Red Sox 2014/15 list season
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 12:23 pm
Nice start to list season for the Sox with the top 2 'find' guys (not drafted/2014 picks) in each of the first two BA league top 20s.
GCL
#3 Ozhiano Albies SS
Albies is an advanced hitter for his age with a quick, simple swing, terrific bat control and a mature understanding of the strike zone. He makes consistent contact and takes advantage of his plus-plus speed to hit for a high batting average. With his plate patience, he could hit at the top of the order.
Albies has minimal power, with a swing geared for hitting the ball on the ground and using his speed to help him get on base. He impressed GCL observers with his defense at shortstop, where he shows plenty of range, a good arm and a sound internal clock.
#4 Jorge Mateo SS
An explosive, premium athlete, Mateo is at top-of-the-scale runner who should be a prolific basestealer. He has plus bat speed with average power potential and solid understanding of the strike zone, though he will swing through good breaking pitches. At shortstop he has good range and footwork, while his arm is another plus tool.
“He’s special,” GCL Yankees-2 manager Patrick Osborne said. “(Hitting coach) Drew Henson and I talked about it—he played in NFL—and he said if he grew up in the U.S., he’d be (Redskins wide receiver) DeSean Jackson. That’s who he’s built like. He’s quick-twich, lightning fast—he’s really fun to watch.”
AZL
#10 Michael Santos SP
The Giants turned Santos loose this season, and he turned out to be one of the most impressive pitchers in the league. His 93 mph fastball already has plenty of life and he stands to add velocity as he fills out.
“If that fastball gets a couple of miles (per hour) on it, it’s going to be harder to be touched,” Giants manager Nestor Rojas said.
Santos can spin a curveball from 68-74 mph and consistently throw it for strikes. It’s an advanced pitch considering his experience level, and he will only add power. His changeup shows potential for being a third quality pitch.
#12 Yu-Cheng Chang SS/3B
Chang quickly became a favorite among AZL scouts for his refined skills, especially at the plate, where he showed a compact, quick swing, a good feel for the barrel and more power than expected with a pull-heavy approach. His six home runs ranked second in the AZL behind the teammate Bobby Bradley, and he added two more longballs during the club’s playoff run.
He’s got the arm for both positions (SS/3B) and is sound fundamentally, so he could become a plus defender at third.
APP
#1 Ozhiano Albies SS
Albies has natural instincts for the game and tools, a combination that enabled him to be one of the top performers in the league despite being the youngest qualified player for this list. He profiles as a shortstop with a plus arm from a quick release, soft hands and at least plus speed and range. His defensive polish and efficiency was apparent with the second-highest fielding percentage (.950) among league shortstops.
Albies offers plus bat speed from both sides of the plate and led the league in both average (.356) and on-base percentage (.429). His loose, quick stroke works inside the ball and hits to all fields. He is particularly adept at driving the ball to the opposite field while hitting lefthanded. Scouts project him to be an above-average hitter because of his precious contact ability. His strikeout rate (10.6 percent) was the lowest for any 17-year-old Appy Leaguer since Jimmy Rollins in 1996. His discerning eye also drew as many walks as strikeouts. Albies’ high-contact, high on-base skillset profiles to hit at the top of a lineup. While Albies combination of speed and savvy will likely make him an impact baserunner who steals at an efficient clip (83.3 percent this summer).
#8 Alec Grosser SP
Grosser pitches off of his fastball that sat 90-92 mph and touched 94 before tiring some down the stretch. He generates at least plus sinking life to his heater that produced the highest groundout/airout ratio (2.71) of any qualified Appy League starter, and he did not allow a home run all season. His breaking ball improved over the last year and has at least average potential. His changeup has developed and showed fringe-average potential, though it is not frequently used.
PIO
#1 Aristides Aquino OF
PL observers were unanimous in their admiration for the tall, lanky Dominican, with multiple comparisons with Vladimir Guerrero. Aquino led the league in RBIs (64), extra-base hits (44) and ranked second in homers (16), stolen bases (21) and slugging (.577).
Aquino’s power comes from long arms that create leverage in his swing, and he’s got a knack for making in-game adjustments at the plate. He can get fooled with pitches, but he keeps his hands back and still drives the ball. He still is growing into his body and could get stronger.
Defensively, Aquino has turned himself into a good defender in right field with a plus arm. While no more than an average runner, he’s got the ability to steal bases.
#15 Tyler Mahle SP
Tyler, who signed for $250,000 in 2013, stands out for his superior command, pitchability and effective four-pitch mix. “He’s one of the best command pitchers we have in the organization,” Billings pitching coach Derrin Ebert said.Mahle can lock up hitters with a 90 mph fastball that he moves to both sides of the plate. His secondary pitches—a mid-70s curveball, a 78-80 mph slider and a changeup thrown with the same speed as the slider—are all average offerings now but play up because of above-average control. Mahle will need to prove himself at every level because he doesn’t have that lightning arm and projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
NYPL
#6 Yairo Munoz SS
A live-bodied athlete, he is capable of making highlight-reel plays at shortstop, and he started to learn how to slow the game down this year. He has excellent range, slick actions and a plus arm, helping him profile as a SS.
Munoz is wiry-strong and whips the bat through the zone, helping him drive the gaps and generate surprising home-run power to the pull side.
