2012 Prospect Mega Thread

[Station 13]

Baseball America's Red Sox Top Prospects

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2012/2612769.html

 

1. Will Middlebrooks

2. Xander Bogaerts

3. Blake Swihart

4. Anthony Ranaudo

5. Bryce Brentz

6. Brandon Jacobs

7. Garin Cecchini

8. Matt Barnes

9. Ryan Lavarnway

10. Jackie Bradley

11. Alex Wilson

12. Jose Iglesias

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Garin Cecchini

Best Power Hitter Bryce Brentz

Best Strike Zone Discipline Alex Hassan

Fastest Baserunner Felix Sanchez

Best Athlete Derrik Gibson

Best Fastball Alexander Wilson

Best Curveball Anthony Ranaudo

Best Slider Alex Wilson

Best Changup Noe Ramirez

Best Control Keith Couch

Best Defensive Catcher Christian Vazquez

Best Defensive Infielder Jose Iglesias

Best Infield Arm Will Middlebrooks

Best Defensive OF Jackie Bradley

Best Outfield Arm Che-Hsuan Lin

 

and SP has some snippet write up:

Middlebrooks

If scouts drew up a blueprint for a third baseman, it would look like Middlebrooks. He has the size, athleticism, power and arm strength coveted at the hot corner. He continues to learn more about his swing and increase his home run production each year, with more to come in the future. Right now, most of his homers come to the opposite field and are line drives that carry out of the park. With his bat speed and the strength in his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, he could hit 25 or more homers a season if he turns on more pitches and adds more loft to his stroke.

 

Bogaerts

Bogaerts has the highest ceiling among Red Sox prospects. He'll remain at shortstop in 2012, and Boston will have to send him to high Class A Salem at age 19 to challenge him. If he moves just one level a year, he'd still arrive in the majors at 22.

 

Swihart

Swihart has the Buster Posey starter kit. There's no reason to think Swihart can't catch, but if Boston wants to expedite his bat, he's athletic enough to play on the infield and outfield corners.

 

Ranaudo

After hitting the wall last July, Ranaudo recovered and posted a 2.35 ERA in his final five starts without his sharpest stuff. Ticketed for Double-A in 2012, he profiles as a steady No. 3 starter who could be big league-ready in 2013.

Brentz

The Red Sox were looking for a righthanded bat and a right fielder this offseason. Brentz isn't ready to fill those needs yet, but he could be in mid-2013. A potential .270 hitter with 30-homer power, he's headed to Double-A.

Barnes

Barnes has better pure stuff than Ranaudo, but not as much polish and mound presence. He'll probably follow Ranaudo's path in 2012, making his pro debut in low Class A and pushing for a midseason promotion. Barnes may not need much time in the minors, especially if he regains his curve

[Station 13]

Will Middlebrooks

1. Middlebrooks had multiple options when he came out of Liberty-Eylau High (Texarkana, Texas) in 2007. He threw low 90s fastballs and occasionally spun plus curveballs as a pitcher, and he drew interest from college football programs as both a quarterback and a punter. His future appeared even brighter at third base than on the mound or the gridiron, however, and that was the path he chose. Considered a supplemental first-round talent, Middlebrooks slid to the fifth round because of signability concerns and a commitment to Texas A&M, and he landed an above-slot $925,000 bonus. He has moved slowly but surely through the Red Sox system, improving his performance in each of his four pro seasons. He had his best year yet in 2011, when managers rated him as the best hitting prospect in the Double-A Eastern League. He went 1-for-2 in the Futures Game, earned EL all-star honors and reached Triple-A Pawtucket in August. He finished his year by smacking four homers in 13 Arizona Fall League games before straining a ligament in his left hand chasing a foul ball, an injury that didn't require surgery. Boston added him to its 40-man roster in November.

