Boston Red Sox: 10 Minor Leaguers Who Will Be Studs

Minor league players are generally followed by only the most devout fans of the game. They are rarely discussed on a mainstream level, as the names involved are not going to sell papers or drive ratings. But there are still those out there who will become studs.

With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report in days to Fort Myers for the opening of spring training, Red Sox nation is beginning to awake from its winter slumber.

While the biggest moves of the offseason are around names that left, including closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Phillies and GM Theo Epstein to the Cubs, there is not much noise about how this year’s team will come together for Opening Day.

Granted, there is a different manager now leading those same faces. Bobby Valentine is an experienced man of the game and won’t do too much to rattle the cage.

Of course, once things start getting under way, the questions will be asked: Can Valentine control the clubhouse? Will the players respect the new boss’ authority? Is new GM Ben Cherington capable of continuing the recent success?

Soon enough, the male soap drama that is big market sports will dominate the headlines and eat up every media outlet from ESPN to, well, Bleacher Report.

So let’s take the time now to look at those who probably won’t be captivating America this summer—a few minor leaguers in the Sox system who are not quite ready to play a major part in a run to the pennant but surely will in the future.

Here a 10 minor leaguers who have yet to play for the Sox at Fenway, but we can expect big things from them in the future.

Xander Bogaerts

The Sox' top young prospect as currently ranked by numerous reports had an absolutely stellar season last year.

Playing in Greenville Single-A, he played in only 72 games and batted a mediocre .260. However, his slugging numbers were much more promising with a percentage of .509 and an OPS of .834.

While all very promising, perhaps the number that works best in his favor is the one he can’t help, his age. At only 19 years old, he has so much room for growth not only mentally, but physically as at 6'3", he weighs a mere 175 pounds.

If he is able to put up those numbers with that frame, in all likelihood he could become a real major league slugger as he grows and puts on more muscle.

Right now ,his weaknesses seem to be related to issues of experience. He does not walk as much as you would like a player with his power to do so and struggles with off-speed pitches. Both are typical of what you would expect from a teenager who is playing off of pure talent.

Bogaerts is not much to expect in the field. He is a decent shortstop at best and probably does not have a future at the position. When you see him in the bigs, it will be at one of the corners or perhaps the outfield. DH is also a possibility, should the situation fit him and the team better.

Again, his age is the number that dominates the future of Aruban native. There is no reason to rush him through the system and risk losing him along the way, so do not expect to see his name on a lineup for another two or three years.

Blake Swihart

Another teenage kid with some strong upsides that give him all the attributes he needs to succeed.

This evaluation is going to go the way of most—off sheer belief. Yet to play a game at the professional level, the only numbers we have to arm ourselves by are his high school stats, and as most know, that accounts for very little.

Batting .545 in high school puts him at least in the talk as having the potential to become a good batter for average. The deal is further sweetened by his being able to do it from both sides of the plate.

However, he will never be bombing them out of the park as his power seems mostly contained to what you would expect from a big league prospect at the high-school level. With that said, he does still have plenty of time for further physical development despite having a decent frame for a 6'1" player.

As a catcher, he definitely shows good arm strength and athleticism you like to see behind the plate. He is quick to get rid of the ball but does not necessarily pass the “eye test” for the position.

Overall this is a wait-and-see situation. Without much to base it on at the professional level, only time will tell if he can actually make the transition. But by everything I have read and seen, there is little doubt that in seven or eight years, he could become one of Sox' best pure hitters for average.

Will Middlebrooks

Middlebrooks promises the future of the Red Sox organization. The 23-year-old has propelled himself through the farm all the way up to Pawtucket Triple-A where he will start the 2012 season.

He has all the physical attributes you would want in a third baseman—good hands, a strong arm and he can move laterally better than most.

He has also bulked up considerably since he signed out of high school in 2008. At 6'4", 200 pounds, he is built like a major league player but has not lost the speed in his step that got him this far.

He has never quite dazzled with the bat but neither is he a bust. He will get his hits and his strikeouts but will never fall well below expectations. That’s means at the same time he also can find a streak and ride it for a while.

The Sox are not necessarily short of third basemen, but it is not their strong suit either. Should injuries, poor form or anything else cripple their ability to defend that line, expect Middlebrooks to get the call.

Bryce Brentz

Another first rounder, this time from the 2010 draft. He has all the tangibles you want in a hitter—good frame, excellent bat speed and power to all fields.

He has been moving through the farm system, not at any particular rate of note, but steadily. Right now, most of his issues lie in the mental aspects of the game (i.e. adjusting to life as a professional).

His eagerness at the plate is also his downfall, as he tends to chase the ball. An experienced pitcher with good control would handle him easily. However, if in a duel against an ego with fastball, Brentz will come out on top.

His fielding is nothing to rant about but also will not hold him back. He is a capable outfielder who will only improve with time and coaching.

As far as where he can be seen as an everyday player, most reports don’t link him to such a role. Third outfielder is his ceiling. But I don’t see why it is not possible for him to learn to be more patient at the plate and really develop into an excellent all-around hitter.

He already knows how to do the hard stuff, the things that take hours on the field and in the weight room to accomplish. If he can just get his head into the game more, you’re looking a solid go-to player.

Oscar Tejeda

At 22 years old, Tejada has driven himself up through the system and is an everyday player at Double-A in Portland.

The Dominican native has all the potential to be a five-tool athlete but lacks the mental awareness to make it happen.

