Hailed by Michael Salfino of the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo! Sports for its “insightful and often contrarian viewpoint to prospect rankings,” the Prospect Digest Handbook is a perennial favorite among baseball enthusiasts, minor league fans, and fantasy general managers. Now back for its fifth season, the Prospect Digest Handbook is the definitive guide to the minor leagues.

Background: One of just three 18-year-old pitchers to eclipse the 40-inning mark in the South Atlantic League, Groome, who accomplished the feat along with teammate Bryan Mata and Philadelphia Phillies prospect Sixto Sanchez, had an interesting, often times dominant, emotional rollercoaster year in 2017. Taken the by Red Sox with the seventh overall pick two years ago out of Barnegat High School, the behemoth southpaw made a total of 14 starts last season, three in the New York-Penn League and the remaining coming with Greensville in Low Class A. And let’s just say the year got off to a horrific, car crash-esque start: in his opening start, an April 10th matchup against the Lexington Legends, Groome surrendered nine earned runs in 1.1 innings. He promptly hit the disabled list with a reported back strain, an injury that forced him out of action for more than two full months.

Finally healthy, Boston bounced the crown jewel of their farm system down to the New York-Penn League for a couple tune-up starts, mostly of the dominant variety. The front office, firmly convinced that the back issue was in the rearview mirror, pushed him back up to the Sally the in early July. Groome’s first game back against the Rome Braves was simply dominant: 5 IP, 1 H, 7 K, and 1 BB. He would make another nine starts with the club’s Low Class A affiliate before the end of season.

Overall, Groome tossed a combined 55.1 innings of work last season, recording an impressive 72 strikeouts against 30 free passes. He finished his sophomore professional campaign with an aggregate 5.69 ERA and a 4.16 FIP.

On a side note, which might explain a few of his clunkers at the end of the season, Groome’s 43-year-old father got popped with a bevy of drug-related charges including: possession of heroin, possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine over one-half ounce with intent to distribute, distribution of cocaine over one half-half, possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during a CDS offense.

Projection: The atrocious 6.70 ERA in the Sally is incredibly, incredibly misleading, masking one of the game’s top young pitchers. Let’s dive into it:

Let’s ignore the first game of the year, that terrible nine-run affair. The overall sample size is so small that one terrible outing like that skews the overall results. Plus, he immediately hit the DL, which is suspicious enough to suggest that he might have been pitching injured.

Next, I don’t care about the three games in the New York-Penn League. They’re inconsequential.

Between July 10th and July 28th Groome was horrible, allowing 15 earned runs in 15 innings of work. What happened on July 10th? His old man got arrested on drug charges. I find it more than coincidental that a young kid, coming off of a dominant return to the South Atlantic League, won’t be impacted by the news. It’s impossible to think anyone wouldn’t be.

So let’s look at the remaining six games: 23.0 innings, 31 strikeouts, 11 walks, and a 3.52 ERA. This, to me, seems like his true baseline. And, again, he was 18-years-old in getting his first taste of full season action. Now, for fun, let’s just look at his overall numbers in the South Atlantic League, through a historical lens:

Between 2006 and 2014, here’s a list of 18-year-old pitchers to post a strikeout rate of at least 29% in the Sally (min. 40 IP): Madison Bumgarner.

Now, to be completely fair and transparent, Bumgarner walked 3.8% of the hitters he faced; Groome, on the hand, walked more than 12%. Groome has as much potential as any pitcher in the minor leagues, whether he can (A) navigate his way through the injury nexus and (B) reign in the control a bit will ultimately determine if he ascends to true ace-dom. One final note: two other 18-year-old arms, Brandon Erbe and Jason Martin, fanned 28% of the hitters they faced in the Sally; both of them, like Groome, posted a double-digit walk percentage. High ceiling, high risk.