 

Scouting Report: If scouts drew up a blueprint for a third baseman, it would look like Middlebrooks. He has the size, athleticism, power and arm strength coveted at the hot corner. He continues to learn more about his swing and increase his home run production each year, with more to come in the future. Right now, most of his homers come to the opposite field and are line drives that carry out of the park. With his bat speed and the strength in his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, he could hit 25 or more homers a season if he turns on more pitches and adds more loft to his stroke. Middlebrooks is an aggressive hitter who doesn't walk much and may not hit more than .275 or so in the majors, though that's an acceptable trade-off for everything else he offers. He needs to manage at-bats better and make sure his load and timing don't get out of sync. While he remains streaky, his hot spells are lasting longer and his cold spells are ending more quickly. He's doing a better job of waiting for pitches he can hammer rather than getting himself out early in counts. He also understands that he's at his best when he lets his power come naturally, though he can get home run-conscious at times. Middlebrooks is a below-average runner but moves well for his size and isn't a liability on the bases. He's an asset at third base, where he's extremely agile and has a cannon for his arm. He competes well and has emerged as a leader in the system.

 

Xander Bogaerts ss

2. Background: Signed for $410,000 out of Aruba, Bogaerts' 2010 pro debut made him Boston's most highly anticipated international prospect since Hanley Ramirez. When he came to the United States and dominated in extended spring training, the Red Sox sent him to low Class A Greenville at age 18 last June, and he responded by smashing 16 homers in 72 games. His twin brother Jair is a first baseman in the system.

 

Scouting Report: Bogaerts doesn't look like a teenager when he's in the batter's box. He has an easy swing loaded with natural power, and he makes hard contact to all fields. While he still needs to learn the strike zone, he has already shown the ability to make adjustments and handle breaking balls. He could be a .280 hitter with 30 home runs in the majors, and that might be setting the bar low. Bogaerts has fluid actions at shortstop, but he lacks the quick feet for the position and will eventually outgrow it once he fills out. With his plus athleticism, average speed and a strong arm, he'll be able to transition to third base or right field.

 

3. Swihart

Background: Swihart starred with the U.S. national 18-and-under team in 2010, batting .448/.492/.845. The Red Sox drafted him 26th overall last June, making him their highest-drafted catcher since No. 14 pick John Marzano in 1984. Swihart signed at the Aug. 15 deadline for $2.5 million, a franchise record for a position player.

 

Scouting Report: Swihart has uncommon offensive potential and athleticism for a catcher. A switch-hitter, he handles the bat better from his natural right side and has more pull power as a lefty. In instructional league, he doubled off the wall batting lefthanded against a rehabbing Clay Buchholz. Swihart projects as at least a plus hitter with a chance for average or better power. He has quick feet and moves well behind the plate, showing promising blocking and receiving skills despite catching for little more than a year. He also has plus arm strength and has made strides streamlining his release. He has average speed but will lose a step as he matures.

7. Cecchini

Background: Cecchini might have been a first-round pick in 2010 had he not blown out the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and required reconstructive surgery that March. His rumored price tag made teams back off until the Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $1.31 million at the deadline. He tore up older competition in the short-season New York-Penn League last summer until an errant pitch broke his right wrist in late July. His brother Gavin is a potential first-rounder in the 2012 draft.

Scouting Report: Cecchini is the best pure hitter in the system. He has outstanding hand-eye coordination, and he manages at-bats and controls the strike zone well for a youngster. He inside-outs a lot of balls now, and he should have solid power once he gets stronger and turns on more pitches. Cecchini worked diligently to get back in shape after his knee injury, regaining his average speed. A high school shortstop, he moved to third base at Lowell and made 10 errors in 26 games. He has the hands, arm and agility to get the job done once he learns the position.

 

8. Barnes

Background: The Red Sox fell in love with Barnes when they saw him duel Anthony Ranaudo in a Cape Cod League matchup in 2010, and they were delighted to get him with the 19th overall pick last June. He set a Connecticut school record with 247 career strikeouts and led the Huskies to their first-ever NCAA super-regional in 2011. He signed minutes before the Aug. 15 deadline for $1.5 million.

