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BA RED SOX TOP 10

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2011/2610882.html

1. Casey Kelly, rhp

2. Jose Iglesias, ss

3. Anthony Rizzo, 1b

4. Anthony Ranaudo, rhp

5. Drake Britton, lhp

6. Reymond Fuentes, of

7. Josh Reddick, of

8. Felix Doubront, lhp

9. Stolmy Pimentel, rhp

10. Garin Cecchini, 3b

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Garin Cecchini

Best Power Hitter Anthony Rizzo

Best Strike-Zone Discipline Che-Hsuan Lin

Fastest Baserunner Felix Sanchez

Best Athlete Reymond Fuentes

Best Fastball  Drake Britton

Best Curveball Casey Kelly

Best Slider Alex Wilson

Best Changeup Stolmy Pimentel

Best Control Chris Balcom-Miller

Best Defensive Catcher Tim Federowicz

Best Defensive Infielder Jose Iglesias

Best Infield Arm Will Middlebrooks

Best Defensive Outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin

Best Outfield Arm Che-Hsuan Lin

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Comments

Display:

the only thing i agree with here

is that Raymond Fuentes has the best fastball in the system.

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
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by doublestix on Nov 3, 2025 11:43 AM EDT reply actions  

Callis said on Twitter its supposed to be Britton there

If everybody likes you, then either no one knows anything about you, or you're dead.

by Archie A on Nov 3, 2025 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions  

It's nice to see Kelly that high- I'm still optimistic

Also, I think it’s fair to say that Iglesias is a top-100 guy according to BA, yes? (I know this is a Callis list while the BA Top 100 is a group effort, but still)

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 11:46 AM EDT reply actions  

Indeed

I expect the top 3 and maybe Ranaudo to be on that list.

Brandon Jacobs of Lowell > Brandon Jacobs of NYG

by Lesterfan on Nov 3, 2025 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions  

Reddick

I’m surprised Reddick is still so high on the list, I know he had a torrid finish but his complete lack of plate discipline is a pretty big turn off to me.

Brandon Jacobs of Lowell > Brandon Jacobs of NYG

by Lesterfan on Nov 3, 2025 12:11 PM EDT reply actions  

I think that's a mostly fair way to put it

It’s a good system right now, but at the same time it could be an absolutely great system within a year.

It’s got fantastic depth, they’re just missing that top-notch, elite prospect that was supposed to be either Kelly or Westmoreland by now. But then again, someone like Kelly, Ranaudo or Britton could break out in a big way in 2011.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

I don't think Kelly is too far from that status

Similar to Martin Perez. Not a great season by any means, but we certainly shouldn’t be down on him.

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by Jeff Reese on Nov 3, 2025 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

+1

http://bullpenbanter.com

by gatling on Nov 3, 2025 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions  

Oh, I agree, I've been pretty bullish on Kelly for a while

Especially after reading how positive many of the reports on him were even as he was struggling.

But he’s not really perceived as that elite kind of guy in the same sense that someone like Teheran or Moore or Miller is, for whatever reason.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions  

that's a fun comparison

Of course, to me it begs the same question as Perez - why in AA? As much fun as it is to watch Perez when he’s on (believe me, it is awesome), pushing these guys so hard just seems like you’re asking for something to go wrong. I’m not a big fan of “wanting to see guys dominate”, but you always want your prospects to enjoy a certain level of comfort on the mound.

As usual, I look to the Tampa/Minnesota model of prospect development - it’s really easy to move a guy up, but really hard to move him down. So why worry? Let a guy take as long as he needs at the lower levels to put his game together, and you’ll get a guy who knows what he’s doing when it really matters.

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Totally agree.

It’s not going to ruin Kelly or Perez, but the promotions seemed premature.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'll agree on Kelly

Perez is in a bit different circumstance though. Not necessarily saying it was clearly the right move, but at the same time, I think there’s just as good a case to be made that having a prize arm pitch in the Cali league can be as detrimental to their development as skipping the level. As bloated as offense is in that league, it can encourage bad habits like nibbling, discourage pitchers from working on still rough pitches, and damage confidence. Same can be said for moving a pitcher to a level they’re not ready for, but it’s an interesting dilemma anyway.

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

+1

You are absolutely right. I used to drool over this system but not anymore.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

Meh.

Give it a year or two.

