Joe Nicholson-Imagn Photographs
Under is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Boston Purple Sox. Scouting stories have been compiled with info offered by business sources in addition to my very own observations. That is the fifth yr we’re delineating between two anticipated reduction roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column beneath: MIRP for multi-inning reduction pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning reduction pitchers. The ETAs listed usually correspond to the yr a participant needs to be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Guide changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.
A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means will be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview will be discovered right here.
All the ranked prospects beneath additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the location gives that includes sortable scouting info for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan information from numerous sources) than this text and integrates each workforce’s record so readers can examine prospects throughout farm programs. It may be discovered right here.
Different Prospects of Be aware
Grouped by sort and listed so as of choice inside every class.
Too Many Strikeouts for Predominant
Allan Castro, OF
Nazzan Zanetello, SS
Antonio Anderson, 3B
Freili Encarnacion, 1B/3B
Ahbram Liendo, INF
Castro’s offensive output took on a stronger power-over-hit taste in 2024, as he slashed .243/.363/.449 at Excessive-A earlier than he tanked through the closing month in Portland. He’s off to a reasonably good surface-level begin there in 2025 (with a wRC+ hovering round 130), however he has looming strikeout points in opposition to higher velocity from each side of the plate. Castro will crush softer errors however is lengthy into the zone. He’s enjoying middle discipline however is a cleaner slot in a nook, extra a 40-man fringe sort until he’s received one other gear of energy within the tank. Zanetello signed for $3 million within the 2023 second spherical and has but to hit over .200 at any minor league degree. It could be time to maneuver him to the mound. Anderson has slid down the defensive spectrum to the purpose the place he’s enjoying a mix of third and first base, and he’s not hitting sufficient for first. Encarnacion is a 20-year-old nook infielder with cartoonish bat velocity and energy however very crude really feel to hit. He’s slugging over .500 this yr, however I’m skeptical his hit instrument will maintain water versus upper-level arms. Liendo is 21-year-old infielder with a wrestler’s construct. He can actually play protection, however hasn’t carried out even near league common with the bat since 2023.
Catchers
Brooks Brannon, C
Ronald Rosario, C
Johanfran Garcia, C
Gerardo Rodriguez, C
Kleyver Salazar, C
Brannon is a 21-year-old power-hitting catcher who was a North Carolina commit however as a substitute turned professional out of highschool. A 20- or 30-grade hit instrument and arm preserve him off the principle part of the record; he’s prone to be a right-hitting 1B/DH with plus energy however not sufficient contact. He was moved as much as Portland simply earlier than publication. After he Ok’d at a 30% clip in 2023, Rosario had a greater season with the bat in 2024. He has roughly common uncooked energy, nothing to scoff at for a 22-year-old catcher, however he must develop as a defender; below-average fingers and arm accuracy undercut his good uncooked arm energy. Promising low-level efficiency made Garcia (Jhostynxon’s brother) a notable younger Sox prospect, however a torn ACL squashed his 2024 season. He’s again and appears a great bit heavier and slower (in all sides, together with his bat and his mobility on protection) than he did previous to the surgical procedure. He’s somebody to observe as he will get additional away from the surgical procedure, however he doesn’t look nice proper now. Rodriguez is a precocious 19-year-old catcher who received a cup of espresso in Salem final yr. He’s again within the FCL for the second consecutive yr. Rodrigez’s swing is lengthy, however he has good contact really feel for a catcher. Salazar is a sensational athlete and good all-around defensive prospect with a plus arm, however the 19-year-old Venezuelan is unlikely to hit and at present sports activities a wRC+ simply over 60 at Low-A.
Powerful to Peg
Brady Tygart, RHP
Luis Cohen, RHP
These guys don’t slot in another bucket, so that they’re right here on their very own. The oft-injured Tygart was a 2024 twelfth rounder out of Arkansas who received harm once more (shoulder) in his first 2025 begin. He was as much as 96 in that outing and bending in two distinct breakers with 2,700-2,800 rpm. Cohen, 22, is an undersized Venezuelan A-ball starter with a fastball that touches 97 however performs down attributable to its form and airplane. His greatest pitch is a plus-flashing changeup, and on the whole, his secondary stuff is nice sufficient to offer him spot starter ceiling.
