Talkin' Sox Prospects Vol. 1

For as long as I can remember, the Red Sox have prided themselves on their farm system. Aside from the Dombrowski years, it has always been a priority that we replace guys whose contract is coming up with home grown talent, something this city in particular loves. That is why, when I opened Twitter this morning, I got the itch to get another blog out there. Take a look at what our friend Ian Cundall (Director of Scouting for SoxProspects.com ) has to say:

On so many levels this made me excited. The class of Moncada, Benintendi, and Devers was really the first time that I was invested in our farm system. That was because our on-field product SUCKED the year before. Moncada was dealt to the White Sox for some guy named Chris Sale, but aside from a few injuries sidelining him, he has lived up to his potential over in the South Side of Chicago. Of these three guys, I have seen the least from Nick Yorke. He has been largely overshadowed by the other two guys, but maybe that is a good thing. On March 8th, MassLive interviewed Yorke and he said "I feel underrated". Good. I love it when our guys have chips on their shoulder. Realistically though, I see him being the most likely Moncada from this big 3. With Story being given a 6 year deal, there really isn't a spot in the infield for him if he is on the same trajectory as Mayer, especially if we re-sign Xander. I have seen a lot of people comparing Mayer's swing with Benintendi's, in how quick and effortless it is. Devers was the last "sure-thing" prospect that I can remember since Tristan Casas, and we all know how that is working out for us. If he can live up to his potential, we will have our power-hitting first baseman for years to come. Aside from likely Casas though, these guys are coming way down the line.

Looking at 2022, our bullpen quite frankly a mess. It makes me want to puke with anxiety every time Cora steps on the field to take the ball from the starter. That is why the 3rd bullet point has me so excited. I know Spring Training games don't count, but anyone who has watched any of the games will tell you that with the exception of Barnes, our 2021 bullpen guys have looked like they haven't seen a baseball since October 23rd. But the guys who did look good were the guys that were trying to prove themselves. Three in particular come to mind, Josh Winckowski (who ironically enough was part of the deal for Benintendi), Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello. Kutter Crawford had one of the most impressive outings of the Spring, striking out five (would have been six but the ump sits when he pees) over 2 innings of work in his most recent appearance. Bello is only 22, so I am not super confident in him being brought up this season, but he drew comparisons to Pedro Fuckin Martinez in the way he threw 96 without even trying so yeah I am going to let myself get excited. Winckowski I think is the most big-league ready on a consistent basis. If he and Crawford can come up to bolster the bullpen and give us a chance to launch some of our other guys into the sun, then I think this team is going to make a strong run at the AL East pennant.

I cannot wait to watch these guys from Polar Park with a couple of $8 tall boys sitting on the outfield grass. Be on the lookout for the 2022 Talkin' Sox Prospects top 10 names, because there are some gems in this group.