Brian Ziller

Did the Red Sox do it again? It’s quite possible that they snagged one of the draft’s top talents in June by landing switching-hitting Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery. The selection follows a string of successes in which the Red Sox selected Kyle Teel (14th overall) and Kristian Campbell (132nd overall) in 2023, Roman Anthony (79th overall) in 2022, and Marcelo Mayer (4th overall) in 2021. Despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury during the Aggies’ postseason run, Montgomery was projected to be drafted in the Top 10 by MLB.com, Baseball America, The Athletic, ESPN, and Fangraphs. He slid to the Red Sox at 12. #5 RF Braden Montgomery What to Like: Montgomery started his college career at Stanford, playing two full seasons before transferring to Texas A&M in his junior year. He discovered his plus-plus power there, belting 27 home runs and driving in 85 runs in 61 games. That power was on display against Georgia in April when Montgomery blasted a mammoth grand slam to dead center. His final stat line in his final season was .322/.454/.733/1.187. Year Team G R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG OPS 2022 Stanford 62 50 18 57 6 .294 .361 .596 .957 2023 Stanford 64 70 17 61 6 .336 .461 .611 1.072 2024 Texas A&M 61 65 27 85 5 .322 .454 .733 1.187 Montgomery primarily played right field throughout college. That is projected to be the case in his first taste of professional ball. Once a two-way player who threw 97 MPH from the mound, MLB Pipeline has a 70 grade on Montgomery’s arm. What to Work On: Projected as a switch-hitting power bat, there are concerns about his viability from the right side of the plate, given his platoon split, according to SoxProspects. MLB Pipeline’s scouting profile states that although Montgomery has improved his plate discipline and ability to handle breaking pitches, “he still swings and misses at pitches in the zone a bit too often and will chase non-fastballs.” What's Next? In August, Montgomery was assigned to the FCL to continue his rehab. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2025 season, where he projects to begin in High-A Greenville. He has yet to take an at-bat in his minor league journey, but his potential is indisputable. He’s current #61 on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list, joining “The Big 4” and 18-year-old Salem infielder Franklin Arias as the Red Sox prospects gracing the list. Along with an impressive scouting report, Montgomery was humble in his post-draft interview in July when asked what he’s learned in his journey to get to this point. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox's 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! We continue to break down the top prospects in the system, as voted on by the Talk Sox community. Coming in at #8 is Yoeilin Cespedes, a prospect with one of the highest ceilings in the organization and one who is coming off an injury-shortened season. #8 SS Yoeilin Cespedes ( FCL Red Sox) It feels like we’ve been talking about Yoeilin Cespedes as a blue-chip prospect for quite some time. The middle infielder has been hyped since signing with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent for $1.4 million, the organization’s largest signing bonus of that IFA class. That was January of 2023. Now just 19 years old, Cespedes has only 71 games of professional baseball under his belt, but over that span, he has shown why many scouts believed him to be among the best pure hitters of his class. Year League HR AVG OBP SLG wRC+ 2023 DSL 6 .346 .392 .560 145 2024 FCL 5 .319 .400 .615 163 In 2023, Cespedes played 46 games in the Dominican Summer League. He was named a Mid-Season All-Star and finished with a slash line of .346/.392/.560, for a wRC+ of 145. He hit six home runs, drove in 38 runs, and was named the team's Latin program position player of the year. Cespedes started 2024 in the Florida Complex League, again showcasing his excellent hand-eye coordination with a slash line of .319/.400/.615. He smacked five home runs and drove in 24 runs in just 25 games, after which the Red Sox decided to promote him to Low A Salem. But before he could take the field, however, Cespedes experienced soreness in his left hand and was diagnosed with a broken hamate bone. Just two weeks after winning FCL Player of the Week, his last game of the season was on June 21. What to Like: The hit tool. The baseball IQ. The potential. Cespedes has what it takes to eventually become the organization's top prospect. Scouts have raved about his hand speed, and he's carved up the DSL and FCL. He showed a tremendous ability to get on base and started hitting the ball harder during his 25 games in 2024. What to Work On: Defense. Cespedes split his time evenly between shortstop, second base, and designated hitter in 2024. In 10 games at shortstop, Cespedes committed five errors. The Red Sox are expected to continue playing him at shortstop for the time being, but he could end up getting moved off the middle infield altogether, which would depress his value in a big way. Cespedes is also extremely aggressive at the plate, and he will likely have to work on his plate discipline as he climbs the ladder and gets challenged by more advanced pitching. What’s next: The Red Sox expect Cespedes to make a full recovery. He should be ready for the start of the 2025 season, at which time he will presumably pick up where he left off, beginning the year in full-season ball with the Salem Red Sox. In late October, Cespedes posted a video to Instagram showing him taking batting practice, so it appears to be full steam ahead. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline already have Cespedes ranked as a top-10 prospect in the organization. With the Red Sox entering win-now mode, it’s conceivable that Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow packages the young slugger for a top-of-the-rotation starter. According to SoxProspects, Cespedes is not projected to reach the majors until around 2028, giving him ample time to develop into one of the more promising prospects not just in the organization, but in all of baseball. View full article

