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IL Worcester Red Sox

"We Have the Best Farm System in Baseball." - High Praise and Expectations Surround Red Sox Prospects at Rookie Development Program

January 16, 2025 - International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


Local media streamed into Fenway Park's home clubhouse on the morning of January 14. Inside were six of the Boston Red Sox' most heralded prospects -- Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, David Sandlin, Hunter Dobbins, Carlos Narvaez, and Jhostynxon Garcia -- all participating in this year's Rookie Development Program.

"It's a lot of fun," said Dobbins about his peers. "You know for a fact that every day you show up, you're going to be pushed by the guys around you. We're all competing for the same jobs, have the same goals, and we all want to help the organization win a World Series."

The last time the Red Sox won the World Series was 2018, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a lopsided Fall Classic four games to one. That Red Sox team won 108 games in the regular season and was founded on a young nucleus of star talent.

Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and Andrew Benintendi. David Price, Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Rick Porcello.

A team with that core should have become a dynasty.

Instead, Devers is the last remaining.

Thankfully, the nucleus of the Sox' next championship core has taken shape. Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck earned their first MLB All-Star selections in 2024. Brayan Bello, Triston Casas, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu could be due for breakout seasons. Trevor Story, Liam Hendriks, and Walker Buehler have inked free agent contracts in recent years to provide leadership in the young clubhouse.

And, Boston acquired flamethrowing southpaw Garrett Crochet in a four-for-one swap with the Chicago White Sox on December 11 -- a deal reminiscent of the clubs' Chris Sale trade before the 2017 season.

Winning baseball is on the horizon for the Red Sox. It may be difficult to see considering the team has just one playoff appearance since their 2018 championship run, but with the talent on display at the Red Sox' 2025 Rookie Development Program at Fenway Park, a sustainable winner is within reach.

"Credit to [the Red Sox] for drafting good, quality guys who have bought into what the club believes," said Anthony. "Having all the great coordinators you see around here and a great development staff -- it all goes back to them...Every coach I've had at all the different affiliates care so much and I think that's a big part of it."

Heading into the 2024 baseball season, the Red Sox were graded as the 14th best farm system in baseball according to MLB.com. By the end of the season, it was indisputable the rankings needed an update.

Led by Anthony, the Sox' prospects have been conspicuous to MLB talent evaluators. In a recent MLB.com poll of executives from all 30 MLB teams, 32% believe the best pipeline in baseball belongs to the Boston Red Sox.

"We have a lot of good prospects and a lot of good people in this farm system," said Campbell. "We have a lot of dogs in this farm system -- I think the voting is right. I think we have the best farm system in baseball."

It's an easy sell with Anthony -- who won't turn 21 years old until May 13 -- hitting .344/.463/.519 with 16 extra base hits in just 35 games in his first taste of Triple-A. Or Campbell hitting to the tune of a .330 batting average with a .997 OPS in his first full professional season. Or former fourth overall draft pick Marcelo Mayer leading the Eastern League with 28 doubles and a .307 average before his promotion to Worcester.

And that's just a few of the dogs. As the Rookie Development Program would prove, an entire pack is following them to Fenway Park.

When asked about the depth of Boston's system and the competitive focus at the Rookie Development Program, Dobbins said, "I personally think it gets the best out of us and it's going to pay off for the city of Boston."

The right-hander from Bryan, TX pitched to a 3.17 ERA in 21 starts at Double-A Portland in 2024 before earning a promotion to Worcester. In four starts with the WooSox, Dobbins collected 22 strikeouts in 20.2 innings. His best start with the Triple-A club was his last -- hurling five shutout innings and allowing just two hits against Lehigh Valley.

In 2025, he hopes to build on every start.

"I wanted to work on consistency, giving the sweeper a better shape, and getting bigger and stronger," he said when asked about his offseason plan. "I think I'm still listed at 185 [pounds] but I'm pushing 210 now. I've got that extra weight, getting the body ready for 162-plus games, and getting ready for the workload."

"Feed the Monster" is the mantra of the Red Sox' development philosophy. The idea is simple: add strength, get results. Just ask David Sandlin.

"I put on a little bit more weight [this offseason] and it turns out that helped me gain a little more velocity," Sandlin said. "I got up to almost 101 mph the other day -- just seeing what we had in the tank, and it felt good knowing all the little things paid off."

Standing 6'4" and listed at 215 pounds, the former Oklahoma Sooner features a slider, sweeper, and splitter alongside his triple-digits fastball. It's a repertoire that enabled him to log an astronomical 12.9 K/9 across A-Advanced Greenville and Portland -- exciting the Red Sox' development staff.

While the stuff is clearly there, Sandlin knows he needs to refine his command and pitch mix to have success at the big league level.

"I don't want to be a one-trick pony out there," he said. "Yeah, throw the fastball hard but guys can hit a bullet with a wooden plank nowadays. Just getting that secondary pitch repertoire up to speed, polishing those off, and maybe adding a pitch or two once we get those polished."

Roman Anthony is one of the guys Sandlin was referring to. A second round pick out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, Anthony entered the 2024 season as a highly regarded prospect. In just six months' time, he was the best in baseball according to Baseball America.

The maturity he exhibits at the plate, in the clubhouse, and off the field is unusual for a 20-year-old. How does he handle the noise?

"I enjoy golfing and hanging out with teammates and, to be honest, I try to stay off social media as much as I can," he said. "I think just having great people around me -- friends and teammates -- that I can cool off with or go play golf with just to get away from the field."

Having teammates like Trevor Story -- who invited Triston Casas, Vaughn Grissom, Rob Refsnyder, and Anthony to the second annual Story Camp for offseason workouts and bonding time -- is a big help.

"The way that guys gravitate towards [Story] and what he does for the guys in the clubhouse -- there's no wonder why everyone seems to love him," Anthony said. "It's just awesome being out with big league guys and collecting info from them and learning about how they go about their day-to-day stuff. It's inspiring and makes me better."

Fans, players, executives, and media have taken notice of the best farm system in baseball. But that's not the goal.

The goal is to win the 2025 World Series.

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