This is Mookie Betts. He is 21 years old, weighs 156 pounds and is just about 5 feet 9 inches tall. He plays outfield had has spent the 2 and a half years since he was drafted in the 5th round by Boston in the Red Sox developmental system. Perhaps the most stunning part about Mookie though is the levels at which he has been playing in this developmental system.
Mookie began this season as a infielder turned outfield playing on the short A, Greenville Drive. After just about a week though, Mookie sent the message that he was ready to move up in the system and by May had climbed to double A Portland where we played 54 games. Playing for Boston's second highest minor league team, Betts managed to his .355 in 214 plate appearances, crushing 18 doubles, 6 home runs and 34 RBI's. Once again, the former 5th rounder had out shined the players he was playing with and against and it was time to move up in the system again. By the beginning of June, Mookie Betts was in Triple A Pawtucket and was once again tearing it up at the plate. In 23 games, he went to the plate 106 times walking 16 times and striking together 29 hits. His batting average fell ever so slightly to a still worth celebrating .322 while he added some power to his game as well. Betts batted in 14 runs in Pawtuket, hitting 2 home runs in the long ball starved league and logging 4 additional extra base hits for the team.
As we rolled into this final week in the month of June, members of the Red Sox front office were put in a tough spot. They had a kid in tipple A Pawtucket who was too good. If that sounds like it is not a problem it is because it is not entirely. But believe me when I say this. The Sox are not thrilled to be bringing up Mookie Betts right now.
First of all, the Sox already have already rushed a prospect through their system this year in Brock hold and though he has been great so far for Boston, there are many drawbacks to rushing a player in the way that they did with Holt much less as they did with Betts. To see an example of a player getting clocked after being rushed into the big leagues I point towards incumbent Sox centerfeilder Jackie Bradley Jr..
After preforming admirably in Spring Training, the Sox who were not confident with their situation in left field decided that a then 23 year old Bradley was ready to be a starter in the MLB. They were wrong. Bradley played 37 games at the start of last season and managed just 18 hits in 95 at bats. His .189 batting average and .280 on base percentage were far from acceptable and though his .908 fielding percentage was decent, his 2013 season was an absolute failure.
The problem now though is that right now, the play of Boston's outfielders has been ever worse than it was going into last season. With Johnny Gomes, doing nothing, Jackie Bradley Jr. still not hitting and Shane Victorino proving that he is absolutely incapable of staying healthy, Boston now needs a good hitting outfielder with speed and a decent glove more than ever. If Betts can give that to them, than they are in luck but if he turns out to follow the same path as Bradley Jr, than they would have ruined what could have been a really wonderful career.
Only time will tell which path Betts will follow though. All we know is that the Red Sox are desperate and the premature promotion of Mookie Betts is a true sign of that.
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