Nope. Just stating the the obvious that he'll clearly be the best power bat in free agency. RH or LH, it doesn't matter. There's also no way Boston signs him.

Tyler O'Neill can chalk this season up to a successful one, but does he have a future with the rebuilding Red Sox? Seconds after he was doused from behind with a cooler of ice water, Tyler O'Neill told NESN’s Jahmai Webster, “I’m just enjoying playing meaningful baseball here in Boston. It’s just a dream come true, and I just want to ride that energy through October.” In all fairness, he didn’t specify which October. The Red Sox 2024 season is circling the drain, but at least for one night, that playoff aura was alive. And so was Fenway Park. With runners at the corners in the bottom of the 10th inning and Baltimore leading by one run, Tyler O’Neill drilled an 88 MPH slider over the Green Monster and onto Landsdowne Street. The Fenway stands exploded as O’Neill’s teammate jumped over the dugout railing and stormed home plate. O’Neill is the first and only Red Sox player to reach the 30 home run threshold this season. He’s been a much-needed power source from the right side of the plate. That night against Baltimore, O’Neill was the only righty in the first five spots in the lineup. Boston is 15th in the majors batting against left-handed pitching this season (.245 average), compared to third against righties (.260 average) O’Neill has had tremendous success against left-handed pitching this season, sporting a .315 batting average compared to .225 against right-handed pitching. Regardless of what happens in the next two weeks, retaining O’Neill is something the Red Sox will need to decide in relatively short order. He’s eligible to receive a Qualifying Offer, currently projected at $21.2 million, according to FanGraphs. That’s one item on the laundry list of actions to be taken within the first 2-3 weeks following the World Series as outlined by Red Sox Payroll: Outside of Juan Soto, O’Neill may represent the best power bat in free agency this off-season particularly because he has performed well in Boston and has publicly expressed interest in remaining with the Red Sox, which is not to be overlooked. Jordan Montgomery reportedly turned down a four-year offer from the Red Sox this past offseason because he did not view them as a serious playoff contender. For the second time in his career, O’Neill has topped 100 games played (having played 138 games in 2021). It’s a fact that’s both promising and concerning. O’Neill has missed 27 games this season due to injury. He suffered a concussion in April, right knee inflammation in May, and a left leg infection in August. There’s also a question about the roster logjam beginning in 2025. The exclusivity of Masataka Yoshida at DH prevents real challenges in being able to rotate more versatile players. The Red Sox have Jarren Duran under control through 2028, Wilyer Abreu through 2029, and Ceddanne Rafaela potentially through 2032. The Red Sox also hope to promote top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Kyle Teel during the 2025 season. Three of them represent more left-handed hitting. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow will almost assuredly address the lineup balance this offseason, while also working to rectify their most glaring bugaboo: the pitching. Boston will most likely extend the qualifying offer to O’Neill at season’s end, at which point the ball is in his court. Although his presence muddies the waters in terms of roster construction, he may be their best option for a more balanced and dangerous lineup come next spring. View full article