Scouting Report: Barnes can work in the mid-90s with his fastball as a starter, holding his velocity deep into games and topping out at 97. His effortless heat and explosive life are reminiscent of Daniel Bard's. Barnes had a quality curveball in the past, though it regressed in 2011 when he started working on a slider that Boston likely will have him scrap. He has made progress with his changeup but it lacks consistency. Barnes throws strikes but sometimes misses up in the zone when he doesn't stay on top of his pitches. He has an easy delivery but it lacks deception.

[Station 13]

Sox pitching prospect Wilson has eyes on Boston

08:14 PM Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, January 12, 2012

 

By BRIAN MacPHERSON

 

Journal Sports Writer

 

As far as Alex Wilson is concerned, the Red Sox can add as much veteran pitching depth as they want. He’s still got his eyes on a major-league roster spot coming out of spring training.

 

“I’m looking at it like I’m the young guy, I’m the underdog coming in,” Wilson said in a phone interview Thursday morning. “It’s the perfect time for me to go out and prove a point and make a name for myself, knowing there are positions that aren’t solidified. In my mind, there’s no reason I shouldn’t have a shot at competing for one of those positions like anybody else.

 

“I’m there to win a job, basically.”

 

The 25-year-old Wilson, the Red Sox Minor-League Pitcher of the Year last season, will be one of four players attending the Pawtucket Red Sox Hot Stove Party at McCoy Stadium on Friday. Pitcher Brandon Duckworth, catcher Luis Exposito and outfielder Alex Hassan also will join PawSox manager Arnie Beyeler for the event, which begins at 6 p.m. and will give fans an opportunity to collect autographs and pose for pictures.

 

If Wilson has his way, though, he might not be in Pawtucket for long this season — if at all.

 

The righty compiled a 3.05 ERA in 21 starts at Double-A Portland and a 3.43 ERA in four starts after a late-season promotion to Triple-A. He then threw seven strong innings –– three earned runs allowed, six strikeouts, one walk — in a playoff loss to Lehigh Valley in September. Baseball America last week ranked his fastball and his slider as the best in the Red Sox farm system.

 

It was a strong rebound from the 6.66 ERA he posted in 16 starts after he was promoted to Double-A for the first time in 2010.

 

“I made up my mind before I even got [to Triple-A] that I wasn’t going to be timid,” he said. “I was timid when I first made the jump to Double-A, and it really hurt me. Last year, after I earned the opportunity to get moved up, I had a totally different mindset going into it, and I think it really helped.”

 

The Red Sox have revamped their pitching staff this winter, and they might not be done. Jonathan Papelbon has departed for Philadelphia, and Daniel Bard is preparing for spring training as if he’ll be a starting pitcher. Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook both have a chance to crack the starting rotation. Former Astros closer Mark Melancon and former Athletics closer Andrew Bailey both have been acquired and figure to make up the back end of the bullpen.

 

The arrival of Bailey serves as a reminder of what Wilson could contribute to the Red Sox this season. Bailey had pitched a full season in Double-A in 2008, but he won a major-league job with Oakland out of spring training in 2009 — and, by the end of the year, he was the American League Rookie of the Year.

 

He’s not the only one to have taken that path, either.

 

“If you look at Bard, he only had a handful of appearances in Triple-A before he made the jump,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.”

 

If the Red Sox had a largely set pitching staff coming back, Wilson might not have a chance to win a job no matter how well he pitched in spring training. But the Red Sox don’t necessarily know who their five starters will be, let alone who will fill out their bullpen.

 

An opportunity exists for Wilson, probably in the bullpen, if he can seize it.

 

“I feel like, if you don’t look at it that way, you’re cutting yourself at the knees and not allowing yourself to have that chance,” he said. “From what I’ve gathered, I should have as good a shot as anybody else. They’ve explained that I need to come in in shape and ready to go and ready to compete for a spot.”

