2012 Prospect Mega Thread

[avrpatsfan]

Middlebrooks went 2-5 with another homer today to raise his average to .368. Watch out Youk, Middlebrooks is knocking on the door.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes being Matt Barnes

4th start

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
5.0 	3 	0 	0 	2 	9 	0 	0.00

 

Not a freaking run allow yet.

 

Also Matt Barnes hit 100MPH on the gun. Not sure if the stadium gun is correct, but at least 1-2 mph off isn't out of the possibility.

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t428&t=g_box&gid=2012_04_24_capafx_delafx_1

[Station 13]

Season

 

Bradley jr

 

.315/.438/.407 5SB

 

Bogaerts

 

.295/.368/.492

 

Bradley could be our own home developed Crawford.

[iortiz]

 

SoxProspects: Bonous babies pan out

 

It’s no secret the John Henry ownership group has had its share of hits and misses when it comes to long-term major league contracts, whether free-agent acquisitions or re-signing of homegrown Red Sox players to extended deals. The same has been true with high-profile signings in the amateur and international markets -- there have been some great acquisitions that have paid dividends for years, and others that didn’t live up to the hype. The current ownership group has given signings bonuses of $1 million or more to 25 different amateur or international players since December 2001, all of which are listed below by bonus amount. Decide for yourself, but it seems to me that the front office has had a better rate of success with “bonus babies” than it has with major league deals.

 

1. SS Jose Iglesias, $6,250,000 in September 2009. Currently playing for Triple-A Pawtucket, Iglesias has been tabbed as Boston’s shortstop of the future, and could take over the role as early as midseason. While his defense is remarkable, questions still remain as to whether he can be better than a .235 hitter at the major league level.

 

2. RHP Casey Kelly, $3,000,000 in July 2008. Kelly impressed in two seasons as a pitcher in the Red Sox system and was sent to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez deal. Through two starts with Triple-A Tucson this year, Kelly has posted a 2.25 ERA and a 14/0 K/BB ratio in 12 innings, but he’s currently on the disabled list. He projects as a middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Padres.

 

3. RHP Anthony Ranaudo, $2,550,000 in August 2010. Ranaudo went 9-6 with a 3.97 ERA for High-A Salem and Low-A Greenville in 2011. His 2012 debut has been delayed due to a groin strain, and he’s currently in extended spring training with the hopes of joining Double-A Portland in mid-May. Ranaudo projects as a starter for a first-division team.

 

4. C Blake Swihart, $2,500,000 in August 2011. One of Boston’s first round picks from the 2011 draft, Swihart has lots of raw potential. He’s presently catching for Greenville, hitting .214/.297/.339.

 

5. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, $2,000,000 in December 2006. The signing bonus was just a pittance of the money the front office shelled out to sign Matsuzaka, which also included a $52 million major league deal and a $51.1 million posting fee. The 31-year-old right-hander started a rehab assignment with Salem on April 23, and is slated to re-join the big club within a month.

 

6. OF Ryan Westmoreland, $2,000,000 in August 2008. Westmoreland was considered one of the top prospects in the system when a cavernous malformation was discovered on his brain stem in March 2010. He’s been rehabbing from the surgery for the last two years, and is currently in extended spring training. He may be able to get back into game action by season’s end.

 

7. SS Jose Vinicio, $1,950,000 in July 2009. Signed on his 16th birthday, Vinicio is still just 18 and shows lots of promise, particularly if he can add some size and strength. He’s currently hitting .256/.360/.419 for Greenville.

 

8. RHP Junichi Tazawa, $1,800,000 in December 2008. Tazawa has impressed in 2 appearances with Boston and 4 appearances with Pawtucket so far this year. He profiles as a reliable middle-inning reliever, and could possibly develop into a late-inning setup man.

 

9. LHP Mike Rozier, $1,575,000 in August 2004. Boston gave Rozier one of the club’s largest bonuses ever at the time to sign him away from his football scholarship to North Carolina. He struggled with weight issues early in his career and his fastball inexplicably dropped from low 90s to low 80s over his tenure in the Red Sox system. He posted a career 5.23 ERA and was released in March 2009.