Previous(s) Guys and Reclamation Tasks
Eduardo Rivera, LHP
Wyatt Olds, RHP
Bryan Mata, RHP
Yovanny Cruz, RHP
Jorge Juan, RHP
Cooper Adams, RHP
Jack Anderson, RHP
Rivera, 22, is a 6-foot-7 Puerto Rican lefty who was initially drafted by the A’s and launched in 2024. He’s being deployed as a starter at Greenville and is working within the 93-94 mph vary whereas getting higher miss efficiency out of his slider and changeup. Neither of these secondaries look plus to the attention, and there doesn’t appear to have been any form of mechanical change right here (his utilization is totally different, that’s it), however Rivera is again on the radar as a possible reliever. Olds is a 25-year-old low-slot righty with a mid-90s fastball that performs down attributable to its form and Olds’ lack of command. He throws loads of upper-80s cutters to mitigate this and is a pleasant depth reliever at present in Worcester. Mata continues to throw arduous however generate below-average swing-and-miss outcomes together with his sinker. He’s strolling 5 per 9 IP in Worcester. Cruz was a Cubs prospect whereas Craig Breslow was working there. He’s a irritating and oft-injured 25-year-old Dominican righty with upper-90s velo and plus-flashing secondary stuff. Airplane/form facets of his fastball trigger it to minimize an amazing deal for a pitch averaging 98 mph. Juan (one other former Athletic) was launched by the Braves earlier this yr, however he’s nonetheless notable due to his dimension (he’s 6-foot-8) and arm energy (sitting 96-97). Boston will get to take its flip growing him after Oakland and Atlanta couldn’t. Adams is a 25-year-old 2024 undrafted free agent out of Mount St. Mary’s (by means of UMBC) who has a shot to be a sinker-balling low-slot reliever if he can harness his management. He’s sitting 94-95 at Greenville. Anderson is a 25-year-old righty at Portland who was considered one of Boston’s minor league Rule 5 picks final yr. He’s pitching properly in a swingman position with a 90-91 mph fastball and plus splitter. He ought to be capable to lean on the break up much more in a pure reduction position.
Fastball Elevators
Jeremy Wu-Yelland, LHP
Noah Dean, LHP
Reidis Sena, RHP
This group tends to succeed once they land secondary pitches within the zone early in counts after which end hitters by climbing the ladder with the fastball. Wu-Yelland is a low-slot lefty out of Hawaii who sits 94-95 and mixes in 90-mph cutters and low-80s sliders. He’s at Portland now, working with loads of day without work between appearances. He could possibly be a lefty specialist, however let’s maintain off on declaring that till this man works on back-to-back days and throws strikes. Dean is a 24-year-old lefty reliever with a using mid-90s fastball. He has lengthy struggled with management, and he’s throwing most of his pitches for strikes lower than 60% of the time once more this yr at Greenville. Sena has been a walk-prone reliever since he moved to the bullpen full-time in 2023. He elevates mid-90s fastballs and bends breakers into the highest of the zone.
Younger Hitters
Justin Gonzales, OF
Hector Ramos, SS
Avinson Pinto, SS
Anderson Fermin, OF
Gonzales had an absurd 2024, posting a 90% zone contact price and 47% hard-hit price as a 17-year-old within the DSL. He was roughly passed over the home complicated degree and despatched straight to Low-A this yr. I completely need to give him some grace for being 18 in full season ball, nevertheless it does appear like Gonzales’ 2024 was a results of bodily maturity relative to his DSL friends greater than massive, legit instruments. He’s a stiff, maxed-out athlete with a cool swing that doesn’t essentially appear like will probably be in a position to catch as much as good fastballs. Ramos, who signed for $500,000 in January, is one other of the switch-hitting center infield prospect archetype I worth, and he has bodily projection at an athletic 6-foot-1. Pinto and Fermin are comparatively small FCL place participant prospects who have been almost not possible to make swing and miss within the 2024 DSL. They each have what I’d describe as low affect kinds of hitting, extra within the slash-and-dash mould than something producing affect proper now.
Younger Arms
Dalvinson Reyes, RHP
Jesus Travieso, RHP
Abis Prado, LHP
Reyes, 18, is a 6-foot-5 Dominican righty at present pitching on the Fort Myers complicated roster. He’s working with below-average stuff proper now, however clearly at this age and dimension, which may change. The 18-year-old Travieso is an athletic little 5-foot-11 righty who has been as much as 98 on the complicated and is sitting extra 94-95. He’s very small, creating reduction threat, and his lateral, mid-80s slider would possibly profit from higher depth. Prado is an 18-year-old Venezuelan lefty who has been as much as 97 within the FCL. He has a sluggish, tender breaker within the 75-80 mph vary and scattered management.
