The Boston Red Sox 2015 season did not quite go as planned after big splashes in the previous offseason, but recent additions to the team and an infusion of young talent should help them to be competitive again in 2016. The Red Sox made a big splash first by acquiring Craig Kimbrel from the Padres and then by signing David Price. Though the Yankees made some moves and the Blue Jays still appear to be a power house offensively, the Red Sox could possibly be ready to compete in the division next season.
Despite parting with a lot of talent to acquire Kimbrel, the Red Sox farm system remains one of the strongest in baseball, and dynasty owners really need to focus on stashing many of their prospects. Both fantasy owners and Red Sox fans are ecstatic by the talent found in their system as many of these players look to be elite talents when they make the big leagues.
By the way, if you are interested in more MLB prospects columns, head on over to our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. You can find the rest of my team prospect breakdowns, fantasy baseball prospect rankings, tiered positional rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.
Boston Red Sox Top 10 Dynasty Prospects
These are the top ten prospects for the Boston Red Sox in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.
1. Yoan Moncada (2B, A)
Stats: 363 PA, .278/.380/.438, 8 HR, 49 SB, 11.6% BB rate, 22.9% K rate
ETA: 2017
The Red Sox have a lot of talent in their system, but there is no doubt that the cream of the crop is 20-year-old second baseman Yoan Moncada. Moncada is a true five category fantasy contributor as he can hit for power, a high average, and he is incredibly fast. Moncada is best bat in the Red Sox system and is extremely capable of providing gaudy fantasy totals at arguably one of the weakest offensive positions in fantasy baseball. Dynasty owners need to stash Moncada as he is one of those players who will ascend very rapidly through the minors and could even see time in the majors this season. Moncada has as high of a ceiling as anybody and a relatively high floor as well, making him a low risk/high reward prospect.
2. Andrew Benintendi (OF, A)
Stats: 86 PA, .351/.430/.581, 4 HR, 3 SB, 11.6% BB rate, 10.5% K rate
ETA: 2017
Arguably the best bat in the 2015 draft, Andrew Benintendi was taken seventh overall by the Red Sox after completing his sophomore season at Arkansas. He is already 21 years old, and many scouts believe he is only a year away from reaching the big leagues. He has some decent power, should be able to hit for a high average, and has enough speed to make him a 20/20 threat every season. Because he is so close to being ready for the majors, dynasty owners are advised to plan on stashing Benintendi sooner rather than later. He is going to be a great fantasy contributor when he reaches the bigs.
3. Brian Johnson (SP, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 96.0 IP, 2.53 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 8.44 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, 0.56 HR/9
ETA: 2016
Brian Johnson really made a name for himself in 2015. After dazzling at Double-A in 2014, Johnson started off 2015 with the Triple-A club and did not disappoint. Johnson flashed ace potential and started to draw some of the attention away from Henry Owens as the premier pitcher in the Red Sox farm system. Though he will have to battle with many other names in 2015 to earn a spot in the starting rotation, there is little doubt that Johnson is capable of doing it. He doesn’t have any outstanding pitches, but he has great control and poise on the mound. Dynasty owners should no doubt own Johnson as he has immense value moving forward, if not this season, then certainly for years to come.
4. Rafael Devers (3B, A)
Stats: 508 PA, .288/.329/.443, 11 HR, 3 SB, 4.7% BB rate, 16.5% K rate
ETA: 2018
While Moncada and Benintendi are probably the better bats in the Red Sox system, there is little doubt that Rafael Devers has them both beat when it comes to the best power bat. Devers looks like a future third baseman who could hit .300 to go along with 25-35 home runs per season. He isn’t sharp defensively, but he has started to make enough strides at the position that fantasy owners should feel confident he can stick. Though he won’t be up in the majors until 2018 at the earliest, dynasty owners should consider stashing him if they have room as he is a very high upside bat.
5. Sam Travis (1B, AA)
Stats: 281 PA, .300/.384/.436, 4 HR, 9 SB, 11.7% BB rate, 12.1% K rate
ETA: 2017
While Kyle Schwarber has already made a big impact with the team that took him in 2014, his teammate from Indiana, Sam Travis, will have to wait about another full season before having an impact with the club. Though Travis hasn’t shown it in the stats so far, scouts claim that he has enough pop to hit 20 or more home runs per season. The biggest thing working in Travis’ favor is his above average bat control and discipline at the plate which allows him to limit the strikeouts while also hitting for a high average. Dynasty owners are advised to consider Travis strongly when considering stashing first base prospects. While he is no Josh Bell or A.J. Reed, he should have a big impact with the Red Sox and could be useful for fantasy owners as long as he is playing in the friendly confines of Fenway.
6. Michael Kopech (SP, A)
Stats: 65.0 IP, 2.63 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 9.69 K/9, 3.74 BB/9, 0.28 HR/9
ETA: 2019
Now we get to the part of the Red Sox prospect depth that will have less of an immediate or outstanding impact on dynasty owners. Michael Kopech has a lot of talent and could be a top of the rotation starter. It will be a while before he gets called up, and he will not necessarily be a future ace like a Lucas Giolito or Tyler Glasnow. Kopech has an electric fastball/slider combo with an average changeup that should do a good job keeping hitters off balance. His biggest issue is command which could prove to be an issue in the future. Dynasty owners are advised to wait a couple years before stashing Kopech even if he could eventually be a number two pitcher. The wait required for him to debut combined with his control issues make him a risk not yet worth taking.
7. Anderson Espinosa (SP, A)
Stats: (from R) 40.0 IP, 0.68 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 2.03 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: 2020
Anderson Espinoza has a lot of potential to be a great pitcher. He could eventually be the ace of the Red Sox as he has great control, an elite fastball, a great curveball, and an above-average changeup. Espinoza has already reached A-ball and will probably start there or at Low-A next season. He has a chance to be in the majors by age 20 or 21. But he is still so far away from a promotion that he is not yet worthy of being stashed.
8. Michael Chavis (3B, A)
Stats: 471 PA, .223/.277/.405, 16 HR, 8 SB, 6.2% BB rate, 30.6% K rate
ETA: 2019
Unlike Devers, there is no doubt that Michael Chavis has the defensive ability to stay at third. Also unlike Devers, there are some very serious concerns with his bat. Though he has enough power to hit 20 or more home runs every season, he has also shown a tendency to be a home run or nothing type of hitter. If he eventually makes it to the majors, he could be worth owning then, but he is not worth stashing. He doesn’t hit enough home runs to make up for the strikeout concerns.
9. Trey Ball (SP, A+)
Stats: 129.1 IP, 4.73 ERA, 5.13 FIP, 5.36 K/9, 4.18 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9
ETA: 2018
Though there is a lot of upside for Ball, it is concerning that he has struggled so much in the minors. There is no denying that he has a nice repertoire with his mid-90s fastball, above-average changeup, and average curveball, but he has terrible control over them. Ball has yet to pitch in a full season with a walk rate below 3.50 BB/9. It is not too late for him to be fantasy relevant, and he could eventually be a really great pitcher.
10. Deven Marrero (SS, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 419 PA, .256/.316/.344, 6 HR, 12 SB, 7.9% BB rate, 20.8% K rate
ETA: 2016
Deven Marrero could potentially hit well enough to make himself fantasy worthy, especially given that he plays both middle infield positions. He has decent speed, a little bit of pop, and could hit for a decent average. The problem is that not only is he not great at any of these aforementioned attributes, but he is blocked at those positions by players who are by far superior to him. Fantasy owners should not add him unless he gets traded to another team and has a clear line to playing time.
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