Munoz also has above-average to plus speed and likes to steal bases. He needs to refine all aspects of his game to harness his aggressiveness, but he has five-tool potential and a big personality to match.
GCL
#3 Ozhiano Albies SS
Albies is an advanced hitter for his age with a quick, simple swing, terrific bat control and a mature understanding of the strike zone. He makes consistent contact and takes advantage of his plus-plus speed to hit for a high batting average. With his plate patience, he could hit at the top of the order.
Albies has minimal power, with a swing geared for hitting the ball on the ground and using his speed to help him get on base. He impressed GCL observers with his defense at shortstop, where he shows plenty of range, a good arm and a sound internal clock.
#4 Jorge Mateo SS
An explosive, premium athlete, Mateo is at top-of-the-scale runner who should be a prolific basestealer. He has plus bat speed with average power potential and solid understanding of the strike zone, though he will swing through good breaking pitches. At shortstop he has good range and footwork, while his arm is another plus tool.
“He’s special,” GCL Yankees-2 manager Patrick Osborne said. “(Hitting coach) Drew Henson and I talked about it—he played in NFL—and he said if he grew up in the U.S., he’d be (Redskins wide receiver) DeSean Jackson. That’s who he’s built like. He’s quick-twich, lightning fast—he’s really fun to watch.”
AZL
#10 Michael Santos SP
The Giants turned Santos loose this season, and he turned out to be one of the most impressive pitchers in the league. His 93 mph fastball already has plenty of life and he stands to add velocity as he fills out.
“If that fastball gets a couple of miles (per hour) on it, it’s going to be harder to be touched,” Giants manager Nestor Rojas said.
Santos can spin a curveball from 68-74 mph and consistently throw it for strikes. It’s an advanced pitch considering his experience level, and he will only add power. His changeup shows potential for being a third quality pitch.
#12 Yu-Cheng Chang SS/3B
Chang quickly became a favorite among AZL scouts for his refined skills, especially at the plate, where he showed a compact, quick swing, a good feel for the barrel and more power than expected with a pull-heavy approach. His six home runs ranked second in the AZL behind the teammate Bobby Bradley, and he added two more longballs during the club’s playoff run.
He’s got the arm for both positions (SS/3B) and is sound fundamentally, so he could become a plus defender at third.
APP
#1 Ozhiano Albies SS
Albies has natural instincts for the game and tools, a combination that enabled him to be one of the top performers in the league despite being the youngest qualified player for this list. He profiles as a shortstop with a plus arm from a quick release, soft hands and at least plus speed and range. His defensive polish and efficiency was apparent with the second-highest fielding percentage (.950) among league shortstops.
Albies offers plus bat speed from both sides of the plate and led the league in both average (.356) and on-base percentage (.429). His loose, quick stroke works inside the ball and hits to all fields. He is particularly adept at driving the ball to the opposite field while hitting lefthanded. Scouts project him to be an above-average hitter because of his precious contact ability. His strikeout rate (10.6 percent) was the lowest for any 17-year-old Appy Leaguer since Jimmy Rollins in 1996. His discerning eye also drew as many walks as strikeouts. Albies’ high-contact, high on-base skillset profiles to hit at the top of a lineup. While Albies combination of speed and savvy will likely make him an impact baserunner who steals at an efficient clip (83.3 percent this summer).
#8 Alec Grosser SP
Grosser pitches off of his fastball that sat 90-92 mph and touched 94 before tiring some down the stretch. He generates at least plus sinking life to his heater that produced the highest groundout/airout ratio (2.71) of any qualified Appy League starter, and he did not allow a home run all season. His breaking ball improved over the last year and has at least average potential. His changeup has developed and showed fringe-average potential, though it is not frequently used.
PIO
#1 Aristides Aquino OF
PL observers were unanimous in their admiration for the tall, lanky Dominican, with multiple comparisons with Vladimir Guerrero. Aquino led the league in RBIs (64), extra-base hits (44) and ranked second in homers (16), stolen bases (21) and slugging (.577).
Aquino’s power comes from long arms that create leverage in his swing, and he’s got a knack for making in-game adjustments at the plate. He can get fooled with pitches, but he keeps his hands back and still drives the ball. He still is growing into his body and could get stronger.
Defensively, Aquino has turned himself into a good defender in right field with a plus arm. While no more than an average runner, he’s got the ability to steal bases.
#15 Tyler Mahle SP
Tyler, who signed for $250,000 in 2013, stands out for his superior command, pitchability and effective four-pitch mix. “He’s one of the best command pitchers we have in the organization,” Billings pitching coach Derrin Ebert said.Mahle can lock up hitters with a 90 mph fastball that he moves to both sides of the plate. His secondary pitches—a mid-70s curveball, a 78-80 mph slider and a changeup thrown with the same speed as the slider—are all average offerings now but play up because of above-average control. Mahle will need to prove himself at every level because he doesn’t have that lightning arm and projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
NYPL
#6 Yairo Munoz SS
A live-bodied athlete, he is capable of making highlight-reel plays at shortstop, and he started to learn how to slow the game down this year. He has excellent range, slick actions and a plus arm, helping him profile as a SS.
Munoz is wiry-strong and whips the bat through the zone, helping him drive the gaps and generate surprising home-run power to the pull side.
Munoz also has above-average to plus speed and likes to steal bases. He needs to refine all aspects of his game to harness his aggressiveness, but he has five-tool potential and a big personality to match.