THE COMPETITION | International League’s top prospects
At this point, you’ve heard just about all there is to hear regarding the news surrounding the Cincinnati Reds, Louisville Bats and Spring Training in general.
Of course, the organization will make more roster moves in the near future and we will bring that information to you, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the other prospects among Major League teams with Triple-A affiliates in the International League. I’ve highlighted two prospects in each organization you can expect to see in the opposing team’s lineup at Louisville Slugger Field this season. We will first start with a couple of IL North teams in the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings.
Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
Jackie Bradley, Jr. — OF
Bradley is a former 2011 supplemental first round selection of the Boston Red Sox out of the University of South Carolina. He was named a MiLB.com Organizational All-Star in both 2012 and 2013 and is currently rated by Baseball America as the Red Sox №3 prospect and the №50 prospect in all of professional baseball. Although he is projected to make Boston’s Opening Day 25-man roster, there is a good chance he could jump around between the Major League and Triple-A, much like he did last season. Bradley struggled in 37 games at the big league level in 2013 and hit only .189 with three home runs and 10 RBI. He also appeared in 80 games with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox and hit .275 with 39 extra-base hits — including 10 home runs — and 35 RBI. Bradley is currently hitting .189 (7-for-37) in 12 Spring Training games.
Allen Webster — RHP
Webster is another Red Sox prospect to look out for in 2014. He was recently optioned to Triple-A from Major League Spring Training on March 17. A former 18th round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008, Webster went to the Red Sox organization by way of the Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto trade on August 25, 2012. He is currently rated by Baseball America as the Red Sox №4 prospect and the №88 prospect overall. He spent the 2013 season jumping around between Boston and Pawtucket. In Triple-A, Webster made 21 starts and went 8–4 with a 3.60 ERA. He struggled a bit more on the big stage, going 1–2 with an 8.60 ERA in eight appearances. Before being optioned, Webster made four starts for the Red Sox at Spring Training and posted a 0–2 record while giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs in 12 innings pitched.
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Both prospects will more than likely spend time with both the Major League and Triple-A teams again this season, but there remains a chance they will travel to Louisville Slugger Field when the PawSox play the Bats on May 9–12.
Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota Twins)
Trevor May — RHP
May is a former fourth round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. He was traded to the Twins organization with RHP Vance Worley for outfield Ben Revere in March 2013. May was named an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star while with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats in 2013. He made 27 starts at the Double-A level last season and posted a 9–9 record with a 4.51 ERA. May is currently rated as the Twins №8 prospect by Baseball America. The 24-year-old has pitched in two games for the Twins this spring and has given up six hits and two runs in three innings of work.
Alex Meyer — RHP
The Washington Nationals selected Meyer out of the University of Kentucky with the 23rd overall pick of the June 2011 First-Year Player Draft. He made his way to the Twins organization in November 2012 via the Denard Span trade. Last fall, Meyer was named to the Arizona Fall League All-Prospect Team as well as an AFL Rising Star. Baseball America currently rates him as the Twins №3 prospect and the №45 prospect in all of baseball. Meyer made the jump from rookie ball to Double-A in 2013 and made a combined 16 starts with a 4–3 record and 3.00 ERA. The 24-year-old with the 6-foot-9-inch frame has only pitched in one game this spring and gave up four hits and one earned run in two innings of work.
Baseball’s top prospect Byron Buxton would also be included on this list, but the Red Wings don’t make the trip to Louisville until August 2–5 and he will likely be with the big league club by that time.
We will have more prospects to highlight tomorrow, so be sure to them out.
*Players provided by team’s respective directors of media relations.
