Mookie Betts

LondonSox

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Not just a ridiculously awesome name but rapidly becoming a real prospect and no adopt a prospect thread.
Lame.

So I'm volunteering to correct that. I will make some more complete posts on scouting and results when not at work but in the mean time...

Mookie he of the more bb than k and suddenly emerging power and good speed. Has a thread dammit
 

LondonSox

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Ok so other than the name Mookie Betts what else do we need to know about this guy?
 
He's 5'9" and 156 lbs so yeah small
Born October 7th 1992
He's right handed and plays 2B. His arm is considered sub par which likely limits his ability to play SS.
 
He was a champion bowler as a kid, but I'm unclear why people care about this, other than it suggests he can deal with some pressure.
 
Awards
Red Sox ML Base Stealer of the Month (Aug/Sept 2012)
South Atlantic League Player of the Week (May 6-12, 2013)
2013 South Atlantic League All-Star

 
SoxProspects.com Awards
SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (May 6-12, 2013)
SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (May 13-19, 2013)
SoxProspects.com Player of the Month (May 2013

 
Sox prospects scouting report
Scouting Report: Athletic infielder who had been committed to playing at Tennessee prior to signing. Excelled in four sports in high school. Plus speed. Ability to impact a game with his legs. Compact, level swing. Fluid load. Solid-average hit tool. Solid overall approach for someone his age, works counts, and isn’t overly aggressive.  Plus strike zone judgment. Potential to produce high levels of contact as he continues to develop. Below-average power potential. Small-framed and lean. Solid-average-to-better arm. Fluid and smooth actions defensively. Soft hands. Former shortstop learning how to play second base as a professional. Tends to stay back on balls rather than charge. Defensive skills and instincts to transition quickly to second base. Plus defensive potential.
 
He started with just one game in the GCL in 2011.
In his real first pro season he was placed at Low A at Age 19
His stat line showed minimal power but good speed and most importantly a really interesting batting eye
 
Well shit I can't do tables apparently
Age 19 G 71 AB 251 R 34 H 67 2B 8 3B 1 HR 0 RBI 32 BB 32 K 30
AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS
267/352/307/658

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Note more BB than K as a 19 year old but almost zero power
 
This year though the power emerged. He was placed at A ball full season.
In 76 games he had 33 XBH, 24 2B, 1 3B and perhaps most surprisingly 8 HR while still sporting a bloody impressive 58:40 BB to K ratio.
Read that line again I'll wait.
58 BB in just 76 games, with power and plate discipline and pretty good def
His line before promotion was 296/418/477/895
 
At Salem his line so far in 31 games is
278/363/463/826
14:14 BB/K
10 XBH (4 2B, 2 3B and 4 HR)
 
OH I almost forgot career to date 53 SB vs 6 CS and this isn't a low level thing, in 31 games at Salem he's got 14 steals with 0 CS.
 
Pretty interesting for a 20 year old. I LOVE when prospects show these kinds of BB to K ratios and power. If you give me a kid with as many BB and XBH as Ks I'm going to likely see a guy with real potential. The on base skills so far seem totally legit, the power is surprising but if real, exciting. The numbers are a sort of Pedroia light but with speed.
 
A few articles for your reading pleasure
He made the BA midseason surprise list
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/midseason-prospect-update-the-minor-league-all-surprise-team/
 
Article from July on fangraphs suggesting he's the best performing prospect in A ball
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/daily-notes-scout-leaderboards-for-class-a/
 
Also a fangraphs link naming him one of the five most interesting fringe prospects
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fringe-five-baseballs-most-compelling-fringe-prospects-14/
 
As with all (it seems) smaller guys he's going to have to prove it at every level, but the on base skills and speed seem legit, the scouting defensively is very solid and if the power shown for the first time this year holds up, prepare to hear that name more. He's only 20 and is on pace for AA at 21.
 
MOOKIE!!!
 
 

Quintanariffic

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Good stuff.  Two things to watch for me in the next 12 months or so:
 
1) Can he maintain the power and plate discipline against more advanced pitching?  Early signs in the CAR are positive, but next year may be a watershed in that regard at AA
 
2) Assuming he passes this test, you have to start thinking about the long-term with him.  In short, there is no long-term for any prospect in the system who is limited to 2B.  Either he will be switched to the OF or he becomes trade bait.  No openings at SS and his bat won't play elsewhere in the IF. 
 
Intriguing as hell though.  Will be interested to see whether he is able to bulk up that tiny 5'9" frame.  Hard to imagine he is showing this type of power when he weighs less than my sister.
 

