Here are the Red Sox's 2024 Top 30 prospects
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Since their 2018 World Series triumph, the Red Sox have more last-place finishes in the American League East (three) than they do winning seasons (two), let alone playoff appearances (one). After languishing 23 games behind the Orioles last year, they replaced chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom with Craig Breslow.
Breslow significantly improved how the Cubs developed pitchers as their assistant GM and vice president of pitching, and he'll need to work similar magic in Boston. The Red Sox already have a nucleus of young hitters in the big leagues with Triston Casas, Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran, and they have more on the way with Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu candidates to win starting outfield jobs this spring. Their best prospects -- shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, catcher Kyle Teel -- aren't much further away.
The situation on the mound is more dire. Boston has placed in the bottom five in the AL in ERA in three of the last four years and has one of thinnest collections of pitching prospects in the game. Right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, who led the Minors in strikeout rate (13.6 per nine innings) and percentage (35.2 percent) last year, is the lone hurler in the upper third of our Red Sox Top 30.
Breslow targeted pitching prospects in several trades during his first few months in Boston, netting Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo deal, Justin Slaten from the Rangers via the Mets in a Rule 5 swap and David Sandlin from the Royals in exchange for John Schreiber. But a lot more work remains to be done.
Here¡¯s a look at the Red Sox top prospects:
1. Marcelo Mayer, SS (MLB No. 15)
2. Roman Anthony, OF (MLB No. 24)
3. Kyle Teel, C (MLB No. 40)
4. Ceddanne Rafaela, OF/SS (MLB No. 76)
5. Miguel Bleis, OF
Complete Top 30 list ?
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2023 preseason list to the 2024 preseason list:
Jump: Yoeilin Cespedes, SS (2023: NR | 2024: 9)
The prize of Boston's 2023 international class, he slashed .346/.392/.560 in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League while also earning praise for his baseball IQ and work ethic.
Fall: Bryan Mata, RHP (2023: 7 | 2024: 30), Brandon Walter LHP (2023: 8 | 2024: NR)
The Red Sox's two best pitching prospects a year ago. Mata lost his ability to throw strikes and Walter saw his velocity and stuff back up.
Top 30s
NLE: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
ALE: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
NLC: CIN | CHC | MIL | PIT | STL
ALC: CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIN
NLW: AZ | COL | LAD | SD | SF
ALW: HOU | LAA | OAK | SEA | TEX
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 55 -- Marcelo Mayer (Roman Anthony, Franklin Arias, Vladimir Ascencio, Yoeilin Cespedes, Chase Meidroth, Mikey Romero, Kyle Teel)
Power: 60 -- Roman Anthony (Miguel Bleis)
Run: 70 -- David Hamilton
Arm: 70 -- Wilyer Abreu
Defense: 70 -- Ceddane Rafaela
Fastball: 70 -- Luis Perales
Curveball: 60 -- Yordanny Monegro
Slider: 60 -- Justin Slaten
Changeup: 55 -- Wikelman Gonzalez (Angel Bastardo)
Control: 55 -- Richard Fitts (Hunter Dobbins, David Sandlin)
How they were built
Draft: 13 | International: 12 | Trade: 4 | Rule 5: 1
Breakdown by ETA
2024: 8 | 2025: 10 | 2026: 5 | 2027: 4 | 2028: 2 | 2029: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 4 | 1B: 1 | 2B: 1 | 3B: 2 | SS: 7 | OF: 6 | RHP: 9