Every Sox fan has heard the same phrase ad nauseam; the Red Sox have a depleted farm system.
They have absolutely no potential coming from the minor leagues. Dave Dombrowski has ruined the future of the team.
Not so fast. While the Red Sox don’t have a surplus of top-100 prospects, it’s not fair to say they don’t have a bright future on the farm. While Tanner Houck, Triston Casas, and Bobby Dalbec aren’t in the top-100 as of right now, they still are full of potential and are poised to do big things as they gain more experience.
That being said, the Red Sox did have one prospect place in the top-100 ahead of the 2019 season, as Michael Chavis placed 79th on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list. While Chavis plays two positions that seem to be set in stone at the MLB level (first base and third base), that doesn’t mean the 23-year-old right-handed bat can’t make big strides this season.
Chavis had a 2018 season that was hindered by an 80-game suspension that he was subject to starting April 6. Consequently, the 2014 first-round pick was limited to just 46 games. In those games, he thrived at the dish; posting a slash-line of .298/.381/.538, to go along with nine home runs and 27 runs batted in between Lowell, Portland, and Pawtucket. On top of that, the young corner-infielder had a combined fielding percentage of 96-percent in 149 total chances between third and first base.
However, that isn’t stopping Boston from experimenting with the young prospect. Dombrowski said that Chavis will be taking reps at second base, as well as possibly left field during the offseason. So given the fact he is likely to start this season in AAA, it can give him extra opportunities to hone in on the skills necessary to get him to the MLB faster.
One can only imagine what kind of damage he can do in a full season. Since it’s tough to gauge a player’s potential off of a season in which he played less than 50 games, let’s take a look at how he did in 2017. In 126 games, the Georgia native posted a .282/.347/.563 slash-line with 31 homers and 94 RBI between Salem and Portland.
The power potential is there for Michael Chavis to be a productive player at the MLB level. And given the luxury of a full season in Pawtucket, the Red Sox will be getting their first look at him before potentially calling him up.
With the injury history of Dustin Pedroia over the past few seasons, Chavis may be called upon to fill in with the big-league club before you know it. He’s got the power, he’s got the plate discipline, and he appears to have the work ethic that Boston fans should be excited about moving forward.
