Boston Red Sox's 2014 All-Prospect Team
The Boston Red Sox are enduring an incredibly disappointing 2014 season, falling to 63-82 after Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Sox have been let down by a mix of injuries, underperforming veterans and disappointing young players, but the future is not quite as bleak as it may initially seem. For while the 2014 product has been uninspiring, the Red Sox still boast one of the better collections of young talent in the league.
That includes players like Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Christian Vazquez and Rubby De La Rosa, to be sure. But it also includes a group of prospects who've yet to see the majors, but who look poised to make their presences felt in the years to come.
With the 2014 season in the books for most minor leaguers and the MLB regular season winding down, now is as good a time as ever to take a look at which Sox prospects have been most successful this year, and to name the Red Sox's 2014 All-Prospect Team.
To qualify, players must have started the season with prospect eligibility (fewer than 130 MLB at-bats or 50 MLB innings pitched). And while performance is the main criteria used to name the team, preference is given to players who figure to make significant MLB impacts.
Catcher: Blake Swihart
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Swihart had a phenomenal year at the plate and behind it for both Portland and Pawtucket in 2014. The switch-hitter put up a .300/.353/.487 line in 380 PA in Double-A, then hit .261/.282/.377 in an 18-game sample in Triple-A.
The 22-year-old truly grew into his power this season, all while bolstering his reputation as a defensive catcher and catching in nearly 100 games for the second straight year.
Baseball Prospectus' Chris Mellen (subscription required) filed a scouting report in July and came way impressed with the backstop's wide array of tools. Mellen called Swihart a " first-division regular," said he "does a bit of everything well," and labeled him as "a core contributor on a contender."
For an organization that's had trouble finding the long-term heir to Jason Varitek since his retirement, Swihart represents the chance to solidify the backstop position for the better part of a decade. He should reach the majors next year.
Also considered: Christian Vazquez
First Base: Travis Shaw
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Shaw had a very solid year splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014. The 24-year-old finished with 21 homers and 78 RBI in 554 total PA, and he improved his approach from 2013. Shaw walked more than he struck out in Portland and posted acceptable strikeout and walk rates in Pawtucket.
First base isn't the deepest position in Boston's organization, but Shaw showed that he has the tools to at least serve as a powerful bench bat at the MLB level, and he could be good enough to play as a long-side platoon player in his prime. While Shaw hit just .228/.293/.345 against left-handers, he hit .304/.384/.542 against righties this year.
Shaw doesn't have much left to prove in Triple-A, and he should work his way to Boston at some point in 2015, especially given the big league club's need for a left-handed bat. He's not a future star player, but he's a useful organizational piece nonetheless.
Also considered: Alex Hassan, Sam Travis
Second Base: Sean Coyle
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Coyle is one of the more interesting prospects in the Red Sox's system. He's posted intriguing stat lines dating back to 2011, but he's had trouble staying healthy each of the past two years. Plus, his primary position is second base, and with Dustin Pedroia in the big leagues it will be tough for Coyle to break into the majors anytime soon.
But if you just look at the numbers, Coyle should be a better-known prospect on a national level. The 22-year-old hit .295/.371/.512 in 384 PA this season, mashing 16 homers and swiping 13 bases. Named to the U.S. roster for the Futures Game, Coyle also added third base to his repertoire this year, and indeed played more games there than he did at second.
Coyle is often compared to Pedroia thanks to his size and the way he plays the game. Such a comparison is ill-founded, but Coyle should see the major leagues at some point in his career, either as a utility infielder or as a second-division starter at second or third base. He has surprising pop for a player listed at 5'8".
Also considered: Carlos Asuaje
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Third Base: Rafael Devers
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It's hard to have a more explosive professional debut than the one Devers enjoyed in 2014. The 17-year-old hit .337/.441/.529 in 127 PA in the Dominican Summer League, showing he was too advanced for that level. He then moved up to the Gulf Coast League and proceeded to hit .312/.374/.484 in 174 PA.
Add it all together, and Devers hit seven homers, 17 doubles, drove in 57 runs and walked 35 times in 302 PA, all while still too young to legally buy a cigar or a lottery ticket.
Red Sox fans and analysts have wasted no time taking notice of Devers' incredible start. SoxProspects.com currently lists Devers as Boston's fourth-best prospect, and he's started to gain some national attention too. According to Baseball Prospectus' Jeff Moore (subscription required), Devers would be in "consideration for the first overall" pick in the upcoming draft if he had been born in the U.S.
Devers is still many years away from seeing the majors, so the hype train needs to slow its roll a little bit in the coming years. Yet there's a strong argument to be made that Devers has the highest upside of any prospect in Boston's system. He could be special.
Also considered: Garin Cecchini
Shortstop: Deven Marrero
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When the season began, you would've been hard-pressed to find many fans, scouts or analysts who thought this distinction wouldn't go to Xander Bogaerts. But given the severity of the struggles Bogaerts faced in the middle of the season, he doesn't deserve this distinction, even if he's been better as of late and is still Boston's most valuable young player.
If you just look at Marrero's Triple-A numbers, it appears he doesn't belong here either. The 24-year-old hit .210/.260/.285 in 202 Triple-A PA, casting further doubt as to his long-term ability to be a MLB starter, even with his impressive defense.