 

Wilson has done what he can do on that front. He spent the first part of the offseason splitting his time between his workouts and a part-time job stocking shelves at a Lowe’s store. He woke up at 4 a.m. — a far cry from his normal 10 a.m. wakeup call during the season — and worked from 5 a.m. until 1 p.m. before starting his daily workouts.

 

Since Christmas, however, Wilson has started to ease into his throwing program. He’s already throwing long-toss. He’ll get on a mound after he gets home from Rhode Island. He’s also kept up his workouts, even losing seven pounds — “enough for me to feel a difference,” he said.

 

When pitchers and catchers report in a little over a month, Wilson will have a chance to see if his work can pay off in a big-league roster spot. If not, the call figures to come sooner rather than later once the season begins.

 

“I feel like what I do, personally, on and off the field, is good enough to compete against anybody,” he said. “I feel like, if I stay consistent and I keep doing what I do day in and day out and prepare the way I know I should, I should have no problem with the jump. It’s one of those things that comes down to how competitive you are and how bad you want it — and I’m real hungry right now.”

 

http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/content/Red_Sox_Alex_Wilson_01-13-12_RJSKJTP_v2.1702b5b.html

[User Name]

The Red Sox need to give Wilson a chance to earn a spot in the 2012 BP.

[Station 13]

The Red Sox need to give Wilson a chance to earn a spot in the 2012 BP.

 

 

Right now he is still a starter and I hope he is our 5th starter by June if things goes right. A relieve role he could thrive with a reportorial similar to Bard.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes and Sox 2011 draft re-cap

 

The Red Sox [team stats] had four names to call in the first 40 selections of last night’s Major League Baseball draft, and the club finished the proceedings feeling good about the two pitchers, the catcher and the outfielder that were picked.

 

Hard-throwing University of Connecticut right-hander Matt Barnes, a Bethel, Conn., native, was taken with the No,19 pick in the first round, followed at No,6 by high school catcher Blake Swihart (Rio Rancho, N.M.). Then, high up in the supplemental round, the Sox first picked 6-foot-6 high school lefty Henry Owens (Edison, Calif.) at No.36, followed four selections later with the choice of outfielder Jackie Bradley of the University of South Carolina.

 

“Certainly we feel like some things broke our way and we were able to get four players we feel really good about,” general manager Theo Epstein said. “Two high schools, two college, two pitchers, two hitters — the hitters are up-the-middle guys with strong defensive tools and bats we really like, and both pitchers we feel project as starters in the big leagues. So we’re real happy with how it went.”

 

Barnes is a hard-throwing, 6-foot-4, 205-pounder who opened the Red Sox’ eyes last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched for Wareham. In his third year for the Huskies, he owns an 11-4 record with a 1.62 ERA, holding opponents to a .177 batting average entering NCAA tournament super regional play. His ERA is the 10th lowest in the nation, and he has thrown three shutouts.

 

According to MLB.com and Baseball America, Barnes’ velocity picked up this year by about 6 mph, and he throws consistently in the low- to mid-90s — with reports of him topping out at 96 and 98. With scouts believing that his frame could support the addition of another 20 pounds, it is likely that Barnes’ smooth delivery will allow him to be a true power pitcher as he matures and develops. He throws a two-seam and cut fastball, along with a curveball and changeup..

 

Swihart has a baseball scholarship to the University of Texas, so he could be a tough sign, but the Red Sox have tended to make prudent gambles in such cases in the past. Epstein, who voiced optimism that the college commitment would not be an issue, has been impressed with Swihart’s skills.

 

“We definitely like him as a catcher, we saw him catch for about a year, we were impressed with the way he caught,” Epstein said. “He’s athletic enough to really succeed back there but also athletic and versatile enough to go play a number of different positions, so we’ll send him out as a catcher with a strong conviction that he can stay back there.”

 

The Sox had an especially top-heavy draft position this year because they had two Type A free agents sign elsewhere. They received the first-round and supplemental-round picks of the Detroit Tigers (catcher Victor Martinez) at Nos. 19 and 36, and the No.26 and 40 selections from the Texas Rangers (third baseman Adrian Beltre). Because the Red Sox signed left fielder Carl Crawford away from Tampa Bay, the Rays received their picks (No.24 and 41).