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions  

well ...

i would agree that there’s lots of talent but there’s really no statistical support for any of these guys aside from rizzo & iglesias’ plus plus defense.

it could be really, really good or mediocre. my broader point is it just isn’t nearly as good as it used to be. who knows, next year i may be envious again.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions  

It's all cyclical

The team has graduated quite a bit of talent in recent years, couple that with a weak 09 draft and the team system doesn’t look so hot. The 2010 draft should go along way in bringing it up to speed though

Brandon Jacobs of Lowell > Brandon Jacobs of NYG

by Lesterfan on Nov 3, 2025 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions  

Give it 6 months.

Ranaudo will be a top-5 pitching prospect by June (as long as he’s still healthy). Outside of that, there’s just a ton of upside in this system. It’s a down year, but I’d love it if my team’s down years looked like this.

by slamcactus on Nov 3, 2025 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions  

Seriously.

If I had two potentially elite pitching prospects, arguably the best shortstop in the minors, and a host of additional high-quality prospects at nearly every position, and people told me it was a down year, I’d freak out.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 4, 2025 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions  

I figured Oscar Tejeda and Brandon Workman would have made the top 10

Interesting that Doubront made it.

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by Jeff Reese on Nov 3, 2025 12:26 PM EDT reply actions  

Same

I would’ve expected to see those two over Reddick and Doubront.

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions  

No on tejada

not yet.
Workman maybe.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

Confused by this comment a bit

Tejeda gets good reports and produced this season (for those that need statistical evidence). I think he has a pretty strong case for the back couple spots. Callis, for what its worth, said:

Tejeda could have made several Top 10 lists, and he was on earlier versions of my Red Sox Top 10. I just couldn’t squeeze everyone on there that I wanted to.

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by Jeff Reese on Nov 3, 2025 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions  

I am not huge on tejada

I like him. Maybe a top 10 in other organizations, but Boston’s is too deep.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah, it's damn close.

The 7 through 13 or 14 spots in that system are pretty wishy-washy depending on your preferences.

Also, by the way (and not to be obnoxious), but it’s Tejeda, not Tejada.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah

typo.
The Red Sox—- deepest organization in baseball?

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'd say so.

The Royals might have the deepest farm system, but you can’t ignore the talent difference at MLB level.

I mean, it’s not surprising that the Sox have so much depth when they add top amateur talent every single year.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

They'll take a hit this offseason

But still awfully hard to go against the Rays combining both majors and minors talent depth. Twins might be in the discussion as well.

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions  

I mean, we're pretty much talking about the model franchises right now

Red Sox, Rays, Twins…

These are the kinds of organizations that every team should try to emulate.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions  

This is true

So… remind me again how Brian Sabean is now a World Series winner?

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

Because he did a few things right, and people underestimate the power of luck

You can’t deny that Sabean did a great job building that rotation, with Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Bumgarner and Wilson.

But at the same time, you have to admit that he got damn lucky with guys like Burrell and Huff, and he’s wasted an astonishing amount of money on the likes of Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions  

he got damn lucky with guys like Burrell and Huff

Not to mention Uribe and Ross; one more example of how a seemingly uneventful trade can lead to an unexpected impact in a SSS. Torres far exceeded expectations this year as well. I love the pitching staff, and I agree Sabean deserves full credit for drafting and developing these young arms, but the offense did smack of a perfect storm/team of destiny. They won me over during the ATL series, and I’ve been pulling for them since, but I’m not sure what to expect from them going forward.

by blackoutyears on Nov 3, 2025 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

While it was more meant as a throw-away comment

It does still baffle me in terms of baseball karma. So amusing how he blatantly threw away draft choices (Michael Tucker, really?) and thumbed his nose at minor league system development for all those years, and yet here they are thanks to the draft choices they couldn’t get rid of.

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions  

They stopped with that crap after 2005, though.

In 2006, they drafted Lincecum. In 2007, they landed Bumgarner and Runzler, as well as Alderson, who landed them Freddy Sanchez. And in 2008, they got Posey.

This team goes nowhere without those five picks, particularly the Lincecum-Bumgarner-Posey first rounders. Rarely does a team hit so hard with three straight early first round picks.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

Right

With top half of the first round picks that Sabean couldn’t throw away in spite of his wishes. Doesn’t seem like he’s gotten any wiser this year given the Posey situation and his ‘unique’ take on the minor leagues. I credit San Fran’s scouts, playey development, Bochy, the players themselves; pretty much everyone but Sabean himself.

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

well, you never know

As weird as Sabean has been over the years, I have to think that even he can put two and two together and figure out how this team got to where it is today.

