2024 Prospect Rankings Thread

JM3

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I agree with you here, but that's because I see more bat ceiling. He's a corner who hasn't shown great power yet, so I also understand the ranking being low.

For breakout candidates, I'm in camp Mikey. I'll throw Anderson's name out there too, just as a wishcasting exercise.
Yeah, I mean the bat ceiling is definitely the thing that gives Blaze value. Just thought it was of note that he may have raised his defensive floor/ceiling last year.

It wasn't like an amazing end to the season, but from July 13th on, AA had a 110 wRC+ in his final 154 PAs (18.8% k), up from a 70 wRC+ in his first 274 PAs (28.4% k). The 21 errors in 90 games & 3 steals in 7 attempts are still a bit concerning, but good to see him figuring some things out.

Compare, for example, to Nazzan, who is a month older, & went in the opposite direction:

Through July 12th: 165 PAs, 111 wRC+, 40% k
July 13th on: 180 PAs, 40 wRC+, 47.2% k

I mean, I guess it's impressive that Nazzan could put up a 111 wRC+ for half a season while striking out 40% of the time? Nazzan had 26 errors in 53 games in the field (24 in 48 at SS & 2 in 5 at 2B)...
 

LoLsapien

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After thinking about this I've decided it's a silly premise, even if it's a commonly repeated one. Why would it be better for development for prospects to compete in a short-season league against worse competition? Yes, it may be hard for some players, but if they have the right mentality to make it in MLB, they have the right mentality to overcome tough obstacles & learn against players who outmatch them, while being able to benefit from all the great development programs & work on things on the side to get stronger & better.

They also will know exactly what they're getting in A-Ball when they start there the next year.
I almost wonder the opposite approach. If the Sox development guys are as good as we'd like to think, you might see the team bring in more post-prospect guys from other systems who flew up the minors on the wings of hype and talent, but couldn't adjust in the high minors or majors. Like adjusting pitch mixes or tweaking swings, etc. Especially as we might have this talent gap in the middle of our system.
 

TheYellowDart5

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BP's Top 101 for 2025 is out: Anthony is the overall No. 1, Campbell is No. 3, Mayer is No. 25. (FWIW, Teel is 45th and Braden Montgomery is 99th.) The whole list is available to anyone with a BP subscription.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/95912/2025-prospects-the-top-101/

There's also a separate article on how the BP prospects team landed on Anthony as the No. 1 guy (this one is paywalled): https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/95932/romans-reign-begins-how-we-got-to-anthony-at-no-1/
Like Jenkins, Anthony looks right at the plate. He hit .291/.396/.498 split between Double-A and Triple-A in a season that straddled his 20th birthday. His swing-level data is excellent; not quite as good as Hope’s but in much larger samples at much higher levels. He’s got more impact potential than Crews with the stick and has displayed it for twice as long as Campbell.

That’s not to say Anthony is completely without faults. Soft stuff down remains an adjustment for him. While we don’t expect him to go Kelenic Mode, Cowser Mode—where his hit tool plays down a bit because of swing-and-miss when better pitchers spot better secondaries and breakers—is within the range of outcomes. Though, like with the Pence/Campbell comp, is that really so bad? Cowser almost won AL Rookie of the Year.
One interesting note: the author of this piece (Jarrett Seidler) would've picked Campbell as No. 1 and says that at the end of the day there's "almost no space" between Anthony, Campbell and Dylan Crews atop the list.
 
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bosox1534

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Dec 17, 2022
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BP's Top 101 for 2025 is out: Anthony is the overall No. 1, Campbell is No. 3, Mayer is No. 25. (FWIW, Teel is 45th and Braden Montgomery is 99th.) The whole list is paywalled for subscribers.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/95912/2025-prospects-the-top-101/

There's also a separate article on how the BP prospects team landed on Anthony as the No. 1 guy (also paywalled for subscribers): https://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/article/95932/romans-reign-begins-how-we-got-to-anthony-at-no-1/


