5 Impact Prospects Who Could Make the Boston Red Sox's 2015 Roster

The Boston Red Sox kicked off a youth movement for the ages in 2014.

Players such as Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Allen Webster, Brandon Workman, Christian Vazquez and Alex Wilson all lost their prospect eligibility, as the Red Sox turned an eye to the future at the trading deadline. And a whole host of additional prospects got their first cup of coffee in the major leagues.

The 2015 season promises to provide less of an across-the-board opportunity for prospects, as the Sox have said time and time again that they plan to compete once again next year. But there are still many holes on Boston’s roster, and the Sox still boast an impressive host of prospects in Double- and Triple-A, ready to contribute at some point next spring, summer or fall.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five minor leaguers in Boston’s system most likely to make a mark on the 2015 team.

Prospects are listed in order of projected 2015 impact, not overall ranking, and players must meet MLB rookie eligibility requirements (under 130 AB, 50 IP) to qualify. In order to enforce the spirit of the law as well as the letter of the law, Rusney Castillo isn’t eligible, either.

5. Blake Swihart, C

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Christian Vazquez put forth a solid case for why he should be considered an integral part of Boston's future behind the plate in 2014, emerging as one of the best defensive catchers in the league and showing a modicum of potential at the plate. Yet it's Swihart who could serve as the Red Sox's regular backstop for years to come, as he's quietly turned himself into one of the best catching prospects in baseball.

An athletic, lithe, 22-year-old switch-hitter, Swihart hit .300/.353/.487 in 380 PA in Portland in 2014, adding an element of power to his game that scouts had been waiting for for years. He demonstrated a patient approach at the plate, showed off his athleticism by stealing seven bags and earned a promotion to Pawtucket later in the year.

Triple-A proved to be more of a challenge for Swihart, but he played in just 18 games at the level, so it's hard to draw any meaningful conclusions. Still, his performance was good enough to see him ranked as the No. 2 catching prospect in baseball by MLB.com, and in Baseball Prospectus' (subscription required) midseason Top 50 list.

Swihart figures to start the year back in Triple-A, and there's a good chance he spends the majority of the 2015 season there. But if he progresses quickly, he could be promoted to the majors midseason, following a similar timetable to what Vazquez experienced in 2014.

Catching prospects tend to develop more slowly than other prospects, so patience is a virtue when projecting Swihart's contributions. Still, while he's a better bet to be an impact addition in 2016, he should get his cup of coffee this upcoming season, nonetheless.

4. Anthony Ranaudo, RHP

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The Red Sox figure to add a good bit of pitching this offseason, with Joe Kelly and Clay Buchholz the only locks as of now to enter 2015 in the starting rotation. The Sox will have no shortage of young arms vying for a final spot or two on the roster, though, and Anthony Ranaudo figures to be in that conversation.

The 25-year-old had a terrific season in Pawtucket in 2014, throwing 138 innings and notching a 2.61 ERA with a 19.5 strikeout rate and 9.5 walk rate, per FanGraphs. He was especially effective from June 6 onward, as a tweak to his delivery allowed him to greatly improve his command.

As good as the LSU product was in the minors, though, he was just as bad in the majors. In 39.1 innings across seven starts with the Red Sox, Ranaudo posted a 4.81 ERA, allowing a whopping 10 homers and walking more batters (16) than he struck out (15).

While Ranaudo has the ideal size and build for a workhorse starting pitching, his MLB troubles highlighted just how hittable his fastball is when it's left up in the zone. It also illustrated that both his curveball and changeup have a ways to go before they can be relied upon to baffle MLB hitters.

Ranaudo's upside is quite modest, as he's probably either a No. 5 starter or a seventh-inning relief arm. But given that Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and Brandon Workman face similar questions about their futures, Ranaudo could garner significant playing time in 2015 if he pitches well in spring training or in Triple-A.

