Boston Red Sox Top-15 Prospects of 2009, No’s 5 – 15

For an overview of the process used to grade players, the factors used to determine where a player ranks, and other frequently asked questions, please click here. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I receive before the start of the season. If you disagree, you can make your case by contacting me or you can make a comment below at the bottom of the page.

You can find a full listing of each team’s top prospect list in the Top Prospect List Archive Page. Also, each team will have their Team Page published when their top prospect list becomes available. Team pages include team rosters, stats, payroll and front office information, past Baseball-Intellect articles related to that team, and links to some of the team’s best fan sites. We look at prospects 6 – 15 for the Boston Red Sox.

This list is a little different as I reshuffled my rankings. I initially had Junichi Tazawa at No. 5, but I’ve decided to put Nick Hagadone in that spot.

Also See: Boston Red Sox, Prospects 1 – 4

5. Nick Hagadone | LHP | Single-A Greenville | Age – 23 | Drafted – Round 1A (55), 2007

Player Grades

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Fastball – 55 Now | 60 Future
Slider – 55 | 60
Change-Up – 40/45 | 50
Control – 45 | 55
Command – 50 | 55
Pitchability – 50 | 55
Final Grade – B

Body Type – Big and strong lefty

Stuff

Fastball – Sits between 92 and 95…possesses good movement with the ability to spot pitch to both sides of the plate. An example of his fastball:

*Credit to Minor League Baseball

Slider – extremely tough on lefties, and gets hitters from the right side of the plate to swing over top of it.

Change-Up – throws the pitch to right handers…pitch has improved since college, but he needs to work on maintaining arm speed. The success of the pitch could determine his fate as a starter though his other two pitches are good enough to where it doesn’t have to necessarily be better than an average pitch

Scouting Report

Hagadone is out until probably May as he recovers from Tommy John Surgery. When healthy, he’s Boston’s 3rd or 4th best prospect.

Hagadone is strong in almost every peripheral that indicates future success: he misses bats, generates ground balls, and throws strikes. His stuff matches the peripherals.

Mechanically, he reminds me a bit of Jeff Francis at the beginning of his wind-up, but each player’s arm action is very different. Hagadone loads his scapula much more efficiently than Francis and is able to produce better arm speed. He also has a faster tempo than Francis and drifts through his balance, which you can see below. It’s also something I mentioned when profiling Madison Bumgarner. When you take all these factors into account, you see why Hagadone is able to throw 92 – 95 and Francis sits in the 86 – 88 range.

*Credit to Minor League Baseball

My last comment on Hagadone’s mechanics has to do with his finish. He lands a little stiff-legged and ends up pitching somewhat uphill. As a result, his arm has less room to decelerate and you see how his finish is a pretty abrupt. He needs to find a way to give his arm more room to decelerate.

Best Case Outcome – No. 2 starter…durability is the biggest concern.

More Likely Outcome – No. 3 starter or multi-inning reliever out of the bullpen

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6. Junichi Tazawa | RHP | N/A | Age – 22 | Signed – Japan, 2008

Player Grades

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Fastball – 50 Now | 50/55 Future
Curveball – 50 | 50
Forkball – 50 | 55
Control – 45 | 55
Command – 45 | 50
Pitchability – 45 | 50
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – small frame, athletic

Stuff

Fastball – 91 – 93, touching 94…some pop at the end, commands it pretty well…keeps it down in the zone and on the corners…not a tremendous amount of movement

Curveball – throws the pitch often, has two versions…one is slower and loopier with a bigger break. It’s clocked in the mid-70’s, while the harder curve is thrown in the upper 70’s or low 80’s. I like the higher velocity, harder breaking version better.

Forkball – could also be called a change-up…tumbles toward home plate in the low 80’s. Below is Tazawa’s fastball (right) and forkball (left). The fastball is coming in at 91, while the forkball is clocked at 82.

*Credit to junoyeop

Mechanics

His wind-up is kinda segmented. Leg kicks out, glove is pointed toward home, leg swings around, glove is pulled in, pitching arm makes its way through its arm path. He generates pretty good velocity, but might cost himself a mph or two by halting his momentum at various points in his delivery. One thing worth pointing out is his ability to consistently repeat his delivery.

