Prospect Update Thread

[RobZombie]

He came up to AA at about the same time as Lars (might have been on the same day, don't recall), and he's only 7 months older.

 

He struggled at first, but last 10....

 

.314/.414/.714, with 4 HR and 2/0 SB. With Bowden pitching so well and Lars getting all the media (BA) love, he's been really flying under the radar.

 

There's a good reason for that......Lars is the better prospect. He's a year younger and had better peripheral numbers at Lancaster.

[ORS]

Never said Lars wasn't, but it's surprising how little you hear about the Sox 3rd rated prospect outside of Sox dedicated media (current ranking per SP.com).

[BoSox21]

Never said Lars wasn't' date=' but it's surprising how little you hear about the Sox 3rd rated prospect outside of Sox dedicated media (current ranking per SP.com).[/quote']

 

now the #1 rated prospect on said website

[Rdsxmbnt]

18yr old 2nd round pick SS Derrick Gibson has been promoted to Lowell after posting a .309/.411/.394/.804 line in the GCL.

[CrespoBlows]

18yr old 2nd round pick SS Derrick Gibson has been promoted to Lowell after posting a .309/.411/.394/.804 line in the GCL.

 

When does Casey Kelly give up on hitting?

[Rdsxmbnt]

I'd imagine he's going to switch over in the offseason where is ultimately where I was hoping he'd end up.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Reddick had a nice night going 2-3 with a double

[Rdsxmbnt]

Reddick's updated line: .263/.333/.525/.858 through 80 AB

 

Kalish off to a nice start in Lancaster: .324/.378/.529/.908 in 34 AB

 

Also check out the Lowell trio from this recent draft:

Price (1supp): 29.2 IP, 36/6 K/BB, 2.12 ERA

Fife (3rd): 29.0 IP, 31/8 K/BB, 1.86 ERA

Weiland (3rd): 46.0 IP, 53/9 K/BB, 1.37 ERA

[CrespoBlows]

Doubront fanned nine in his debut at Lancaster.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Decent start tonight for Bowden: 6.1 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

[ORS]

One of those runs scored when Snyder came in and gave up a bomb in the 7th in relief.

[CrespoBlows]

Luis Exposito, a catcher playing at Lancaster, is currently hitting .311 with 10 HR's in just over 200 AB's. He has 21 HR's on the season.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Exposito is definitely the best catching prospect in the system, and he actually has a reverse split home and away:

 

Home: .271/.307/.402/.709

Away: .354/.381/.677/1.058

[ORS]

I'd like to see more patience from him, and because of that I'll reserve excitement until he can still swat against more advanced pitching. Other than that, looks good so far.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Clay's first game back in AA went decently well: 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

 

Good strikeout numbers, no walks, no HR. All 3 ER came in the 3rd off three consecutive hits.

[CrespoBlows]

Navarro went 4/4 to boost his average to .361.

[CrespoBlows]

Another prospect to watch, Luis Sumoza hit his 11th HR at Lowell. His K's are high, (59 in 189 AB's) but he's showing some impressive power for a 20 year old. He's also walking more than 10% of the time.

[ORS]

Across both games of Portland's DH today:

 

Lars - 2/4, 2 2B, 3 BB

Reddick - 1/6, HR

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

What are the chances Daniel Bard can be a force for this bullpen in the last month?

 

Hitters are batting .173 against him while he owns a 1.99 ERA at Double-A and has been lights out for some time now. I've only been able to watch him once but what I saw was a consistent 98-mph fastball and (what I considered) a above-average breaking ball.

 

I like what Bard offers more than Pauley and Timlin. If Bard were to come up when rosters expand and gets off to a good start I can see him becoming a fixture. We have our big-3 in Papelbon, Okajima, and Masterson but I'd love to bring in another power arm.

