Boston Red Sox: Stock Up, Stock Down on Top 10 Prospects After 1 Month

As the Boston Red Sox continue to sputter along at the major league level, things could be going worse down on the farm.

Oh, right. Spoiler alert.

The name of today's game is "Stock Up, Stock Down" for the Red Sox's top 10 prospects after one month of minor league ball. These players are pulled from MLB.com's rankings of the organization's best youngsters, plus a couple ground rules:

• No players who've been sidelined by injuries
• No players who've already gotten MLB experience

That means you, C.J. Chatham and Brian Johnson.

Everyone else? Fair game. So let's get to it.

Mike Shawaryn, RHP

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Red Sox Rank: 12

Mike Shawaryn got pulverized in his 2017 debut for the Single-A Greenville Drive. He only lasted two innings and gave up nine runs (all earned) on seven hits, two walks and two hit batsmen.

The only way to go from there is up. Lately, Shawaryn has been illustrating the point.

The 22-year-old Maryland alum has posted a 1.33 ERA over 27.1 innings in his last five starts. He's allowed only 17 hits and has struck out 42 while walking only six.

Most recently, he whiffed 12 batters in six innings against the Augusta GreenJackets. And he did it with the help of a new cutter. As Drive pitching coach Walter Miranda told Michael Leboff of MiLB.com: "He had a lot of success with [the cutter]. He has four pitches now and they are all strikeout pitches. He will get swings and misses with all four of them. There's not many pitchers who have four strikout pitches, so he's got the whole package to be a major league starter."

Shawaryn already had a low-to-mid 90s heater, a tight slider and a fading changeup. Throw in a cutter, and he can now give hitters several different looks. And from a deceptive arm slot, to boot.

Stock: Up

Michael Chavis, 3B

Associated Press

Red Sox Rank: 10

Michael Chavis endured three injury-marred and largely unproductive seasons after the Red Sox picked him at No. 26 in the 2014 draft. So it went at the beginning of this season, as he hurt his elbow on Opening Day.

Since his return, however, all he's done is hit.

Chavis has played in 22 games for the High-A Salem Red Sox and has put together a .329/.436/.671 slash line with seven home runs.

With just a 26.8 ground-ball percentage, the 21-year-old is positioning himself for a spot in MLB's fly-ball revolution. But the real difference for him is that he's healthy in both mind and body after putting too much pressure on himself in 2015 and playing through a broken finger in 2016.

"I'm trying to have more fun and let everything take care of itself," he said in April, per Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com. "Generally when I press for something, it doesn't happen, and I've learned that."

Chavis was only recently able to return to third base after being eased back in at designated hitter following his injury. But if he keeps hitting like this, it won't matter where he plays.

Stock: Up

Nick Longhi, 1B/OF

Red Sox Rank: 9

Nick Longhi isn't all that dissimilar from fellow first base prospect Sam Travis. He doesn't hit for much power, so he needs to hit for average and get on base to earn his keep.

He was able to do so well enough in his first four seasons after the Red Sox picked him in the 30th round of the 2013 draft but had trouble out of the gate for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs this season. Through 14 games, he was hitting just .170/.185/.302.

The 21-year-old has gotten on track in 12 games since, slashing .364/.429/.455. His lack of power continues to loom, but he's whiffed only six times and drawn five walks whilst hitting the ball to all fields.

As long as Longhi continues to hit, the one outstanding question will be where he fits on defense. His lack of power makes him an ill fit for first base. The Red Sox have been giving him time in left and right field, but either position will be a challenge for his 40-grade speed.

Of course, the Red Sox don't need to solve this problem right away. For now, it's good enough that Longhi is hitting again.

Stock: Up

Josh Ockimey, 1B

Red Sox Rank: 8

Chavis isn't the only member of the Salem Red Sox who's making noise. 

Josh Ockimey has played in 30 games and has slashed .343/.449/.556 with four home runs. He has even more power potential than he's showing, but his present emphasis is on growing as a hitter.

"I learned this year that it's better to still hunt the fastball with two strikes and just recognize anything else and make the adjustment," the 21-year-old said last month, according to Chris Tripodi of MiLB.com.

"I feel like that's when guys get off track and miss a fastball, simply because they weren't hunting it. With two strikes, I'm just shortening my swing, especially with a runner on base, and trying to put [the ball] in play and move him."

Ockimey already had the walk habit. What this is doing is helping him delete his strikeout habit. His strikeout percentage is down to a career-low 23.6.

The disclaimer is that Ockimey does have the look of a bat-only player. But if he keeps hitting like this, he'll at least be trade bait in the near term and could be a DH candidate in the long term.

Stock: Up

Travis Lakins, RHP

Red Sox Rank: 7

Travis Lakins entered 2017 looking to get on track after pitching to a 5.93 ERA in 2016.

Well, he just got promoted. So things must be going well.

The 22-year-old Ohio State product made a statement right out of the gate, pitching 5.1 shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks in his 2017 debut for Salem.

That's turned out to be a tone-setter. He had a five-run hiccup on April 21, but has otherwise been overpowering en route to a 2.61 ERA in his first seven starts.