On a semi-related note, for a good time, go check out the San Francisco 2007 draft.

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions  

wow

Lars Anderson not even in their top 10? wow.

by apoxonbothyourhouses on Nov 3, 2025 12:30 PM EDT reply actions  

Nor should he

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

this

i can’t believe he’s still over-rated

by daveh33 on Nov 3, 2025 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions  

My God

I have seen him when he was a top guy, and never understood it.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

11-13

http://twitter.com/#!/jimcallisBA/status/29607972252

If everybody likes you, then either no one knows anything about you, or you're dead.

by Archie A on Nov 3, 2025 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

Not for me.

Posted this on twitter a few weeks back, my Sox top 20:

1 Casey Kelly
2 Jose Iglesias
3 Anthony Ranaudo
4 Drake Britton
5 Anthony Rizzo
6 Josh Reddick
7 Kolbrin Vitek
8 Will Middlebrooks
9 Oscar Tejeda
10 Garin Cecchini
11 Felix Doubront
12 Brandon Workman
13 Stolmy Pimental
14 Reymond Fuentes
15 Sean Coyle
16 Yamaico Navarro
17 Ryan Lavarnway
18 Jeremy Hazelbaker
19 Bryce Brentz
20 Madison Younginer

Still subject to change…

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by alskor on Nov 3, 2025 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions  

well i'm glad you have vitek in there

because it seems like he’s pretty damn underrated.

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
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by doublestix on Nov 3, 2025 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yup.

The case for Vitek, succinctly:

-Pretty impressive tools for a college player
-Good athleticism
-Plus speed
-Plus power
-Good feel for hitting
-Polished hitter with a good approach. One of those guys whose approach can be weapon.
-Although he doesn’t have a real defensive home, he has the athletic ability to play a number of spots, and a few of them potentially really well. Great arm.
-His defensive issues are in large part due to him pitching at Ball St. and the coach playing him all over on days he didn’t pitch. He played all over in college.
-Andy Seiler of mlbbonusbaby.com in his draft prep (well worth the money btw!):

there’s a good feeling that he’s going to be an impact bat in a weak hitting class.
He has the tools to be an impact player at second base and center field, and it’s only a matter of decision-making as to where he ends up. At the plate, he’s easily an above-average hitter with above-average raw power, and when you add in his plus speed, he’s an absolute offensive threat.

Vitek was a guy I really liked pre-draft and I think he’s getting overlooked a bit.

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by alskor on Nov 3, 2025 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

Hazelbaker and Brentz should not be there. Expo should.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions  

I don't think Expo does anything that well.

Looks like a backup to me. Not a plus defender and I’m not confident he’ll hit much. No major weaknesses, but not a guy who profiles as much of a major league option.

Hazelbaker is a good athlete and defender and showed plenty of pop this year while stealing 63 bases.

Brentz has K problems but has lots of power and projects as a plus defender in RF.

I’m taking either one easily over Expo, to be honest. I actually have Exposito behind guys like Ramos & Hassan…

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by alskor on Nov 4, 2025 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions  

I assume Kalish did not qualify?

Also I was midly surprised that Rizzo ranked ahead of Ranaudo. The BA guys (Manuel and Callis) seemed to LOVE the Ranaudo pick.

Otherwise there weren’t too many surprises.

by guru4u on Nov 3, 2025 12:52 PM EDT reply actions  

Correct, Kalish exhausted his eligibility

Yeah, Rizzo is too high for my taste.

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by Jeff Reese on Nov 3, 2025 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions  

Very deep organization

A little surprised by Cecchini’s ranking, and Reddick seems a bit high.
But I like the agressive ranking of Britton and Raunado.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 1:36 PM EDT reply actions  

I don't think they're that aggressive or whatever

I would say they’re pretty damn appropriate. Honestly, I’m a tad surprised that Ranaudo isn’t higher than 4.

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

Who should he be ahead of?