With 235 games under his belt, Roman Anthony is crowned the new king of minor league baseball. For the third time in 34 years, a Boston Red Sox minor league player is No. 1 on Baseball America’s Top 100. With the graduation of Junior Caminero from the heralded prospect list, outfielder Roman Anthony has taken up the mantle. Previously, Andrew Benintendi was named Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect in 2017, and Daisuke Matsuzaka led the list in 2007. Baseball America started publishing its prospect rankings in 1990. The 20-year-old was taken 79th overall by the Red Sox in the 2022 MLB draft. He was acquired using the compensation pick the Red Sox received when Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers. In just two short years, Anthony is on the verge of making his major league debut, although it will likely have to wait until next season. Since his promotion to Triple-A on August 10th, Anthony has proven why he is among the elite prospects in the game. Through his first 26 games, he’s hitting .340/.419/.530 with 25 runs, three home runs, 14 RBI, and three stolen bases while batting leadoff. Anthony started the season in Double-A Portland, where he shined. Through 84 games with the Sea Dogs, he had an .856 OPS with 15 home runs and 16 stolen bases on what was widely considered one of the more talented teams in minor league baseball. Anthony hit in front of three other top prospects in the Red Sox farm system: shortstop Marcelo Mayer, catcher Kyle Teel, and infielder Kristian Campbell - all of whom are also ranked in Baseball America’s Top 100. Anthony has an enticing power/speed combo; with the former on full display at July’s MLB Future Skills Showcase. Anthony entered the final round in sixth place but won the tournament by crushing six home runs at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. According to Baseball America, Anthony’s average exit velocity is 108.4 MPH, which ranks in the top one percent of all minor-league hitters. He also boasts the hardest-hit ball by any player in the Red Sox organization this year, with a maximum exit velocity of 116 MPH. There are 11 games remaining in the regular season for Triple-A Worcester, at which point Anthony’s season likely ends. But this offseason is essential for the new No. 1 prospect in baseball. It’s certainly in the range of outcomes that he breaks camp next Spring with the Red Sox. He could also start the year back in Worcester, but barring something unforeseen, it won’t be long until he makes his impact in The Show. View full article

One baseball game is 0.0067% of a season but hey, we're fans. Let's get irrational! I'm ready to be hurt again. After the Red Sox failed to sweep the bottom-dwelling White Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon, I threw in the proverbial towel on the 2024 season. I had seen one too many bullpen meltdowns and watched one too many openers. I prayed one too many times for just "one more run" that would never come. I was ready to chalk this season up to a third straight "bridge year." Then the Red Sox won a game... and I'm all in, baby. If you've flipped on NESN at any point since the All-Star break, you're probably aware things have been pretty brutal. In the last month, the Red Sox are tied for 18th in OPS and 24th in ERA; on the season, they are dead-last in Fielding Percentage, having committed 104 errors. They need right-handed bats, lefty arms, and a miracle to catch the Minnesota Twins for the third Wild Card spot. And with the Baltimore Orioles coming into town, it seemed like an appropriate time to start brushing up on Chase Meidroth's OPS in Triple-A Worcester (.833). But then...something happened. And it happened in the 1st inning. With one run already across for Baltimore, Brayan Bello had the bases loaded with just one out. We've seen this story before. After all, Bello has a 4.85 ERA in the 1st inning this season. Next up: Eloy Jimenez. He fouled off the first two pitches before whiffing on a slider low and outside. Then, in stepped Colton Cowser. Red Sox fans remember what he did at Fenway Park in April when he went 6-13 with two home runs and 10 RBI. Bello kept everything outside and got Cowser swinging on an 89 MPH changeup below the zone to leave the bases loaded. It was a big moment for Bello, who had turned a corner since the All-Star break, pitching to a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts, compared to a 5.32 ERA in the first half. The Red Sox never looked back. Boston tied the game in the bottom of the frame and then proceeded to put up 11 more runs on a night when the Twins and Royals both lost. The Red Sox are now tied with the Tigers and Mariners three games back of a Wild Card spot with 18 games left, including three against the Twins. In his post-game press conference, Alex Cora said with a laugh, "We're right there. Still right there. I don't know how." I don't know how either, but I'm feeling things again and I'm ready to have my heart ripped out. Possibly as soon as Tuesday night. View full article