Bat speed, decent power and hitting for average all come natural to the infielder. However, he is incredibly impatient at the plate and often acts as his own worst enemy.

The field is the same exact situation.

Speed will get him to the ball, a good glove developed over years of playing night and day will scoop it up and a strong arm will deliver it wherever it needs to go. The problem is that where he decides to deliver it is not always the right spot.

Like many who grew up playing the game in the streets of the island nations of the Caribbean for fun, the transition to the heavily-coached and meticulous attention to detail of the MLB can be difficult. But the organization is still working with Tejeda, realizing that his potential is worth the time.

When it comes down to it, he is hard player to hate. His energy and love for the game are admirable, and he will wow you with some terrific plays. But he is just as likely to throw over the head of the first baseman on a routine ground ball.

Brandon Jacobs

The former Auburn football recruit came into the Red Sox organization how you imagine most ex-football players would—big, strong and relying on his natural gifts of athleticism to see him through.

At 6'1", 225 pounds Jacobs is quite a big boy in the batter’s box and turns that size into some above-average power. He finished up the 2011 season at high Single-A Greenville with a .505 slugging percentage.

Everything he does when he gets the bat on the ball is phenomenal, but the real issue is getting hits in the first place. Simply a lack of vision and training to recognize breaking balls and when to take a pitch or two is the only thing keeping him back.

However, these are correctable in the long term, and he will only improve as he continues to play.

In the field he will not do much to help. His glove and arm are average at best, with his size being more of a hindrance in versatility than anything else.

He may work his way up through the outfield, but his career will be made at the plate. The potential for him to be a basher of the ball is real high, and in all likelihood he could fit in as a DH someday.

With his first full season of professional ball behind him, it is now time to take that big step from athlete to ball player and establish himself as a middle-of-the-lineup hitter he is destined to be.

Matt Barnes

Barnes was the Sox' first-round draft pick in 2011 out of UCONN. The former Husky had an excellent junior year going 11-4 with a 1.62 ERA and averaging nearly nine strikeouts per nine innings.

His mechanics are not perfect but can be worked with to correct which will only add more to his already mid-90s fastball. At 6'4" he is a downhill thrower who gets behind his pitch and really delivers hard, deceptive strikes.

Barnes does not have an incredibly gifted curve, but it does break late and drops hard into the zone. Should he be able to get better command of it and add a bit more speed, it could  push him into the high starting rotation.

What really gives Barnes that stud potential is the way he gets batters out. He gets by on making batters look foolish, by swinging right through pitches trying to keep up with the speed and time the delivery.

He may not put up All-Star numbers year-in and year-out, but he has the potential to be a fan favorite and very entertaining to watch.

Sean Coyle

Second base has been rarely played in a glamorous way, but finding a solid second baseman to pair with your shortstop is almost a necessity at this level.

Coyle could become this player.

With nothing too exciting about the 2010 third-round pick on paper, he does have the kind of skills you expect out of the position. The 5'8" Pennsylvania native relies on his speed and quickness to cover the holes and has an arm that does the job.

He also is said to be improving with his footwork around the bags. At this stage it is always encouraging to see a player improve his game in one aspect. It suggests that there is a good chance he can improve all-around.

At the plate, he has above-average power, especially for a second baseman. Over half of his 95 hits last season were for extra bases—a testament to the combination of strength and speed the youngster possesses.

A path to Cooperstown is not projected for Coyle right now, but he is certain to be solid everyday player. It does a franchise a lot of good to know that at least one half of its middle infield is reliable in the foreseeable future.

Garin Cecchini

Cecchini was projected as a first-round draft pick coming out of high school. But after missing most of his senior year with an ACL injury, he dropped to the Red Sox in the fourth round, which could be looked back on as one of best deals in recent memory.

There is nothing about Cecchini that does not suggest he is an above-average player. Not exactly a perfect five-tool star, he does come about as close as you can get without the label.

His bat speed is absolutely superb, which already puts him in the upper echelon of prospects. Combine that with mechanics that are naturally gifted to him and a high IQ for the game, you have someone who has immense potential.

His fielding is the only thing that keeps him from being deemed a regular All-Star, but he is expected to move from the middle infield to third base, taking some of the stress off his role. With light feet and soft hands being the main thing in his fielding that is exceptional, the transition should be relatively easy.

Right now because of his ACL injury, it almost looks like a gamble. Since he is young, the odds favor a recovery that doesn’t leave any long-lasting effect, but you can never really tell.

Should he stay healthy, you can expect to see this kid to shoot up through the system and do big things one day in the majors.

Jackie Bradley

The former College World Series Most Outstanding Player was knocked out of the projected mid-first round in 2011 all the way to the supplemental draft due to injuries. But as we know, drafts are the furthest thing from an exact science, so not too much should be read into that.

Bradley is an OK hitter at the plate. He is average in most regards but is patient, which should help him work into a groove that he can settle in and play off of. His plus will always be in his ability to hit for average not power.

Perhaps his best fit would be late in the lineup to kick start something as the top of the order comes up.

His real strength is in his fielding.

Bradley has excellent vision and hands but truly is an exceptional centerfielder due to reads and jumps he can get on the ball. It makes any hit toward him that is not sharp catchable. These kinds of natural instincts are not teachable.

Right now Bradley is projected as having the possibility to be an everyday player, but with little to go off of (he has only played 10 games at the pro level), he could very easily develop his batting to the point where he finishes the season in Double-A.

From there, should his offensive growth have no peak, then you are looking the real chance of a potential All-Star centerfielder of the future.

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