggled in his initial call up and while he is doing ok in the AFL (.292/.370/.458 in 27 PA, 10k/1bb), the strikeouts remain a huge issue. With that said, he destroyed Salem and Portland and BA named him the number 1 prospect in all of baseball. I expect him to get 200-300 at bats in Pawtucket before being called up and that it will take him 400-500 at bats to get adjusted to the Majors a la JBJ/X.

3. Devers
Devers started the year off awful and while people weren't writing him off, there was some minor concerns. With a monster 2nd half, he managed to finish the year with a similar stat line he had in 2015, although his walk rate improved significantly, from 4.7% to 7.3%, while his K rate stayed relatively the same (16.5%, 17.1%) First Half: .233/.300/.335 Second Half: .326/.367/539. Interestingly enough, he stole 18/24 bases, including 11/13 in the 2nd half and while he isn't a great athlete... his athleticism is much better than advertised. 2017 could be the year Devers really breaks out. It's not outside the realm of possibility he gets some September at bats in the MLB next year.

4. Kopech
He missed some time early in the year and has had some off field issues, but when on the field he has been lights out. He regularly hits 100 and has swing and miss stuff, but struggles with control. Kopech has a way to go as he's still fairly inconsistent and there's a good chance he does end up in the bullpen but the potential is definitely there.

5. Groome
Had a fairly successful pro debut. Was considered by some a top pick in the draft but fell due to signability and character issues. Ace ceiling with 3 plus pitches and sits at 92-94. One of 5 redsox prospects to probably be in the top 50 lists of most publications.

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After the top 5, there is a significant drop off. Young players with insane potential but serious flaws, players with limited ceilings, etc. There is another drop off at 8 imo, although smaller.

6. Alex Basabe
Probably has just as much upside potential as anyone else in the farm not named Moncada or Ben10. With a power/speed combo and a good defensive profile, he is a 5 tool prospect. Basabe struggled much like Devers in the 1st half, but put it all together in the 2nd half showing why he got a $500k signing bonus. First Half: .222/.293/.397 Second Half: .292/.355/.493. He strikes out more than you would like but made better contact in the 2nd half. If all goes well, Basabe could make some top 50 lists next year. He could just as easily never make it to Portland.

7. Dubon
A solid defensive player who has been playing CF in the AFL, Dubon showed before unseen power in Portland. With a quick bat and decent strike zone judgement, Dubon profiles as a fringe starter on a bad team or a decent UI. However he is only 22 years old and if he builds off his 2016 and proves the power he showed in Portland wasn't a total mirage, given all his other traits, he could seriously shoot up some prospect lists next year and could be an above average regular. Could see time in Boston next year.

8. Sam Travis
Missed more than half the year due to an injury but was playing to expectations with maybe a little more power than expected. Travis has a gap power, decent plate discipline and profiles as average defensively. He could also see some time in Boston next year. He reminds me of Mark Grace lite or Travis Lee type.

9. Bobby Dalbec
Monster power potential with huge strike out concerns. Early signs are extremely positive though, as he slashed .386/.430/.674 (143 PA, 9bb/33k) in his pro debut. He has a very strong arm for 3b and used to be a pitcher. His glove is ok.

10. Chavis
Still strikes out way too much and after a promising start, he reverted to old form after coming back from an injury. He struck out in over 30% of his at bats since his return from the DL. Chavis got promoted to Salem anyway, and struggled initially. Next year is a huge year for Chavis and will probably make or break him as a prospect.

11. Roniel Raudes
12. Brian Johnson
13. Josh Ockimey
14. CJ Chattham
15. Nick Longhi
16. Jake Cosart
17. Trey Ball
18. Travis Lakins
19. Victor Diaz
20. Luis Ysla
 

grimshaw

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May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
Between 11 and 20, Raudes, Lakins and maybe Chattham are the only guys I'm thinking have a shot at being more than complementary MLB contributors. I guess Cosart could be a late inning power arm as well, but it's disappointing he's already in the bullpen in A ball.

You really have to mash and have great plate discipline to make it as a 1b and Ockimey really didn't make much in the way of adjustments, and Longhi is a major long shot without power unless he can add 3B or something. Granted Ockimey is really young.

Ball is dead to me. Chavis was a huge disappointment after May.

Dalbec is the guy I'm most interested in following next year. If he can keep his k% around 25% without sacrificing much power that's an exciting prospect.
 
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Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Between 11 and 20, Raudes, Lakins and maybe Chattham are the only guys I'm thinking have a shot at being more than complementary MLB contributors. I guess Cosart could be a late inning power arm as well, but it's disappointing he's already in the bullpen in A ball.

You really have to mash and have great plate discipline to make it as a 1b and Ockimey really didn't make much in the way of adjustments, and Longhi is a major long shot without power unless he can add 3B or something. Granted Ockimey is really young.

Ball is dead to me. Chavis was a huge disappointment after May.

Dalbec is the guy I'm most interested in following next year. If he can keep his k% around 25% without sacrificing much power that's an exciting prospect.

Brian Johnson strikes me as a guy who would do well in Oakland for a few years. Victor Diaz also sits at 96-98 and regularly hits 100. Total lottery ticket but he has closer potential, much like Cosart. I don't think Lakins is really anymore likely to succeed than Trey Ball. Pretty much agree with everything else though. If only we could combine Ockimey with Longhi. Longhi is really young too.

My binky for next year is Alex Basabe tho.
 

grimshaw

Member
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May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
I don't think Lakins is really anymore likely to succeed than Trey Ball.
Probably. But he had one appearance in the GCL playoffs, one inning in Lowell, and then skipped low A. He started as a 21 year old in Salem. They really challenged him.
 

nvalvo

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Jul 16, 2005
21,478
Rogers Park
I'll play:

Moncada (I think Moncada has a reasonable chance to be a switch-hitting Adrian Beltre.)
Benintendi (1a, basically. The fact that he jumped from Portland and only lost .040 points of SLG while maintaining his BA/OBP numbers is amazing.)
Kopech
Devers (It's been a long time since we've had so many power prospects.)
Groome
Travis (I think I'm higher on Travis than some; I think the hit tool carries him through.)
Marco! (Offense has been impressive since he stopped switch hitting)
Dalbec (.674 SLG in his pro debut! The 23 K% doesn't seem all that daunting when paired with .288 ISO.)
Basabe (Total lottery ticket.)
Dubon
Johnson (I still believe)
Raudes (Really interested to see if he can maintain his rate stats in Salem.)
Shawaryn
Ockimey
Chatham

Past that, there are a bunch of guys like Ball, Longhi, or Chavis, who don't have much value as things stand, but could in a hurry if they could make progress with command, power, or contact, respectively.