Red Sox Top 20 Prospects Part 4

The grand finale! Thanks again to Temple for his great work:

5. Jason Place (OF); b. 10/8/88: Place endeared himself enough to Boston's amateur scouting department that the Sox made him the first high school hitter they have taken in the 1st round (27th overall) since Theo has become the GM of the team. He put on a power show in a private workout in Greenville that gave the Sox hope that he could instill some much-needed pop into a light-hitting system. His mature demeanor and dogged work ethic led the Sox to believe that he could develop his relatively raw approach with solid coaching and instruction. Place had a funky swing coming out of high school which the Sox immediately worked to smooth out. That extra work has continued over the winter at practice side sessions at West End Field in Greenville, which happens to be in his backyard. Place played surprisingly well in the GCL last year before getting hit in the head with a pitch during practice. Baseball America ranked him the #4 player in the league, remarking that he displayed unexpected athleticism and speed. Jason will need to work on his contact skills in addition to developing an advanced plate approach. He projects as a future RF because of his bat and arm. He should start the 07 season in Greenville as an 18-year old.

Gulf Coast Red Sox- 113 AB’s, .292/.386/.442, 17/35 BB/K

4. Dustin Pedroia (2B/SS); b. 8/17/83: Relatively unknown around these parts, Pedroia is a diminutive middle-infielder from Arizona State. A 2nd round pick in 2004, Pedroia catapulted through the system like few recently have. He has been able to thrive as a hitter because of his excellent hand-eye coordination which allows him to take large cuts and make consistent hard contact. He had more XBH’s than K’s in his minor league career, and has a 6/7 XBH/K ratio in his brief time in the majors. Pedroia should be an above-average 2B on the Sox for a long time.

Pawtucket- 423 AB’s, .305/.384/.426, 48/27 BB/K
Boston- 89 AB’s, .191/.258/.303, 7/7 BB/K

3. Michael Bowden (P); b. 9/9/86: Following a dominant senior campaign in Aurora, Illinois, the Sox made Bowden the 47th overall pick of the 2005 Draft. He is projected as a future 2nd or 3rd starter because of his durable frame and above-average stuff. Bowden’s arsenal includes a low-90’s fastball, a hammer curve (the best in the system), and a developing changeup. Bowden’s future should be as a starter, though some scouts question whether that projection will hold up because of his awkward delivery. Bowden is expected to begin the year in high-A Lancaster.

Greenville- 108 IP, 91 H, 118/31 K/BB, 9 HR, 3.51 ERA
Wilmington- 5 IP, 9 H, 3/1 K/BB, 0 HR, 9.00 ERA

2. Jacoby Ellsbury (OF); b. 9/11/83: The 23rd overall pick of the 2005 Draft, Ellsbury has made an immediate impact in the Sox system. After initially drawing comparisons to Johnny Damon, Ellsbury has carved his own niche out as a speedy potential gold glove winner in CF. Ellsbury ranked topped the list of centerfielders in Jeff Sackmann’s first ever minor league defensive ratings. From a scouting perspective, he has drawn rave reviews as a gold-glove worthy talent. A contact hitter with modest power, he projects to hit between .280 and .300 in the majors with good on-base skills and 40-50 stolen base speed. Quiet and withdrawn, Ellsbury is a hard worker who goes about his business professionally. It is unknown whether he will begin the season in double-A or triple-A, but many believe he will be able to contribute to the major league team this year if Coco Crisp should falter.

Wilmington- 244 AB’s, .299/.379/.418, 28/25 BB/K

1. Clay Buchholz (P); b. 8/14/84: The 42nd overall pick of the 2005 Draft used his late surge in 2006 to vault to the top of the Sox prospects lists. Despite having advanced pitches, Clay is relatively new to pitching. In 2005 he became a full time starter as a sophomore at Lumberton College, having transferred from McNeese State the prior year. On his bat alone, he could have been a top 5 round pick in the 2005 Draft. He is one of the best athletes in the Sox system, which has eased his transition to pitching. Clay combines a low-to-mid 90’s fastball with a “wipeout” slider, curveball, and changeup. There is still some debate over his strongest pitch, with Baseball America claiming it’s his changeup. In the early portion of the season in low-A, Buchholz was primarily working in the low-90’s with his fastball. But following a promotion to high-A he pumped it up to the mid-90’s regularly, allowing him to dominate more advanced hitters. While Buchholz spent a limited time in high-A, early word is that the Sox are going to bump him to double-A to begin the 2007 season.

Greenville- 103 IP, 78 H, 117/29 K/BB, 10 HR, 2.62 ERA
Wilmington- 16 IP, 10 H, 23/4 K/BB, 0 HR, 1.13 ERA