H has not even pitched in pro ball yet.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'd definitely put him ahead of Rizzo

My top 10 would look like this:

Casey Kelly
Jose Iglesias
Anthony Ranaudo
Drake Britton
Reymond Fuentes
Oscar Tejeda
Anthony Rizzo
Garin Cecchini
Brandon Workman
Wade Middlebrooks

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by Jeff Reese on Nov 3, 2025 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Not so sure

I cannot rank Tejeda ahead of Rizzo at all. I have seen them both and Rizzo is much better.
I like Raunado a lot, but I want to wait to see him in pro ball. Fuentes ahead of Rizzo makes little sense as well. Here are mine:
Kelly
Iglesias
Rizzo
Raunado
Britton
Fuentes
Cecchini
Workman
Doubront
Pimentel

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions  

I have seen him a lot

and can tell you right now it is. He has a lot of power and is able to drive the ball to all fields.
Again though, it is AA. I want to see if he can keep improving this year, but for the time being I am fine with him being #3.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions  

have to be aware of bias, though

It’s easier to buy into the guy that you’ve witnessed doing it than the guy that you haven’t seen. Not saying that you’re wrong, just saying that “I’ve seen him a lot” doesn’t mean that he’s going to be good. . .after all, you’ve probably seen the bad, too.

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

I don't think I'm ready to put Tejeda above Rizzo, although it's close

Our lists are probably quite similar.

I’d go

1. Kelly
2. Iglesias
3. Ranaudo
4. Britton
5. Rizzo
6. Fuentes
7. Tejeda
8. Workman
9. Cecchini
10. Middlebrooks

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions  

ranaudo ranking

I don’t care for him very much and he’s obviously not a top 100 prospect at this point, but the system’s strength is in the depth, not the quality. So whether he’s 4th or 15th doesn’t make a huge difference here, really.

As always, though, “aggressive” is not a good descriptor to see when it comes to rankings . . .

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions  

Why don't you care for him?

He’s filthy and knows how to pitch. He was a man among boys in the Cape this summer. Fully outclassed the league. That’s a huge accomplishment.

by slamcactus on Nov 3, 2025 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions  

No Vitek?

personally, I’d swap Ranaudo and Iglesias, and keep Rizzo at #3 (I think he could be an elite bat at 1b, likely to at least show plus power and decent contact.) Vitek would be near the bottom of the top 10 for me, ahead of Cecchini I guess.

by PrincetonCubs on Nov 3, 2025 2:48 PM EDT reply actions  

I’m curious how people see Vitek vs. Coyle. I remember reading stuff on them both but Coyle jumped out at me first. Coyle was definitely the less profiled player and probably could have slid a few rounds if the Red Sox were willing to risk it. What do people really see as the justification for what seems like a wide gap between the two?

I’ve read some that think Vitek will develop plus power which seems like a ways to go. That would give him an advantage.

Coyle seems to be the more likely person to stay in the infield.

Coyle has more speed. That isn’t a big advantage for him unless he can really use it (which I’ve heard he can).

Coyle just seems to be really overlooked from their draft to me.

by jfish26101 on Nov 3, 2025 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

IGLESIAS

what is the big deal with this guy? he better have an awesome glove cuz this dude is nothing special offensively.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 3:09 PM EDT reply actions  

He does have an awesome glove.

That’s the whole point.

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

That's cool but ..

In today’s game you have to have something besides a good glove. I just don’t see why everyone is giggled up about him. If he’s the #2 or #3 prospect in the system then it isn’t really all that good imo.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions  

I dunno, great gloves are shortstop are so very hard to come by

They’re guaranteed non-fail players . . .even if they don’t really hit, they’re still likely to have long major league careers as backups who get 250-300+ ABs a year.

If they do hit, you’ve got a player who provides a incredible amount of value. I have no clue what Iglesias was doing in AA this year, but there’s enough raw talent with the bat to make him a VERY good major leaguer.

I suspect his overall ranking in the BA list is going to shock more than a few people. I’m trying to figure that out right now. Top 20? Top 40?

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think he's in the 40-60 range

But alas, that’s pretty much a complete guess.

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'm not sure

Callis doesn’t speak for BA as a whole, but he’s about as close as you’ll get to a single voice. I think the top 5 are definitely getting into the top 100, maybe the top 7, although Fuentes and Reddick would jump into the last few slots. I believe Callis has mentioned that he thinks Ranaudo is a top 50 prospect . . .so I suspect Iglesias will place a bit higher than that ultimately.

For a Red Sox team that has been utterly baffled by what to do year-to-year at shortstop for the last few years, Iglesias is going to be such a relief. Kelly might rank over him, but I think Iglesias will ultimately have the bigger impact.

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah, it's really been a rotating door there

Scutaro, Lowrie, Green, Lugo, Gonzalez, Cora, Renteria, Reese and Cabrera all spent significant time at short since the team traded Nomar in 2004.

The Red Sox are likely to get some truly great value from the $8.25M they spent on Iglesias last year. There’s a part of me that’s actually surprised that he didn’t get more, although I suppose that’s because Cuban players have mostly been disappointing in the U.S. in recent years.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions  

Because he's 20, he's a plus-plus defender, and any offensive value he provides is essentially gravy.