[BoSox21]

I'd be worried about ruining Bard for the future if he happens to struggle during a stint here

[CrespoBlows]

I'd be worried about ruining Bard for the future if he happens to struggle during a stint here

 

I guess he's a giant pussy.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I'd be worried about ruining Bard for the future if he happens to struggle during a stint here

 

He was a disaster last season yet came back and has put himself together. A lot of people are worried about a "Craig Hansen" like break down but if thats the case then the team will go in a different direction and probably look to move him. I'm not worried about his psyche only his ability to hit corners with his fastball.

 

First thing, does he get brought up when the Double-A season concludes? Second, does he have an innings limit he needs to stay under? Third, can he gain Francona's confidence (hard to do) in a short period where he can actually make a difference?

 

A lot of questions with only 30 or so games left but I think he can be an excellent case for a secret weapon moving into crunch time. Papelbon, Oki, and Masterson have brought the bullpen up a notch from where it was a month ago but add one more stopper and we have a better looking bullpen than we did this time last season.

[BoSox21]

I like the idea of making all prospects graduate through the entire system before they reach the big leagues, to be honest

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I like the idea of making all prospects graduate through the entire system before they reach the big leagues' date=' to be honest[/quote']

 

I agree except in the case of relievers. Papelbon and Masterson spent little time at AAA and have had excellent results in the majors. I think it all depends on whether you are on a roll and can sustain that...

 

Just for some added info Daniel Bard's last 10 games:

 

15.2 IP / 6 Hits / 0 ER / 8 BB / 25 K

[BoSox21]

The walks are a bit concerning, no?

 

I'm not down on Bard at all but I'd like to see him control the wildness a bit before making the jump to the majors

[CrespoBlows]

Bard has a major league arm, and he's totally dominated AA in 2008. I would like to see him get a stint in September, with a shot to make the postseason roster, if that's possible.

 

If he fails in his stint, and cannot mentally make it back, I don't want this pussy on our team. How is this guy going to cope with failure if he shits the bed in a big game later in his career?

[ORS]

The walks are a bit concerning, no?

 

I'm not down on Bard at all but I'd like to see him control the wildness a bit before making the jump to the majors

Yeah, and it would be really, no I mean "really, really", instructive to hear some first hand accounts of how he's pitched. I'd like to know how his breaking stuff looks, and more importantly how his actual command is. Without knowing these things, it's extremely likely that line is the result of a lot of chasing, which will happen much less in the AL East.

[jacksonianmarch]

Another prospect to watch' date=' Luis Sumoza hit his 11th HR at Lowell. His K's are high, (59 in 189 AB's) but he's showing some impressive power for a 20 year old. He's also walking more than 10% of the time.[/quote']

 

He's now gone

[TheKilo]

What purpose did that serve. I mean, really.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Yeah' date=' and it would be really, no I mean "really, really", instructive to hear some first hand accounts of how he's pitched. I'd like to know how his breaking stuff looks, and more importantly how his actual command is. Without knowing these things, it's extremely likely that line is the result of a lot of chasing, which will happen much less in the AL East.[/quote']

 

I did get a "first hand account" by watching him pitch about a month ago when they showed the game on NESN and I saw him pitch in a AA game 2 weeks ago sitting 1st base side. I only saw 2 pitches (98-mph fastball, and a breaking ball). That particular breaking ball was being clocked around 78-80 mph and had 11-5 break. It was deffinitly being used as his out-pitch and only used it with 2-strikes. Bard threw the breaking ball over the plate for a strikeout-looking to a lefty and had a righty chase it outside.

 

I guess my favorite thing about this kid is his delivery. He throws 98 and makes it look easy. He didn't leave anything over the middle of the plate which I like....I'd rather see a guy try to hit corners leading to a walk rather than leaving a high-velocity fastball over the plate (Delcarmen). On that note he has a better fastball and better breaking ball than Delcarmen. In fact Bard has the best velocity in the Red Sox system.

 

I don't understand the Soxprospects scouting report because I have yet to see a cutter, changeup, or slider...I think his breaking pitch is more of a curve-slurve breaking pitch similar to Buchholz but I can't be positive unless I saw his grip or the actual ball rotation.