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Major swing-and-a-miss on my part. Callis left Baseball America for MLB.com. Article has been re-written accordingly.
The prospect rankings over at MLB.com have taken a bit of a backseat to those coming from sites which have a greater focus on the minor leagues. This year, however, well-respected prospecter Jim Callis, formerly of Baseball America, has added his name to the production, and he's brought good news for Boston's top catching prospect:
Yes. No question. 4th-best C prospect in baseball on my list. @matthewmaclean2: do you see Blake Swihart cracking the top 100 list? #RedSox
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) December 23, 2013
It's not terribly surprising news, mind. Swihart was ranked fifth on Baseball America's team-specific top 10 list which, according to Ben Badler, was made up entirely of top-100 candidates. He was ranked 72nd by Baseball America in 2012 before slipping off the list thanks to a mediocre rookie season. A more impressive 2013 saw him hit .298/.366/.428 in High-A Salem, and seems to have him back in the good graces of Callis, who was with Baseball America for the years in question.
For those hoping Boston's representation might even extend past ten players, however, the news is predictably less good:
No, but a legit prospect. Not better than Swihart. @mkud44: Does Christian Vazquez also make it? I've heard some say @RedSox like him better
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) December 23, 2013
In terms of reputation, Vazquez is not far past Boston's top 10 prospects, but Callis doesn't hesitate to give him the no-go. That's not too surprising either. He's got a big glove, but the bat is not convincing enough to guarantee he will be anything more than a backup down the line.