 

10. RHP Daniel Bard, $1,550,000 in August 2006. Though he struggled in his first year in the minors, Bard developed into an elite setup man. He still has the potential to develop into a very good starter or elite closer. Put this one solidly in the win column for the front office.

 

11. RHP Henry Owens, $1,550,000 in August 2011. A supplemental first round pick in 2011, Owens is now in Greenville’s starting rotation at the age of 19. The 6-foot-7 lefty has been able to miss a lot of bats in the very early stages of his career, but he needs to work on improving his stamina.

 

12. OF David Murphy, $1,525,000 in June 2003. A former first-round pick, Murphy was shipped to Texas as part of the infamous Eric Gagne deal. He’s been a solid and reliable 3rd/4th outfielder for the Rangers since 2007.

 

13. RHP Matt Barnes, $1,500,000 in August 2011. The 2011 first-round pick is off to a blistering start to his professional career in Greenville this season, posting a 0.00 ERA and striking out 34 in his first 21 innings. He projects as a 3rd starter at this point; his ceiling may be even higher, but he’s still a couple years away from the majors.

 

14. 3B Michael Almanzar, $1,500,000 in July 2007. A Dominican third baseman with outstanding tools, Almanzar has been a disappointment, primarily due to motivation, discipline and maturity issues. He’s now in his fifth season in A-ball. That being said, he’s off to a respectable start with Salem this year, hitting .318/.348/.477.

 

15. 3B David Renfroe, $1,500,000 in August 2009. Renfroe was a highly regarded football and baseball player out of high school, so a big bonus was required to sign him away from his commitment to the University of Mississippi. He was unimpressive in his first two seasons with short-season Lowell and Greenville. He’s repeating Low-A in 2012, hitting .240/.321/520 early on.

 

16. OF Jacoby Ellsbury, $1,400,000 in July 2005. Ellsbury is an impact regular who finished second in the American League MVP balloting in 2011. Another great acquisition by the Red Sox.

 

17. RHP Craig Hansen, $1,330,000 in July 2005. Regarded as big-league-ready out of college, Hansen was rushed to the majors, had little success, and was eventually included as a secondary chip in the Manny Ramirez trade. He was forced to retire in 2011 due to a rare nerve condition.

 

18. 3B Garin Cecchini, $1,310,000 in August 2010. Boston’s 4th-round pick in 2010, Cecchini is now playing with Greenville, hitting .246/.333/.311. He has the potential to develop into an impact major leaguer, but still requires 3-4 years of development time.

 

19. 2B Sean Coyle, $1,300,000 in August 2010. Coyle was Boston’s 3rd-round pick in 2010, a round before Cecchini. He’s hitting .246/.310/.400 for Salem, and has similar potential to develop into an impact big leaguer.

 

20. OF Jason Place, $1,300,000 in June 2006. The Red Sox selected Place with the 27th overall pick of the 2006 draft, one selection before Daniel Bard. A toolsy center fielder, Place went on to post a .230 career batting average and never made it past Double-A. Boston released Place in March 2011 and he subsequently signed with the Yankees. He played 27 games in the Yankees’ system, hitting .178, before he was released in June 2011.

 

21. OF Reymond Fuentes, $1,134,000 in July 2009. Boston picked Fuentes, a speedy and athletic center fielder out of Puerto Rico, in the 1st round of the 2009 draft. He was solid but unspectacular in two seasons in the Boston system, and was then sent to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez deal. Fuentes is presently hitting .246/.317/.404 with Double-A San Antonio.

 

22. OF Jackie Bradley, Jr., $1,100,000 in August 2011. An elite defensive center fielder, Bradley is currently playing with Salem, hitting .315/.438/.407. He could be in Boston’s outfield mix at some point in 2014, perhaps as an impact regular.

 

23. OF Matt Murton, $1,010,000 in July 2003. Murton was sent to the Cubs as part of the Nomar Garciaparra deal in 2004. He spent five seasons in the majors, primarily as a taxi-squad-type player. He’s played the last three seasons in Japan, where he has actually performed quite well.