LondonSox

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From his history and the earlier scouting I would imagine he could be an emergency SS, he played pre pros SS and the arm grade was higher before this year, which may be a result of not needing a cannon at 2B.

Potentially if not trade bait he could be a great utility guy, plus speed pinch runner ability to fill in across the infield, maybe not 3b except in intra game injury emergency. Good reserve for pedroia too.
Or trade bait.

It seems the power is the real question mark, the plate discipline was good pre pros and has been a constant (month by month not just overall) and the speed is obviously real. If the power is a mirage then he's potentially a handy bench guy for speed and infield reserve. If not you might just have to find him a place to play.
 

The Gray Eagle

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With his speed and athleticism, I wonder if he could become a good defensive CF? As we've seen again and again with the Red Sox in the last decade-plus, you don't need a good arm to be a good defensive CF.
 
If he could transition to the OF, it could be a good way to eventually break in as a rookie, if he keeps developing. As a guy who could theoretically one day cover 2B, SS, LF and CF, he could get a lot of playing time without being handed a fulltime job.
 

Doctor G

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The Gray Eagle said:
With his speed and athleticism, I wonder if he could become a good defensive CF? As we've seen again and again with the Red Sox in the last decade-plus, you don't need a good arm to be a good defensive CF.
 
If he could transition to the OF, it could be a good way to eventually break in as a rookie, if he keeps developing. As a guy who could theoretically one day cover 2B, SS, LF and CF, he could get a lot of playing time without being handed a fulltime job.
Kind of like this guyhttp://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/phillto02.shtml
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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One interesting thing about Betts that hasn't been mentioned is that he has developed a very pronounced reverse split: His OPS this year against lefties is 616, against righties 958. That could be noise, as the samples are not huge and he actually had a mild normal split last year. Or it could be that in refining his approach at the plate, he's made adjustments that are working extremely well against RHP but have worked against him against LHP. Its too early to draw any firm conclusions but its worth monitoring as he moves forward through the system.

I love the idea others have mentioned about him being a super utility guy and I think the Tony Phillips comp (as an upside one at least) is great. We should also remember that while Pedroia is signed for eight years, a lot can happen in that time. Its not a slam dunk that we pencil him in everyday as our starting 2B five or six years down the road and having a promising 2B prospect in the system is fantastic insurance for injury, severe regression, or whatever else might happen.
 

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
One interesting thing about Betts that hasn't been mentioned is that he has developed a very pronounced reverse split: His OPS this year against lefties is 616, against righties 958. That could be noise, as the samples are not huge and he actually had a mild normal split last year. Or it could be that in refining his approach at the plate, he's made adjustments that are working extremely well against RHP but have worked against him against LHP. Its too early to draw any firm conclusions but its worth monitoring as he moves forward through the system.

I love the idea others have mentioned about him being a super utility guy and I think the Tony Phillips comp (as an upside one at least) is great. We should also remember that while Pedroia is signed for eight years, a lot can happen in that time. Its not a slam dunk that we pencil him in everyday as our starting 2B five or six years down the road and having a promising 2B prospect in the system is fantastic insurance for injury, severe regression, or whatever else might happen.
In some ways, the reverse split is a good sign. A lot of young RHH simply lack experience against LHP and it takes time for them to adjust. Pretty much all of them do adjust and ultimately hit LHP better than RHP. So, if his split this year is not just SSS (it likely is) and is a manifestation of real struggles against LHP, that's a cause for even more optimism about his offensive future as he should, almost certainly, adjust to LHP as he gains more experience against pitchers who throw from that side of the plate.
 

LondonSox

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Last 10 games 395/500/632/1132

5 xbh (3 2b 2hr) 7bb 4k
6 sb 0 cs and 12 RBI

On top of which tweets from Evan Lepler (who is a must follow for farm followers IMO) has been singing defensive praises.

Eg today
"twitter cannot do great defense justice, but second baseman mookie betts has averaged about 1.5 amazing plays per game in the past week"

And yesterday
"mookie betts with an OUTRAGEOUSLY AMAZING diving stop and throw at second base to make a huge out in a 2-1 game in the 8th"
(his capitalisation)
 

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here's a Q&A from last month http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/10-questions-sox-prospect-mookie-betts
 
 
 
6. Speaking of family, one of your uncles is Terry Shumpert, who appeared in 21 games for the Red Sox in 1995, as part of his 14-season career. How much has it helped you to have someone like that to talk to?