One interesting note: the author of this piece (Jarrett Seidler) would've picked Campbell as No. 1 and says that at the end of the day there's "almost no space" between Anthony, Campbell and Dylan Crews atop the list.
I wish Chaim wouldn’t have gotten so attached to his prospects that it prevented the major league roster from making any serious moves, because my god can that guy spot talent.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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I wish Chaim wouldn’t have gotten so attached to his prospects that it prevented the major league roster from making any serious moves, because my god can that guy spot talent.
Just curious.... not challenging at all, since I don't really know. But Bobby Dalbec is the only guy that I really saw a TRADE THE GUY NOW!!!! flag after his '21. But it also made sense to hold him, as he could have been exactly what the Sox are lacking right now- power hitting RHH that destroys lefties and can play good corner IF defense at either spot/DH rotation guy. That he flopped wasn't easily predictable... some reasonable projections had him as an Adam Dunn type (but with decent defense). I can understand why he held onto him.
Who were other prospects or young-ish MLB player on the Sox that really could have been dealt for anything significant?
 

Cassvt2023

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I wish Chaim wouldn’t have gotten so attached to his prospects that it prevented the major league roster from making any serious moves, because my god can that guy spot talent.
Mayer, Teel, and Montgomery were kind of no brainers, as all were 1st rounders who sort of fell into the Sox' laps. Anthony and Campbell however, those two were absolutely nailed as great picks by all accounts. #1 and #3 in all of baseball out of compensatory picks is nothing short of remarkable.
 
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JM3

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SP says they're going to put out their next rankings approximately Monday with the new IFA guys. I will put mine out...some day.
 

mwonow

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Ehh, yours is worth waiting for.

Shine is definitely coming of Mayer, eh?
 

JM3

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Ehh, yours is worth waiting for.

Shine is definitely coming of Mayer, eh?
I think it's kind of silly...142 wRC+ in AA as a 21 y/o SS is pretty pretty solid. Is it problematic that he only played half the games? Sure. But I don't really believe in the injury-prone labels unless whatever happened at the end of this year is something chronic. I definitely don't lump it in with the thing where he flukily fell on his shoulder in '23.

He had a very similar AA season to Roman, who put up a 143 wRC+ in Portland. Mayer is 18 months older but plays more of a premium position as Roman is likely to end up playing mostly corner outfield positions.
 

LogansDad

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Just curious.... not challenging at all, since I don't really know. But Bobby Dalbec is the only guy that I really saw a TRADE THE GUY NOW!!!! flag after his '21. But it also made sense to hold him, as he could have been exactly what the Sox are lacking right now- power hitting RHH that destroys lefties and can play good corner IF defense at either spot/DH rotation guy. That he flopped wasn't easily predictable... some reasonable projections had him as an Adam Dunn type (but with decent defense). I can understand why he held onto him.
Who were other prospects or young-ish MLB player on the Sox that really could have been dealt for anything significant?
I think there were clearly some guys in 2023 who were already going to be surpassed by Anthony and Mayer that he could have moved at the deadline to shore up the bullpen in a season where they were The team was only 1.5 out of the final wild card spot on August 1st that season, and had Sale, Story, Whitlock and Houck presumed to be returning from the IL in short order. That team was playing poorly that week but was clearly in contention on deadline day.

I think he could have done better than the pupu platter of Robinson, Llovera and Hagenman just be being willing to move a guy like Yorke (who Breslow got a pretty interesting pitching prospect for this year) or someone of that caliber.

I think Bloom did good things for this organization overall, but his inability to be willing+ to move even mid-level prospects, combined with his unwillingness to risk "losing" a trade (non Mookie mandate edition, or perhaps that's the big reason why), is largely why the perceived rebuild is taking so long.

FTR, I also thought Breslow should have done more, sooner at the 2024 trade deadline to shore up a team that was already showing signs of falling out of contention in early July.
 

bosox1534

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Mayer, Teel, and Montgomery were kind of no brainers, as all were 1st rounders who sort of fell into the Sox' laps. Anthony and Campbell however, those two were absolutely nailed as great picks by all accounts. #1 and #3 in all of baseball out of compensatory picks is nothing short of remarkable.
Montgomery was actually a Breslow pick to be fair, which brings up another point in which Breslow was more willing deal his own picks rather than guys from the past regime. I get that the value probably lined up better, but it was interesting, considering that was his first pick as GM and he hadn’t even played a game yet.
 