3. Matt Barnes, RHP

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Halfway through last season, it appeared as though 2014 would be a lost year for Matt Barnes. The 24-year-old owned a 5.06 ERA through 74.2 innings in Pawtucket and was allowing opposing batters to hit .297/.366/.422 off of him. Whispers of a move to the bullpen emerged, and Barnes fell behind many other young starters on Boston’s depth chart.

Yet from July 22 onward, in what would prove to be Barnes’ final eight starts of the year in Triple-A, he looked more like the dynamic college arm the Sox snatched up in the first round in 2011. He held batters to a .167/.232/.237 line and posted a 2.38 ERA, and he saw a marked increase in swinging strikes, too.

That was good enough to earn Barnes a call-up to the majors as a reliever, where he was occasionally impressive and occasionally maddening in five appearances. In that capacity, Barnes gave up four runs in nine innings, striking out eight but allowing 11 hits.

Overall, Barnes’ 2014 season was sort of a wash. We still don’t know all that much more about him than we did before the year began, but he’s now on the precipice of meaningfully contributing in the majors. He has a substantially higher upside than pitchers like Ranaudo or Workman, but he’s had less success than either in the high minors.

The guess here is that Barnes begins 2015 as a starter in Pawtucket and will either pitch his way to the MLB rotation by midseason or will be transitioned into relieving full-time, where he can rely on his plus fastball when he lacks feel for either his curveball or changeup.

2. Henry Owens, LHP

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Pitchers like Ranaudo, Barnes, De La Rosa, Webster and Workman are all still straddling the line between starter and reliever, but there’s no doubt that Owens is going to be able to stick in an MLB rotation—and soon.

The left-hander proved that Double-A batters were no match for him in an incredibly impressive stint in Portland that saw him limit hitters to a .201/.281/.305 line in 121 pitched, earning a spot in the Futures Game and the Eastern League All-Star team. Owens was less dominant after a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket, but he can be forgiven for failing to dominate as a 22-year-old getting his first taste of the International League.

While Owens has received a ton of hype for his Double-A performance, questions about his ultimate upside remain. Some sources, like Baseball Prospectus’ Chris Mellen, see Owens as more of a good No. 3 or 4 starter than someone who will truly stand out at the next level. Others, like ESPN.com’s Keith Law (subscription required), see Owens as a potential No. 2 option.

Regardless of where each source thinks Owens’ ultimate ceiling lies, though, just about everyone seems to agree that Owens will contribute meaningfully to Boston’s rotation for a long time, and he should start to do so at some point in 2015.

Owens shouldn’t be relied upon as a savior, but if he takes a step forward in Triple-A, he could be in the MLB rotation by June or July.

1. Garin Cecchini, 3B/OF

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The Red Sox figure to allocate a majority of their financial resources to improving their rotation next season, and with good reason. Yet if the Sox do decide to upgrade anywhere offensively, too, such a move figures to come at third base, where Boston could make a play in a market with a few intriguing hot corner options.

Unfortunately, that would deprive Garin Cecchini of the chance to prove he can play every day as a competent MLB third baseman. On the one hand, when you consider all the chances Will Middlebrooks has had to cement himself, that seems unfair. But on the other hand, Cecchini had a prime opportunity to take the job and run with it in 2014, and he missed it.

With Middlebrooks floundering and injured once again last season, Cecchini could have positioned himself for serious playing time in Boston. Yet by struggling mightily in Pawtucket in May, June and July, he cost himself a chance to shine in a rare year in which playing time was up for grabs at the MLB level.

The good news is that Cecchini was terrific in April and August and impressed in Boston near the very end of the season. He played in the outfield a bit last season, adding to his versatility. And up until 2014, his MiLB numbers were quite impressive.

The bad news is that the Red Sox have already been linked to players like Pablo Sandoval, per The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, and other options like Chase Headley and Hanley Ramirez will hit the market soon, too.

Still, if there’s any player who has a chance to truly make an impact on the 2015 season, it’s Cecchini. What Boston does in free agency this offseason will tell us whether or not they plan on giving him that opportunity.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.