Ceiling: 5.5-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2021

2. Michael Chavis, 3B

Background: From back-to-back disappointing seasons to the biggest breakout prospect in the Boston system. Welcome to the world of Michael Chavis. Originally taken in the first round out of Sprayberry High School in 2014, Chavis, the 26th overall selection, turned in a promising debut showing in the Gulf Coast League: he slugged .269/.347/.425 with 12 doubles, three triples, and one homerun. What followed were two years of low batting averages, depressing OBPs, and a ton of swings-and-misses. But the 5-foot-10, 210-pound third baseman, who admittedly took incremental steps forward in 2016, burst out of the gate in High Class A and didn’t look back once the club bumped him up to the Eastern League last season. When the dust settled Chavis – easily – turned in his best professional season to date, slugging an aggregate .282/.347/.563 with 35 doubles, two triples, and 35 homeruns. He also swiped a pair of bags just for good measure. Chavis’ overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by a whopping 49%.

Projection: I offered up a dash of hope, though it came with a healthy bit of skepticism, when I ranked Chavis as the club’s #12 prospect in last year’s Handbook, writing:

“As much raw power as anyone in the system, Chavis finally looked like a former first round pick in the start of his second go-round in the Sally. Above-average power with the potential to grow more, he also chopped significant percentage points off of his strikeout rate. So now the question that remains is: Was his 15-game stretch a harbinger of things to come, or the result of his second tour in Low Class A, or was it simply just a fantastic 15-game stretch? I’m not sold yet on it being the first yet.”

Well, now I’m sold. Chavis’ swing-and-miss numbers continued trending in the right way for the second consecutive season; the power looks like a genuine middle-of-the-lineup offering that should be repeatable here on out. He tore through High Class A like a kid ripping open Christmas presents; and even though his BABIP in the Eastern League was a bit low (.265), he still managed to top the league average mark by 14%. All at the age of 21.

Let’s take a look at his production in the Carolina League last season. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, no 21-year-old hitter topped a 144 wRC+ in the Carolina League (min. 250 PA). Chavis, who tallied 250 PA in the league last season, finished with a 180 wRC+.

Since 2006, here are the top two Isolated Power totals in the Carolina League by 21-year-old bats: .323 (Chavis) and .263 (Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles).

So now let’s take a look at his work in the Eastern League last season:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 21-year-old hitters that posted a wRC+ between 110 and 120 in the Eastern League (min. 250 PA): Alen Hanson, Che-Hsuan Lin, Chris Marrero, Gregory Polanco, Lonnie Chisenhall, Ryan Kalish, and Willy Garcia.

Chavis’ power, as measured by his .242 ISO, is 35 points better than the best mark among the aforementioned group (Garcia). And Chavis’ .265 BABIP is, by far, the lowest of the group as well.

One more final note: Chavis swung a scorching bat over his first 43 games in Class AA last season, slugging .286/.341/.571. But his late season swoon – he batted .184/.253/.345 – over his final 24 games significantly depressed his triple-slash line. Chavis likely won’t become a star. But there’s a lot of future big league value here. He plays average defense according to Clay Davenport’s metrics; he’s making consistent contact with an average eye at the plate, and the power is already in above-average territory.

Ceiling: 3.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2018

Background: According to an article by Tod Palmer for the Kansas City Star, Houck said the following: “No matter what [I] did, I wanted it to be motivation, whether I signed or went to college. I wanted it to be motivation, because I was drafted 354th. That means they thought 353 people were better than me in that year.” That year, of course, was 2014 when the Blue Jays grabbed the Illinois native in the 12th round following his senior year at Collinsville High School. Houck politely declined the opportunity to turn pro, opting instead to ply his trade for the Tigers of Missouri. And it was definitely the right move. The 6-foot-5, 218-pound right-hander sparkled during his freshman season, throwing 100.2 innings with a team-leading 91 strikeouts and just 12 free passes. His walk rate that season, 1.07 BB/9, also lead the club for any pitcher that threw at least two innings. Houck continued that momentum for Team USA during the summer as well: he paced the national team in innings pitched (16.2) and strikeouts (14) while issuing just one base-on-balls.

