Top Prospect
Alert
This 22-year-old catching prospect went from Class-A Sarasota (.270, 8
HR, 28 RBI, 35 R, 10 2B, 26 BB, 57 SO, and 5 SB in 189 AB) to the majors
last season (0-for-2 with 2 SO), with a stop at Double-A Trenton in
between (.245 AVG, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 6 2B, 24 R, 31 BB, 44 SO and 7 SB in 151
AB). He also made a strong impression while playing in the Arizona Fall
League (.284 AVG, 6 HR and 21 RBI).
At 6-foot and 195 pounds, this former fifth round pick in 1995
established himself as the potential catcher of the future for the Red
Sox. In high school, he was a star football and baseball player (just like
another top Sox prospect, Dernell Stenson). His defense has always been
very good, but now his bat, which had been a weakness in his game in the
past, has started to come around. In a few more years, you could be
looking at an everyday major league catcher capable of hitting 25+ home
runs and one of the best behind the plate on the defensive side in either
the American or National League. Right now, if you wanted to use him, he
is good enough behind the plate to play everyday in the majors and would
do a fine job with handling everything. He is opening this season back
with Trenton, so give him another season-and-a-half or so to continue to
improve his hitting before he challenges current Sox catcher Jason Varitek
for the starting job in Boston.
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