Red Sox 22-Year-Old Prospect Emerging As Possible Slugger of the Future

How high is this young power hitter's ceiling?

Mar 5, 2019; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of a Boston Red Sox cap, sunglasses and glove in the dugout during a spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

We heard the rumors during spring training, and the breakout is starting to look very real.

Boston Red Sox prospect Brooks Brannon was turning heads early this spring, before a hamate bone fracture set back the start of his season. However, in the first 15 games at Double-A since returning from surgery, he's looked like a new man.

After winning Eastern League Player of the Week and smacking six home runs in those 15 games, Brannon is quickly establishing himself as a potential major leaguer at the plate. The questions are how soon he'll get himself to the doorstep of the big leagues, and what position he'll play when he gets there.

Will Brannon be back behind the plate long-term?

Brannon was drafted as a catcher out of high school and has played more than twice as many games behind the plate in his minor-league career as he has at any other position. Since returning from the hamate injury, however, he's played 13 games at first base and two at designated hitter.

Double-A Portland also has four other catchers on its roster, including Johanfran Garcia, who had more prospect cache than Brannon coming into the season, and Nate Baez, who was acquired in a trade for major leaguer Tristan Gray this offseason.

So it's easy to imagine that the Red Sox are letting Brannon ease back into things post-injury before putting him behind the plate again. But long-term, a catcher isn't all that likely to keep that position at the majors unless they excel defensively in the minors.

That conversation gets particularly interesting for a Red Sox minor-league catcher, though, especially one like Brannon who appears to be advancing through the system toward a debut. Willson Contreras has solidified the first-base position in the majors, but someone could absolutely come up from the minors and give Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong a run for their money at catcher.

Obviously, Brannon's .804 slugging percentage won't be sustainable for the whole season, but if he keeps hitting for power, he'll put himself in a good spot. The storyline to watch moving forward is whether he keeps himself in the discussion to catch in the majors someday.

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