Three Major Takeaways From Latest Red Sox Top 10 Prospects List

The future of the Boston Red Sox looks bright, but the next wave of talent certainly has its hands full.

In addition to the rookies who debuted this past season, the Red Sox have a deep and talented farm system, particularly on the pitching side. And whenever a new top prospects list comes out, it gives us the chance to deep dive on how the experts are feeling about the next few iterations of the ballclub.

On Monday, Baseball America released its latest Top 10 Red Sox prospects list, compiled by Boston Globe insider Alex Speier. Within that Top 10, there were a few nuggets and trends that are worth highlighting.

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Craig Breslow has done the job he was brought in to do

When Craig Breslow took over as the Red Sox's chief baseball officer, the hitting side of the farm system was ahead of the pitching side. It's impressive to see how quickly those trends have flip-flopped in the wake of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell debuting in the big leagues.

Four of the top five prospects on Speier's list were pitchers, with lefties Payton Tolle and Connelly Early ranking first and third respectively after making their own major league debuts. Those two will both have a shot at the rotation early in the season, but they're hardly the only pitchers worth watching closely when the season begins.

Righties have room to rise

If the first wave of pitching prospects is the two lefties, the Red Sox are following closely behind with righties. Luis Perales (No. 5) is on the 40-man roster and could debut early in the year. And 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon (No. 4) will be ready to announce his presence with authority when he makes his pro debut this spring.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Juan Valera has been an under-the-radar name we Red Sox nerds have been locked in on since he dominated rookie ball and Low-A last year. He was far from perfect at High-A and also spent half the season on the injured list, but he's got electric stuff and could be a top-five guy easily by next winter.

That other White Sox trade was a huge win

We highlighted this in the wake of Cam Booser being non-tendered by the Chicago White Sox at the end of last week, but the Red Sox seem to have found themselves a gem in Yhoiker Fajardo. The 19-year-old had a fabulous season with Low-A Salem, and he's starting to get mainstream recognition.

Fajardo's early success should make Red Sox fans excited about whatever minor trades result from this offseason, including the acquisitions already made, like infielder Tristan Gray, utility man Braiden Ward, and catchers Ronny Hernandez and Luke Heyman.

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