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bosox1534

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Just curious.... not challenging at all, since I don't really know. But Bobby Dalbec is the only guy that I really saw a TRADE THE GUY NOW!!!! flag after his '21. But it also made sense to hold him, as he could have been exactly what the Sox are lacking right now- power hitting RHH that destroys lefties and can play good corner IF defense at either spot/DH rotation guy. That he flopped wasn't easily predictable... some reasonable projections had him as an Adam Dunn type (but with decent defense). I can understand why he held onto him.
Who were other prospects or young-ish MLB player on the Sox that really could have been dealt for anything significant?
It wasn’t so much that there were prospects that needed to be traded, but Bloom seemed unwilling to really make any trades to seriously improve the major league roster. Maybe moving guys like Bleis, Yorke or Mata when there value was high could’ve resulted in getting a really good player back. Especially with a guy like Yorke because there was never really a path for him to make it to the majors based on his position. Now those guys have either been traded for lesser value than they were at their peak or they are still in the organization but with greatly diminished value. I get holding onto guys like Mayer, Campbell, Anthony, etc., but not every guy was going to be a quality major league piece. Breslow has done a better job at realizing that and moved some quality pieces for a top notch starting pitcher who has already had success, albeit one season. I don’t think Bloom would’ve ever moved two top 100 prospects in a deal, which for the long term might be good, but also backfires.
 

JM3

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Bloom traded exactly 1 of his draft picks - Marques Johnson ('22 11th round pick) for Mauricio Llovera in July '23.

Breslow has traded 1 of his draft picks, & 8 of Bloom's.

Of Dombrowski's draft picks, Bloom traded 5, Dombro traded 2 & Breslow traded 1 (Matthew Lugo, who sadly is probably the best of a pretty moribund bunch).
 

JM3

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Out of idle curiosity, of Ben Cherington's picks, Dombro traded 9, Cherington traded 6 & Bloom traded 4.
 

Cassvt2023

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Montgomery was actually a Breslow pick to be fair, which brings up another point in which Breslow was more willing deal his own picks rather than guys from the past regime. I get that the value probably lined up better, but it was interesting, considering that was his first pick as GM and he hadn’t even played a game yet.
Good catch and great point. Montgomery probably ends up having a better ML career than Teel, but it got us a TOTR SP so no complaints.
 

JM3

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View: https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1877371989058306157

Full disclosure: Some of the responses came before the Red Sox traded two Top 100 prospects (Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery) to the White Sox, but when those who picked Boston were asked if they would change picks as a result of that deal, only one did so, with some believing even with the trade the Red Sox had the best system in the game. Either way, this ends a run of the Orioles leading the survey.
https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/front-office-executives-poll-for-farm-systems-2025?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
 

The Gray Eagle

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Mayer, Teel, and Montgomery were kind of no brainers, as all were 1st rounders who sort of fell into the Sox' laps. Anthony and Campbell however, those two were absolutely nailed as great picks by all accounts. #1 and #3 in all of baseball out of compensatory picks is nothing short of remarkable.
There's a lot more to it than just choosing players, you also have to develop them well.
The Red Sox seem way better at that now than they have been in a long time.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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It wasn’t so much that there were prospects that needed to be traded, but Bloom seemed unwilling to really make any trades to seriously improve the major league roster. Maybe moving guys like Bleis, Yorke or Mata when there value was high could’ve resulted in getting a really good player back. Especially with a guy like Yorke because there was never really a path for him to make it to the majors based on his position. Now those guys have either been traded for lesser value than they were at their peak or they are still in the organization but with greatly diminished value. I get holding onto guys like Mayer, Campbell, Anthony, etc., but not every guy was going to be a quality major league piece. Breslow has done a better job at realizing that and moved some quality pieces for a top notch starting pitcher who has already had success, albeit one season. I don’t think Bloom would’ve ever moved two top 100 prospects in a deal, which for the long term might be good, but also backfires.
Yorke was a tough call though prior to last year. The system was still very young and he himself had some serious issues with one good season and then an injury plagued season and a not-very-impressive rebound season. Beyond him at the time there really wasn't Campbell, Grissom or even Meidroth, etc.... that you'd feel comfortable in going forward with moving a top positional prospect with no depth behind him.
I don't disagree that I wish Bloom had done more- mostly in '22 when they looked bad to deal from the ML roster to get more prospects but all their assets were injured or underperforming.
In '23 I agree, I thought with the ML reinforcements returning, Bloom should have traded to address need but again, I just never saw at the time a realistic scenario where he could have gotten a return. Bleis and Yorke were the only "expendable" guys that had some heft but they both either didn't have the depth behind them or their lustre had lost it's shine.
It really obviously doesn't matter now..... I just felt and still feel he was a little heavily blamed for the past 5 years failures. Not saying AT ALL that he was blameless (JBJ???) but it's just hard to say he should've could've done X,Y,Z because it's impossible to know what other teams really felt about our depth at the time.
Long term time will tell.
 

