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The Red Sox system isn't quite what it was in terms of prospect volume, but that's what happens when you graduate Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart, and Eduardo Rodriguez over just a couple years. There's still a lot to love, though, and while the sheer number of quality prospects might be down, the quality of the prospects the Sox do have is unquestioned.
That's why MLB.com rated Boston's farm system the sixth-best in baseball, with "arguably the best quartet of prospects in baseball" thanks to Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, Anderson Espinoza, and Rafael Devers. Those four were the only Sox prospects in MLB's top-100 list, but they also all ranked within the top-40.
Their fifth-ranked prospect is Michael Kopech, who made it into the top-100 lists for other outlets. Number six is Brian Johnson, who was in top-100 lists a year ago before an elbow injury saw him drop off despite success at Triple-A.
Sam Travis, who could very well be a big-league first baseman, ranks seventh, while Luis Alexander Basabe -- a low-minors prospect some are betting on to be a top-100 type this time next year -- is eighth. Deven Marrero, whose glove will make him a major-league infielder, comes in ninth, and finally, you've got 2014 first-round selection Michael Chavis 10th.
Even without considering this list is not only missing Swihart and Rodriguez but also the graduated Henry Owens and the traded Javier Guerra and Manuel Margot, it's very impressive.
If you're paying attention to spring training, you should be able to catch MLB's top Sox prospect, Yoan Moncada, on occasion. You'll have to wait until the minor-league season to see these four play constantly, though, but in some cases, you might not have to wait too long for them to come to the Sox. There's a very good chance both Moncada and Benintendi end up in Double-A Portland before 2016 is over. Devers might just be 19, but he'll start 2016 in High-A ball, and Espinoza is getting the Devers 2015 treatment and will likely spend his season in Low-A ball.