Red Sox farm system heat check: What’s the immediate and future outlook?

Last week Keith Law released his farm system rankings and yesterday he dropped notes on the Red Sox top 20 prospects .

With those in mind, heres an overview on where Red Sox system stands and how it may factor into the teams future near-term.

Keith Laws Red Sox farm system ranking: Second The Red Sox system has rocketed from one of the leagues bottom-dwellers to one of its best over the last couple of years.

Part of that stems from so many last-place finishes giving the team higher draft picks to build around.

But theres something to be said for targeting the right players with high ceilings.

GO DEEPER MLB 2025 farm system rankings: Keith Law ranks all 30 teams, Mariners are new No.

1 While the farm system is top heavy with position player talent, scouting director Devin Peason and his staff took pitchers with 14 of 20 picks in 2024 in an effort to bolster the pitching development under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

With two top prospects (perhaps three) expected to debut in 2025, the Red Sox are hoping to reap the benefits of their farm system soon.

Advertisement Top-100 prospects No.

1 Roman Anthony, OF No.

9 Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF No.

28 Marcelo Mayer, SS No.

42 Franklin Arias, SS No.

97 Yoeilin Cespedes, 2B/SS GO DEEPER Top 100 MLB prospects 2025: Keith Laws rankings, with Roman Anthony at No.

1 Prospects most likely to impact 2025 team Campbell, who will be in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee for the first time, has the clearest path to impacting the big-league club this season.

The Red Sox have an opening at second base and Campbell is expected to compete with Vaughn Grissom for the spot.

Campbell blazed through the system last season, hitting .330 with a .997 OPS in 115 games across three levels from High A to Triple A.

Campbells plus defense in the outfield also gives the team roster flexibility.

Anthony doesnt turn 21 until May, but as Laws No.

1 overall prospect, hes knocking on the door of the majors after hitting .291 with an .894 OPS in 119 games between Double A and Triple A last year.

Like Campbell and Mayer, Anthony is a non-roster invitee to big-league camp for the first time this spring.

The Red Sox outfield already features Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder, but Anthony figures to be in the mix by the summer, or earlier, if an injury crops up.

Mayer started off 2024 strong, hitting .307 with an .850 OPS in 77 games in Double A, and was promoted to Triple A, but never appeared in a game, missing the end of the year with a back strain.

Hes only played as many as 91 games in a season due to injuries the last few years, but if he can stay healthy, he could see time in Boston by the end of the season.

While hes appeared in big-league spring training games in the past, this year marks the first time hell be a non-roster invitee to camp with more regular playing time in the big-league spring games.

Manager Alex Cora recently said that Mayer will be seeing time at second and third base in addition to his natural position at shortstop this spring.

Advertisement Projected 2027 Opening Day roster Looking into our crystal ball, we see that Anthony, Campbell and Mayer figure to be squarely in the mix by 2027.

Jarren Duran and Triston Casas will have two more seasons before free agency and Wilyer Abreu will have three, assuming none have signed extensions by then.

Mastataka Yoshida seems likely to be traded in the next two years, with Devers sliding into the DH slot.

In Devers place, Mayer, wholl see time at third base this spring, will temporarily take over the position thanks to his above-average arm strength.

Trevor Story will be in the final year of his deal in Boston, and after he departs, Mayer will slide back to shortstop.

With an outfield of Abreu, Duran and Anthony, Campbell figures to take over second base duties with Casas at first and Wong, with two years before free agency, behind the plate.

Projected starting lineup: Duran, CF Campbell, 2B Anthony, LF Devers, DH Casas, 1B Story, SS Mayer, 3B Abreu, RF Wong, C Bench: Ceddanne Rafaela, INF, OF; Jhostynxon Garcia, OF; Carlos Narvaez, C; Mikey Romero, 2B/SS Jhostynxon Garcia (pronounced yos-TIN-son) should be big-league ready in two years, but his brother Johanfran, a catcher, will likely be a year or so away following ACL and MCL surgery last year.

Otherwise, hed be in this mix, too.

For now, newcomer Carlos Narvaez figures to be the backup catcher, but its possible a free agent or trade move fills that role.

Rafaela likely serves a utility role off the bench and Mikey Romero or Nick Sogard could be in that mix too.

Projected rotation: LHP Garrett Crochet RHP Tanner Houck RHP Brayan Bello RHP Luis Perales RHP David Sandlin Houck will be approaching free agency and Crochet will have had to sign an extension to be pitching for Boston in 2027, but we are assuming in this projection that it happens.

Bello will be in the midst of his six-year extension.

It might be too optimistic for Perales to be ready for his debut in 2027, particularly if hes projected to return from Tommy John surgery by 2026.

If thats the case, Connelly Early could slide into the back end of the rotation alongside Sandlin, who figures to be in the mix by then.

Quinn Priester is also another potential starter option.

Of course, theres the chance the Red Sox sign or trade for a starter.

Advertisement Projected bullpen: RHP Justin Slaten, closer RHP Garrett Whitlock, setup man RHP Luis Guerrero, setup man RHP Hunter Dobbins, multi inning/mid relief RHP Richard Fitts, multi inning/mid relief LHP Zach Penrod, mid relief LHP Payton Tolle, mid relief RHP Yordanny Monegro, mid relief Slaten is on a closers path and might even get some looks at the spot this season, while Whitlock figures to be squarely settled into a bullpen role in two years, with one year remaining on his extension.

Guerrero impressed last season and should be a part of the future.

Dobbins and Fitts project as backend rotation or multi-inning relievers.

Penrod had some solid innings last year as well and could be in the mix down the road as a lefty option alongside 2024 second-rounder Payton Tolle.

Monegro ended last year in Double A and should be in the mix by 2027, but whether he has enough to stick in the rotation remains to be seen.

The Red Sox may end up filling most of these spots with pitchers via free agency or trades.

(Photo of Mayer and Anthony: Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald via Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.