simplicio

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Yorke was a tough call though prior to last year. The system was still very young and he himself had some serious issues with one good season and then an injury plagued season and a not-very-impressive rebound season. Beyond him at the time there really wasn't Campbell, Grissom or even Meidroth, etc.... that you'd feel comfortable in going forward with moving a top positional prospect with no depth behind him.
I don't disagree that I wish Bloom had done more- mostly in '22 when they looked bad to deal from the ML roster to get more prospects but all their assets were injured or underperforming.
In '23 I agree, I thought with the ML reinforcements returning, Bloom should have traded to address need but again, I just never saw at the time a realistic scenario where he could have gotten a return. Bleis and Yorke were the only "expendable" guys that had some heft but they both either didn't have the depth behind them or their lustre had lost it's shine.
It really obviously doesn't matter now..... I just felt and still feel he was a little heavily blamed for the past 5 years failures. Not saying AT ALL that he was blameless (JBJ???) but it's just hard to say he should've could've done X,Y,Z because it's impossible to know what other teams really felt about our depth at the time.
Long term time will tell.
I'm pretty happy with the JBJ trade? Hamilton looks like an actual 2B and a terror on the bases, and as a bonus I got to watch a little more glorious outfielding from Jackie.

I think Bloom's overhaul of the offensive development program is pretty wildly underrated. But his conscious decision to ignore pitching entirely does seem like a pretty major flaw.
 

LoLsapien

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I'm pretty happy with the JBJ trade? Hamilton looks like an actual 2B and a terror on the bases, and as a bonus I got to watch a little more glorious outfielding from Jackie.

I think Bloom's overhaul of the offensive development program is pretty wildly underrated. But his conscious decision to ignore pitching entirely does seem like a pretty major flaw.
Bloom was just taking a page from Theo's playbook with the Cubs! Remember this article? Hitting Wins Championships

It will be interesting to see if Breslow has more balanced drafts moving forward, after filling the system with tall pitchers last year.
 

chrisfont9

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I wish Chaim wouldn’t have gotten so attached to his prospects that it prevented the major league roster from making any serious moves, because my god can that guy spot talent.
Well, someone deserves a ton of credit, possibly several people (apparently they have 300 staffers now?). I'm not sure we know it was Bloom himself. I guess if the Cardinals have the #1 ranked system in three years, I will stand corrected.
 

simplicio

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Not his first time, he started getting on lists in the fall. Strong underlying data and scouts love him.
 

Fishy1

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Franklin Arias is a top 100 prospect? Since when and why?
Just backing up simplicio a little, but he destroyed CPX and was above average at the tender age of 18 in a limited showing A ball. (I know, 111 wrc+ for a .710 OPS seems strange, but there's a lot of bad hitters at that level). And I'm old enough to remember when Roman Anthony put up a wrc+ of 109 in 200 A ball at-bats.

95189
 

JM3

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Yeah, as an 18 y/o his 181 wRC+ in 206 PAs in the FCL was the highest of anyone in either Complex League with at least 50 PAs besides a 25 y/o.

Plus he's (probably) a good defensive SS with a chance to stick there.
 