The MLB.com book on Lakins notes that he has "the best stuff of any right-handed starting pitching prospect in Boston's system" now that Anderson Espinoza and Michael Kopech are out of the picture. He's showing as much with 43 strikeouts in 38 innings.

The downside is that he also has the control of a typical power pitcher. He hasn't been too wild, but he has issued multiple walks in four of his last five outings and 13 free passes overall.

Still, that's really the only blemish on Lakin's season thus far.

Stock: Up

Roniel Raudes, RHP

Red Sox Rank: 5

Despite being a mere teenager, Roniel Raudes didn't have too much trouble in rookie ball and Single-A ball in 2015 and 2016. He was quite good, posting a 3.32 ERA across 187 innings.

Hitters at High-A, however, are proving to be more of a challenge.

Raudes got knocked around for five earned runs in his 2017 debut on April 8 and is still working on getting things fully turned around. Although he's allowed only eight runs in five starts since then, he's done so while maintaining just a 20-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Without great stuff at his disposal, Raudes needs to develop his control and command as much as possible. He got off to a terrific start in this regard in 2015 and 2016, striking out 183 and walking only 32. He's taking a step backward this season.

Of course, there's no hurry.

At just 19 years old, Raudes is about four years older than the average High-A player. And he'll continue to be younger than the competition as he advances. The Red Sox have nothing but time with him.

Stock: Down

Bobby Dalbec, 3B

Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Red Sox Rank: 4

Bobby Dalbec became a revelation immediately after the Red Sox picked him in the fourth round of last year's draft. Playing for the Low-A Lowell Spinners, the Arizona product slashed .386/.427/.674 with seven homers in only 34 games.

Now? Less so.

Dalbec started strong through 13 games for Greenville, hitting .318/.423/.455 with a homer. Now he's slumping, as he owns just a .226/.310/.290 slash line over his last 16 games.

To be fair, Dalbec is showing signs of waking up with eight hits (including his second homer) in his last six games. But the big thing still holding him back is his swing-and-miss habit.

He's whiffed in 35.8 percent of his plate appearances. That's a huge step back from the 23.1 strikeout percentage he had at Low-A, which is not a good sign for a 21-year-old who's slightly older than the competition.

At 6'4" and 225 pounds with plenty of raw power and a strong arm, Dalbec still looks the part of a slugging third baseman. But he needs to get on track.

Stock: Down

Sam Travis, 1B

Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Red Sox Rank: 3

Sam Travis' season with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox could've gotten off to a better start.

He had an injury scare early on when he and Blake Swihart collided while going after a pop-up. He escaped that largely unscathed, but couldn't get his production on track in the meantime. Through 11 games, he had just a .175/.267/.325 slash line.

Since then, Travis has looked more like himself.

In his last 13 games, he's rebounded to hit .319/.373/.468. There's only one home run in the mix, but that's not his game anyway. His game is better reflected in the fact he's only struck out six times while wearing out the right-center gap.

"Travis is a polished right-handed hitter who lets his power come naturally rather than worrying about homers. He recognizes pitches, controls the strike zone and makes loud contact from gap to gap," the MLB.com book reads on him.

At 23 years old, Travis is getting to a point where he won't have anything left to prove in the minors. Should the Red Sox develop a need at first base or DH, he's a candidate to get the call.

Stock: Up

Jay Groome, LHP

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

Red Sox Rank: 2

Jay Groome, the Red Sox's No. 12 pick in the 2016 draft, had a disastrous 2017 debut for Greenville on April 10. He served up nine runs on seven hits and three walks in only an inning and a third.

He hasn't pitched since then.

The lefty didn't just get shelled in his debut. He also suffered a lat injury that's kept him on the disabled list ever since. That was a month ago, and there appears to be nothing but silence on when he might pitch again.

Wild guess: It might not be soon.

Groome is the most talented pitcher the Red Sox have in their system and he's still only 18 years old. If it's a good idea to never rush anyone back from injury—and it is—it's a doubly good idea in his case.

All the Red Sox can do is hope that Groome still has his stuff when he comes back. Young though he is, he already throws a fastball that touches the mid-90s and a curveball with plus-plus potential. Such things make scouts drool.

Stock: Down

Rafael Devers, 3B

Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Red Sox Rank: 1

Rafael Devers didn't produce bad results in 2015 and 2016, but what he did put up didn't quite mesh with his reputation as one of baseball's best prospects.

In 2017, it's been a completely different story.

Devers has been a man on a mission for Portland, hitting .305/.371/.547 with six home runs through 26 games.

That puts him on track to shatter his career high of 11 homers, first set in Greenville in 2015 and matched last year at Salem. And the homers he's hit haven't been cheap. His power has been concentrated up the middle and to the opposite field.

One thing the 20-year-old still isn't doing is taking many walks. But he's tended to make enough contact to justify his aggressive approach, and is doing so once again in maintaining a solid 19.0 strikeout percentage.

In all, Devers leaves very little to gripe about. He's worthy of being Boston's No. 1 prospect, as well as possibly the best third base prospect in the sport.

Stock: Up

Data courtesy of MiLB.com, Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and MLBFarm.com.