Farm Hens: Under 18

The Red Sox have 3 extremely interesting players in their organization. What links these four players together is all are under the age of 18.

The newest, and most highly tooted player is Michael Almanzar. He is a 6' 5" 16 year old from the Dominican Republic. He recently signed with the Red Sox for a $1.5 million signing bonus. The name might seem familiar because his father, Carlos Almanzar, spent time in the major leagues and is currently in the Red Sox minor league system. He has played both SS and 3b but because of his size, he is more likely to stay at third. The kids has great bat speed but not much of a glove. He has all the potential in the world, but like most young kids, he needs to turn that potential into reality. He is likely to start next year in the GCL.

Oscar Tejeda, a 17 year old SS also from the Dominican Republic, is a very exciting player to keep and eye on. He is not built like Almanzar, standing only 6' 1", but has all the potential. He plays a solid D for SS and has a good eye at the plate. Great bat speed and blistering wheels, Tejeda could be an exceptional lead off hitter. To go along with those attributes, he has very good power potential and may be able to SLG .500 some day. Currently, he is hitting .299/.355/.478 at the Red Sox GCL team. He has great composure for a 17 year old and may be the quickest out of this group to make an serious impact.

If you can say a 17 year old has been disappointing, Engel Beltre fits the bill. Another 17 year old out of the Dominican, he has 5 tool potential as and OFer. He is the only lefty of the group, so he does have that going for him. Like many players coming out of the DR he is undersized. He needs to put on muscle to the 6' 1" build before he can really make an impact. Once that happens, he has the swing to be a serious power hitter. Defensively, he is already there. He has a great arm and decent range. He could either pass as a CF or RF. Center field is his natural position. Thus far, he has hit .172/.316/.250 at the Gulf Coast League. His BABIP is kind of low, .275, so i expect the number to improve naturally. Keep and eye on Beltre because he may be the Red Sox version of Tabata in 2 years.

Update: Engel Beltre is now a member of the Texas Rangers.