 

24. OF Peter Hissey, $1,000,000 in August 2008. Hissey has hit just .249 since joining the organization in 2008, playing mostly above his age level. He looked as if he made some impressive developmental strides this spring, but he broke his hand early in the season and will be out of action until mid-June. He has the potential to develop into a 4th/5th outfielder at the major league level.

 

25. LHP Jon Lester, $1,000,000 in August 2002. His early season struggles notwithstanding, Lester has developed into a borderline-elite to elite pitcher. Another obvious check in the plus column for Boston.

[Station 13]

Update on Bradley

 

.371/.476/.484

 

Scouts absolutely loves him. Saying he's a tough out. More walks and Ks.

 

Bogaerts went yard (2nd).

 

.292/.361/.523

 

that SLG is unreal for a 19 year old, 19 hits, 10 XBH.

[Palodios]

Stolmy Pimental pitched his first game of 2012 with Portland. 5 IP, 2 ER. He's definitely one of the guys on the depth chart that would be great to see turn things around.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes Promoted to Salem Red Sox

19th overall selection was dominant in five starts with Greenville

 

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/images/2012/04/30/QmeaIgFW.jpg

Barnes led the SAL with 42 strikeouts in just 26.2 innings.

 

Following his fifth straight dominating appearance on Sunday, right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes has been promoted to the Salem Red Sox, Boston's Advanced-A affiliate of the Carolina League. The 19th overall selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, Barnes was 2-0 with a 0.34 ERA (1 ER/26.2 IP), 42 strikeouts and only four base on balls.

 

The 2012 season marked Barnes' professional debut after a three-year standout career at the University of Connecticut. The 21-year-old began the year by tossing a Greenville franchise record 26.2 scoreless innings, before that streak was snapped on Sunday by the Lakewood BlueClaws, when the bullpen allowed an inherited runner to cross home plate.

 

In each of his five outings, Barnes tossed at least 5.0 innings and struckout no less than seven batters, having fanned nine in a game on three occasions - April 8th vs. Lakewood, April 18th at Lexington, and April 24th at Delmarva.

 

Barnes leaves the South Atlantic League leading the circuit in ERA (0.34), Strikeouts (42), WHIP (0.60), Opponents Average Against (.130), Winning Percentage (1.000), Opponents Average Against Amongst Starting Pitchers, Strikeout/9 Innings Pitched Amongst Starting Pitchers (14.18), and Fewest Baserunners/9 Innings Pitched Amongst Starting Pitchers (5.74). He also ranked second in Walks/9 Innings Pitched Amongst Starting Pitchers (1.35).

 

Just two starts into his professional career, Barnes garnered the South Atlantic League's first Pitcher of the Week honors for April 5-15.

http://greenville.drive.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120430&content_id=30037174&vkey=news_t428&fext=.jsp&sid=t428

[jacksonianmarch]

Never should have started in the SAL. A polished college pitcher with his stuff should have started in A+ all along

[Station 13]

Never should have started in the SAL. A polished college pitcher with his stuff should have started in A+ all along

 

What do you think his ceiling is? I give him a #2, because #1 should only go to 250 inning horses like Halladay, Lee, Verlander.

[jacksonianmarch]

What do you think his ceiling is? I give him a #2' date=' because #1 should only go to 250 inning horses like Halladay, Lee, Verlander.[/quote']

 

He has ace ceiling. I think he has a pretty high floor as well due to his blazing fastball.

[example1]

Never should have started in the SAL. A polished college pitcher with his stuff should have started in A+ all along

 

I'm not sure what to make of their choice to start him there. The Sox are usually very aggressive in starting their top prospects pretty high. Perhaps they wanted to build confidence in him early, or maybe they perceived a roadblock of good pitchers at A+ (though I don't see it). It's interesting.

[TheBardoftheBullpen51]

Can anyone tell how Jackie Bradley Jr has been doing! I read on Sox prospects he has been on a tear recently?

[Station 13]

Bogaerts hit a gigantic HR tonight.

 

Last year he took a hanging slider to dead center around 440ft for his first pro-ball HR.

[Station 13]

Can anyone tell how Jackie Bradley Jr has been doing! I read on Sox prospects he has been on a tear recently?