It helps a lot. There’s some things that I go through, whether it’s a bad day or a good day, and he knows about it, and I talk to him about it. And he’s already been through it, so he can tell what will help get over it, how to just think about moving on to the next day, ways of getting better, and things like that. It’s really great to have him in my corner.
 

LogansDad

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JakeRae said:
In some ways, the reverse split is a good sign. A lot of young RHH simply lack experience against LHP and it takes time for them to adjust. Pretty much all of them do adjust and ultimately hit LHP better than RHP. So, if his split this year is not just SSS (it likely is) and is a manifestation of real struggles against LHP, that's a cause for even more optimism about his offensive future as he should, almost certainly, adjust to LHP as he gains more experience against pitchers who throw from that side of the plate.
 
Here's an honest question, though. The thing about his reverse split is that while yes, he has vastly improved against RHH (.947 OPS this year to .611 last year overall), he also got significantly worse against LHH (.616 vs .763 last year).  Obviously his numbers overall have improved, and for a 20 year old to be putting up a .970 through 37 games in high A ball is pretty good, but is the difference in pitching (specifically left handed pitching) that much difference between A- and A/A+ that it could totally account for the decline against LHP?
 
I'm not as knowledgeable about the minors leagues and prospects as others around here, and his development is certainly intriguing to me, especially in light of how solid the Sox system appeared to be even before his emergence this year. I'm just curious, like Morgan's Magic Snowplow whether this is just a SSS aberration or a split that will only get wider going forward due to a new approach. 
 

LondonSox

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Mookie falls a 2b short of the cycle today going 3/5 with a hr and a 3b, 3rbi
Plus yet more glowing reports on defence from lepler.

Salem seems to replace one stud with the next. JBJ then x man then cecchini and now betts. Each immediate en feugo after the other.
I'd say it was in the water but those guys have all been fine after promotion

Edit: btw thank god we aren't watching high a in Lancaster any more
 

JakeRae

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LogansDad said:
 
Here's an honest question, though. The thing about his reverse split is that while yes, he has vastly improved against RHH (.947 OPS this year to .611 last year overall), he also got significantly worse against LHH (.616 vs .763 last year).  Obviously his numbers overall have improved, and for a 20 year old to be putting up a .970 through 37 games in high A ball is pretty good, but is the difference in pitching (specifically left handed pitching) that much difference between A- and A/A+ that it could totally account for the decline against LHP?
 
I'm not as knowledgeable about the minors leagues and prospects as others around here, and his development is certainly intriguing to me, especially in light of how solid the Sox system appeared to be even before his emergence this year. I'm just curious, like Morgan's Magic Snowplow whether this is just a SSS aberration or a split that will only get wider going forward due to a new approach. 
My basic response would be SSS. He had, maybe, 50 PA against LHP last year and 100 this year? Also, if he is struggling to adjust to LHP, it's perfectly reasonable that those struggles might get worse before they get better since he has moved up the ladder and is facing more advanced pitching with superior off-speed pitches.
 

Quintanariffic

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Currently with a .331/.399/.565 line in Hi-A at age 20
 
Also doing that Pedroia thing with more more XBH (19) than K (17).
 
Not sure where they will play him but damn if it isn't exciting to watch him come out of nowhere.
 

ALiveH

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He could start next year at AA and be a top-10 prospect, especially with 3-5 guys ahead of him likely graduating to the bigs or leaving the organization.
 

LondonSox

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Quintanariffic said:
Currently with a .331/.399/.565 line in Hi-A at age 20
 
Also doing that Pedroia thing with more more XBH (19) than K (17).
 
Not sure where they will play him but damn if it isn't exciting to watch him come out of nowhere.
He's impossible to ignore if he continues like this with speed, defense, power, plate discipline and that rarest of animals more bb and xbh than k.
It's funny, JBJ is almost a straight ellsbury replacement and mookie have ended up a straight pedroia replacement, but not now of course
 

Quintanariffic

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LondonSox said:
He's impossible to ignore if he continues like this with speed, defense, power, plate discipline and that rarest of animals more bb and xbh than k.
It's funny, JBJ is almost a straight ellsbury replacement and mookie have ended up a straight pedroia replacement, but not now of course
I try to resist speculating on who could replace who until there is sustained success for the prospect in AA. Still, given the road block at 2B, it's interesting to at least tee up for idle chatter. Doesn't seem to be much realistic choice but OF. Probably CF. if he is good enough to make it, and JBJ is still in the organization, then one probably moves to RF. I don't care that neither would have the power expected of a RF. we'd just have to suffer through 2 guys with plus defense who hit .285/.375/.435.
 