 

http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2011_0607sox_add_arm_in_barnes_use_1st-round_pickon_uconn_pitcher

[Soxfan1]

Bethel is a tiny town in Connecticut. My ex-roommate actually went to Bethel High with Barnes. Says he's a really nice guy.

[example1]

If the Sox can get a solid season from Stolmey Pimentel and Zach Britton then their pitching will look much better next year at this time.

[Palodios]

If the Sox can get a solid season from Stolmey Pimentel and Zach Britton then their pitching will look much better next year at this time.

Do you mean Drake?

[Station 13]

Sickels' top farm system ranking, Sox comes in 11th.

 

Yankees loses steam with Montero traded.

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/1/23/2728027/2012-baseball-farm-system-rankings-prospects#storyjump

[Station 13]

Middlebrooks tabbed Red Sox's top prospect

Bogaerts, Brentz, Lavarnway part of MLB.com's expanded list

 

BOSTON -- Four Red Sox with legitimate power potential are included on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list, and for Boston, that's a realistic representation of its Minor League system on the whole -- in terms of both the number of prospects on the list and the type of players.

 

Pop was the calling card of the best performers in Boston's farm system last year, and there was plenty of it to go around. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, a tandem that dreamers can imagine patrolling the left side of Fenway's infield in a few years, are two of the Sox's highest ranked up-and-comers, at Nos. 56 and 76, respectively.

 

Also on MLB.com's list are No. 64 Bryce Brentz, a 23-year-old outfielder who hit 19 homers for Class A Salem, and No. 93 Ryan Lavarnway, whose power was on display for the big league club at the very end of last season.

 

This year's edition of MLB.com's Top Prospects list has expanded from 50 to 100 players. The annual ranking of baseball's biggest and brightest young talent is assembled by MLB.com's Draft and prospect expert Jonathan Mayo, who compiles input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, closeness to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. The list, which is one of several prospect rankings on MLB.com's Prospect Watch, only includes players with rookie status in 2012.

 

Bogaerts, who doesn't turn 20 until October, hit 16 home runs in 265 at-bats at Class A Greenville. Middlebrooks matched his current age, 23, with his long-ball total last season between three stops, spending most of the time at Double-A Portland.

 

"He's continued to progress as a hitter," Boston's director of player development Ben Crockett said of Middlebrooks. "He took steps forward from his season in Salem. Offensively, he was in the middle off the field a little bit better. [He's] still showing excellent power, and his approach, I think, is something that's been improved."

 

Middlebrooks combines the defensive tools -- arm particularly -- to profile as a third baseman who matches the industry standard for the position. Middlebrooks should be ticketed for Triple-A Pawtucket once Spring Training ends, and he provides the Red Sox some insurance if Kevin Youkilis' health again hampers him. A season at Triple-A would be ideal for Middlebrooks, but if a need arises, there's the chance Middlebrooks could see time on the big league club this season.

 

"With any player on the 40-man roster, and in Triple-A, something like that is always a possibility," Crockett said. "You can't predict performance or injuries, but everyone at that level is in position to help if the right situation arises."

Bogaerts draws Hanley Ramirez comparisons because of his position, the team that he's coming up with and his power potential.

 

Brentz's pop might be the easiest to project of anyone's in the Red Sox's farm system, with a combined 35 home runs in 720 Minor League at-bats coming after he led NCAA Division I with 28 homers in 2009, at Middle Tennessee State.

 

Lavarnway's power has been known -- he went deep 32 times between Double-A and Triple-A last season -- but the question for him is whether he can be a full-time catcher.

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120124&content_id=26454878&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos

[suj11]

If the Sox can get a solid season from Stolmey Pimentel and Zach Britton then their pitching will look much better next year at this time.

 

Britton is in Orioles, right ? i think you got him confused with some one else..

[example1]

Totally. Drake Britton. My bad. I wasn't confused about who I was referring to, just used the wrong first name.

