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We’ve been hearing all season about some of Boston’s top prospects. Ceddanne Rafaela regularly went viral for one spectacular defensive play or another. Roman Anthony put the baseball world on notice with his breakout summer. Everyone’s constantly keeping tabs on Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel barely needed a month to put his stamp on the organization.
Yet the prospect who might be best positioned to make an impact on next year’s team could turn out to be Wilyer Abreu.
Acquired alongside Enmanuel Valdez in last summer’s Christian Vazquez trade, the 24-year-old outfielder quietly put together a spectacular season in Triple-A and has drawn rave reviews since being called up to the big leagues on Aug. 22. Red Sox manager Alex Cora frequently speaks about him in glowing terms, and he’s gotten more playing time since being called up than either Rafaela or Valdez, both of whom have generally held a higher profile.
“We knew about the strike zone, we knew about the compact swing, that’s where the league is going,” Cora said of Abreu back on Sept. 10. “He’s able to go the other way, which is important, he’s a good baserunner. At the end we got two good players for Christian, I know at the beginning it didn’t look that way but they’re really good.”
Though not considered a top 100 prospect, Abreu boasts a well-rounded skillset with a handful of elite tools, and his performance on the field over the past two years has been impressive. Last season Abreu was one of only five players across the minors to draw more than 100 walks, and he also hit 19 home runs and stole 31 bases. This year his speed hasn’t been as big a factor, but he still hit 22 home runs with a .930 OPS in 86 games with the WooSox, his first season playing at Triple-A.
He was also voted as having the best strike zone judgment and outfield arm strength in the International League by the Triple-A league’s managers, according to Baseball America.
So far the majors haven’t proven too big an adjustment for Abreu either. In 20 games since his promotion Abreu has batted .364 with a .945 OPS, a home run and five doubles, 10 RBI and three stolen bases. He’s already reached base five or more times in a game twice, and he’s played well defensively at all three outfield positions.
Is it crazy to imagine Abreu going into next season as one of Boston’s starting outfielders?
One of the big questions the Red Sox have to answer this offseason is how to proceed with Alex Verdugo. The right fielder is entering his last season before hitting free agency and if he and the Red Sox can’t agree on an extension, there is a possibility Verdugo could be traded.
But for trading Verdugo to be worth it, the Red Sox need to be sure they can adequately replace his production. Even if Verdugo never becomes any more than what he already is, he’s still a proven starting-caliber outfielder who plays great defense and can impact the game in a variety of ways. There aren’t many free agent outfielders available who make sense as replacements, so the Red Sox could decide they’d be better off keeping Verdugo through his walk year and figure out his free agency later.
Unless they believe there’s already someone on the roster who could approximate his production at a fraction of the cost, allowing the club to invest that money elsewhere. Someone like Abreu.
The more likely scenario is Abreu goes into spring training in a similar position as Jarren Duran this past February, a fringe contender battling for the last reserve outfield spot. He’ll likely play winter ball in his native Venezuela in the meantime, but while he won’t be a lock to make the opening day roster, what Abreu’s already shown is tantalizing.
If nothing else, Abreu looks like he could be a real steal, and fans will want to follow his future development closely.
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