Now that Major League Baseball’s summer has begun, thoughts are turning to the future for everyone. That indicates the upcoming season in most cities; for others, however, it refers to the longer term, the next three to five years. As they say, you’re either selling victories or you’re selling hope. This time of year, we at CBS Sports try to give as much hope as we can by analyzing the farm systems of each team.
Naturally, not every team has a farm system that is equally effective; as you will discover throughout this process, some teams fall short in that regard. That does, however, indicate that CBS Sports will be analyzing the top three prospects in each club over the course of the next few weeks. (As we define “prospects” as those who will still be eligible to play as rookies in 2024, it is probable the case that a young player is absent.) Today marks the start of that process, which will last until February when we release the top 50 list for the spring.
These evaluations and lists come from discussions with scouts, analysts, and player development specialists. In addition, bias and direct assessment are present. Remember that ranking players is a difficult undertaking, and it’s acceptable to disagree with the rankings. (Click here to view our list of the top 25 for winter.)
Let’s get started by breaking down the Boston Red Sox in light of that.
1. Anthony Romano, OF (19 years of age)
17th place among the top 25
In a nutshell: proved capable and had on-base upside in his breakthrough year.
MLB Estimated time of arrival: late 2024
One approach to sum up Anthony’s strengths is as follows: Despite being a left-handed batter, he hit nine of his 14 home runs in the previous season to left or left-center field. For anyone, much less a player who was nineteen for the majority of the season, that would be an amazing demonstration of opposite-field power. Additionally, Anthony has demonstrated a sharp eye and has largely maintained strikeout rates below 20% throughout his professional career (his contact percentage did plummet in High-A before rising once he reached Double-A). If he wanted to maximize his slugging potential, he should throw the ball more often. Nevertheless, the fact that he has such a wide range of offensive skills at such a young age is encouraging for him.
2. The SS Marcelo Mayer (Age of 21)
Place 20 out of the Top 25
In a nutshell: competent batsman and capable shortstop
MLB ETA: Late 2024 Scouts have long praised Mayer’s defense for being very flexible. He’s hardly the most dynamic sportsman. Neither his arm strength nor range are the best. However, he makes up for such shortfalls with a sense of placement that ought to allow him to stay there. Mayer had demonstrated good strength and a love of walking offensively, but after making it to Double-A, he struggled. Early August was the end of his season, so it’s possible that it had some effect on him before he was suspended. The frequency with which he pops up the ball and swings and misses also causes us some concern. For the time being, we’ll overlook it, but his reputation is starting to tarnish.