Houck’s production took another step forward in 2016, his sophomore season, as he threw 105.1 innings for Head Coach Tim Jamieson’s club, averaging 9.06 K/9 and 2.31 BB/9 with a 2.99 ERA. And, of course, he competed for Team USA during that summer as well. His production there, however, took a noticeable downturn: he threw a team-leading 23.2 innings but managed to just fan eight and walk five to go along with the fourth worst ERA on the club – though it was just a modest 2.66. Last season Houck grabbed the ball 14 times for the Tigers, throwing 94.2 innings with another sparkling strikeout-to-walk ratio (95-to-24) en route to tallying a 3.33 ERA. Boston grabbed the big right-hander with the 24th pick in the first round last June. Houck tossed another 22.1 innings in the New York-Penn League, fanning 25 and walking just eight.

Projection: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about the former Missouri stud heading into the 2017 draft:

Just how good was the hard-throwing right-hander during his freshman season? Well, consider the following:

Between 2011 and 2016, only six Division I pitchers have thrown 100+ innings with a strikeout rate above 8.0 K/9 and a walk rate below 1.11 BB/9: Taylor Clarke, Thomas Eshelman, Kyle Friedrichs, Reggie McClain, Cameron White, and Houck. The difference: Houck was the only pitcher to accomplish the feat during his freshman season.

Houck’s been an exceptionally productive starter for the Tigers throughout his tenure at the school. He’s shown a tremendous ability to help himself by keeping runners off base via the free pass. And his homerun rates have been trending in the right direction in each of the past two seasons. Consider the following comparison:

Player IP K/9 BB/9 Tanner Houck 287.1 8.72 1.85 Aaron Nola 332 9.35 1.41

Houck’s never been as consistently dominant as Nola, the seventh overall pick in 2014 draft. But the overall numbers are relatively close. The Missouri star should move quickly through the minor leagues with the ceiling as a good #2/#3 caliber big league starting pitcher.”

Needless to say, but I think the Sox got quite the bargain at the end of the first round last June.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019

Background: Not quite my favorite collegiate pitcher in the 2016 draft class, I did, however, like the University of Maryland product an awful lot. So much so, in fact, that it was a bit confusing to see the 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-hander last until the fifth round. Fast forward a year, though, and Shawaryn spent his first full season in the professional baseball making quite a lot of waves. Splitting his time between Greenville and Salem, Shawaryn, the 148th overall pick two years ago, tossed an aggregate 134.2 innings, recording a whopping 169 strikeouts against just 48 free passes. He finished the year with a 3.81 ERA and a slightly better 3.66 FIP. His strikeout percentage last season, 29.7%, was the 13th best total among all minor league pitchers (min. 100 IP).

Projection: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about the big meaty righty heading into the 2016 draft:

“Consider the following comparison between Shawaryn and Phillies budding ace Aaron Nola, who was taken with the seventh overall pick two years ago:

Player IP ERA K/9 BB/9 HR/9 Mike Shawaryn 307.0 2.61 9.00 2.32 0.32 Aaron Nola 332.0 2.09 9.35 1.41 0.46

Pretty similar production, right?

Shawaryn has consistently shown the ability to limit walks, keep the ball in the park, and miss a good number of sticks. I’m not convinced he’s going to be as good as Aaron Nola – after all, how many are? – but Shawaryn looks like me might be a solid bet to be a #2/#3-type arm, something the Big Ten has had trouble churning over the years.”

Sounds awfully similar to the analysis provided for Tanner Houck, doesn’t it? Anyway, what does his 2017 production in the Carolina League suggest? Consider the following:

Now that’s one helluva group. Not only did all of them accrue big league time, but three developed into mid-rotation or better starters (Arrieta, Pomeranz, and Manaea) and another one is a dominant closer (Holland). I still think Shawaryn has some mid-rotation caliber talent – maybe not #2/#3, but #3/#4 seems very reasonable.

Ceiling: 2.0- to 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2018/2019

Background: For the first time since 2012, the aging minor league veteran surpassed the 125-game mark in a professional season. Originally taken in the first round in the 2010 draft out of Middle Tennessee State University, Brentz, the 36th overall selection that year, appeared in 120 games with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2017, slugging a healthy .271/.334/.529 with 21 doubles, one triple, and a career best 31 long balls. His overall minor league production from last season, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 38%. And for the second time in his eight-year career, the 6-foot, 210-pound corner outfielder saw some time in Boston; he batted an empty .279/.313/.377 in 64 plate appearances for the Red Sox. For his MiLB career, Brentz is sporting an impressive .262/.325/.468 triple-slash line, belting out 148 doubles, 14 triples, and 127 homeruns in 716 total games.