System Overview
That is the most effective farm system in baseball proper now, and it’ll nonetheless be an above-average group when the children who’ve gotten their toes moist within the massive leagues are peeled off the highest of this record attributable to commencement. It’s additionally the most effective proper now though the Purple Sox parted with a number of good gamers once they made the Garrett Crochet commerce. Roman Anthony is a graded a tier beneath what’s typical for the highest total prospect in baseball at any given time. He’s not within the ZIP code of an Acuña or an Ohtani degree prospect, neither is he fairly as freaky as somebody like James Wooden (it’s shut, although), however he primarily has an excessive amount of energy to fail. There are folks in baseball who’ve argued to me over the past 9 months or in order that Kristian Campbell is the one with the extra particular traits, people who see his uniquely temporary journey to the majors as an indication that over time he’s going to be fairly particular, or who assume Campbell will be capable to play a useful defensive place or two and is the actual cornerstone of this farm and franchise. They’re radically totally different gamers, Kristian and Roman, with equally thrilling futures, regardless of Campbell’s early massive league struggles. I believe Marcelo Mayer is extra unstable due to his points with secondary pitches, however finally, like Anthony, he has a lot lefty pop that he’ll hit properly for a shortstop. Franklin Arias strains up proper behind Kevin McGonigle on the High 100 record; they’re each much less overtly toolsy than power-hitting stars like Corey Seager and Carlos Correa, and extra contact-driven and skills-oriented. Let’s see how Arias’ energy and total offensive efficiency development all through the second half. That group on the entrance of the 50 FV participant tier is poised to maneuver into the highest 20 total as this record cycle ends and the graduates in entrance of them disappear from my area. These are foundational place participant prospects who any workforce would like to have of their system.
On the pitching aspect, the Purple Sox appear to covet massive our bodies, particularly once they’re larger guys who get manner down the mound. They usually alter the stride route of the pitchers they purchase (from Brandon Clarke to Crochet) to create a more durable line on their fastball, and pitchers usually throw tougher after arriving right here. Boston appears to encourage pitchers to work off their secondary stuff even once they’re fledgling prospects within the low minors. This will inflate the swing-and-miss efficiency of a given pitcher within the low minors, and readers/different golf equipment ought to pay attention to this dynamic.
There are some commonalities to the best way hitters on this system are being developed. Lots of them find yourself with comparable swings, as if the Purple Sox have two or three core swing sorts that they attempt to give most of the hitters of their org. Enddy Azocar, for example, now has a swing that’s mechanically much like Mayer, Anthony (who was whiff-prone in highschool and was made higher in professional ball), Miguel Bleis, and a number of other others. Typically the Purple Sox are merely taking contact-oriented gamers and asking them to swing with extra effort, whereas at others they’re making mechanical alterations. Each ways have yielded usually optimistic outcomes.
The Purple Sox aggressively promote their prospects via the minors. At every degree beneath Triple-A, the hitters on their rosters are among the many youngest of their league. There’s much less sign within the “younger for the extent” side of a participant’s eval when it’s much less about what they’ve earned and attained, and extra a couple of clear organizational technique. Whether or not that technique is being employed for philosophical causes associated to participant improvement and maturation, or as a result of the Purple Sox are attempting to extend the standing of their prospects within the eyes of others groups’ professional scouting fashions through the age/degree variable, is tough to say. A clearer fact: A few of these guys are in over their heads, and no matter favors an aggressive promotion does for his or her model-driven worth is sort of definitely negated once they’re hitting a buck eighty.
Clearly, this replace is being printed after the group maimed its relationship with Rafael Devers and traded him for gamers who didn’t make a lot affect on the general high quality of this farm system. A self-imposed wound grew contaminated and a limb of the franchise was amputated. I believe we will all think about that working baseball ops for a multi-sport, worldwide possession group (Fenway Sports activities Group owns the Penguins, Liverpool F.C., a NASCAR racing workforce, and is concerned in golf, amongst different ventures) could also be difficult by distinctive budgetary dynamics, and the Sox maybe weren’t allowed to eat cash that will have improved their return. It’s nonetheless a nasty look, and clearly massive league success is a significantly better measure of organizational well being than the standard of a farm system. However it is a nice farm system, and the close to and distant way forward for the franchise appears promising from a expertise standpoint.
