2017 Prospect Mega Thread

[Jack Flap]

It's easy to forget now, but Masterson did have a couple of pretty good years and there was a time when people bitched about us trading him. (Though, to be fair, someone on BDC bitched about literally everything.) And if we're not just talking about starters, I'd count Bard as a successful one, even if he lost it later on.

 

You know it's not a good sign when you have to go back to 2008-09ish to find our most recent pitching development success stories, though.

[Hugh2]

If you look at who the top pitchers have been in baseball year after year it's almost entirely all 1st round draft picks, and particularly guys taken in the top half of the 1st round (aside from international guys). There are a few guys who don't fit this discription, guys like Jake Arietta and...oh well...Jon Lester.

 

It's a lot harder to get those guys in the back of the first round and beyond. Obviously, they exist, but it is much much much rarer. Sox had an opportunity picking this high two times and it looks like they are 1 for 2 here....and that's ok. If you have a 50% hit rate of drafting all stars even in the top 10 that is really good. Groome was probably the highest upside arm the Sox have drafted in years, so lets see what with him down the line.

 

An under the radar prospect in the Sox system who is STARTING to get some buzz is Bryan Mata. Apparently, teams did ask for him last year and the Sox refused to part with, he's 18 years old and enjoying a good year in full season A ball.

[moonslav59]

I think in the last decade the Red Sox have only produced Lester, Buchholz, and Papelbon. They traded away Sanchez, but are there any former Red Sox pitching prospects that excelled elsewhere?

 

Since Henry took over, we've certainly struggled developing top pitchers:

 

Drafted or Int'l signings:

 

Lester

Buchholz

A Sanchez

Papelbon

 

Showed some success...

H Okajima

J Tazawa

Dice-K

Felix Doubront

Daniel Bard

Frank Montas

Cla Meredeth

Stephen Fife

B Workman

Matt Barnes

Brian Johnson

Austin Maddox

Ben Taylor

Alex Wilson

[Larry Cook]

Devers with another tater tonight!

[moonslav59]

Devers with another tater tonight!

 

One more step upwards.

[OH FOY]

Mata goes tonight. Just turned 18 in May, got to have patience with this kid.

[Hugh2]

Mata goes tonight. Just turned 18 in May, got to have patience with this kid.

 

You have to be a lover of prospects to get excited about some of these guys because of the further away they are they more ways exist for things to go wrong.

 

But Mata is an exciting player who seems to have come out of nowhere in a year our system could really use that.

[moonslav59]

Mata goes tonight. Just turned 18 in May, got to have patience with this kid.

 

Mata is now 6th on the soxprospects rankings list:

 

1 Devers

2 Groome

3 Travis

4 Chavis

5 Houck

6 Mata

7 Flores

8 Ockimey

9 Chatham

10 Dalbec

11 Beeks

12 Lakins

13 Johnson

14 Brannen

15 Scherff

16 Shawaryn

17 Anderson

18 Thompson

19 D Hernandez

20 Callahan

21 Raudes

22 D Diaz

23 Taylor

24 Buttrey

25 Nogosek

26 A Maddox

27 T-W Lin

 

 

 

[mvp 78]

4 of the top 7 aren't even old enough to drink yet. Sucks to your cliff!

[Hugh2]

4 of the top 7 aren't even old enough to drink yet. Sucks to your cliff!

 

having younger prospects doesn't make them better prospects. Being further away from the majors also gives them more risk as well.

[Hugh2]

Mata is now 6th on the soxprospects rankings list:

 

1 Devers

2 Groome

3 Travis

4 Chavis

5 Houck

6 Mata

7 Flores

8 Ockimey

9 Chatham

10 Dalbec

11 Beeks

12 Lakins

13 Johnson

14 Brannen

15 Scherff

16 Shawaryn

17 Anderson

18 Thompson

19 D Hernandez

20 Callahan

21 Raudes

22 D Diaz

23 Taylor

24 Buttrey

25 Nogosek

26 A Maddox

27 T-W Lin

 

 

 

 

The system definitely looks better than it did 6 months ago, but still lacks star potential talent after the top 2 and depth. It will be interesting to see how some of these newer names develop over the next few years.

[mvp 78]

The system definitely looks better than it did 6 months ago, but still lacks star potential talent after the top 2 and depth. It will be interesting to see how some of these newer names develop over the next few years.

 

I'd say that 5, 6 and 7 all have star potential. No one else jumps out right now though.

[Hugh2]

I'd say that 5, 6 and 7 all have star potential. No one else jumps out right now though.