Projection: According to a November 14th tweet by Rob Bradford, who covers the team for WEEI.com, Boston General Manager Dave Dombrowski said that the team is “not actively looking for [a] fourth outfielder. Brentz will probably be the guy.” Before his resurgence in 2017, the Middle Tennessee State product’s overall production was in decline for years. Here are Brentz’s yearly minor league wRC+ totals since 2012: 123, 122, 107, 100, 92,

With that being said, injuries have ravaged his body throughout his career. But he’s always shown above-average power with a decent eye at the plate. And his defense grades out as solid in either corner outfield spot.

Here’s what I wrote about Brentz in the 2015 Handbook when I ranked him as the club’s 12th best prospect:

“The righty-swinging Brentz has absolutely man-handled southpaw pitching throughout his career, bashing to the tune of .305/.372/.596 since 2011. There’s some value to be extracted in his bat; too bad he’s buried in Boston’s system.”

He continued to bash southpaws last season, slugging .279/.380/.577. But consider the following in terms of his overall production in the International League last season:

Player League Year Age PA wRC+ ISO BB% K% Bryce Brentz International 2017 27 494 138 0.258 8.50% 22.10% Brandon Moss International 2011 27 506 139 0.234 12.30% 25.10%

Hopefully, two things happen in 2018: his body cooperates and Boston gives him a chance to succeed.

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Low to Moderate

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2014

6. Sam Travis, 1B

Background: Perhaps the single best quote I’ve ever read about a prospect. Here’s what Blair Henry, a Red Sox amateur scout, said about Travis in an interview on ESPN.com: “Have you ever seen those Ken Burns documentaries in black and white? That’s the era Sam Travis was supposed to play in. He was supposed to play with Cobb and Jimmie Foxx. He’s all baseball, all the time, and it’s not just an act. He’s a kid that doesn’t care about his bonus, or what car he’s driving or what meal money is. He just wants to play.” There is nothing better that can be said about a ballplayer than that. Bravo. Travis has had a rough stretch for the past couple of years, missing significant time with wrist, hip, and knee injuries, including tear an ACL. But he continues to produce when he’s healthy. Last season, his second in the International League, the 6-foot, 205-pound first baseman batted .270/.351/.375 with 14 doubles and six triples for Pawtucket. His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 7%, the lowest total of his four-year minor league career. Travis also got an extended look in Beantown as well, hitting .263/.325/.342 in 83 plate appearances.

Projection: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about Travis heading in the 2014 draft:

“While his contact rates have improved – and ignoring some vagaries in BABIP – Travis has seemingly plateaued as a hitter. Solid-average power with the chance to top out in the 15- to 20-HR area, a pretty good hit tool, and a decent eye at the plate, which will likely become below-average in the professional ranks.

Depending upon his defense, Travis could develop into a league-average everyday third baseman or a below-average first baseman (where the bat clearly doesn’t play well), give or take a half-win either way.

He could, however, just as easily flame out as a Quad-A guy too. There’s some risk, but one that’s worth taking in the late second/third rounds.”

Fast forward a couple years and it remains as accurate as ever. Consider the following:

Notice the trend? They’re all up the middle players with a large portion of them relying on speed. Travis is the 100% opposite. I still think Travis can carve out a useful role as a big leaguer. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see him become a late bloomer either. One final thought: Travis is the type of guy that eventually goes onto a successful managerial career.

Ceiling: 1.0- to 1.5-win player

Risk: Low

MLB ETA: Debuted in 2017

7. Bryan Mata, RHP

Background: While not entirely without precedent, Mata took a not-so-common leap heading into last season, jumping from the Dominican Summer League straight in the South Atlantic League. But what makes it more impressive: he was only 18-years-old at the start of 2017. Standing an impressive 6-foot-3 and a wispy 160 pounds, Mata turned in a dominant debut in the foreign rookie league two years ago, posting a 61-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61.0 innings of work. And despite the aggressive, almost unheard of development curve, Mata barely missed a beat last year. Making 17 starts for the Greenville Drive, the Venezuela-born hurler tossed 77.0 innings, recording 74 punch outs against 26 free passes. He finished the year with a 3.74 ERA, a 3.39 FIP, 3.58 xFIP, and a 4.16 DRA (Deserved Run Average).