However, Marrero hit .291/.371/.433 in 307 PA in Portland this season, and he showed a more promising bat against mid-minors competition. Given the lack of performance from other shortstops in the system, that's enough for Marrero to get the nod here.
Also considered: Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis
Left Field: Nick Longhi
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Longhi has remained a fairly anonymous prospect, which is a difficult feat to accomplish in the Red Sox's system, but he started to turn some heads in limited action this year. A 30th-round pick from the 2013 draft who signed an over-slot deal, Longhi hit .330/.388/.440 in 121 PA in short season ball before hitting the DL with a torn UCL in his thumb in July.
According to SoxProspects.com, Longhi has plus raw power and a long swing, and could be challenged by plus velocity as he moves up the ladder. Despite his strong arm, the website also feels as though Longhi's ultimate position may be first base.
But in a year in which few Red Sox corner outfielders differentiated themselves, Longhi's brief stretch of dominance is enough to land him a spot here, and he's certainly a name worth monitoring moving forward.
Also considered: Keury De La Cruz
Center Field: Manny Margot
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The Red Sox have seen a plethora of talented young players reach the majors this year, and so it's easy to lose track of the players who have excelled in the lower minors. Yet Sox fans would do well to pay attention to Margot, as he's gaining national relevancy after a terrific 2014 campaign.
A true five-tool talent, Margot hit .286/.355/.449 in 413 PA in Single-A this season, then hit .340/.364/.560 in a brief High-A stint. Overall, he mashed 25 doubles and 12 homers and went 42-for-57 in stolen base attempts. Margot also posted low strikeout rates and respectable walk rates, which speaks well to his patience.
As Baseball Prospectus' Chris Mellen (subscription required) noted in late August, Margot seems more comfortable at the plate this year, which let him realize more of his surprising raw power. Still, according to Mellen, Margot's future is likely as a contact-oriented top-of-the-order hitter.
Margot still has a ways to go before he sees Fenway, but after conquering his first taste of full-season ball with ease, he's rapidly accelerated his MLB ETA.
Also considered: N/A
Right Field: Mookie Betts
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2014 was supposed to be Xander Bogaerts' coming out party, but it quickly turned into Betts' year instead. It's hard to remember now, but Betts began the year near the back-half of most Red Sox top-10 prospect lists, and was generally viewed as a future everyday player, but nothing terribly special.
Since then, however, Betts has abused pitching at every stop. He hit .355/.443/.551 in 253 PA in Double-A, then followed up that campaign with a .355/.417/.503 mark in Triple-A. Now, Betts is hitting .289/.363/.463 in the majors, and he looks to be a key contributor moving forward.
Betts' explosion is incredibly impressive for a player who came into the year with zero experience above High-A, and his developmental progress has been quite unusual. The Red Sox have a bit of a log jam in the outfield for 2015, but it will be tough to deny Betts a start spot if he keeps hitting like this while showing consistent improvement in the outfield.
This very well could be Boston's long-term leadoff man, and Betts could truly fill the big shoes that Jacoby Ellsbury left when he signed with New York. Expect Betts to play center or right field for Boston next year if he remains with the organization.
Also considered: Henry Ramos
Starting Pitcher: Henry Owens
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The Red Sox entered the year with a lot of pitching talent in Double- and Triple-A, and they've relied upon many young starters in the MLB rotation this year. Yet despite all the competition, it's Owens who stands atop them all after a 2014 season that saw him vault himself into discussion for one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game.
Owens was downright dominant in Double-A this season. The 22-year-old posted a 2.60 ERA with a 25.6 strikeout percentage and a 9.5 walk percentage in 121 innings in Portland, and was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Owens was less dominant in six Triple-A starts, allowing a 4.03 ERA, but he actually increased his strikeout rate and decreased his walk rate, which are certainly reasons for optimism.
Despite his gaudy stats, Owens' ultimate future is still in dispute. Some, like ESPN.com's Keith Law (subscription required), see Owens as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. Others, like Baseball Prospectus' Chris Mellen (subscription required) see more of a No.4 starter.
But nearly every source agrees that Owens figures to see a long and successful career logging innings in Boston's rotation, and he's positioned himself to enter the discussion for MLB time as soon as mid-2015.
Also considered: Brian Johnson, Anthony Ranaudo
Relief Pitcher: Noe Ramirez
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Ramirez transitioned to a role in relief in 2013, and that move appears to have paid dividends in 2014. Ramirez posted a 2.14 ERA in 67.1 innings as a reliever in Portland, striking out 20.9 percent of the batters he faced while walking just six percent.
As SoxProspects.com notes, Ramirez's main weapon is a singing changeup that he complements with a low-90s fastball and a slider that's a work in progress. Ramirez doesn't profile as a future closer, but if he keeps the ball on the ground, his plus-command profile should allow him to succeed in the middle of a major league bullpen for years to come.
It's not a terribly sexy profile, but such is life with reliever prospects. Ramirez should move up to Pawtucket in 2015 and could see MLB time depending on how Boston's offseason moves shake out.
Also considered: Heath Hembree, Tommy Layne
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