[jacksonianmarch]

By the end of the yr, the sox will be welcoming a new class of lower level prospects for people to go ga-ga over. I liked their drafts from 09-11, but we havent seen a ton of the potential showing up. This might be the yr

[Station 13]

Alex Speier

 

According to Ben Cherington, #RedSox pitching prospect Anthony Ranaudo likely to begin season at Double-A Portland.

[ruby123]

It is a very good 2012 Prospect Mega Thread

[Station 13]

Top prospect Ranaudo aiming for assignment to Double-A

By Brian MacPherson

 

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Anthony Ranaudo could feel the effects of fatigue.

 

Making his first start of the spring against an opposing team on Wednesday, Ranaudo -- the consensus top pitching prospect in the organization -- cruised through his first inning of work but hit a batter, walked a batter and allowed a line-drive single to right before escaping the jam in his second.

 

"For my first outing, I felt like it went pretty well," he said afterward. "I thought I did a good job in the first inning of locating to both sides, down in the zone. The second inning, I could see I was a little fatigued, I was leaving some fastballs up in the zone. But, overall, I felt pretty good, especially about my secondary stuff. It's definitely something I can build off."

 

Fatigue is normal this early in the spring. Fatigue also is something with which Ranaudo has had to deal before.

 

Ranaudo cruised through 10 starts at Single-A Greenville in April and May last season, compiling a 3.33 ERA and striking out 50 hitters in 46 innings. He hit some obstacles upon his promotion to Single-A Salem in June, compiling a 4.33 ERA in 16 starts for Salem -- including a 6.30 ERA in six starts in July.

 

The stock of Ranaudo -- a supplemental first-round draft pick in 2010 -- seems to have taken some hits in the world of prospect evaluation in large part due to those late-season struggles. The Red Sox remain optimistic, as they did throughout last year.

 

"I know he didn't necessarily dominate from a statistical standpoint, but we thought he had some really good outings down there and he held that level, for a first-year guy, really well," Red Sox assistant general manager Mike Hazen said.

 

The question now becomes where to place Ranaudo in order to maximize his development -- back at Salem, where he'd probably thrive against less skilled competition, or at Double-A Portland, where he'd encounter more trial by fire.

 

The same question must be answered for each pitching prospect in the organization. Some answers are easy. Alex Wilson, for example, undoubtedly is going to pitch at Triple-A Pawtucket if his longshot bid for a spot on the major-league roster falls short.

 

But most minor-league players come to spring training a little bit unsure whether they're going to go back to the level at which they pitched the previous season or be promoted to a more advanced level.

 

"Hopefully I break with Portland," Ranaudo said. "Obviously, nothing is set in stone, but if I do get that chance, it would be a great experience and I'd definitely be looking forward to the challenge and seeing how my stuff plays out up there."

 

Simply failing to dominate the advanced Single-A Carolina League would not disqualify Ranaudo from being promoted to Double-A -- nor does it disqualify him from being a top prospect.

 

Hazen pointed out that Wilson endured even more severe late-season struggles following a promotion to Double-A Portland in 2010 -- a 6.66 ERA in 16 starts starting in mid-June. Wilson followed that up with a 3.11 ERA in 25 starts in 2011 and is considered a candidate to help the Red Sox either as a starter or reliever this season.

 

The situations were a little different. Wilson did go back to Portland, the same level at which he had his struggles, to get himself straightened out the following year. Ranaudo did not struggle nearly as badly as Wilson did, but he's going to face a steeper challenge if he makes the jump to the next level.

 

But, still, both were pitching a full season of pro baseball for the first time -- and that's more of an adjustment than one might think.

 

"First-year pitchers, you've got to be careful evaluating them in August," Hazen said. "These guys have never pitched on a five-day cycle before. ... There's going to be a little downtick. Those guys that don't downtick in August are probably freaks."

 

As much as Ranaudo tried to prepare for the adjustment to a five-day routine, it still was an adjustment.

