2021 Prospects

[notin]

MLB.com ranked Whitlock 27th in Sox MiLB.

 

SoxProspects has him at 30.

 

I'm surprised he is so low on Sox prospects, especially since Connor Seabold is #9.

 

Same age, and Seabold has been better. But the Sox have 21 people between the two? And why is Nick Decker still in the top 20?

[moonslav59]

I'm surprised he is so low on Sox prospects, especially since Connor Seabold is #9.

 

Same age, and Seabold has been better. But the Sox have 21 people between the two? And why is Nick Decker still in the top 20?

 

Hope & Prayers?

[moonslav59]

I'd say a good case could be made that any of these guys might belong in the top 20 over Decker:

 

21 Wong

23 Wallace

25 Arauz

26 Bazardo

30 Whitlock

 

I'm sure some case could be made for a few I did not list.

 

[jacksonianmarch]

Had Whitlock not needed TJS, there’s a near certainty he’d have made our 40 man. He’s not your prototypical nowadays pitcher. He’s a sinker baller with good command capable of hitting 95. He’s been really effective as a starter, but he had a Ramiro Mendoza quality to him and likely path before him. With the Sox pitching staff held together with sticks and mud, it’s pretty likely that Whitlock is going to stay with the Sox all year barring injury or a lackluster return from TJS

[mvp 78]

I'm surprised he is so low on Sox prospects, especially since Connor Seabold is #9.

 

Same age, and Seabold has been better. But the Sox have 21 people between the two? And why is Nick Decker still in the top 20?

 

Whitlock is prob low because he’s coming off TJS and they haven’t been actively scouting him. He may jump up in ST.

[jacksonianmarch]

Whitlock is prob low because he’s coming off TJS and they haven’t been actively scouting him. He may jump up in ST.

 

If he is healthy, he should spend a fair amount of innings in the bigs. Of the guys lost, I am expecting this one back the least

[mvp 78]

@ChrisCotillo

Hart on being outrighted off the 40-man: "I was pissed off, but very understanding. I have nothing to defend. I have 9 or 10 innings, and they were pretty much all s***. Chaim and the front office have to make decisions that are best for the organization."

[notin]

@ChrisCotillo

Hart on being outrighted off the 40-man: "I was pissed off, but very understanding. I have nothing to defend. I have 9 or 10 innings, and they were pretty much all s***. Chaim and the front office have to make decisions that are best for the organization."

 

I am gad he recognizes it and will hopefully do what he can to do better next time around, even if it is not in Boston...

[mvp 78]

@ChrisCotillo

Hart said Lyme caused a mental haze at times: “I couldn’t remember some of the pitches I was throwing the inning before. I remember one time, Vlad Jr. came up and I couldn’t remember the sequence I threw him the last at-bat. That’s not good for somebody like me.”

[mvp 78]

@ChrisCotillo

Hart lost nearly 20 lbs., didn't have the energy to train between starts and even had memory lapses while pitching as his symptoms lingered.

[moonslav59]

Hartless!

[mvp 78]

From OTM, guys invited to Spring Training:

 

Stephen Gonsalves was a waiver wire pickup by the Red Sox last summer who was later taken off the 40-man roster, but re-signed with the organization on a minor-league deal right at the start of the offseason. A former top prospect, he impressed in Pawtucket with his stuff over the summer and after battling injuries in recent years he could be a depth option in 2021 if he remains healthy, either out of the bullpen or perhaps even in the rotation.

 

Raynel Espinal has not pitched an organized game for the Red Sox, having signed a minor-league deal with the organization prior to last season after spending his entire career to that point in the Yankees system. He’s a potential swingman option who has shown an ability to miss bats at the upper levels with strikeout rates over 30 percent.

 

Josh Ockimey is at the point where it feels like he’s essentially a Red Sox lifer at this point, but he’s still only 25 years old. He’s a bat-only player who is limited to decent first base defense and no other positions. He also struggles against left-handed pitching, but there is a path to him carving out a role at some point as a platoon bat and late-game option from the left side of the plate.