Projection: From a nice potential project to a certified prospect in a year’s time. Not only was he the only 18-year-old to throw at least 70.0 innings in the Sally, he did so with a high degree of success. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, there was only one 18-year-old pitcher – Manny Banuelos – to post a strikeout percentage between 22-24% with a sub-8.5% walk percentage in the South Atlantic League (min. 50 IP).

Banuelos, of course, looked like a budding ace – with some degree of a hat tip to the New York hype machine – before injuries sapped him of his promise. Mata’s a long way away from making an impact at the big league level, but he’s laid the foundation to develop into a mid- to back-of-the-rotation caliber arm.

A few more additional notes:

Mata was incredibly effective over his first 10 starts last season, posting a 44-to-12 strikeout-to-walk with a 2.79 ERA in 48.1 innings of work. His production, predictably, slumped down the stretch: 28.2 IP, 30 K, 14 BB, and a 5.34 ERA.

Between 2006 and 2014, there were nine 18-year-old pitchers to throw at least 50 innings in the Sally: Brandon Erbe, Jairo Heredia, Jason Knapp, Jordan Lyles, Luis Heredia, Madison Bumgarner, Manny Banuelos, Martin Perez, and Peter Tago. Only two – Bumgarner and Perez – have developed into league average performers.

Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

8. Josh Ockimey, 1B

Background: Death, taxes, and…offensive consistency from Josh Ockimey? Originally drafted out of Sts. Neumann and Goretti High School in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, Ockimey has the distinct accomplishment of posting a wRC+ between 121 and 132 in each of his last four stops. The burly, lefty-swinging first baseman opened up last season with the Salem Red Sox in the Carolina League. But after slugging a solid .275/.388/.438 with 33 extra-base hits through his first 100 games, the front office bounced the young first baseman up to the most important minor league challenge: Class AA. And he responded, well, like he always does; he batted .272/.372/.427. Overall, Ockimey hit an aggregate .274/.385/.436 with 27 doubles, two triples, and 14 homeruns en route to topping the league average production mark by 30%.

Projection: Here’s what I wrote about Ockimey in last year’s Handbook when I ranked him as the Sox’s 13th best prospect:

“So there’s a lot going on here.

Problem #1: Ockimey looked like a legitimate top prospect for the first half of the year, but barely looked like a minor leaguer in the second half. Which one is he? Right now, I’m more included to go with the former. He performed reasonable well with Lowell in 2015 and it might just be a case of the youngster wearing down. Prior to the year he never played in more than 56 games in a year.

I can completely buy that.

Problem #2: He can’t hit fellow southpaws. Last year he “batted” .192/.272/.329 against them. And that comes on the heels of a .196/.291/.304 showing in the New York-Penn League. Granted, they’re both relatively small sample sizes, but it doesn’t offer up a lot of encouragement.

At best, he’s a Three True Outcomes Hitter along the lines of Chris Carter. At worst…well, that’s not good.”

So let’s update that a bit. I hit it on the head with respect to the aforementioned first point; Ockimey’s production stormed back in 2017 and his second half fade proved to be nothing more than a speed bump. And, perhaps even more impressively, Ockimey handled southpaws well for the first time in his career, hitting .264/.333/.442 against them in 150 plate appearances.

As far as his production is concerned, consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2015, here’s the list of 21-year-old hitters that posted a wRC+ between 125 and 135 with double-digit walk rates in the Carolina League (min. 300 PA): Aaron Cunningham, Destin Hood, and Marcus Semien.

Not a good group to belong too: two well below-average big league hitters (Cunningham and Hood) and one league average performer (Semien). I’m not entirely sold on Ockimey as a starter, at least on a championship squad, plus his punch out rates continue to scare.