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He's only 20 and he's not Xander Bogaerts. Chances are, even if he continues to develop well, he won't be a serious option for another 4 years or so. A lot can happen in that much time, so I wouldn't get too wrapped up in who he might replace. If he's going to make the majors at all, it's far more likely he'll be a utility guy than a starter just based on the flameout rate we see with prospects in general.

That said, if he does pan out and Pedroia is still one of the best second basemen in the game with no indications he's going to decline soon, Mookie will still be a very valuable trade chip. They will get some nice value out of him in this scenario one way or the other.
 

LondonSox

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Snodgrass'Muff said:
He's only 20 and he's not Xander Bogaerts. Chances are, even if he continues to develop well, he won't be a serious option for another 4 years or so. A lot can happen in that much time, so I wouldn't get too wrapped up in who he might replace. If he's going to make the majors at all, it's far more likely he'll be a utility guy than a starter just based on the flameout rate we see with prospects in general.That said, if he does pan out and Pedroia is still one of the best second basemen in the game with no indications he's going to decline soon, Mookie will still be a very valuable trade chip. They will get some nice value out of him in this scenario one way or the other.
I'm unclear why you say 4 years.
Seems he should reach AA next year, maybe not to start but possibly. 2 years seems possible, 3 years ok. If its 4 years from huge success in high A to big league ready I can't imagine he'd be anything like a quality prospect.
 

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I agree with London. 4 years is the high end of how long he should take to be ready if he works out. Assuming he starts in AA next year, which seems reasonably likely, that's 2 years of AA and 2 years of AAA. If the talent he is flashing this year is real, we really shouldn't expect it to take him much longer than a year to advance through each of those levels. That has him MLB ready at the end of his age 22 season or sometime in his age 23 season.
 
I'll also disagree with the poster upthread who commented that the most optimistic scenario is 2 years. The most optimistic scenario, which is highly unlikely, is that he starts in AA next year, dominates it like he has A-ball this year, and earns a midseason promotion to AAA where he shows himself to be MLB ready and earns a September call up as a utility player option. A slightly more realistic but still very optimistic scenario has him ready midseason of 2015. Realistically, mid-2016 is probably a good ETA right now, with the caveat that a lot can happen in two and a half years.
 

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LondonSox said:
I'm unclear why you say 4 years.
Seems he should reach AA next year, maybe not to start but possibly. 2 years seems possible, 3 years ok. If its 4 years from huge success in high A to big league ready I can't imagine he'd be anything like a quality prospect.
 
How many players force their way onto a roster by the age of 24?  I can see him being a utility infielder by then, but if he has continued to progress and looks like a long term replacement for Pedroia, they'll take their time with him.  I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't get promoted to Portland until half way through next year, and then kept there until mid way through 2015.  That would put his arrival time at some time in 2016 or 2017.
 
Dustin Pedroia got called up at 22 and was handed the starting job at 23 because there was a serious need for him.  I would expect them to take their time with Betts, even if he's playing really well, because they won't have a serious need for him any time soon without a catastrophic injury to Pedey.
 
And even if Betts enters the majors at the same time Pedroia did, he wouldn't be a starter for three more seasons, which isn't so far from my prediction in the first place.
 

ALiveH

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If he develops as he should, I'd expect him to be a top-5 prospect in the system in 2015 at AAA and traded to another team b/c he's blocked by Pedroia.  So, he'd be in the majors sometime in 2016, but not for the Sox.
 

LondonSox

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A love dustin now and forever, but these kind of things are why I wonder about signing such long term deals to aging players.
There is surely a non zero chance in three years mookie develops well and is ready and blocked by an aging declining pedroia.

I don't know he's a player than will age well with his swing. I hope I'm wrong.
Still there is a non zero chance mookie is never a big league player too, and we are all delighted by pedroia contract. Plus if he does develop and is blocked he is still valuable, as an asset.
 

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LondonSox said:
A love dustin now and forever, but these kind of things are why I wonder about signing such long term deals to aging players.
There is surely a non zero chance in three years mookie develops well and is ready and blocked by an aging declining pedroia.

I don't know he's a player than will age well with his swing. I hope I'm wrong.
Still there is a non zero chance mookie is never a big league player too, and we are all delighted by pedroia contract. Plus if he does develop and is blocked he is still valuable, as an asset.
 