Best Case Outcome- No. 3 starter

More Likely Outcome- No. 4 starter or quality reliever out of the bullpen

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7. Ryan Westmoreland | CF | B – L | N/A | Age – 19 | Drafted – Round 5, 2008

Player Grades

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Contact – 40 Now | 55 Future
Power – 40 | 55
Discipline – 45 | 55
Speed – 55 | 55
Defense – 50 | 55
Arm – 55 | 60
Instincts – 50 | 60
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – athletic and projectable

Scouting Report

Shows good bat speed as he displays the ability to let the ball travel deep into his hitting zone though he needs to work on keeping his hands back a little more…ball jumps off his bat when he’s able to square up.

Reported to have excellent plate discipline. Displays a good combination of power, discipline, and speed…considered a 5-tool player.

Defense – Solid range in center and shows off a cannon for an arm though he needs to work on his accuracy.

Best Case Outcome – Top-5 center fielder

More Likely Outcome – Too early to say what he will most likely become. We’ll see where he stands when he gets some at bats under his belt. He’ll be out until some point in 2009 with a torn labrum.

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8. Stolmy Pimentel | RHP | Lowell (SS) | Age – 19 | Signed – Dominican Republic, 2006

Player Grades

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Fastball – 45 Now | 55 Future
Curveball – 45 | 55
Change-Up – 40 | 50
Control – 40 | 50
Command – 40 | 55
Pitchability – 40 | 50
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – tall and skinny, but with a projectable frame…athletic

Stuff

Fastball – pretty good command of the pitch, especially on the outer half of the plate…decent movement to go along with average-above average velocity (91 – 94)

Curveball – a 12-to-6 curve with good bite…good enough to buckle knees at times and he keeps the release point consistent with his fastball. Needs more consistency in terms of command. Below is one of his better curves in this particular outing:

*Credit to Minor League Baseball

Change-Up – shows a good feel for the pitch…solid job of maintaining arm speed, but needs to work on the pitch’s consistency

Mechanics

Really a smooth delivery…his tempo is slower than I like, but he picks up speed where it counts. He employs the “kick-out” move to jump-start an aggressive hip rotation, and he creates good separation between his torso and hips. His arm action is loose and whip-like.

Other Notes – Good command at a very young age (just 19 heading into next year). The age is the most intriguing thing about Pimentel right now. He’s a fly ball pitcher and was hurt a little by the homerun ball last year, but overall Pimentel was very impressive when you consider his age.

Best Case Outcome – Borderline No. 2–though when you’re as young as Pimentel, every once in a while, a pitcher puts everything together and gets a boost in the quality of his stuff. It’s a long shot, but the same thing can happen for Pimental if the Red Sox are lucky. I am confident we will see an increase in velocity to his fastball, at the very least.

More Likely Outcome – Solid No. 3 starter

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9. Michael Almanzar | 3b | B – R | Greenville (A) | Age – 18 | Signed – Dominican Rep., 2007

Player Grades

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Contact – 35 Now | 50 Future
Power – 40 | 60
Discipline – 35 | 45
Speed – 40 | 40
Defense – 40 | 50
Arm – 55 | 60
Instincts – 40 | 50
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – tall, lanky, but room to fill out

Scouting Report

I have yet to see Almazar play, but the reports all indicate he is a top level talent though raw as a baseball player. He has very little professional experience–just 229 ABs–but was stellar in his debut in the Gulf Coast League. He was overmatched, however, in Greenville over the course of 140 ABs.

Almanzar is blessed with quick wrists and is able to generate excellent bat speed despite some stiff mechanics in the box. One would expect his power to develop as he fills out his projectable frame.

He needs work defensively, but has the athleticism and tools to make it at third base.

Best Case Outcome – Top-10 third baseman

More Likely Outcome – Too early to say…there is obviously a big difference between his upside and what he is now.
*Credit to Sox Prospects for some of the information in this report

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10. Yamaico Navarro | SS | B – R | Greenville (A) | Age – 21 | Signed – Dominican Rep., 2005

Player Grades

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Contact – 35 Now | 45 Future
Power – 35/40 | 50
Discipline – 35 | 40/45
Speed – 50 | 50
Defense – 50 | 55
Arm – 55 | 55
Instincts – 40 | 50
Final Grade – B-

Body Type – Projectable and athletic

Scouting Report

Swings hard and as a result he makes hard contact. Good hand-eye coordination allows him to make contact as much as he does. However, his plate discipline leaves a lot to be desired. He’s often too aggressive at the plate and swings at pitches he should be taking. Struggles on breaking balls.

