jacksonianmarch
01-11-2007, 10:56 PM
Editor’s Note: Diehard Magazine is in the midst of its second annual countdown of the top 50 prospects in the Red Sox chain today. Check here daily for the latest in-depth scouting report! And subscribe to our print magazine in order to learn even more on the top 50. Today: Prospect no. 48, infielder Kris Negron.
The Red Sox didn’t need to see a lot of Kris Negron in person in order to figure out he was the type of player they wanted to stock up on during the 2006 draft.
Negron flew under the radar at Cosumnes River College, a community college in California. But according to the Lowell Sun newspaper, the Sox—who have armed their scouts with video cameras the last two years—liked what area scout Blair Henry captured on tape, so much so they selected Negron in the seventh round.
“It really helped with him,” Sox scouting director Jason McLeod told the newspaper. “Even though we had read the reports, the video really played him up even more so.”
What the Sox saw was a player athletic enough to be drafted as a shortstop yet able to play a corner infield position as well. He split time between shortstop and third base with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox, and such versatility is a key trait for a team hoping to add “toolsy” players to a farm system lean on position players.
Negron has the plate patience the Sox seek and adds some speed on the base paths, a trait in short supply throughout the chain. His 15 steals between the GCL Sox and short-season Single-A Lowell ranked him sixth among Sox minor leaguers. He improved as the season went along in the GCL and put up better numbers, albeit during a brief audition, at Lowell than in the GCL.
Unlike in previous years, when the Sox drafted players from four-year colleges in order to fill immediate needs in the system, Negron—who turned 21 earlier this month—still has youth on his side and plenty of upside to his talent.
“I think we focused a lot in the draft on athletes and got guys with upside and athleticism and impact-type ability,” McLeod said. “He’s an athletic kid. He can run, he can really play all over the field, he played very good defense at third and short. He’s got athletic ability, got a quick bat.”
And most notably, his character left the Sox raving.
“From a makeup standpoint, his makeup is off the charts,” McLeod said. “He’s a team favorite and just a guy that you really root for.”
Negron was hitting just .230 through July 30 in the GCL, but he finished the season by reaching base via a hit or walk in 15 of his final 17 games, during which he hit .294 and collected seven extra-base hits, 11 RBI and seven stolen bases. He had just three extra-base hits, four RBI and three stolen bases in his first 24 games.
After helping the GCL Red Sox to the league title, Negron was one of several players promoted to Lowell for the final 10 days of the New York-Penn League season. He delivered a hit in seven of his eight starts, registered three multi-hit games and had three extra-base hits in just 28 at-bats. Remarkably, his five stolen bases ranked him second on the Spinners.
He played exclusively at shortstop, where he made one error. He made 11 errors in 37 games at third base and shortstop for the GCL Sox. The defense is of little concern right now to the Sox, who like the flexibility provided by Negron and plan to experiment with him around the diamond.
Wherever Negron ends up, he’s got room and time to improve. “I know that the organization is real excited to see what he brings to the table this year,” McLeod said.
DIEHARD 2007 TOP 50 PROSPECTS
50.) Jordan Craft, P
49.) Jose Capellan, P
48.) Kris Negron, IF
scout.com
The Red Sox didn’t need to see a lot of Kris Negron in person in order to figure out he was the type of player they wanted to stock up on during the 2006 draft.
Negron flew under the radar at Cosumnes River College, a community college in California. But according to the Lowell Sun newspaper, the Sox—who have armed their scouts with video cameras the last two years—liked what area scout Blair Henry captured on tape, so much so they selected Negron in the seventh round.
“It really helped with him,” Sox scouting director Jason McLeod told the newspaper. “Even though we had read the reports, the video really played him up even more so.”
What the Sox saw was a player athletic enough to be drafted as a shortstop yet able to play a corner infield position as well. He split time between shortstop and third base with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox, and such versatility is a key trait for a team hoping to add “toolsy” players to a farm system lean on position players.
Negron has the plate patience the Sox seek and adds some speed on the base paths, a trait in short supply throughout the chain. His 15 steals between the GCL Sox and short-season Single-A Lowell ranked him sixth among Sox minor leaguers. He improved as the season went along in the GCL and put up better numbers, albeit during a brief audition, at Lowell than in the GCL.
Unlike in previous years, when the Sox drafted players from four-year colleges in order to fill immediate needs in the system, Negron—who turned 21 earlier this month—still has youth on his side and plenty of upside to his talent.
“I think we focused a lot in the draft on athletes and got guys with upside and athleticism and impact-type ability,” McLeod said. “He’s an athletic kid. He can run, he can really play all over the field, he played very good defense at third and short. He’s got athletic ability, got a quick bat.”
And most notably, his character left the Sox raving.
“From a makeup standpoint, his makeup is off the charts,” McLeod said. “He’s a team favorite and just a guy that you really root for.”
Negron was hitting just .230 through July 30 in the GCL, but he finished the season by reaching base via a hit or walk in 15 of his final 17 games, during which he hit .294 and collected seven extra-base hits, 11 RBI and seven stolen bases. He had just three extra-base hits, four RBI and three stolen bases in his first 24 games.
After helping the GCL Red Sox to the league title, Negron was one of several players promoted to Lowell for the final 10 days of the New York-Penn League season. He delivered a hit in seven of his eight starts, registered three multi-hit games and had three extra-base hits in just 28 at-bats. Remarkably, his five stolen bases ranked him second on the Spinners.
He played exclusively at shortstop, where he made one error. He made 11 errors in 37 games at third base and shortstop for the GCL Sox. The defense is of little concern right now to the Sox, who like the flexibility provided by Negron and plan to experiment with him around the diamond.
Wherever Negron ends up, he’s got room and time to improve. “I know that the organization is real excited to see what he brings to the table this year,” McLeod said.
DIEHARD 2007 TOP 50 PROSPECTS
50.) Jordan Craft, P
49.) Jose Capellan, P
48.) Kris Negron, IF
scout.com