 

5,6,7 according to whom? BA? MLB? soxprospects? according to soxprospects 5,6,7 are:

 

Houck, Mata, and Flores.

 

I'm really excited about all three of those guys but it's more probable that only 2 of them are productive MLBers and one ends up being an all star. All three could flop too.

 

Houck was just added, he, as with every 1st round draft pick still comes with the shiny new toy shine. Many see him as a reliever, perhaps a very good one, perhaps more if everything breaks right or perhaps he's no better than Anthony Ranaudo, Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Bryan Price, or Nick Hagadone.

 

Mata is really exciting, but he's only 18 and in low A. As exciting as he is, there are more ways for him to fail than to succeed, and he likely has a long way to go.

 

Flores is 16 years old, 16!!!! by the time the Sox are going over that "hypothetical cliff" he's likely still going to be a teenager who was just recently come stateside and played in full season ball.

 

These guys are far away from becoming a blue chipper like Devers, but you're right.....they do all have potential and that is something the system has gained back over the past two months and if a few things break right on the development path we could have a very good system again in a few years. But in terms of near ready, star talent that has a good chance to contribute over the next couple years........we only really have one prospect right now.

[mvp 78]

5,6,7 according to whom? BA? MLB? soxprospects? according to soxprospects 5,6,7 are:

 

Houck, Mata, and Flores.

 

I'm really excited about all three of those guys but it's more probable that only 2 of them are productive MLBers and one ends up being an all star. All three could flop too.

 

Houck was just added, he, as with every 1st round draft pick still comes with the shiny new toy shine. Many see him as a reliever, perhaps a very good one, perhaps more if everything breaks right or perhaps he's no better than Anthony Ranaudo, Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Bryan Price, or Nick Hagadone.

 

Mata is really exciting, but he's only 18 and in low A. As exciting as he is, there are more ways for him to fail than to succeed, and he likely has a long way to go.

 

Flores is 16 years old, 16!!!! by the time the Sox are going over that "hypothetical cliff" he's likely still going to be a teenager who was just recently come stateside and played in full season ball.

 

These guys are far away from becoming a blue chipper like Devers, but you're right.....they do all have potential and that is something the system has gained back over the past two months and if a few things break right on the development path we could have a very good system again in a few years. But in terms of near ready, star talent that has a good chance to contribute over the next couple years........we only really have one prospect right now.

 

"potential"

[Hugh2]

"potential"

 

Fair enough, but all teams have guys like that....although to be fair we seem to have a much higher success rate overall despite the lack of developing pitching.

[Larry Cook]

Mars with a tater tonight.

[Larry Cook]

Ockimey and dalbec with taters tonight.

[Spudboy]

Moncada was 1-4 ( at last glance ) with a triple and 4 RBI playing 2nd against the Royals tonight.

[moonslav59]

Moncada was 1-4 ( at last glance ) with a triple and 4 RBI playing 2nd against the Royals tonight.

 

Why can't we ever get prospects like this?

[Jack Flap]

Moncada was 1-4 ( at last glance ) with a triple and 4 RBI playing 2nd against the Royals tonight.

 

Great job, Dumbrowski! Who'd we even get for him, anyway?

[moonslav59]

Great job, Dumbrowski! Who'd we even get for him, anyway?

 

Just some bum named...

 

Chris Freakin' Sale

 

 

[Jack Flap]

Just some bum named...

 

Chris Freakin' Sale

 

 

 

I set you up for that one.

[moonslav59]

I set you up for that one.

 

Muchas Gracias!

[Larry Cook]

Anderson is spinning the ball nicely tonight.

 

Groome, not so much! Fastball has no life.

[OH FOY]

Groome gave up a Grand Salami. Happens, what concerns me is 4 BB's in 2.2 innings. 11 BB's in 16 innings, that's not good.

[OH FOY]

Dallas Keuchel pitched a Rehab last night against Lowell. 5 innings 3 hits, 1 run, 0 BB's 5 K's. He should do good against them.

[OH FOY]

Johnson getting hit hard today, 3 HRS, in 3 innings, all solo that's the good thing. Devers got a hit but made his 4th error, this his 8th game.

Devers 3-3.

Ended up 3-4, Pawsox lost 3-0.

Edited July 23, 2017 by OH FOY!

[Larry Cook]

Hart with a decent debut in Salem today.

[Larry Cook]

Chavis with another tater tonight!

[OH FOY]

Chavis .281, too. Mata did OK too.