 

He had a lead off HR tonight. Hitting .350s getting on base around .460 clip. More walks than Ks.

 

He could be a nice lead off hitter by 2014.

[jacksonianmarch]

He'll be in Portland soon

[Docicu3]

1. SS Jose Iglesias,

 

He got the call to join the big club today after going 2-4 yesterday.......I couldn't be happier about this move but hope expectations for his stick are no more than the Mendoza line as this kids glove literally steals outs every game.

If he moves runners with less than 2 out, bunts successfully when asked and doesn't " K " at a 100/season pace then his bat is almost irrelevant to justify at least late inning defense if not the occasional start right now.

 

Hopefully the kid sticks for the year...

 

 

 

BTW I'm new and want to say hi to all who bleed red like myself.....

[example1]

Welcome to the board.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes high A debut

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
6.0 	4 	1	1	1 	12	0 	1.50

GO/FO 3-1

[Station 13]

Barnes' K/BB is 54-5 in the minors. Mind blowing numbers.

[Station 13]

Barnes was still hitting mid 90s as he approach the century pitch mark.

[Station 13]

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/05/05/Z7U9HkST.jpg

Magnificent Matt: Barnes Dominates Dash

Barnes Ks a Dozen in Dominant Debut

Matt Barnes flashed his fastball, commanded his curve, mixed in his change, and never once looked overwhelmed in his first Advanced-A opportunity.

 

Winston-Salem, NC (May 5, 2012) - Matt Barnes flashed his fastball, commanded his curve, mixed in his change, and never once looked overwhelmed in his first Advanced-A opportunity. With 12 strikeouts in six innings, Barnes tossed 70 of his 92 pitches for strikes in Salem's 6-4 victory over Winston-Salem on Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark. The Dash scored a single run against Barnes in the last of the sixth, but with multiple runners aboard, he picked up his 11th and 12th punchouts consecutively, finishing off Winston's cleanup man Dan Black with a breaking-ball on his 92nd and final pitch of the night. In six professional appearances since being drafted in the first round out of UConn, Barnes has compiled a remarkable 54 strikeouts compared to just five walks.

 

Offensively, Salem used a five-run third inning to collect all the offense it would need to even its series with Winston at one game apiece heading into Sunday's rubber match. Dash starter Ryan Buch had struck out four over two scoreless innings, but Shannon Wilkerson's one-out double commenced a stretch of five straight Red Sox reaching base in the third. Following Wilkerson's double, consecutive walks to Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Sean Coyle loaded the bases for Travis Shaw. The slugging first-baseman proceeded to clear the bases with a laser-beam double into the right-center field gap, lifting the Red Sox to a 3-0 advantage. Brandon Jacobs drove in Shaw with an RBI single to left, and the score became 5-0 when Jacobs stole second and advanced home on two Dash errors. Trying to throw out the basestealer, Mike Blanke fired a fastball into center field, and it rolled under the glove of Trayce Thompson as Jacobs easily trotted home.

 

Salem added to its lead in the fifth, with Bradley drawing his third walk of the day to begin the frame. Three batters later, he scored on Jacobs' RBI grounder, giving the Sox a 6-0 cushion. Although the Sox only finished the game with five hits, the offense was buoyed by Barnes' dominant pitching performance.

 

Marcus Semien battled through an 11-pitch at bat to begin the first inning against Barnes, singling to left to culminate the feisty combat. Undeterred, Barnes picked up his first strikeout by whiffing Carlos Sanchez and then induced a first-pitch double-play from Thompson. The first was the only inning in which Barnes failed to strike out multiple batters, punching out two in every other frame except the fifth, when he struck out the side in order. In his Salem debut, he finished with one run allowed on four hits over six innings, punching out a career-high 12 while walking one.

 

The Dash scored three unearned runs off Jeremiah Bayer in the bottom of the eighth, but Andrew Jones and Mike Olmsted tag-teamed to close out the game, with Olmsted retiring the final batter with the tying runs on base to earn his sixth save of the year. Although the Dash outhit the Sox 7-5, Winston left seven men aboard and went just 2-for-8 with men in scoring position.

