Red Sox top prospects poised to make a leap in 2024
The Red Sox have spent the last five years striving towards sustainable success, and while the club still a long way from achieving that goal, its efforts are close to bearing fruit.
Heading into 2024, the Red Sox have three elite prospects who they hope can form the foundation of a future championship contender. Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel are all regarded by evaluators as among the top young players in the sport, and while none are expected to play a big role in the majors this year, all three have reached the upper minors and are about to embark on the biggest seasons of their careers.
Here is where things stand with them and some of Boston’s other top prospects, and what fans can expect from them this coming season.
Marcelo Mayer, SS
Ever since being drafted No. 4 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Mayer has been the face of the Red Sox ongoing rebuild. Widely regarded as a future All-star shortstop in the mold of Corey Seager, Mayer is a potential franchise cornerstone and this could be the season he finally makes his big league debut.
Even if that may not happen until late in the year, this should still be a big year for the 21-year-old shortstop.
Last year Mayer’s season was derailed by a shoulder injury that limited him throughout the summer. The injury was a big factor in his unimpressive offensive production following his promotion to Double-a — he batted .189 with a .609 OPS in 43 games with Portland — but even amid those woes he still earned rave reviews from the Sea Dogs coaching staff and was voted best defensive shortstop in the Eastern League by the Double-a league’s managers.
Now back to full health, Mayer enters 2024 ranked as baseball’s No. 15 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and will likely start the season back in Portland. There he’ll have a chance to really show what he’s capable of against Double-a pitching, and if he comes out swinging, a midseason promotion to Worcester could be in the cards.
Roman Anthony, OF
Anthony was the breakout star of the Red Sox organization last season and one of the fastest rising prospects in baseball.
Now he’s established himself as an elite talent who could factor into Boston’s outfield equation as soon as 2025.
Ranked as baseball’s No. 24 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Anthony is a well-rounded talent who boasts a tantalizing combination of power and plate discipline along with all the other tools you’d want to see in a future big league center fielder. Drafted No. 79 overall in 2022, Anthony was promoted twice over the course of his first full season as a professional, starting the year at Low-a Salem before rising all the way to Double-a by the fall.
Still only 19 years old, Anthony will start the year in Portland and should be among the youngest players in the Eastern League. A late-season big league cameo isn’t out of the question, but Anthony should in all likelihood get at least one more full year of seasoning in the minors before he potentially makes a push for the Opening Day roster next spring.
Kyle Teel, C
Ever since being drafted No. 14 overall last July, Teel has made an immediate impact on the Red Sox organization. The former University of Virginia star has already reached Double-a after only 26 games as a professional, and evaluators have been consistently impressed by his athleticism, plate approach and instincts as a catcher.
Ranked as the No. 40 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, Teel batted .363 with a .977 OPS following his professional debut last summer. The 22-year-old is also renowned as an excellent leader and Red Sox manager Alex Cora said earlier this spring he possesses an uncommon understanding of pitch metrics, which he can use as a tool to give pitchers feedback.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen that, I told him we have to incorporate that into our program because the feedback from the catcher is probably the most important,” Cora said.
Like Mayer and Anthony, Teel will most likely start the season back at Double-a before potentially making a midseason push to Triple-a.
Others to watch
While Boston’s big three are all likely to spend most, if not all, of this season working their way through the upper minors, outfielders Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu could both play important roles in the major leagues.
Rafaela is a contender to earn the starting center field job, and even if he winds up opening the year in Triple-a, he boasts formidable defensive and base running talents that could impact the MLB club. Abreu is the likely favorite to start as Boston’s Opening Day right fielder, and on top of being voted as having the best outfield throwing arm and strike-zone judgement in the International League last season, he was identified by no less than Red Sox chairman Tom Werner as someone he’s excited to see get about 400 at bats.
In terms of pitching, the Red Sox do not have any top starting pitching prospects likely to impact the MLB club this season, but with new director of pitching Justin Willard’s new program in place it will be interesting to see who takes strides in 2024. Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales are the club’s top incumbent pitching prospects, and Richard Fitts — acquired in this winter’s Alex Verdugo trade — is the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year.
As for longer-term projects, keep an eye out on outfielder Miguel Bleis and shortstop Yoeilin Cespedes, two of the club’s top recent international free agent signings, on former first-round pick Mikey Romero, whose first full season as a professional was derailed by back injuries, and on last summer’s other top draft picks, including infielders Nazzan Zanetello and Antonio Anderson.