Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (10) | 2011 (17) | 2010 (5) | 2009 (13) | 2008 (2)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [69-93] AL East
AAA: [79-65] International League – Pawtucket
AA: [68-73] Eastern League – Portland
A+: [68-69] Carolina League – Salem
A: [66-73] South Atlantic League – Greenville
A(ss): [36-40] New York-Penn League — Lowell
Arizona Fall League Players — Surprise Saguaros
Chris Martin (RHP); Pete Ruiz (RHP); Michael Almanzar (3B); Bryce Brentz (OF)
Graduated Prospects
Will Middlebrooks (3B); Ryan Lavarnway (C); Pedro Ciriaco (INF); Felix Doubront (LHP); Junichi Tazawa (RHP)
The Run Down
With impact talent at nearly every level of the farm, this is a deep system, and a good one. Xander Bogaerts, a top-10 overall prospect, headlines the group and will arrive within the next year-and-a-half as a big time fantasy asset. Behind him, Boston features a great mix of high-ceiling guys and high-floor guys, making this system not only high-impact, but rather safe as well. The Red Sox might be another year or so away from contending again in the crazy-competitive AL East, but the club has done a quality job of trimming some fat, and setting itself up for long-term success in the process.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Xander Bogaerts, SS: The Red Sox aren’t likely to rush Bogaerts to the bigs this year, otherwise he would’ve ranked considerably higher on my Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2013 list. At age 19, he hit .302/.378/.505 at High-A before promotion to Double-A, where he posted a line at .326/.351/.598. Aside from super-prospects Jurickson Profar and Oscar Taveras, Bogaerts was the only teenager making that sort of noise at the plate in the upper levels last year. He’ll likely end up at either 3B or a corner OF post, but his outstanding 2012 makes him a top-5 hitting prospect, and he’ll be ready to contribute this year if Boston needs him. ETA: 2014
2. Matt Barnes, RHP: The 2011 first-rounder out of UConn proved to be much better than originally advertised, posting a 2.86 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a K/9 at 10.0 in 120 IP between Low- and High-A. Barnes features a plus-plus fastball and a big, projectable frame. His secondary offerings could use some more development, but there is definite front-end potential here. ETA: 2014
3. Jackie Bradley, OF: Bradley came in right behind Bogaerts on my Top 50 for 2013 list. He’s far more likely to reach Fenway this year than Bogaerts is, but Bradley is more of a center field phenom than a weapon at the plate. Even so, he should be able to hit in the .275 range with good on-base skills and 20 or so steals once he’s peaked. ETA: 2013
4. Blake Swihart, C: A good defensive catcher with above-average potential in terms of power and average? Sign me up. Swihart’s scouting reports remain much more impressive than his numbers on the field, but the learning curve is always a bit slower with catching prospects, so do be patient with him. ETA: 2016
5. Garin Cecchini, 3B: Cecchini hit .305/.394/.433 at Low-A Greenville in 2012, his first year of full-season baseball. Touted for his baseball acumen, the 21-year-old is a safe bet to take another step forward in 2013 and reach the upper levels by year’s end. If development goes well, he should turn into a typical power-hitting 3B with good AVG, and unusually good speed on the base paths. ETA: 2015
6. Allen Webster, RHP: Acquired via LA in the Adrian Gonzalez swap, Webster features a well-rounded fastball-change-slider repertoire, and a frame that should be able to handle a heavy workload. That profile has him projecting like a mid-rotation innings eater, but there is #2 starter potential if his stuff continues to develop and command improves. He should arrive in Boston at some point this year. ETA: 2013
7. Bryce Brentz, OF: An overly aggressive approach is the usual knock on Brentz, but it hasn’t really held him back thus far. A big arm and very real power potential has him looking like a perfect fit for right field, but many folks around baseball seem to think his poor approach will be exposed at the highest levels. I’m not sold on that just yet. With regular time, Brentz could hit 25+ homers in the bigs. UPDATE: Due to an unfortunate gun accident, Brentz will be fine, but his timetable might be pushed back. ETA: Late 2013
8. Brandon Jacobs, OF: After a very impressive full-season debut in 2011 (.303/.376/.505), Jacobs regressed badly in 2012 at High-A, wrapping up the year with a line at .252/.322/.410. It’s too soon for me to forget the 2011 production, so he hasn’t fallen off my radar entirely, but another lousy effort in 2013 would drop him from these ranks. If he can get back on track in Double-A, however, there is significant fantasy upside. ETA: 2015
9. Henry Owens, LHP: At 6-6, 190, Owens has a promising frame, and as you might expect with that sort of size, his fastball is quite good. He posted a K/9 at 11.5 over 101 IP at Greenville in 2012 — a promising figure, but the rest of his line was rather unimpressive: 4.87 ERA, 1.45 WHIP. Owens will move to High-A in 2013, where Boston hopes to see improvements in command and secondary offerings. ETA: 2015
10. Keury De La Cruz, OF: There are a handful of others who could’ve easily ranked here in place of De La Cruz, but for fantasy purposes, the 21-year old Dominican seems to bring the biggest upside. In his full-season debut, he hit .308/.352/.536 with 62 XBH (19 HR) in 506 PA. The tools profile leaves a few questions, but that sort of production can’t be ignored. ETA: 2015