 

Roldani Baldwin is a former personal favorite of mine who has had injury and circumstance derail progress the last couple of seasons, having missed almost all of 2019 before the 2020 minor-league season was canceled. The catcher is a bat-first backstop, and he’ll have to make a big impression in the spring after all the missed time to get back on track in the organization.

 

Caleb Simpson was a minor-league signing by the organization at the start of camp this past summer. He pitched in Pawtucket, but never made it up to the majors. He’s missed a lot of time with injury over his career, but when healthy he’s shown big stuff along with some control issues. If he can harness the stuff a bit, he can find a role in a major-league bullpen at some point.

 

Kevin McCarthy is the lone player on this list who was not in the organization prior to this winter. A major-league veteran, he was let go by the Royals early in the offseason in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The righty is not a big arm in terms of stuff, but has shown an ability to get weak contact and ground balls at the highest level, and likely has the best chance of making the Opening Day roster of anyone on this list.

 

Seth Blair was another addition to the organization over the summer, and is a really interesting story having retired after the 2014 season before beginning his comeback attempt in 2019. His stuff gives him a chance to get back to the majors as soon as this season.

 

Jhonny Pereda was acquired by the Red Sox late last spring, after the shutdown but before the transaction freeze, to finish the Travis Lakins deal with the Cubs. The catcher does not provide a ton on offense, but he’s impressed with the glove and has a minor-league Gold Glove on his mantle to prove it.

 

César Puello joined the organization last spring and got a cup of coffee in the majors at the end of last season. A former Mets prospect, he has never been able to latch on in the majors for a full-time role, but he represents the top line of outfield depth outside the major-league roster as of right now.

[jacksonianmarch]

Disagree ENTIRELY on Espinal. He is a power, power arm, capable of hitting 100mph with regularity. He isnt a swing guy. He will end up as a single inning reliever at best, with a high likelihood of flameout due to lack of command and health. Also, for a guy with his arsenal, he got taken deep far too often. If the sox can keep him healthy, he is more of a setup guy long term, but he is also 29 and not a kid anymore

[notin]

From OTM, guys invited to Spring Training:

 

Stephen Gonsalves was a waiver wire pickup by the Red Sox last summer who was later taken off the 40-man roster, but re-signed with the organization on a minor-league deal right at the start of the offseason. A former top prospect, he impressed in Pawtucket with his stuff over the summer and after battling injuries in recent years he could be a depth option in 2021 if he remains healthy, either out of the bullpen or perhaps even in the rotation.

 

Raynel Espinal has not pitched an organized game for the Red Sox, having signed a minor-league deal with the organization prior to last season after spending his entire career to that point in the Yankees system. He’s a potential swingman option who has shown an ability to miss bats at the upper levels with strikeout rates over 30 percent.

 

Josh Ockimey is at the point where it feels like he’s essentially a Red Sox lifer at this point, but he’s still only 25 years old. He’s a bat-only player who is limited to decent first base defense and no other positions. He also struggles against left-handed pitching, but there is a path to him carving out a role at some point as a platoon bat and late-game option from the left side of the plate.

 

Roldani Baldwin is a former personal favorite of mine who has had injury and circumstance derail progress the last couple of seasons, having missed almost all of 2019 before the 2020 minor-league season was canceled. The catcher is a bat-first backstop, and he’ll have to make a big impression in the spring after all the missed time to get back on track in the organization.

 

Caleb Simpson was a minor-league signing by the organization at the start of camp this past summer. He pitched in Pawtucket, but never made it up to the majors. He’s missed a lot of time with injury over his career, but when healthy he’s shown big stuff along with some control issues. If he can harness the stuff a bit, he can find a role in a major-league bullpen at some point.

 

Kevin McCarthy is the lone player on this list who was not in the organization prior to this winter. A major-league veteran, he was let go by the Royals early in the offseason in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The righty is not a big arm in terms of stuff, but has shown an ability to get weak contact and ground balls at the highest level, and likely has the best chance of making the Opening Day roster of anyone on this list.

 

Seth Blair was another addition to the organization over the summer, and is a really interesting story having retired after the 2014 season before beginning his comeback attempt in 2019. His stuff gives him a chance to get back to the majors as soon as this season.