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JM3

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View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151890387185747

1. Jordan Lawlar, 22, ARI-MLB
2. Colt Emerson, 19, SEA-A+
3. Leodalis De Vries, 18, SDP-A
4. Marcelo Mayer, 22, BOS-AA
5. Franklin Arias, 19, BOS-A

6. Kevin McGonigle, 20, DET-A+
7. Jacob Wilson, 22, LVA-MLB
8. Carson Williams, 21, TBR-AA
9. Welbyn Francisca, 18, CLE-A
10. Sebastian Walcott, 18, TEX-AA
11. JJ Wetherholt, 22, STL-A
12. Jett Williams, 21, NYM-AAA
13. Konnor Griffin, 18, PIT-N/A
14. Cole Young, 21, SEA-AA
15. Aidan Miller, 20, PHI-AA
16. Felnin Celesten, 19, SEA-Rk
17. Yoeilin Cespedes, 19, BOS-Rk
18. Echedry Vargas, 19, MIA-A
19. Edwin Arroyo, 21, CIN-AA
20. Jesus Made, 17, MIL-DSL
 

JM3

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Some other Red Sox/former Red Sox on his lists (which to be clear are for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball):

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151892287115270


1. Coby Mayo, 23, BAL-MLB
2. Matt Shaw, 23, CHC-AAA
3. Jace Jung, 24, DET-MLB
4. Chase Meidroth, 23, CHW-AAA
5. Mike Boeve, 22, MIL-AA
6. Brady House, 21, WSN-AAA
7. Luke Adams, 20, MIL-A+
8. Cam Smith, 21, CHC-AA
9. Blaze Jordan, 22, BOS-AA
10. Cam Collier, 20, CIN-A+

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151895076409460


1. Roman Anthony, 20, BOS-AAA
2. Walker Jenkins, 19, MIN-AA
3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, 21, MIN-AAA
4. Jasson Dominguez, 21, NYY-MLB
5. Lazaro Montes, 20, SEA-A+
6. Robert Calaz, 19, COL-A
7. Max Clark, 20, DET-A+
8. Dylan Crews, 22, WSN-MLB
9. Charlie Condon, 21, COL-A+
10. Justin Crawford, 20, PHI-AA
11. Chase Delauter, 23, CLE-AAA
12. Owen Caissie, 22, CHC-AAA
13. Chandler Simpson, 24, TBR-AA
14. Braden Montgomery, 21, CHW-NCAA
15. Aidan Smith, 20, TBR-A
16. Josue De Paula, 19, LAD-A+
17. Nelson Rada, 19, LAA-AA
18. Heston Kjerstad, 25, BAL-MLB
19. Jaison Chourio, 19, CLE-A
20. Jonny Farmelo, 20, SEA-A

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151883567239447


1. Samuel Basallo, 20, BAL-AAA
2. Moises Ballesteros, 21, CHC-AAA
3. Ethan Salas, 18, SDP-A+
4. Harry Ford, 21, SEA-AA
5. Edgar Quero, 21, CHW-AAA
6. Kyle Teel, 22, CHW-AAA
7. Jeferson Quero, 22, MIL-AAA
8. Dalton Rushing, 23, LAD-AAA
9. Eduardo Tait, 18, PHI-A
10. Josue Briceño, 20, DET-A

& his top 100...

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151910058389694


#2 Roman
#11 KCamp
#16 Mayer
#22 Arias
#86 Yoely

#62 Teel
#63 Montgomery
#64 Meidroth
 

Fishy1

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Some other Red Sox/former Red Sox on his lists (which to be clear are for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball):

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151892287115270


1. Coby Mayo, 23, BAL-MLB
2. Matt Shaw, 23, CHC-AAA
3. Jace Jung, 24, DET-MLB
4. Chase Meidroth, 23, CHW-AAA
5. Mike Boeve, 22, MIL-AA
6. Brady House, 21, WSN-AAA
7. Luke Adams, 20, MIL-A+
8. Cam Smith, 21, CHC-AA
9. Blaze Jordan, 22, BOS-AA
10. Cam Collier, 20, CIN-A+

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151895076409460


1. Roman Anthony, 20, BOS-AAA
2. Walker Jenkins, 19, MIN-AA
3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, 21, MIN-AAA
4. Jasson Dominguez, 21, NYY-MLB
5. Lazaro Montes, 20, SEA-A+
6. Robert Calaz, 19, COL-A
7. Max Clark, 20, DET-A+
8. Dylan Crews, 22, WSN-MLB
9. Charlie Condon, 21, COL-A+
10. Justin Crawford, 20, PHI-AA
11. Chase Delauter, 23, CLE-AAA
12. Owen Caissie, 22, CHC-AAA
13. Chandler Simpson, 24, TBR-AA
14. Braden Montgomery, 21, CHW-NCAA
15. Aidan Smith, 20, TBR-A
16. Josue De Paula, 19, LAD-A+
17. Nelson Rada, 19, LAA-AA
18. Heston Kjerstad, 25, BAL-MLB
19. Jaison Chourio, 19, CLE-A
20. Jonny Farmelo, 20, SEA-A