Thanks! And this from Baseball America today, "We see plus-plus contact skills ... should make him as good a bet as any prospect to hit near .300 with 20 homers ... very close, but in this writer’s opinion, Campbell is the best prospect in the Red Sox system."

The emergence of prospect Kristian Campbell could offer the Red Sox exciting options this offseason. It was a 2-0 count with two runners in scoring position. Kristian Campbell was just looking for a pitch to barrel. Boy, did he get one. A middle-middle slider clocked at 80 MPH. Then Campbell did what he’s done all season. He hit the ball… really hard. A screaming missile over the left field wall to extend the Worcester Red Sox's lead in the 6th inning. It was the 22-year-old’s 20th home run of the year, across three levels of professional baseball. Campbell started the 2024 season at High-A Greenville, where he hit eight home runs and had a .976 OPS in 40 games. He was promoted to Double-A Portland where he became a menace on the base paths, swiping 17 bags with a .362 average in 56 games. Two weeks ago, Campbell was promoted to Triple-A Worcester and has not missed a beat. In 13 games, he’s hitting .300 with four home runs and three stolen bases. 2024 season (A+, AA, AAA): 109 games, 93 R, 20 HR, 75 RBI, 23 SB, .334/.444/.573/1.017 In a world where Red Sox fans are banking on the ‘The Big 3” of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel to return them to perennial contender status, it may be Kristian Campbell who provides a much-needed spark at a position that has been relatively sparkless since the days of the "Laser Show.” In fact, since Dustin Pedroia’s injury-plagued 2018 season, the Red Sox have had 37 players man second base. Of those who have played at least 20 games at the position, here are the players with the highest WAR: Player WAR Year Kike Hernandez 5.0 2021 Trevor Story 2.5 2022 Christian Arroyo 1.5 2021 Brock Holt 1.5 2019 Brock Holt 1.2 2018 Michael Chavis 0.9 2019 Pablo Reyes 0.4 2023 With the Red Sox on track to miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six years and the lackluster acquisitions made last offseason in light of Tom Werner’s “full throttle” gaff, the pressure (both internal and external) on Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow will no doubt be ratcheted up to ten. Could Campbell be the centerpiece of a trade package to acquire a Tarik Skubal-esque ace in the off-season? Could there be an open competition at second base in the Spring between Campbell, speedster David Hamilton, a veteran free agency (Willy Adames, anyone?) and Vaughn Grissom (who’s hitting .300 so far in September)? Or could the Red Sox trade a major league piece and move Campbell off second base? He profiles at multiple positions due to his raw athleticism. Campbell played 36 minor league games at second base this year, compared to 31 at shortstop, 25 in center field and four at third base. If the last two weeks is any indication, Campbell has started seven games at shortstop and only two at second base. Right now he’s blocked by Trevor Story at shortstop with Marcelo Mayer waiting in the wings. He’s blocked in the outfield by Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and eventually, Roman Anthony. The Red Sox have a gluttony of talent in the minor leagues, many of whom are poised to make the jump to Boston starting next season. They currently have six players on Baseball America’s Top 100 Rankings. Kristian Campbell ranks #25 in all of minor league baseball. Campbell is proving he deserves to be in the same conversation as “The Big 3”. In their September update, SoxProspects.com moved Campbell ahead of Kyle Teel in the organizational rankings. It’s getting hard to argue: View full article