Updated Top 10 Prospects

As you can see from the sidebar at left, we have updated the organization's top 10 prospect list. The rankings are compiled using a variety of scouting reports as well as minor league statistics, with heavy emphasis on the 2009 season. The rankings are as follows:

1. Casey Kelly

Kelly saw action on the mound and at shortstop, although his future is most certainly as a pitcher.

2. Ryan Westmoreland

In his first professional season Westmoreland posted a .401 on-base percentage and slugged .484. He was also 19-19 in stolen bases.

3. Josh Reddick

Reddick played well enough in Double-A to warrant a promotion to the majors. He posted a .382 wOBA and .871 OPS in Portland.

4. Michael Bowden

Bowden had somewhat of a down year in Triple-A. His 1.87 K/BB rate and 4.08 FIP were above his career averages. Still, Bowden is possibly the closest major league ready pitcher in the organization.

5. Junichi Tazawa

In his first professional season Tazawa quickly rose from Double-A to the majors. He made 18 starts for Portland with a 3.35 FIP and 3.38 K/BB rate. He also threw 25.1 innings with the Red Sox, allowing 43 hits and striking out 13 while walking 9.

6. Lars Anderson

Anderson began the year as the top prospect but faltered in his second go-around with Portland. His wOBA slipped to .315 and his ISO dropped to .112 after a breakout performance in 2008.

7. Ryan Kalish

Kalish had the biggest breakout in 2009. He tore up Advanced-A with a .513 slugging percentage and .428 wOBA. In Double-A he had a wOBA of .360 and slugged .440 while stealing 14 bags.

8. Stolmy Pimentel

The 19-year old exhibited excellent control while strikeout out nearly 8 batters per nine innings in Single-A. He had a 3.62 FIP in 117.2 innings.

9. Anthony Rizzo

Rizzo split time between Single-A and Advanced-A posting wOBAs of .390 and .357 respectively. His power is still developing but with his 6'3 220 pounds frame he should be able to generate more home run power in the future.

10. Ryan Lavarnway

Lavarnway has massive power and belted 21 home runs to go along a with a .255 ISO this season in Single-A. He was a little old for the competition level so it should be interesting to see how well he retains his power at higher levels.

What to Look for in the 2nd Half

Stolmy Pimentel will continue to dominate

Pimentel has been awfully stingy this year with a FIP of 2.58 despite a BAABIP of a whopping .372. Pimentel has been the recipient of some poor defense (or bad luck) and is still mowing down opposing lineups. His LOB% is right around 70% which is just average. If Pimentel's BAABIP regresses back towards the mean of .300 in the second half he could be even better in the second half of the year.

Lars Anderson will prove he is worthy of the #1 prospect in the organization

Although I'm sure few fans doubt his credentials as a premier first baseman prospect, Anderson's power has been inexplicably down so far this season. Have no fear though, as Anderson's BABIP, LD%, and FB% are all in line with his career averages. In fact, so far through July Anderson has an OPS of .943

Casey Kelly will realize he belongs on the mound

Believe me when I say that I would love to see Kelly thrive at shortstop. The organization has a shortage of talented middle infielders. However, during his brief appearances at short last season between the Gulf Coast Red Sox and Lowell we realized one thing; he walks too little and strikes out too much. HIs K% was just under 30% while his BB% was around 4%. Now granted this was in only 141 PA and many young players struggle with plate discipline, but most young prospects do not pitch as well as Kelly does. He posted a 2.14 FIP in Greenville and a 3.33 FIP in Salem. Not to mention his combined 4.63 K/BB rate. His impeccable command as a pitcher is what makes him such a promising prospect.

Red Sox Pitching Depth | Stolmy Pimentel

There was an article posted on FanGraphs today about the Red Sox wealth of minor league pitching talent. They mentioned Buchholz, Bowden, Doubront, Tazawa, and Kelly, yet perhaps the pitcher with the highest ceiling, Stolmy Pimentel, was listed as an afterthought.

Pimentel, an international free agent from DR signed in '06, turned 19 in Februrary. After an impressive showing with Lowell last season, Pimentel has continued to impress in Greenville this year. His 2.70 FIP (4.36 RA) is among the best for starters in the organization and he sports a 3.88 K/BB rate. What's more impressive is that Pimentel appears to be the recipient of some bad luck as well. His BABIP is an astonishing .377 (.274 last year) and he isn't stranding very many baserunners (69.62%). Pimentel appears to be having such success in large part due to his good command. At such a young age Pimentel could very well develop into the best of the bunch for the Red Sox.