Young for his current level, Devers’ success in 2016 has him set to battle fellow infielder Yoan Moncada (2B, Double-A Portland, Eastern League) for the title of top Red Sox prospect.  Devers has a strong body, but isn’t the typical lanky, athletic teenager.  He has a little bit of a soft body right now, but it is more baby fat rather than a sign that the body has potential to get big.  He is a very good athlete and moves better than you would think for his size.  He has tremendous lower-half strength, and his great coordination can really be seen in how balanced the swing is.  He is very loose in his set up, and does a great job throwing his hands and getting the barrel out front.  He does have a hitch in the load when he almost points the bat at the mound as the pitch is being delivered, but he is so strong that he is able to overcome it without dropping the back shoulder and working underneath the ball too much (1.30 ground-ball rate in 2016 – 1.48 for his career).  He stays level and keeps the barrel in the zone, something that allows him to drive the ball to all fields with authority.  He may ultimately have to calm down the big bat waggle as he goes up against more consistent upper-level pitching, but right now everything appears to be on time and he is able to handle the better velo inside.

One thing that separates him for me is the ability to control the strike zone at a such a young age.  Since his first year as a pro in 2014 he has a .350 OBP to go with a 2:1 SO:BB ratio–and that goes with his 29 doubles and 11 HR’s through his first 112 games at the High A level.  Defensively he was not overly tested in my short look, but he has good actions and showed some arm strength.  Obviously he stands to hold far more value if the defense plays at third base, and back to the body projection, I do think he stands to maintain the athleticism going forward.

Boston was keen to hold on to this kid at the deadline this year, and for good reason.  With Xander Bogaerts (SS, Red Sox) hitting his stride, Moncada positioned to impact the big league club in 2017 or even sooner, and with Andrew Benintendi (OF, Red Sox) already making a splash in his first taste of big league action, the Red Sox have a lot to be excited about.  Some have said that the success of those players makes Devers a prime trade candidate to bring back some pitching help -however this kid is still a couple years away from a big league field, and we all know that a lot can change in that length of time.  Devers has a chance to be an offensive force, and I think it’s more likely for the Sox to push someone else out the door, rather than getting flipped himself.