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Casey Kelly named top Red Sox prospect 11.03.10 at 12:10 pm ET
By Alex Speier

Casey Kelly was named the top prospect in the Red Sox system by Baseball America (AP)

Baseball America, in its Top 10 ranking of the Red Sox farm system, named pitcher Casey Kelly as the organization’s top prospect.

(Click here for the basic Baseball America article on the Top 10. Click here for the much more thorough subscriber edition…if you are a subscriber.)

Kelly just concluded his Arizona Fall League season, and between Double-A Portland and the AFL, he threw 111 innings, going 4-5 with a 5.51 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 39 walks.

Kelly, who was ranked No. 2 in the system behind Ryan Westmoreland after the 2009 season, showed the potential for three plus-pitches, with a mid-90s fastball that sat at 90-94 and a swing-and-miss change and curve. His command, which had been exceptional with his fastball and changeup in 2009, faltered, a byproduct, the Sox believe, of his still-growing frame.

But the Sox still see a potential front-of-the-rotation pitcher, and Baseball America concurs that the 2008 first-rounder has a big ceiling:

“It’s easy to forget that 2010 was Kelly’s first full year as a pitcher, after he split time between hitting and pitching in 2009, and his learning curve against Double-A hitters was steep. The Red Sox aren’t worried about his less-than-gaudy statistics, still envisioning him becoming a frontline starter with three possible plus pitches and above-average command. He should reach Triple-A Pawtucket at some point in 2011, perhaps even to start the season, and his big league ETA is 2012.”

Kelly was followed in the system by shortstop Jose Iglesias (just named to the Rising Stars team in the Arizona Fall League), first baseman Anthony Rizzo, 2010 draftee Anthony Ranaudo (who has yet to play in a professional game, but did dominate in the Cape League after being drafted) and left-hander Drake Britton, a power lefty who bounced back from Tommy John surgery to strike out 78 in 76 innings with Single-A Greenville.

There was a fairly stunning omission from the Top 10. First baseman Lars Anderson, who made his major league debut in 2010, was not on the list. Before the 2009 season, he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 17 prospect in all of baseball.

Here is Baseball America’s full Top 10, with related content from WEEI.com for each:

1. Kelly, RHP

Minor Misconceptions: The Red Sox Minor League Season in Context

All-Star Futures Notebook: Casey Kelly’s Year of Development

2. Iglesias, SS

An Infield Coach’s First Glimpse of Iglesias

Glimpse of the Future: Jose Iglesias

3. Rizzo, 1B

Powerful Statement from Red Sox Prospects

Sox Announce Minor League Award Winners

Survive and Thrive: Red Sox Prospect Anthony Rizzo’s Return From Cancer

4. Ranaudo, RHP

A Mound of Expectations for Two New Sox Pitchers

5. Britton, LHP

Britton’s ‘Amazing’ Development

6. Reymond Fuentes, OF

Draft Class Takes Shape

7. Josh Reddick, OF

Glimpse of the Future: Josh Reddick and Ryan Kalish

The Discovery and Development of Josh Reddick

8. Felix Doubront, LHP

Doubront’s Long Journey From Lowell to Boston

Why Doubront’s Debut Mattered, From Boston To El Toro

Doubront Joins Line of Sox Pitching Prospects

9. Stolmy Pimentel, RHP

Sox Pitching Prospect Pimentel Gets Taste of the Futures

The (Almost) Perfect Stolm

Balance of Trade: Sox Dealt for 2008 and Beyond

10. Garin Cecchini, 3B

How the Jimmy Fund Brought a Red Sox Prospect Closer to Boston

The Most Interesting Red Sox Draftee

Read More: anthony ranaudo, Anthony Rizzo, baseball america, casey kelly Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Dave

    What happened to Lars. Has his stock dropped that much?

  • bobsar

    Lars is a terrific first baseman. Makes no sense to me. But since he can’t get by Yook (rightfully so) I hope they get full value for him. Another year in Pawtucket will see him above 300 and with a pile of doubles. These rankers just read each others notes from last year. The experts are mostly wrong. How did you like that Phillies – Yankees WS? Papi was done last April. etc, et

  • KCF

    Baseball America is a joke. They whiff on so many prospects in their ratings

  • http://www.weei.com howie

    These guys haven’t got a clue. Kelley is a big maybe, haven’t really seen much of what they’re talking about yet. Iglesias is a joke, great glove, but the guy cannot hit and doesn’t have much of an arm. Average aside, not a single extra base hit. That’s against minor league pitching. Maybe this guy finds some power when he is done filling out his frame, but its a long shot at best. I see him as a utility fielder off the bench in his big league career. @bobsar – have you actually watched Anderson play 1st? Ortiz does it better. Add to the fact that Lars can’t seem to hit major league pitching, and I think Baseball America actually got this one right. Red Sox have six valuable prospects right now, all of which have been seen at the big league level either this year or last: MacDonald, Kalish, Reddick, Dubront, Tazawa, & Nava. In that order. Rizzo might be interesting to watch this year. Sick of hearing about Kelley & Iglesias, they are simply not living up to the hype.

  • Darren

    Kelley and iglesias not living up to the hype?! They are 19 yr old kids. I believe casey kelley was one of the youngest pitchers in AA this past year and iglesias was i believe the youngest position player in AA. This was kelley’s first full year of pitching and it was against much more advanced hitters. Also ask any MLB scout and they will tell you the hardest jumps are from A to AA and from AAA to the pros. Iglesias hit .300 in his first year of pro ball in the states and has a game changing glove which is remarkable for his age. Macdonald is not a prospect i believe hes 32 and has been a career minor league player before this year. Tazawa has no value till he can prove he can come back from the injury. Also rizzo will be more than interesting to watch hes got huge power potential and is a potential gold glove caliber first baseman and would be further ahead in his development if he hadnt missed a year due to cancer.

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  • http://www.weei.com howie

    @Darren – I know MacDonald’s an old man, so’s Nava as far as minor leaguers go. I call them prospects as they are available in the Red Sox farm system. MacDonald should have had a big league job years ago. I agree Rizzo is the most interesting of the real young bunch. I saw Kelley and Iglesias several times this season, and they just looked over matched. Maybe I’m wrong, that’s why I’m not a big league scout. Don’t bet against Tazawa, I think he’ll be fine.

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