If he’s a +10 defender, a reasonable projection, he can be a -15 bat and still be a solid regular.

If he bats .260/.300/.350 with a few steals and +10 defense, he’s a solid regular. That shouldn’t be that hard to do. Anything above that simply pushes him further above-average and closer to star-level.

Baseball is my preferred sport. It should be yours, too.
I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions  

i'm not in disagreement with what you're saying

but for some reason he just doesn’t wow me. this is probably due to the fact i’m always evaluating from a fantasy perspective. furthermore, i predicted pedroia to be a “light hitter”. well, we all know how that prediction turned out.

in real baseball terms, if he’s truly a plus plus defender then he certainly has lots of value. the sox can make up for the stick elsewhere.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah... I don't really care about how Iglesias does in fantasy

Shortstops that play plus-plus defense simply don’t need to offer much offensively, and I think that must people believe that he can easily reach that offensive threshold.

If he’s a league average hitter with that glove, he’s a star. If he’s merely very poor, then he’s average. Unless he’s historically bad with the bat, and we have zero reason to believe that’s the case, Iglesias is likely to be a solid regular.

I suppose that most people get more excited about a plus-plus glove at shortstop than you do. But I’ll tell you after watching some of the plays that Alexei Ramirez, who has quietly emerged as a very good defensive shortstop, made this year that watching a good defensive shortstop is one of the most entertaining things in a baseball game.

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

There is still lots of optimism about his bat...

He’s a young Cuban, speaking no English, very raw approach but lightning quick bat speed and great hands and plate coverage. He was dropped immediately into AA in Maine. He also missed time with a wrist injury. Just taking his line out of context doesn’t tell you a lot about this guy.

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by alskor on Nov 3, 2025 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions  

you just listed tons of reasons why it was silly that he was sent to AA

But I’m pretty optimistic about him. As it is, it’d probably be best to have him repeat AA . . .so why not just send him to the Sally in the first place to get acclimated, and then promote him aggressively if you so desire?

I imagine this ranking will lead to him getting due credit in community rankings this year . . .

by mrkupe on Nov 3, 2025 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

You got me.

I agree with you to a large degree. Red Sox have been getting more and more aggressive in their assignments recently, it seems. Might have something to do with org. depth. Ryan Dent played 110 games at SS for A+ Salem. Gibson was at Greenville…

Maybe they wanted him to clearly see his contact skills alone won’t carry him in the states; that he needs to work on his approach…?

I think its really important that people realize the bat here is not WYSIWYG. Lots of extenuating circumstances in his favor that call for optimism. Mentioned this a few times before, but he had the second fastest bat speed in the org. behind Pedroia when they tested in ST. There’s a lot to like about the bat, and the glove is as good as we’ve seen in a SS prospect for years. People don’t just call it great, they go on and on about how ridiculous he is…

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by alskor on Nov 3, 2025 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Uh, have you seen the class of shortstops in the game today?

Only four regular shortstops posted a wOBA over .330. In today’s game you don’t have to be much more than a good glove at short. Hell, a 95-year-old Omar Vizquel just got $1.75 million for being nothing more than that.

by ThomasG on Nov 3, 2025 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions  

yeah .. this is true!

see jeter, derek

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

Did you just say that Derek Jeter isn't much more than a good glove at short?

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

no

he sucks at short.

jeter should not be playing shortstop anymore. i wish the yanks had n immediate replacement. i don’t think nunez is quite ready if that’s teh long term plan.

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Nov 3, 2025 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

I doubt Nunez is the answer

He’s not a bad prospect; he’s done a lot to help himself in the past two years. But I don’t know if he’s the guy to follow up Jeter at shortstop.

Does anyone have a recent scouting report on Nunez?

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by Satchel Price on Nov 3, 2025 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah, I recall that

Here’s the main quote:

The Braves have asked about Yankees shortstop prospect Eduardo Nunez. But New York may see him as an heir apparent to Derek Jeter (in a year or two, anyway), so its decision not to include him in a potential Cliff Lee trade is a bit more understandable.

Not only is it odd that Heyman called Nunez a possible heir apparent to Jeter, but the idea that the Yankees refused to include Nunez in a Lee offer is ludicrous. Why the hell would the Yankees refuse that kind of request?