 

"Anytime you make 27 starts and you pitch 120-plus innings in a season, you're definitely going to learn a lot of things, learn a lot about yourself and your stuff. ...

"There are some things that are going to make your arm feel great sometimes, and there are going to be some things that make your arm feel a little slow. Just making those adjustments, the in-game adjustments, the between-starts adjustments, was the biggest thing for me last year."

 

A similar dilemma will surface when the Red Sox try to decide what to do with last June's draft picks, the pitchers entering their first full season of baseball.

 

First-round draft pick Matt Barnes is 21 and pitched three seasons in college for UConn, so he's more likely to jump straight to Single-A Greenville like Ranaudo did. Supplemental first-round pick Henry Owens is 19 and was drafted out of high school, so he's more likely to stay in Fort Myers for extended spring training and head to short-season Single-A Lowell in June.

 

But nothing ever is set in stone. It all depends on the player.

 

"There's no formula," Red Sox director of player development Ben Crockett said before spring training began. "There's no set formula that if he does X, Y and Z, he definitely goes here and if he doesn't, he doesn't. It has a lot to do with, to some extent, us getting to know these players. We have quite a history with them on the scouting side. In player development, we got to know them a little bit at the end of last year and in instructional league. That's a key part of it. It's putting together as much information as we can and trying to make an educated decision.

 

"We're learning, figuring out where we can push some guys, where we should be less aggressive with others. Some of it is personality. Some of it is talent. Some of it is past competition. Some of it is physical development. There are a lot of different factors that go in and make an equation that we try to put together to make those decisions."

 

http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/2012/03/top-prospect-ranaudo-aiming-for-assignment-to-double-a.html

[Station 13]

Top prospect Bogaerts has swing beyond his years

By Brian MacPherson

 

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Xander Bogaerts found something last season for which he'd been searching throughout his career: Right field.

 

Bogaerts has always had an advanced plate approach for his age. It wasn't until last year, however, that the shortstop finally felt comfortable taking the inside-out swing he'd refined on the tee and in the cage onto the field for the first time.

 

"He had an idea, but he didn't know how to do it," Red Sox minor-league hitting coordinator Victor Rodriguez said. "Repetition of doing it the right way -- a lot of the time, when we talk about middle-of-the-field approach, the kids want to force the swing instead of letting the ball travel and driving it the other way. The repetition of that, trusting his hands, letting the ball travel and driving the ball instead of guiding it the other way got him to believe."

 

The result was a breakout season that catapulted Bogaerts to the top of Red Sox prospect lists. He skipped short-season Single-A Lowell entirely after extended spring training and hit 16 home runs in half a season at Single-A Greenville.

 

It was a prodigious display of power from a hitter who was just 18 years old -- and it was unexpected, even for Bogaerts.

 

"I wasn't expecting to hit 16 bombs," he said.

 

But hit 16 bombs he did, and his mature plate approach had more to do with that than raw muscle.

 

"You can see the life in the bat," Rodriguez said. "But to hit homers like he did, 16 homers in half a season, besides having power, you need to be a good hitter. It's not that easy to hit homers. You can have all the power in the world, but if you're not a good hitter and have the right approach, you're not going to hit homers. You've got to have the right approach, the right path to the ball to create that backspin that's going to go out of the field.

 

"We've got guys that have a lot of power, a lot of strength, but they are not that kind of hitter. Because of that, they don't hit that many homers. The power that he has, the strength that he has, plus the mechanics, the approach at the plate, is allowing him to do that."

 

Bogaerts even hit a handful of home runs to right field -- like he did again in a minor-league game on Thursday, taking one over the right-field fence at Fenway South.

 

"I didn't expect oppo power," he said, talking about last season a few hours before his home run on Thursday. "I used to hit the ball for doubles or triples to right field, but I didn't expect bombs."

 

Everyone will expect bombs this year from the 19-year-old Bogaerts, who will be challenged in April with an assignment to Single-A Salem in the Carolina League, a league in which the average pitcher last year was 23 years old.

