CarL1 Wilmington Blue Rocks

Red Sox top 10 could spend time with Rocks

Published on January 19, 2006 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Wilmington Blue Rocks News Release


WILMINGTON, DE - The Boston Red Sox Top 10 prospects list was released in the January 13-29, 2006 issue of Baseball America. Four of the Top 10 were selected in the 2005 June Free Agent Draft with three having the potential to spend time with the Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2006. The Boston Red Sox scouts and front office personnel compile the Top 10 list.

Andy Marte, who was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Red Sox in exchange for major league shortstop Edgar Renteria on December 8, 2005, has been touted as the No. 1 prospect in the entire organization. Marte was also touted as the best prospect in the Atlanta system prior to the trade. The 22-year-old originally signed with the Braves in 2000. He spent the entire 2003 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Carolina) and hit .285 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI in 130 games.

Marte is expected to be with the Red Sox or with Triple-A Pawtucket at the beginning of the 2006 season. He hit .275 with 20 home runs and 74 RBI with Triple-A Richmond in 2005. He also made his major league debut with Atlanta last season and had eight hits in 57 at-bats.

Jon Lester (No. 2), Jonathan Papelbon (No. 3), Craig Hansen (No. 4) and Dustin Pedroia (No. 5) all could contribute at the major league level with Boston in 2006. Hansen was selected in the first round (26th overall) in the 2005 June Free Agent Draft by the Red Sox. He made his major league debut on September 19 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Hansen, 22, is regarded as the Red Sox future closer.

Jacoby Ellsbury (No. 6) is one of the players on the Top 10 list who could spend time with Wilmington in 2006. The 22-year-old outfielder was selected in the first round (23rd overall) out of Oregon State University in 2005. Ellsbury made his professional debut with the Lowell Spinners (NY-Penn) last year and hit .317 with a home run, 19 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 35 games. He is touted by Baseball America as the best defensive outfielder, fastest runner and best athlete in the Red Sox system, entering 2006. After the 2005 NY-Penn League season, he was selected as the sixth-best prospect in the entire league.

At Oregon State, Ellsbury was named as a first team All-American selection by Baseball America. He also was selected as the Pac-10 Conference co-Player of the Year and team co-MVP at Oregon State. In three seasons at Oregon State he hit .365 with 236 career hits, 60 stolen bases, 168 runs scored, 37 doubles, 16 home runs and 101 RBI in 160 games. In 2005, he ranked second in the Pac-10 with a .415 average and .504 on-base percentage. He helped guide the Beavers to a school-record 41 regular season wins and their first championship in a unified Pac-10 and College World Series berth since 1952.

Kelly Shoppach (No. 7) and Manny Delcarmen (No. 8) could both see time at the Triple-A level with Pawtucket and the major league level with Boston this season. Shoppach hit .253 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI with the Pawtucket club in 2005. He went hitless in 15 major league at-bats with the Red Sox. Delcarmen made a combined 46 relief appearances between Double-A Portland and Pawtucket last season along with 10 relief outings with the Red Sox.

Jed Lowrie (No. 9) and Clay Buchholz (No. 10) round out the Top 10 list for the Red Sox. Lowrie was taken as a first round supplemental pick (45th overall) out of Stanford University in 2005. The 21-year-old hit .328 with four home runs and 32 RBI with the Lowell Spinners (NY-Penn) in 2005. He was a mid-season All-Star and touted as the seventh-best prospect in the NY-Penn League at the conclusion of the season.

As a member of the Cardinal baseball program, he earned first team All-American and All-Pac-10 honors from Baseball America in 2004 and 2005. In three seasons at Stanford, he hit .338 with 47 doubles, 31 home runs, 162 RBI and 143 runs scored in 179 games over three seasons. He was named as the Pac-10's Player of the Year as a sophomore by winning the conference Triple Crown with a .399 average, 17 home runs, and 68 RBI. The Salem, OR native was a 2004 national finalist for Dick Howser Trophy, presented to nation's top collegiate player.

Buchholz was also a first round supplemental pick (42nd overall) out of Angelina (Texas) Junior College in 2005. The 21-year-old went 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 15 starts with Lowell in his first professional season. He was a compensation pick for the Mets signing of Pedro Martinez as a free agent. The Lumberton, TX native was ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the NY-Penn League in 2005.

The Top 10 list did not feature one player that played with Wilmington in 2005.

The Blue Rocks open the 2006 Carolina League season on Thursday, April 6 on the road against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Wilmington opens on the road for the first eight games of the season and returns for the 2006 home opener against the Salem Avalanche on Friday, April 14 at 7:05 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.bluerocks.com or call (302) 888BLUE.

Baseball America Top 10 Prospects for Boston Red Sox

No. Position Name 2005 Club(s)

1. 3B Andy Marte Richmond, Atlanta
2. LHP Jon Lester Portland
3. RHP Jonathan Papelbon Portland, Pawtucket, Boston
4. RHP Craig Hansen GCL, Portland, Boston
5. 2B/SS Dustin Pedroia Portland, Pawtucket
6. OF Jacoby Ellsbury Lowell
7. C Kelly Shoppach Pawtucket, Boston
8. RHP Manny Delcarmen Portland, Pawtucket, Boston
9. 2B/SS Jed Lowrie Lowell
10. RHP Clay Buchholz Lowell

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Carolina League Stories from January 19, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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