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I'm an editor for Beyond the Box Score, an SB Nation blog.

by Satchel Price on Nov 4, 2025 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions  

This

has been discussed a lot the last year or two. Is there really this drastic a shortage of SS’s who can provide any offensive value in development, or are teams deferring to gloves over bats? I certainly don’t debate the value of defense, but anyone who watches much baseball can attest to the dangers of having an automatic out at the end of the lineup, especially in post-season play.

by blackoutyears on Nov 3, 2025 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions  

Both

We just exited baseball’s golden age for SS, compounded by the PEDs; now pendulum has swung back the other way. The last few rookie classes have primarily contributed light-hitting speedsters that have to have power projected on to them (Andrus, Castro) or guys with some pop but average on-base skills (Ramirez, Brignac). The only three full-season prospects with generally consensus positive offensive outlooks are Franklin, Colon, and Green, each of whom is probably a coinflip to actually stay there and even then have some scouting questions on the bats.

At the same time, for the first time ever, we have usable (not necessarily perfect, but usable) metrics with which to actually quantify defensive impact. Combine that with the new Moneyball type culture of value seeking, and it’s an obvious road to take given a dearth of impact offensive talent in a market where offensive production is still given a higher relative price point.

by goldenblack on Nov 3, 2025 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions  

cecchini and fuentes are too low.

two of the more interesting prospects this system has had in a while.

by daveh33 on Nov 3, 2025 4:57 PM EDT reply actions  

I love Cecchini...

feel like Fuentes is getting too much of a tools/bloodlines bump, though. I like his well-rounded game, but I’m not sure any of his tools other than defense and speed will ever be more than a 40.

But yeah, Cecchini…pretty sure if he’d gone to LSU instead of signing with the Red Sox we’d have been talking about him as a potential top-5 pick two years from now.

by slamcactus on Nov 3, 2025 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions  

+1

Probably my favorite HS bat from last year’s draft in terms of upside. Great swing mechanics + strong athleticism = Win.

by SenorGato on Nov 4, 2025 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions  

I saw quite a few of these guys this year

Tejada is going to be a star outside of Boston unless he can learn the outfield. Kelly has a throwing motion that makes him look like John Smoltz, but he won’t be that good. Rizzo I am not a fan, has a long swing.

by Bravesin07 on Nov 3, 2025 6:08 PM EDT reply actions  

OK, I will respecfully disagree

Rizzo does not have a very long swing. And what makes you say kelly will not be good?

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by Marisa Ingemi on Nov 3, 2025 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions  

He didn’t say Kelly wont be good. He said he wont be as good as Smoltz.

by jfish26101 on Nov 3, 2025 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions  

Damn Fuentes at 6?

Nice…That’s their CF of the future right there. Helluva talent…really reminiscent of his uncle.

by SenorGato on Nov 3, 2025 6:35 PM EDT reply actions  

here's some:

Scouting Report: Three-quarter delivery, similar to Jon Lester’s mechanics. Very high ceiling. Britton’s fastball sits around 92-94 mph, tops out around 96-97 mph, and shows some good downward life. Leaves it straight and up in the zone a little too often, where it can get knocked around. Also makes use of a plus mid-70s 12-to-6 curveball that has the potential to be a plus plus pitch. Has an 80 mph changeup that needs work, but it’s coming along. Control and command are inconsistent. Needs to work on sustaining velocity. October 2008 TJ Surgery caused Britton to miss most of the 2009 season, and work on a restricted pitch count in 2010.

Soxprospects.com

The scouting report is pretty exciting. His fastball consistently sits in the low 90s. What makes him special is the outstanding curveball he has. Scouts have referred to it as “flithy”. His change-up is not as far along as the other pitches, but with time could develop. He has great command of all his pitches, especially the fastball and curve. To go along with his pitches, he has an extremely deceptive motion that makes it difficult for hitters to catch up with.

Sounds exciting.

by SenorGato on Nov 3, 2025 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah, top 100 for me almost certainly.

He’s really good, FOR potential. Really not getting much play in prospect circles for some reason but scouts and experts love him (this will catch up over the winter when you see more rankings like this).

The discussion of Britton vs. Ranaudo is a pretty good one. Britton looks absolutely lights out filthy.

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by alskor on Nov 3, 2025 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions  

Am I the only one who thinks Brentz is underrated?

Can hit .300 with 20 homers and plenty of gap power. Walks enough too and is an advanced hitter. Plus, he has a great arm and his defense is good enough. For me, he slips into the top 10.

by mr. maniac on Nov 5, 2025 4:56 PM EDT reply actions  

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