I want to point out that my 4 year estimate is not a best case scenario guess.  I expect he'll have a hiccup or two going forward.  The jump from high-A to AA has killed many a prospect.  If he gets through it, I imagine it will be with some bumps and bruises along the way.
 
That said, if he's ready to be a starting second baseman in 2016 and is blocked by Pedroia, well... again, that's a good problem to have.
 

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LondonSox said:
He was a champion bowler as a kid, but I'm unclear why people care about this, other than it suggests he can deal with some pressure.
 
It also suggests immense discipline for focusing on fundamentals with precision and repetition. Anyone can roll a ball down an alley and knock some pins down. But to put up the scores he has requires more than just dealing with pressure. Every component of your motion, delivery and release has to be exactly the same. Every fucking time. In that vein, it's similar to hitting a golf ball. Or throwing a knuckler.
 
Anyway, he's still kicking ass on the lanes, having bowled his first-ever perfect game.
 

LondonSox

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Mookie makes fangraphs fringe five for the sixth week running.

"despite having gone 0-2 on stolen base attempts this past week, Betts more than compensated for it by his demonstration of the first two skills. Indeed over his last 32 plate appearances, the 20 year old has recorded 3 home runs and a 3:1 walk to strikeout ratio"

Posting the link from work is a bitch so if someone has the time thanks, if not I will add later.

Stat line at high A now 315/386/530

Edit here's the link http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-fringe-five-baseballs-most-compelling-fringe-prospects-18/
 

LondonSox

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Another ho hum day for mookie. 3-3 with a 2b

His season line is now better in Salem than it was at Greenville despite a brief adjustment period.

What I love as I watch and read more is the approach, he stings the ball up the middle all the time, especially early in a game and then sprays to all fields as needed later.


2013 20 Greenville 296 /418 /477/895
2013 20 Salem 326/405/531/936

So higher average but less obp (so less walks by some distance) but more power. Power is his most questionable tool so I'm personally encouraged.
 

bsartist618

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I don't know that I would call that more power necessarily, but I am encouraged by the power exhibited over the course of the entire season.  Most of the difference in slugging is a result of the higher batting average and BABIP.
 
Greenville ISO .181 / BABIP .322 / bases per hit: 1.61
Salem ISO .204 / BABIP .335 / bases per hit: 1.62
 

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bsartist618 said:
I don't know that I would call that more power necessarily, but I am encouraged by the power exhibited over the course of the entire season.  Most of the difference in slugging is a result of the higher batting average and BABIP.
 
Greenville ISO .181 / BABIP .322 / bases per hit: 1.61
Salem ISO .204 / BABIP .335 / bases per hit: 1.62
Your point seems to be contradicted by the evidence you use to support it. How is a .023 increase in ISO not evidence of an increase in power, even if it is marginal? 
 
Out of genuine curiosity, what is the value of measuring bases per hit? I suppose it shows us that his increase in XBH was roughly proportional to his increase in hits, generally. But, while an increase in singles would generally be assumed to be simply luck and therefore not predictive, an increase in XBH is, contrastingly, generally assumed to signal increased skill rather than luck. The fact that, in the case of Betts, the two moved in concert seems to be simply an artifice of coincidence rather than useful information.
 

bsartist618

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Well yeah, as you say, the slash line shows a marginal increase in power. I didn't make it clear that I was disagreeing that it actually showed an increase in Bett's ability to hit for power.
If I did this right (which it's certainly possible that I didn't), Mookie's Salem slash line adjusted to his Greenville .322 BABIP is: 313/392/510 -- ISO .197.  I didn't think what is essentially a .016 increase in ISO over a 50 game sample is all that indicative of a meaningful improvement in power.
 
I added bases per hit just as extra information just to show his hits are not producing more bases than they were before on average.  He is making more contact, but not necessarily better contact (recent hot streak notwithstanding).
 
Of course either way he has had a fantastic year.
 

LondonSox

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My point was his power held up at a higher level immediately, as this is his most questionable tool and performance question mark I think even staying stable at a higher level is encouraging. It did slightly more than that but essentially within noise of the same.

The quotes coming from the commentary guys on mookie are pretty special, homers they may be but they do a good job of who they get excited about (eg recently it's JBJ, x, cecchini and now betts on the hitting side and currently some love for swihard ESP his defense).
I know mookie is playing out of his mind but they tend to get this excited on something more than a hot streak
 

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LondonSox said:
My point was his power held up at a higher level immediately, as this is his most questionable tool and performance question mark I think even staying stable at a higher level is encouraging. It did slightly more than that but essentially within noise of the same.