 

Scouting reports suggest he might have a move to third base once he grows up and fills out, but he can imagine himself -- like his childhood idols Derek Jeter and Hanley Ramirez -- as a big-bodied shortstop.

 

"I want to stay there," he said. "I like to move around a lot, make nice plays. I have a lot of range and athleticism, so I want to stay there."

 

The major leagues still are two or three years away, but Bogaerts has all the makings of a star.

 

"You see how the ball comes off of the bat with a different sound, with the ability to stay in the middle of the field and drive the ball the other way that we always preach," Rodriguez said. "He came with that. The whole game, the approach at the plate for a young guy, all that stuff together, you cannot stop imagining a great player."

 

http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/2012/03/top-prospect-bogaerts-has-swing-beyond-his-years.html

[Station 13]

http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/105/1050687.jpg

 

"In Port Charlotte today. Boston's prospects in town. Matt Barnes looking nasty. 93-96 early"

 

"Matt Barnes couldn't have looked better today. Up to 97, plus CB, CH solid. Just walked right thru the lineup"

 

http://www.twitter.com/frankiepiliere

[Station 13]

Brentz heading for Portland.

[Station 13]

Hearing Ranaudo is healthy again, and he touch 97MPH.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes debut

 

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
5.0 	2 	0 	0 	2 	9 	0 	0.00

 

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t428&t=g_box&gid=2012_04_08_lwdafx_capafx_1

 

 

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/images/2012/04/08/jei2Ffu9.jpg

 

Matt Barnes said he began his first Minor League outing Sunday afternoon with one mantra in mind: The mound doesn't change from college to pro ball. The mound stays the same.

 

Barnes -- a 2011 first-round Draft pick and the Red Sox's No. 13 prospect -- struck out nine batters over five innings in his pro debut Sunday as the Class A Greenville Drive stymied the Lakewood BlueClaws, 4-0, at Fluor Field.

 

"I just wanted to give my team a chance to win and do what I've done the last couple of years," the former University of Connecticut standout said. "Though we don't really get too many fans at UConn. I was pretty excited for this start ever since I signed."

 

Barnes, selected 19th overall last June, fanned at least one batter in each of his five frames. He gave up singles to Carlos Perdomo and Aaron Altherr and issued a pair of walks.

 

Lessons learned?

 

"When I was in the fourth inning, I tried to do too much," said Schumer, who followed Altherr's hit in the fourth by walking Christopher Duffy. "I need to let my stuff take care of it, don't get too over-amped."

 

The 21-year-old right-hander credited the strikeouts to his fastball. He said his coaches and father, who was in attendance, told him the pitch ranged between 94-97 mph.

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120408&content_id=28185690&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes dominates again last night. How about a promotion to Salem by May?

 

 

	IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
5.0 	1 	0 	0 	0 	7 	0 	0.00

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t428&t=g_box&gid=2012_04_13_capafx_wvaafx_1

[ORS]

WMB hit #2 last night, #3 today (with his first walk!), line at .359/.375/.641.

[Station 13]

Xander is holding his own in high A . He hit his first home run yesterday and has 4XBH out of 10 hits.

[ORS]

Lavarnway heating up. HRs the last two nights. Tick tock, Salty, tick tock.

[jacksonianmarch]

If you're gonna have a s***** defensive catcher, you might as well have one who can hit.

[Station 13]

Sox picks in the June draft:

 

First round

No. 24

No. 31 (for Jonathan Papelbon)

 

Supplemental first round

No. 37 (for Papelbon)

 

Second round

No. 87

 

Third round

No. 118

[Station 13]

Matt f***ING Barnes third start

 

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
6.0 	3 	0 	0 	0 	9 	0 	0.00

 

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t428&t=g_box&gid=2012_04_18_capafx_lexafx_1

 

This is what we expected out of Bard 5 years ago in the minors.

[Station 13]

Middlebrooks 3 hits night to raise BA to .365, with a HR (4th) and BB