View Full Version : Red Sox prospect on the rise
scaffolds
11-11-2007, 01:23 PM
Its always interesting to follow prospects and in this case Red Sox prospects. Prospects who for some who don't follow player development closely might never have heard their names before. In this case i am talking about prospect not ranked higher than 20 in the system, but that in 2008 they should be on the rise. In my opinion the following 5 players are the prospects who are more likely to be on the rise in 2008.
1- Anthony Rizzo 1B
2- Argenis Diaz SS
3- Miguel Socolovitch RHP
4- Brock Huntzinger RHP
5- Jose Alvarez LHP
scaffolds
11-12-2007, 05:30 PM
If anyone has a possible candidate, let hear about it.
Cityofchampions33
11-12-2007, 07:58 PM
can you give more context as to why you chose those 5 to rise?
scaffolds
11-13-2007, 07:30 PM
First of all, its a projection in my part, all of this players have very good tools, they just need experience. I have talk about Rizzo in different occasions after having seeing him play specially in H.S. tournaments and truely believe that his bat its as good as Lars Anderson and Anderson showed his potential in 2007. I believe that the Red Sox brass isn't going to rush Rizzo and may start him again in the GCL in 2008, but I wouldn't be surprised if they challange him an start him in Greenville like they did with Anderson in 2007.
Since the Red Sox signed Argenis Diaz out of Venezuela in early July 2003 he has been the top defensive SS in the Sox system (minors) with very soft hands and outstanding range, his arm has always been considered to be plus, but it may not be as strong as Tejeda. People that have seen Diaz play every day compare him to Alex Gonzalez and Red Sox fans should know a little bit of Gonzalez glove work. The Question with Diaz has always been if he will hit, if he will hit enough. In his first three years in the system ( two in the VSL and one in the GCL) he has hit enough to hold his own, but it wasn't until last year in Greenville where his bat came around. It wasn't just hitting for average alone, but he hit for 25 doubles which where one more that what he had hit cobine in his first three years as a pro. The Ice on the cake may had be this off season where on the final stages of the Hawaii Winter league season Diaz was leading the league in hitting average. Diaz will be playing in Lancaster in 2008 where he may be on the fast track to Boston.
Pitchers that comes back from TJ surgery usually takes more than one year to gain his full arm strength and with Socolovitch that was the case in Lowell last year after having TJ surgery in 2005. As a reliever Socolovitch has touched 97-98 as a starter Socolovitch works 92-94 and touching 95 with a good slider and a developing change up. In 2008 with a healthy stronger arm Socolovitch schould make a jump on the players ranking a jump that will start in Greenville.
Pitchers that come from cold states ( Indiana) doesn't develop as quickly as pitchers from the Sun belt States. After the 2006 H.S. baseball season Brock Huntzinger was an unkown, an unkown even to the scouts, it wasn't until April 2007 when his H.S. baseball startered and Huntzinger fastball was consistent in the high 80's when the scouts took notice, by draft time Huntzinger's fastball had jump to consistently hitting 92. In this fall instructional league after the Sox coaches had made some changes on Huntzingers mechanics Huntzinger's fastball was touching mid 90's. Like with Rizzo the Sox brass might take it slow with Huntzinger, but isn't going to surprised many if he opens the season in Greenville.
Jose Alvarez is one of the youngest player in the Sox system, but unlike the players around his age in the system Alvarez has played (pitched) in two seasons ( 2006 in the DSL and 2007 GCL) In those two season Alvarez hasn't had an ERA higher than 1.84. The 18 yrs Venezuelan while small at 5-11 160 has a fastball in the 91-92 range, which means there's some projection. Alvarez mostly likely will pitch in Lowell in 2008, but again Greenville isn't out of the question.
Cityofchampions33
11-13-2007, 09:46 PM
Thanks scaff, great stuff. if they do reach where you expect them to reach or anywhere around tehre, where are we talkin in terms of rank in our system, etc. or are these guys just going to make a big jump, that's not really significant as to makign the majors and contributing.
elsrbueno
11-14-2007, 08:01 AM
Since the Red Sox signed Argenis Diaz out of Venezuela in early July 2003 he has been the top defensive SS in the Sox system (minors) with very soft hands and outstanding range, his arm has always been considered to be plus, but it may not be as strong as Tejeda. People that have seen Diaz play every day compare him to Alex Gonzalez and Red Sox fans should know a little bit of Gonzalez glove work. The Question with Diaz has always been if he will hit, if he will hit enough. In his first three years in the system ( two in the VSL and one in the GCL) he has hit enough to hold his own, but it wasn't until last year in Greenville where his bat came around. It wasn't just hitting for average alone, but he hit for 25 doubles which where one more that what he had hit cobine in his first three years as a pro. The Ice on the cake may had be this off season where on the final stages of the Hawaii Winter league season Diaz was leading the league in hitting average. Diaz will be playing in Lancaster in 2008 where he may be on the fast track to Boston.
The interesting thing about Diaz (to me) is that he's still very young (20) and playing in A ball didn't fall flat on his face. It's encouraging too that he's playing with guys a lot older in Hawaii, which (in albeit a short history) has been a pitcher-dominated league, and lead the league in hitting. The thing that bugs me about Diaz is that he doesn't seem to have any speed or power based on the numbers and he strikes out a TON (3:1 strikeout to walk rate in the minors in 2006 and 2007).
It's still a question whether or not he will hit in the upper levels and I wonder if he'll develop enough offense to be an everyday guy.
scaffolds
11-14-2007, 05:40 PM
Thanks scaff, great stuff. if they do reach where you expect them to reach or anywhere around tehre, where are we talkin in terms of rank in our system, etc. or are these guys just going to make a big jump, that's not really significant as to makign the majors and contributing.
Thank you, where the farm system, its way too early to tell, remember we are talking after the 2008 season, a lot of thing could happen in the mean time, for now the system should rank somewhere around 11-12. There are other players who could make a big jump in 2008.
scaffolds
11-14-2007, 05:51 PM
The interesting thing about Diaz (to me) is that he's still very young (20) and playing in A ball didn't fall flat on his face. It's encouraging too that he's playing with guys a lot older in Hawaii, which (in albeit a short history) has been a pitcher-dominated league, and lead the league in hitting. The thing that bugs me about Diaz is that he doesn't seem to have any speed or power based on the numbers and he strikes out a TON (3:1 strikeout to walk rate in the minors in 2006 and 2007).
It's still a question whether or not he will hit in the upper levels and I wonder if he'll develop enough offense to be an everyday guy.
That's correct Diaz is only 20 yrs, Diaz bat has improved every year and while he will never be a HR hitter he has gap power. Diaz isn't a base stealer, but its a good runner. Sure Diaz need to show that he can hit in the upper levels, but in my opinion not only he will, but that his bat will let him play at the ML level on a regular basis.
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