 

Shaw (three) and Jacobs (two) drove in all five Red Sox runs, while Bradley scored twice, reaching base four times with three walks and a hit-by-pitch. Buch suffered the loss for Winston, tagged for five runs (four earned) over three innings.

 

Inching within a game and a half of the first-place Dash with Saturday's win, the Red Sox will try to make it two out of three against the Dash in Sunday's series finale. The matinee will commence at 2 PM, with Drake Britton scheduled to start opposite Matt Heidenreich.

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120505&content_id=30511770&vkey=news_t414&fext=.jsp&sid=t414

[example1]

Yeah, I gave an audible "holy s***" when I saw that 12 k performance. Glad to see you had updated talksox already Station.

 

Barnes is probably the Sox best pitching prospect since Buchholz, in a limited sample.

[Station 13]

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
6.0 	5 	2 	1 	0 	8 	1 	1.50

Groundouts-flyouts:  9-1

 

On the season Barnes has 64-5 K/BB

 

64K leads the minors.

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t414&t=g_box&gid=2012_05_11_salafa_myrafa_1

[Rdsxmbnt]

Another guy to keep an eye on is SP Henry Owens (A). He's extremely raw at this point as evident by his 6 BB/9, but he is tied for 2nd (with Barnes) in all of the minors in K/9 at 14.4.

 

Was our first round supplemental pick last year and is only 19 years old.

[Station 13]

Ranaudo is making debut at AA today.

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes is magical

 

Matt Barnes 	

IP 	H 	R 	ER 	BB 	SO 	HR 	ERA
6.0 	2 	0 	0 	1 	5 	0 	1.00

GO/FO 6-2

 

Zebulon, NC (May 17, 2012) - Matt Barnes struck out a career-low five batters, but still overwhelmed another opposition with six scoreless innings in Salem's 2-0 shutout victory over Carolina on Thursday night. Allowing just two hits, Barnes let his defenders make plays behind him, scattering six groundouts and two fly balls amidst his 74-pitch, 47 strike performance. In eight professional starts, Barnes now possesses a 4-0 record and 0.60 ERA (3 ER/44.2 IP), with 67 strikeouts and six walks.

 

Barnes would have dominated without earning the W if not for a two-out balk in the top of the seventh that broke the scoreless stalemate. With runners at first and third, Michael Goodnight tried the fake-to-third, look-to-first maneuver and base umpire Rich Gonzalez made the call, sending Travis Shaw across home plate for Salem's first run of the game. Goodnight and Carolina manager Edwin Rodriguez both argued the decision, but to no avail.

 

With a 1-0 lead, the Red Sox once again scored without an RBI when Carson Blair scurried home from third on a wild pitch in the top of the eighth. Salem finished without a run batted in, but two runs were plenty with Barnes, Jeremiah Bayer, and Mike Olmsted paving the path to the team's third shutout of the season.

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t414&t=g_box&gid=2012_05_17_salafa_cmcafa_1

[Station 13]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2012/2613423.html

 

http://oi47.tinypic.com/2rc0enq.jpg

 

Yeah I think he will be in AA by July.

[jacksonianmarch]

Once again, a polished pitcher with ace stuff should have no trouble in the low minors. He dominated a league he never should have started in and he is now dominating the league he should have started in. He probably gets one more A+ start and then will see time in AA. He needs to be challenged or you run the risk of him regressing

[Station 13]

Once again' date=' a polished pitcher with ace stuff should have no trouble in the low minors. He dominated a league he never should have started in and he is now dominating the league he should have started in. He probably gets one more A+ start and then will see time in AA. He needs to be challenged or you run the risk of him regressing[/quote']

 

It's gotten old and not at all exciting anymore that he makes A ball completely a joke. Time for AA.

[jacksonianmarch]

It's gotten old and not at all exciting anymore that he makes A ball completely a joke. Time for AA.

 

You learn by feedback. Right now, nobody can hit him, so instead of seeing something he needs to work on, he isnt going to have anything to work on. He needs to experience some trouble before he can really be ready for the bigs. Right now, he is just sailing