The quotes coming from the commentary guys on mookie are pretty special, homers they may be but they do a good job of who they get excited about (eg recently it's JBJ, x, cecchini and now betts on the hitting side and currently some love for swihard ESP his defense).
I know mookie is playing out of his mind but they tend to get this excited on something more than a hot streak
 
To me, his success in the Carolina League is more than just about maintaining/improving at a higher level.  Given that it's the Carolina League, it's more than that.   The CAR is notoriously a hitters' pitcher's league, and b/c there are only 8 teams in the league, the book can get out on hitters pretty quickly.  Yet, if anything, Mookie is improving with more time in the league.   In a year full of really exciting stories in the Sox minor leagues, Betts has to rank in the top 2-3.
 
Edit: fixed brain cramp - thanks SBF
 

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Agreed on the top 2-3 stories. The thing you have to like, beyond what the number say, is what they suggest: that the guy has a tremendous work ethic and desire to excel at the craft of the game. I keep coming back to his baseball "youth" -- meaning the Sox took him for his athleticism and tool potential, not because -- as say, in the case of Coyle, who incidentally I would not give up on -- he was an advanced baseball player. And in that sense, despite how much he's done to impress, he's still a pup. So you have to be high on anticipation for what AA brings next year.

Good on him, though. And hat's off to the organizational guys for helping him along.
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Quintanariffic said:
 
To me, his success in the Carolina League is more than just about maintaining/improving at a higher level.  Given that it's the Carolina League, it's more than that.   The CAR is notoriously a hitters' league, and b/c there are only 8 teams in the league, the book can get out on hitters pretty quickly.  Yet, if anything, Mookie is improving with more time in the league.   In a year full of really exciting stories in the Sox minor leagues, Betts has to rank in the top 2-3.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you meant "pitcher's league".
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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If others agree with his comparison to Cecchini he should crack all of the top 100 lists with no problem.  Cecchini will be a top 50 prospect for most of them.  I also like the idea of him being developed as a Zobrist type, even if he ends up Zobrist light (which is more likely than not, obviously).
 

LondonSox

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Mookie was featured in ask ba today

The lead, there is more in the link
How real of a prospect is Mookie Betts? Hes had an amazing year, hitting for good power for a second baseman, walking, stealing bases without getting caught? Is he a breakthrough prospect along the lines of Alen Hanson from last year, or is he not in that category?

Ben Hall

Providence, RI

Betts is a very real prospect and one of the breakout stars of the 2013 season. Scouts who have seen him this year have been impressed with his excellent batting eye, solid defense, plus running ability and surprising power. Betts hit .314/.417/.506 with 15 home runs, 36 doubles and 38 steals this year between low Class A Greenville and high Class A Salem.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/ask-ba-is-javier-baez-ready-for-the-big-leagues/
 

LondonSox

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Keith law names Mookie as the new "guy" on the scene in his franchise review (which had the sox second behind the cardinals) and in his chat today said Mookie is a candidate for his top 100.

Potentially the sox have 8 guys on that list. Barnes, cecchini, jbj, xander, Webster, Owens, Betts and ranaudo
 

LeftyTG

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LondonSox said:
Keith law names Mookie as the new "guy" on the scene in his franchise review (which had the sox second behind the cardinals) and in his chat today said Mookie is a candidate for his top 100.

Potentially the sox have 8 guys on that list. Barnes, cecchini, jbj, xander, Webster, Owens, Betts and ranaudo
I think Swihart has a shot at the list as well.
 

pokey_reese

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Mookie Betts led the entire Sox minor league system in slugging.  3rd in AVG and OBP, 2nd in OPS.  Not bad for a kid that wasn't on a lot of radars to start the year.
 

SoxScout

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pokey_reese said:
Mookie Betts led the entire Sox minor league system in slugging.  3rd in AVG and OBP, 2nd in OPS.  Not bad for a kid that wasn't on a lot of radars to start the year.
 
Of players with 100+ PA in system this year he trailed Coyle, Spring, Brentz, Butler, Jacobs, Middlebrooks, Chester, Hamilton, Snyder, Bradley in Isolated Power. Impressive for Betts, depressing for the power on our farm.
 

LondonSox

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Mookie was named to baseball America's second team all minor league team for the season.
Judging by the amount of press and positive scouting reports he looks increasingly likely to make a lot of top 100 lists this off-season