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2019

Background: Fun Fact Part I: The 20-year-old left-hander finished with the fifth best strikeout percentage in the South Atlantic League last season (min. 100 IP). Fun Fact Part II: Among the top five strikeout percentage in the Sally last season, three of them – Joey Wentz, McKenzie Mills, and Darwinzon Hernandez – were southpaws. Hailing from Cuidad Boliver, Venezuela, Hernandez made a career high 23 starts with the Greenville Drive last season, throwing 103.1 innings with 116 strikeouts and 49 walks. He finished the year with a 4.01 ERA, a 4.09 FIP, a 3.90 xFIP, and a 4.09 DRA (Deserved Run Average). And despite averaging a hefty 4.3 walks per nine innings last season, it was a marked improvement for Hernandez; he handed out 36 free passes in just 48.1 innings in the New York-Penn League two years ago.

Projection: A member of the Keep An Eye On section in last year’s Handbook. The erratic southpaw shaved off significant points off of his walk percentage last season. But just as important: he was still able to continue racking up the swings-and-misses. Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, only one 20-year-old pitcher – oft-traded former top prospect Frankie Montas – met the following criteria in the South Atlantic League (min. 100 IP) 25-27% strikeout percentage and 10-12% walk percentage.

Hernandez has always shown an above-average ability to miss bats – he’s averaged 9.4 K/9 during his career – but it’s going to come down to his ability, or inability, to consistently find the strike zone. There’s some mid- to backend starting caliber potential. But he’s very, very risky. Especially since Hernandez’s control seems to ebb-and-flow from year to year. There is a silver lining, though: after missing a handful of games near the end of June, Hernandez came back strong in early July; he walked 22 over his final 58.1 innings of work, or an average of 3.39 BB/9. Hopefully, he can carry that momentum into – and beyond – 2018.

Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

10. Hildemaro Requena, RHP

Background: Fun Fact Part I: In each of his last two seasons, Requena’s ERA has dropped precipitously, going from 2.73 in 2015 to 2.35 in 2016 to a Bob Gibson-esque 1.98 in the Sally. Fun Fact Part II: Requena’s 1.98 ERA was the best mark, by nearly half of a run, in the South Atlantic League last season (min. 90 IP). Fun Fact Part III: The last pitcher to post a sub-2.00 ERA in the Sally was the White Sox’s Brannon Easterling (min. 90 IP). Fun Fact Part IV: Among all pitchers to throw 90 or more innings in the South Atlantic League since 2006, only 18 pitchers have posted a sub-2.00 ERA. Fun Fact Part V: Among the aforementioned group of 18, only four of the pitchers achieved the feat as teenagers – Requena, Kelvin de La Cruz, Will Inman, and Madison Bumgarner. Fun Fact Part VI: Outside of Requena, the last teenager to achieve the feat was de la Cruz and Bumgarner, both accomplished it all the way back in 2008.

Needless to say, Requena, in terms of ERA, turned in a season for the ages in 2017. Working out the Greenville Drive’s rotation and bullpen, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander tossed a career high 95.1 innings, recording 84 strikeouts against just 31 free passes. To go along with his sparkling ERA, Requena finished the year with a 3.14 FIP, 3.39 xFIP, and a 2.36 DRA (Deserved Run Average). For his young career, the lanky righty is averaging 7.2 strikeouts and 2.2 walks per nine innings with a 2.24 ERA.

Projection: A newcomer to the club’s Top 20 list. What makes Requena’s 2017 campaign even more impressive is the fact that he leapt straight up to the Sally from the Gulf Coast League – while actually seeing an overall improvement in his production. He gets by due to pitchability more than throwing it past hitters, but he has the potential to develop into a nice little backend starting pitcher.

Consider the following:

Between 2006 and 2014, there was only 19-year-old pitcher that met the following criteria in the South Atlantic League: 90+ innings, a strikeout percentage between 21-23% with a walk percentage 7.5-9.5%. That pitcher, of course, was 2016 American League Rookie of the Year winner Michael Fulmer.

Requena’s no Fulmer – clearly. But, again, the Sox’s youngster looks like complementary starting pitcher.

Ceiling: 1.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2019/2020

Author’s Note: All statistics mentioned were gathered from Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, ClayDavenport.com, or Baseball Prospectus.