The Red Sox now have one of the more prominent farm systems in baseball, according to Baseball America.
In their latest midseason organizational talent rankings, Baseball America ranks Boston’s farm system as the ninth-best in Major League Baseball as things stand today.
Ranking behind the Mariners, Orioles, Royals, Pirates, Giants, Tigers, Rays, and Reds and ahead of the Blue Jays to round out the top 10, the Sox’ minor-league pipeline at present includes three of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects in first baseman Triston Casas (No. 20), outfielder Jarren Duran (No. 22), and shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 32).
“First baseman Triston Casas looks like a potential middle-of-the-order cornerstone who can hit for average and power,” BA noted of Boston’s farm system on Monday. “The addition of shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the fourth pick in the draft gave the Red Sox an immediate jolt of impact talent.”
Coming into the 2021 season, the Sox were in possession of the No. 20 farm system in baseball, which is the same exact ranking they received in the spring of 2020 as well.
What can be attributed to Boston’s rise from No. 20 to No. 9 in the span of just a little more than six months?
Well, as previously noted, selecting Mayer, who was regarded as arguably the top prep prospect going into this summer’s draft, with the fourth overall pick certainly helps.
Casas, meanwhile, made a name for himself at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, as he slashed .217/.308/.652 with a team-leading three home runs and eight RBI over six games while helping Team USA win a silver medal and being named the tournament’s best first baseman in the process of doing so.
As for Duran, the speedy outfielder came into the season as one of Boston’s more exciting prospects after what he did in spring training, then — like Casas — gained more notoriety as he helped Team USA qualify for the Olympics, but was not named to the United States’ final roster.
That being the case because the Red Sox would call up Duran from Triple-A Worcester on July 16. The 24-year-old has since hit .215/.232/.367/.599 through his first 23 games in the majors, though he is batting .282 (11-for-39) since August 3.
In addition to what Mayer, Casas, and Duran have done, the contributions from 2020 first-round pick Nick Yorke, 2017 first-round pick Tanner Houck, and international signees such as Brayan Bello, Miguel Bleis, and Wilkelman Gonzalez cannot be forgotten about, either.
All in all, as the Red Sox look to contend for an American League East title this year, they are also putting in the necessary work to ensure a promising future for the organization by bolstering an ever-improving farm system.
That is something chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has hammered home since he joined the Sox in 2019, and it appears as though his vision has netted some encouraging results less than two full years into his tenure in Boston.
(Picture of Triston Casas: KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA/AFP via Getty Images)
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