 

Jhonny Pereda was acquired by the Red Sox late last spring, after the shutdown but before the transaction freeze, to finish the Travis Lakins deal with the Cubs. The catcher does not provide a ton on offense, but he’s impressed with the glove and has a minor-league Gold Glove on his mantle to prove it.

 

César Puello joined the organization last spring and got a cup of coffee in the majors at the end of last season. A former Mets prospect, he has never been able to latch on in the majors for a full-time role, but he represents the top line of outfield depth outside the major-league roster as of right now.

 

Caleb Simpson is one guy who might sneak in for a bit, but at some point he is Robert Stock 2.0.

 

The only guy on that list I think ha any real potential might be Cesar Puello, and his celining is limtied to being a 4th OF can play all 3 positions but is not needed to hit...

[mvp 78]

Caleb Simpson is one guy who might sneak in for a bit, but at some point he is Robert Stock 2.0.

 

The only guy on that list I think ha any real potential might be Cesar Puello, and his celining is limtied to being a 4th OF can play all 3 positions but is not needed to hit...

 

Is this a retro post from last offseason?

[notin]

Is this a retro post from last offseason?

 

If they redo the transaction, I get to redo my enthusiasm. Bearing in mind the enthusiasm is appropriately scaled for a player with such a limited ceiling...

[mvp 78]

@pgammo

Red Sox to hire Bianca Smith as minor-league coach, making her first Black woman to coach in pro baseball history

[notin]

@pgammo

Red Sox to hire Bianca Smith as minor-league coach, making her first Black woman to coach in pro baseball history

 

Good for her...

[mvp 78]

@jcmccaffrey

When Bianca Smith finished an internship with the Reds, she wrote Joey Votto a note thanking him for his support.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything other than just chat ball with her,” Votto said. “I was like, ‘What can I learn from her?'”

[mvp 78]

Red Sox prospect Bradley Blalock was a 32nd round draft choice in 2019, but after adding 10 pounds and roughly six miles per hour to his fastball, the 20-year-old right-hander will enter 2021 as a player to watch, per Alex Speier of Baseball America. Blalock is more-or-less just beginning his professional career, having signed out of high school for $250K in July of 2019. The Georgia native made just four appearances in rookie ball, giving up five earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four over 6 2/3 innings. Elsewhere in the system, the prospect gurus at MLB.com name Nick Yorke as a player who could rise quickly through Boston’s system, writing, “The California prep product has the sweet right-handed swing, bat speed, pitch recognition and discipline to potentially become a .300 hitter with 20 homers per season.” Yorke was the No. 17 overall selection of the 2020 draft.

[mvp 78]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-45-prospects-boston-red-sox/

 