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151883567239447


1. Samuel Basallo, 20, BAL-AAA
2. Moises Ballesteros, 21, CHC-AAA
3. Ethan Salas, 18, SDP-A+
4. Harry Ford, 21, SEA-AA
5. Edgar Quero, 21, CHW-AAA
6. Kyle Teel, 22, CHW-AAA
7. Jeferson Quero, 22, MIL-AAA
8. Dalton Rushing, 23, LAD-AAA
9. Eduardo Tait, 18, PHI-A
10. Josue Briceño, 20, DET-A

& his top 100...

View: https://twitter.com/RossJensen12/status/1882151910058389694


#2 Roman
#11 KCamp
#16 Mayer
#22 Arias
#86 Yoely

#62 Teel
#63 Montgomery
#64 Meidroth
Meidroth was a guy I really wanted to root for. Luckily I want to root for Kristian Campbell even more...
 

JM3

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Can't say I was expecting a x-post over 3 hours after that was posted lol
 

JM3

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Here are the KLaw Red Sox writeups (in 2 posts):

#1 Roman

2024 Ranking: 22

Anthony has shot through the minors, reaching Triple A in his second full pro season out of high school, thanks to one of the best swings in all of the minors and an extremely advanced approach for a hitter so young. A 2022 second-round pick, Anthony changed his setup that offseason, freeing up his hands to loosen his whole swing through contact while also getting his hips and legs more involved to help him hit the ball harder, and it paid off almost immediately. Since his early 2023 promotion to High A, he’s hit .294/.405/.521 across three levels, finishing last season in Triple A with as many walks as strikeouts at that stop. His average exit velocity for Triple-A Worcester was 88 mph, although he did start to hit the ball on the ground more (52 percent) in that brief stint, not a major concern but something to watch as he gets so close to a promotion to the majors. He’s very disciplined for his age, chasing just 20 percent of the time in Triple A, with a whiff rate under 9 percent, picking up spin very well even at a level when he was facing guys who’d pitched in the majors. Anthony has mostly played center in the minors, but he’s not very rangy and he’s maybe an average runner, so he’s much more likely to end up in a corner, supplanted in center by someone with plus range. He’s got a chance to be a 30-homer, high-average, high-OBP guy in right field, maybe with plus defense there, which is a “best player in the league” profile.
#9 KCamp

2024 Ranking: Unranked

Campbell was my minor league player of the year for 2024 after he posted a .330/.439/.558 line across three levels, from High A through Triple A, in his first full year in pro ball. The Red Sox took him in the fourth round in 2023 as a redshirt freshman at Georgia Tech, betting on the makeup and the athleticism, and that good scouting work paid off as he not only hit at every level but did so while playing four positions — second, short, third, and center. He’s a plus runner who’s fast enough to play any of those spots, but his fringy arm probably limits him to second or center, with second his best position right now and in the long run as well. His swing has a little funk to it and he can get flat through contact, resulting in a 60 percent groundball rate in his brief time in Triple A, but he has an incredible eye at the plate and gets the bat to the ball consistently enough for hard contact. He does have some holes he’ll have to work on, including four-seamers up and anything moving down and in under his hands or at his front hip, some of which may just be a function of his limited experience before getting to Triple A. He’s also already gained 10-15 pounds of further muscle this winter, which could help with bat control and getting some more loft through contact. He could easily be a plus defender at second and at worst should post high OBPs with 20-30 steals and 50+ extra-base hits a year.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6078454/2025/01/27/top-100-mlb-prospects-2025-keith-law/
 

