Prospects get the Call: Mookie Betts
By Jason Mast
Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Mookie Betts against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Desperate for some offensive support from their struggling outfield, the Red Sox have promoted top prospect Mookie Betts to the majors, John Tamose of the Boston Herald tweets.
Betts, 21, has torn through the minor leagues this season. He slashed to a .355/.443/.551 line with eight home runs and 22 stolen bases in 54 Double-A games before Boston promoted him to Triple-A Pawtucket at the beginning of the month. Betts kept on hitting there, with two home runs, a .322 average, and .425 on base percentage through 90 at bats.
Although Betts played second base almost exclusively over the course of his minor league career, poor outfield production and the presence of Dustin Pedroia at the big league level prompted the Red Sox to start playing him in center and right last month. During his brief tenure with Pawtucket, the young hitter played 17 games in the outfield and just five at second base.
The Red Sox have yet to give official word on where Betts will play, but all signs indicate that he will continue his work in the outfield. According to Fangraphs, the Red Sox have had the second worst offensive outfield in the American League this season, by both standard and sabemetric metrics – OPS, offensive runs created and weighted on base average (wOBA).
It’s possible Betts will be handed the center field job outright. He would be supplanting Jackie Bradley Jr, who took an O-for in last night’s shutout loss to New York, and has hit just .209 with a .587 OPS this season. He could also take over for the struggling Daniel Nava in left, but the new rookie played 27 minor league games in center field and not one in left.
Taken by the Red Sox in the 5th round of the 2011 draft, Betts was ranked by Baseball America as the 75th best prospect in baseball prior to this season. His strong first-half play in the upper minors has boosted his stock, though. In his mid-season prospect update, ESPN.com’s Keith Law called him the Red Sox second best prospect, and the 22nd best in all of baseball.