1 Jeter Downs 22.5 AA 2B 2022 50

2 Triston Casas 21.0 A+ 1B 2023 50

3 Bryan Mata 21.7 AA MIRP 2021 45+

4 Gilberto Jimenez 20.5 A- CF 2023 45+

5 Noah Song 23.6 A- SP 2023 45

6 Tanner Houck 24.5 MLB MIRP 2021 45

7 Jarren Duran 24.4 AA CF 2022 45

8 Connor Seabold 25.0 AA SP 2021 45

9 Bobby Dalbec 25.5 MLB 3B 2021 45

10 Eduard Bazardo 25.4 AA SIRP 2021 40+ NOT EVEN ON SOXPROSPECTS TOP 20

11 Brayan Bello 21.7 A SIRP 2022 40+

12 Jay Groome 22.4 A SP 2022 40+

13 Thad Ward 24.0 A+ MIRP 2022 40+

14 Aldo Ramirez 19.7 AAA SP 2023 40+

15 Nick Yorke 18.8 R 2B 2025 40+

16 Jeisson Rosario 21.2 A+ CF 2021 40+

17 Brainer Bonaci 18.5 R 3B 2023 40

18 Hudson Potts 22.2 AA 3B 2021 40

19 Connor Wong 24.6 AA C 2021 40

20 Eduardo Lopez 18.7 R CF 2023 40

21 Blaze Jordan 18.1 R 1B 2025 40

22 Juan Chacon 18.1 R CF 2024 40

23 Cameron Cannon 23.2 A- 2B 2023 40 HAD AS 8 LAST YEAR?!? SOXPROSPECTS HAS AT 39.

24 Nick Decker 21.3 A- RF 2023 40

25 Jacob Wallace 22.4 A- SIRP 2023 40

26 Brendan Cellucci 22.5 A- SIRP 2022 40

27 Matthew Lugo 19.7 A- SS 2024 40 HAD AS 7TH LAST YEAR

28 Bryan Gonzalez 19.3 R RF 2024 40

29 Garrett Whitlock 24.6 AA MIRP 2021 40

30 Durbin Feltman 23.7 AA SIRP 2021 40

31 Chih-Jung Liu 21.8 R SIRP 2024 40

32 Jorge Rodriguez 20.4 A- LHP 2023 35+

33 Christian Koss 23.0 R SS 2022 35+

34 Eduardo Vaughan 19.0 R RF 2024 35+

35 Andrew Politi 24.6 A+ SIRP 2022 35+

36 Ryan Zeferjahn 22.9 A- SIRP 2022 35+

37 Shane Drohan 22.0 R SP 2024 35+

38 Bradley Blalock 20.0 R SP 2025 35+

39 Naysbel Marcano 18.6 R C 2023 35+

40 Marcus Wilson 24.4 AA CF 2021 35+

41 Chris Murphy 22.6 A- MIRP 2023 35+

42 Antoni Flores 20.2 A- 3B 2023 35+

43 Luis Perales 17.7 R RHP 2025 35+

44 Albert Feliz 18.7 R LF 2023 35+

45 Jeremy Wu-Yelland 21.5 R SIRP 2024 35+

[mvp 78]

Notes from the article above:

 

Song eligible for early release in May.

 

Jimenez weight on the instructs roster was 50 lbs heavier than last year. Just filled out and is still a plus plus runner (70 grade, was 80).

 

Expects Bazardo to be in the relief pitching mix in BOS.

 

Down on Yorke. Doesn't believe in his power and he put on weight.

 

System Overview

 

This system is not very good because it still lacks the top end prospects that drive the empirically-derived farm rankings here at the site. But it is about 10 prospects deeper than last year’s list as the Red Sox were 2020 sellers at the onset of a rebuild that was partly ownership-imposed and partly caused by the unsustainable way Dave Dombrowski ran the show.

 

Boston’s 2020 was the rebuild equivalent of a sprinter made of molasses coming out of the blocks. Part of this is because the most talented part of the Betts trade, Alex Verdugo, is no longer a prospect, part of it is because Boston had no second rounder in 2020 because of their sign-stealing scandal, and part of it is because the young Latin American core of this system didn’t really have a chance to get a traditional year of development and evaluation.

 

Some of it is also, at least at this website, because I didn’t like their draft. I watched film (some from last summer and some from the alt site), talked to pro scouts who saw Nick Yorke after the draft, and doubled back to some crosscheckers on the West Coast who saw him before it. Their opinions were enough to move my pre-draft evaluation of him pretty considerably, but their class still feels sub-par to me. I’m not keen on positionless hitters, and the Red Sox may have drafted two of them. The shortened draft also punished Boston and other teams with thin farm systems, and made it impossible to find late-round diamonds in the rough like Boston did with Blalock and Cellucci in 2019. They did sign more undrafted free agents than other clubs, which makes sense considering the state of this system, though it’s also confirmation that the org is aware it needs more talent.

 

It’s fairly likely that whoever the Red Sox draft fourth overall in the 2021 Draft will immediately become their top prospect, and rumors of an Andrew Benintendi trade may yet cause this list to grow before the end of the offseason. It’d be smart if Boston flexed its financial might to take on some bad contracts (with prospects attached, of course) while other teams are especially desperate to get rid of them, but it doesn’t seem like ownership would allow that.

[moonslav59]

Interesting ranking.

 

I might put Rosario and Potts up higher and Duran lower, but maybe the most interesting thing to me, beside Bazardo, is that Bello is placed above Ward & Groome.

[moonslav59]

Notes from the article above:

 

Song eligible for early release in May.

