By Jim Callis
December 23, 2009


Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2009.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Ryan Westmoreland, of 2. Casey Kelly, rhp 3. Josh Reddick, of 4. Lars Anderson, 1b 5. Ryan Kalish, of 6. Junichi Tazawa, rhp 7. Reymond Fuentes, of 8. Anthony Rizzo, 1b 9. Jose Iglesias, ss 10. Derrik Gibson, ss/2b

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Ryan Westmoreland Best Power Hitter Lars Anderson Best Strike-Zone Discipline Che-Hsuan Lin Fastest Baserunner Wilfred Pichardo Best Athlete Ryan Westmoreland Best Fastball Casey Kelly Best Curveball Casey Kelly Best Slider Alex Wilson Best Changeup Casey Kelly Best Control Casey Kelly Best Defensive Catcher Tim Federowicz Best Defensive Infielder Jose Iglesias Best Infield Arm Will Middlebrooks Best Defensive Outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin Best Outfield Arm Josh Reddick

PROJECTED 2012 LINEUP

Catcher Victor Martinez First Base Lars Anderson Second Base Dustin Pedroia Third Base Kevin Youkilis Shortstop Jose Iglesias Left Field Jacoby Ellsbury Center Field Reymond Fuentes Right Field Ryan Westmoreland Designated Hitter Josh Reddick No. 1 Starter Jon Lester No. 2 Starter Josh Beckett No. 3 Starter Clay Buchholz No. 4 Starter Casey Kelly No. 5 Starter John Lackey Closer Jonathan Papelbon

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2009 2000 Steve Lomasney, c Out of baseball 2001 Dernell Stenson, of/1b Deceased 2002 Seung Song, rhp Lotte (Korea) 2003 Hanley Ramirez, ss Marins 2004 Hanley Ramirez, ss Marins 2005 Hanley Ramirez, ss Marins 2006 Andy Marte, 3b Indians 2007 Dausuke Matsuzaka, rhp Red Sox 2008 Clay Buchholz, rhp Red Sox 2009 Lars Anderson, 1b Red Sox

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2009 2000 Phil Dumatrait, lhp Pirates 2001 Kelly Shoppach, c (2nd) Indians 2002 Jon Lester. lhp (2nd) Red Sox 2003 David Murphy, of Rangers 2004 Dustin Pedroia, ss (2nd) Red Sox 2005 Jacoby Ellsbury, of Red Sox 2006 Jason Place, of Red Sox 2007 Nick Hagadone, lhp (1st supp.) Red Sox 2008 Casey Kelly, rhp/ss Red Sox 2009 Reymond Fuentes, of Red Sox

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Jose Iglesias, 2009 $6,250,000 Casey Kelly, 2008 $3,000,000 Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2006 $2,000,000 Ryan Westmoreland, 2009 $2,000,000 Jose Vinicio, 2009 $1,950,000

RED SOX LINKS

Red Sox' Team Page Red Sox Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Red Sox Top 10 Prospects 2009 Draft: Red Sox (Basic Database) 2009 Draft: Red Sox  (Advanced Database) 2009 Draft Report Cards: Boston Red Sox  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2010 Prospect Handbook

After winning the World Series in 2007 and losing in Game Seven of the American League Championship Series the following year, the Red Sox looked poised to make another title run in 2009.

They got off to a 51-34 start, the best first-half record in the AL, but didn't look like the same club after the all-star break. Boston went from three games up to eight games behind the eventual World Series champion Yankees, then got swept in Division Series by the Angels.

It was the Red Sox' least successful season since they failed to make the playoffs in 2006. But it also illustrated how high their expectations have become. Boston has won at least 95 games and advanced to the postseason in six of the last seven years.

The Red Sox began the run with a team made up mostly of imports acquired through free agency and trades. As the decade progressed, they became much more self-sustaining. Since they ended an 86-year championship drought by winning the 2004 World Series, they've thrust several homegrown players into important roles.

All-stars Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis and major league stolen-base champ Jacoby Ellsbury were signed and developed by Boston, as were ace Jon Lester and closer Jonathan Papelbon. The farm system continued to provide in 2009, with Clay Buchholz helping solidify the rotation and rookie Daniel Bard handling set-up duties in the bullpen. The Red Sox also solved their catching problem by spinning three former sandwich or second-round picks (lefthander Nick Hagadone and righthanders Justin Masterson and Bryan Price) to the Indians for Victor Martinez in July.

Promotions and trades have thinned out the upper levels of the system a bit. Outfielder Josh Reddick, righthanders Junichi Tazawa and Michael Bowden and lefty reliever Dustin Richardson are the only farmhands with much of a shot to contribute in Boston in 2010, and none figures to play a major role.

However, the Red Sox' scouting and player development machine continues to roll on. The team has enviable depth at the lower levels, led by a pair of 2008 draft picks, outfielder Ryan Westmoreland and righthander Casey Kelly. Boston was as bullish on Westmoreland and Kelly as any club, backed up its beliefs with $5 million in bonuses and was rewarded with two blue-chip prospects.

That's the Red Sox philosophy in a nutshell, to identify elite talent and spend what it takes to acquire it. Boston aggressively mined the draft and the international market once again in 2009, handing out seven-figure bonuses to Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias ($6.25 million), Dominican shortstop Jose Vinicio ($1.95 million), third-round shortstop David Renfroe ($1.4 million) and first-round outfielder Reymond Fuentes ($1.134 million).

Papelbon's blown save in the Division Series finale was tough to stomach, but the Red Sox may have sustained a bigger loss right before the Winter Meetings. Scouting director Jason McLeod left to become vice president of scouting and player development for the Padres under new general manager Jed Hoyer, who had been Boston's assistant GM.

McLeod, who's from the San Diego area and spent a decade in the Padres front office before coming to Boston, presided over five strong drafts for the Sox. His first five picks from his first draft in 2005, highlighted by Ellsbury and Buchholz, have reached the majors. McLeod will be missed but has left the team well-stocked for the future.

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