Kevin Goldstein and Baseball Prospectus have not released their team list for their top Red Sox prospects yet, but today Goldstein's Top 101 overall list was unveiled. It's different from many of the other lists we've discussed, but there are some similarities to those others that should please fans of certain prospects as well.
The whole thing is worth your time, although Goldstein's more detailed version isn't available on the website (unless you comb through each of his Top 11 prospect lists for each team, anyway, although that's a good use of your time as well). As far as Red Sox prospects go, though, Goldstein listed four, including one who hasn't received a ton of love from these types of lists.
32 - Xander Bogaerts: It's not a huge surprise to see Bogaerts ranked as the #1 Red Sox prospect, given his youth, tools, and potentially prodigious power output. He's not a shortstop by Goldstein's own admission, even if he's ranked as one by Goldstein here since the Red Sox haven't moved him off of the position, but his bat projects to make that a non-issue in the future, since it should be able to play just about anywhere.
Of course, someone like Bogaerts --someone meaning a teenager who hasn't played a full season professionally yet -- at the #1 spot also reminds me of how we always tend to think more highly of guys like this, who have little in the way of a track record that could cast doubt on our dreams. That being said, his tools are legit, and he has the most star potential of anyone in the system, whether you think he'll actually reach that status or not.
46 - Brandon Jacobs: Here is your surprise inclusion. Jacobs is considered a fine prospect, but, assuming I'm not forgetting someone's list, this is the first time I've seen him as a top 50 type. We'll have to wait to see just why Goldstein likes Jacobs this much, but it's good to see one of the prospect gurus out there has big love for the powerful outfielder.
55 - Will Middlebrooks: My own excitement for what Will Middlebrooks could turn in to is well-documented here, but seeing Goldstein put him this close to his top 50 is still a pleasant thing. He doesn't have the walk rate you think of for most of Boston's latest promotions, but his plate coverage and defense should carry him to a fine career, the latter of which Matt Sullivan discussed late last week.
98 - Ryan Lavarnway: Last year, Goldstein ranked Lavarnway as the #15 prospect in the Red Sox system, saying that he was "offense-oriented" with "work to do behind the plate." Both of those statements remain true, but the latter is less concerning than it was a year ago, and the reputation for the former kicked up enough that Lavarnway jumped more than 10 spots in the system due to one season.