First off I want to apologize about my last post. I was having some technical issues and it was getting late. I realize not everyone is a Sox fan, although I believe you should, so I'll go into a little more detail about a few of these newer faces.
I'll start with Mookie Betts (who is quickly becoming my favorite player) who started the year in the minors as a 2B before switching positions and learning how to play the outfield. By doing so he was able to get out from the Pedroia roadblock and allowed himself to play his way into Fenway. He was able to give a spark to the offense in his short time in the bigs with line of .291ba/5hr/18rbi. He also flashed some speed with 7 steals in 10 attempts. This was all done as a 21 year old. I believe that these numbers are real as he has produced well across every level.
The next kid got his debut last year at short stop and was the youngest world series starter for the Sox since Babe Ruth. For those of you who don't know, I'm talking about Xander Bogaerts. Like most rookies he endured an up and down season while splitting time between third and short. The overall numbers (.240ba/12hr/46rbi) are nothing to write home about but he did end the season on a high note hitting over .300 for the final month. He has potential to develop into a 15-20 homer 10 steal guy with an average around .280-.290. Add in the fact that he's only 22 years old while having played a key role on a championship team and it's easy to see why people are excited about him.
The final player I'll go into detail about is probably the least known player in their starting unit. Rusney Castillo (cf) came over from Cuba this summer and made his debut in September. He was one of the bigger international signings and was sought after by many teams. Castillo is very skilled like his other countrymen: Jose Abreu and Yasiel Puig. He may not have the prolific power of Abreu but has very good speed and has an aggressive style of play. It's not out of the question that he could hit .290 while being a 20-20 guy with above average defense in centerfield. Boston signed him to a big contract and it looks like they have found a very capable replacement for Jacoby Ellsbury.
Betts, Bogaerts, and Castillo are the three I'm most excited about seeing next season. They should play a major role in the immediate rebuild back into contender status. Other young players to keep in mind are Blake Swihart (c), Henry Owens (sp), Garin Ceccini (3b), and Raphael Devers (3b).
Be sure to check back tommorow as we look at another team that has high hopes of picking themselves up out of the cellar within the next few years.
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