JM3

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#28 Mayer

2024 Ranking: 8

Mayer looked like he was on track to be the top prospect in baseball around midyear, but he got hurt yet again, with his last game in 2024 coming on July 30, further underscoring his history of missing time with injuries. He was in the midst of a bounce-back season at the plate, returning to Double A and hitting .307/.370/.480 there while cutting his strikeout rate from 26 percent to just under 20 percent, when the injury struck, although he was promoted on paper to Triple A after he hit the injured list. Mayer has a very pretty left-handed swing with good loft in his finish, projecting to plus power down the road, probably 25-30 homers a year. He’s a strong athlete and has the arm and hands to be a plus defender, flashing that range at times but needing to be more consistent on routine plays. He murders fastballs, with the bat speed to catch up to top-end velocity, while offspeed stuff gave him more trouble than ever in 2024. It may be mechanical, as he’s locking his front knee very early and trying to hit with a completely firm front side, leaving him vulnerable to stuff down at or below his knees; if that’s the issue, it’s also fixable, and he hasn’t always hit this way. More concerning is that Mayer has yet to play in 100 games in a pro season, topping out at 91 in 2022, missing time due to a lumbar strain (2024), shoulder inflammation (2023), a sprained wrist (2022), and “back issues” (2022). He’s 22 now and still has superstar potential — a 30-homer shortstop with plus defense and what should be above-average OBPs is going to be the best player on his team in most cases. He has to show he can play 140 games in a year and get back to hitting offspeed stuff to be that kind of prospect again.
Arias #42

2024 Ranking: Unranked

Arias destroyed the Florida Complex League last season as an 18-year-old, hitting .355/.471/.584 to win MVP honors and earn a bump up to Low A, where he more than held his own with a .257/.331/.378 line and just a 17.4 percent strikeout rate. He’s got tools and athleticism to spare, showing excellent bat speed and wrist strength already, along with a fantastic swing that has great rhythm to it and lets him get his lower half involved for more power. He’s a true shortstop with soft hands and solid instincts already, showing a plus arm and above-average speed on both sides of the ball. Arias just turned 19 in November and probably gets to High A at some point this year, given how good his contact skills are already. He has the upside of a plus defender at short with above-average OBPs and 20 homers a year, with the only major risk just his age and the distance he has to travel to get to the majors.
#97 Yoely

2024 Ranking: Unranked

Cespedes’ stateside debut was limited to 25 games and 105 PA before he broke a hamate bone, but he flashed some of why he earned a $1.4 million bonus in January 2023. He’s small but strong, with a powerful swing for someone his size that backs up the numbers he’s produced so far, with 11 homers in 71 career games between the DSL and Florida Complex League. He hit .319/.400/.615 in that brief stint in Florida last year, striking out just 19 times in the 105 PA, showing strong command of the strike zone already. He’s not going to stick at shortstop, however, and might end up at third base rather than second given his frame and how his body looks now at age 19. He’ll move to Low A this year and may take some time to get all his hand strength back; beyond that, he looks like a hitter who could move quickly through the low minors because he’s stronger and more polished than the typical teenaged hitter, with the upside of an above-average regular at third with fringy defense but a strong all-around offensive game.
Teel is #37, BMont #38, Yorke #50.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6078454/2025/01/27/top-100-mlb-prospects-2025-keith-law/
 

mwonow

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 4, 2005
7,631
So, 5 in the top 100, with three more top-50 prospects traded for an ace starter.

That's some kind of farm!
 

JM3

often quoted
SoSH Member
Dec 14, 2019
19,731
So, 5 in the top 100, with three more top-50 prospects traded for an ace starter.

That's some kind of farm!
Yorke was traded for Quinn Priester, but yeah, they've been putting in work.
 

moondog80

heart is two sizes two small
SoSH Member
Sep 20, 2005
8,983
Law seems like an outlier on Yorke, I haven't seem in listed in the top 100 anywhere else.
 

Merkle's Boner

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Apr 24, 2011
4,248
Crazy thing is there’s still a really good chance that Mayer ends up the best of the bunch, and maybe as soon as this year.
 

JM3

often quoted
SoSH Member
Dec 14, 2019
19,731
Pretty good that we have the #1 prospect and there's debate as to whether he's our #1.

Also, still no pitchers.
Eh, only 22 pitchers on KLaw's Top 100, 25 on Pipeline's, including Roki.

& our best pitching prospect who was starting to get some list love got derailed by TJ. They're definitely throwing resources at it. We'll see how it goes.