 

Jimenez weight on the instructs roster was 50 lbs heavier than last year. Just filled out and is still a plus plus runner (70 grade, was 80).

 

Expects Bazardo to be in the relief pitching mix in BOS.

 

Down on Yorke. Doesn't believe in his power and he put on weight.

 

System Overview

 

This system is not very good because it still lacks the top end prospects that drive the empirically-derived farm rankings here at the site. But it is about 10 prospects deeper than last year’s list as the Red Sox were 2020 sellers at the onset of a rebuild that was partly ownership-imposed and partly caused by the unsustainable way Dave Dombrowski ran the show.

 

Boston’s 2020 was the rebuild equivalent of a sprinter made of molasses coming out of the blocks. Part of this is because the most talented part of the Betts trade, Alex Verdugo, is no longer a prospect, part of it is because Boston had no second rounder in 2020 because of their sign-stealing scandal, and part of it is because the young Latin American core of this system didn’t really have a chance to get a traditional year of development and evaluation.

 

Some of it is also, at least at this website, because I didn’t like their draft. I watched film (some from last summer and some from the alt site), talked to pro scouts who saw Nick Yorke after the draft, and doubled back to some crosscheckers on the West Coast who saw him before it. Their opinions were enough to move my pre-draft evaluation of him pretty considerably, but their class still feels sub-par to me. I’m not keen on positionless hitters, and the Red Sox may have drafted two of them. The shortened draft also punished Boston and other teams with thin farm systems, and made it impossible to find late-round diamonds in the rough like Boston did with Blalock and Cellucci in 2019. They did sign more undrafted free agents than other clubs, which makes sense considering the state of this system, though it’s also confirmation that the org is aware it needs more talent.

 

It’s fairly likely that whoever the Red Sox draft fourth overall in the 2021 Draft will immediately become their top prospect, and rumors of an Andrew Benintendi trade may yet cause this list to grow before the end of the offseason. It’d be smart if Boston flexed its financial might to take on some bad contracts (with prospects attached, of course) while other teams are especially desperate to get rid of them, but it doesn’t seem like ownership would allow that.

 

Great take.

[mvp 78]

Interesting ranking.

 

I might put Rosario and Potts up higher and Duran lower, but maybe the most interesting thing to me, beside Bazardo, is that Bello is placed above Ward & Groome.

 

Bello has been steadily climbing all the rankings.

[moonslav59]

Bello has been steadily climbing all the rankings.

 

Yes, and Groome and Ward aren't doing much to raise their stock. Not playing in 2020 didn't help much, either.

[mvp 78]

Yes, and Groome and Ward aren't doing much to raise their stock. Not playing in 2020 didn't help much, either.

 

Not having a 2020 is the big problem. Hard to really move a franchise up or down in the rankings when you don't have games to go on.

[moonslav59]

Not having a 2020 is the big problem. Hard to really move a franchise up or down in the rankings when you don't have games to go on.

 

Yes, but adding players through the draft. IFA and trades makes a difference.

 

According to soxprospects's rankings, we added:

2. Down (with Verdugo & Wong for Betts)

9. Seabold (with Pivetta for Workman & Henbree)

13. Yorke (draft)

15. Rosario (with Potts for Moreland)

17. Potts (with Rosario for Moreland)

18. Murphy (draft)

21. Wong (part of Betts deal)

23. Wallace (Pillar trade)

30. Whitlock (Rule 5)

Others: Drohan, Koss, Blaylock

[mvp 78]

Yes, but adding players through the draft. IFA and trades makes a difference.

 

According to soxprospects's rankings, we added:

2. Down (with Verdugo & Wong for Betts)

9. Seabold (with Pivetta for Workman & Henbree)

13. Yorke (draft)

15. Rosario (with Potts for Moreland)

17. Potts (with Rosario for Moreland)

18. Murphy (draft)

21. Wong (part of Betts deal)

23. Wallace (Pillar trade)

30. Whitlock (Rule 5)

Others: Drohan, Koss, Blaylock

 

Everyone else adds through the draft too.

[moonslav59]

Everyone else adds through the draft too.

 

Yes, but not many added as much as we did through trades.