Navarro possesses quick wrists and plenty of bat speed as he generally lets the ball travel deep into his zone when he’s not out in front on off-speed stuff.

A mechanical flaw that makes Navarro susceptible to pitches away and breaking stuff is how he strides into foot plant. As Navarro strides, there are times where he seems to be drifting toward third base. When he does this, he ends up planting well on the third base side. In the clip below, you’ll notice he has a little Juan Uribe in him. That’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world as long he learns there are times to cut down on the swing a bit and develops some semblance of patience and discipline. Easier said that done, however.

*Credit to Minor League Baseball

Navarro moved up from Greenville and posted an .880 OPS in Lancaster, but when you take park factors into account, Navarro’s adjusted OPS was .831. Still, that was much better than his previous output and he showed clear signs of improvement in terms of contact rate.

Navarro’s specialty is his defense as he boasts good range, decent feet, and a solid arm. He’s also versatile enough to play third and second, and possibly center field if need be.

Best Case Outcome – Above average shortstop

More Likely Outcome – Average shortstop with solid defense…worst case is utility player.

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11. Bryan Price | RHP | Lowell (SS) | Age – 22 | Drafted – 1A (45), 2008

You can see my scouting report on Bryan Price by clicking here.

Grade – B-

12. Kyle Weiland | RHP | Lowell (SS) | Age – 22 | Drafted – Round 3, 2008

Polished and quality college pitcher with some solid stuff to match. He’s a tall-and-fall pitcher which I’m not a big fan of, but he produces solid velocity nonetheless.

*Credit to the MLB Scouting Bureau

Weiland is another pitcher that tilts the shoulders, but he takes it another level by placing the arm behind his butt and lifting his glove arm high in the air and like a see-saw, as the glove arm drops, the throwing arm rises. Due to his wind-up, Weiland is able to add some deception to his pitches. His throwing arm is loose, and tension free from the dangling of his arm and a fastball with good velocity is produced. Sometimes he doesn’t get the arm up quick enough and he loses a bit of command on his pitches.

His fastball moves downward to generate ground balls. His curveball is solid with a slurve like action, while the change-up is behind his top-2 pitches. Weiland is being used as a starter after being used as a closer in college.

Grade – B-

13. Casey Kelly | SS/RHP | B – R | GCL (Rookie) | Age – 19 | Drafted – Round 1 (30), 2008

A difficult player to grade because of his lack of experience and lack of position–we don’t really know whether he will end up as a pitcher or hitter. After reviewing him back in August, I initially liked him as a hitter more than a pitcher because he had a higher upside in my mind. But I underestimated just how raw he is as a player. His plate discipline and pitch recognition need a lot of work and his swing has a few minor issues as well. I would prefer him as a pitcher now, but I just don’t know what direction the Sox are going to take with him.

Grade – C+

14. Stephen Fife | RHP | Lowell (SS) | Age – 22 | Drafted – Round 3, 2008

Going against the grain as far as Sox picks go, Fife was actually a starter in college and will be converted to reliever. His stuff plays well out of the bullpen, as his fastball upticks a bit in velocity. Fife is an extreme ground ball pitcher that also displays the ability to miss bats. He should move quickly as a college pitcher that is already physically mature.

Grade – C+

15. Oscar Tejeda | SS | B – R | Greenville (A) | Age – 19 | Signed – Dominican Rep., 2006

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I was e-mailed by a reader about Derrick Gibson, so I will include a scouting report on him in the Newsletter as well.

Other C+ Prospects (in no particular order): Ryan Kalish (good plate discipline, hits the ball on the ground an alarming 62% of the time), Luis Exposito, Eammon Portice (unique mechanics, looks like a future reliever)

C+/C Prospects: Derrick Gibson

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Felix Doubront, Che-Hsuan Lin, Kris Johnson, Richard Lentz, Anthony Rizzo, Jon Still, Brock Huntzinger, Chris Carter, Dustin Richardson, Austin Bailey, Jason Rice, Jason Place, Zach Daegas

Also See: Boston Red Sox Team Page

Up Next: New York Yankees, Prospects 1 – 5

Other references used for this article: First Inning and Minor League Splits

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