Editor's Note: NBC Sports Boston has launched its annual "20 Under 25" series in which fans can vote on the 20 best male professional athletes in Boston under age 25. Voting is open until Dec. 16.
The Red Sox portion of recent 20 Under 25 lists has mostly represented the realm of the hypothetical. But the future is about to become real.
Five years into a rebuild relentlessly predicated on the promise of the "next wave" of prospects, that group is finally read to crash ashore.
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At least one of the "Core Four" should open the season in the big leagues, with the rest following in rapid succession. In fact, if we don't see Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel in Boston before the end of the season, it would qualify as a mild disappointment.
While the pursuit of Juan Soto has rightfully dominated the headlines, the long-term strength of the organization rests with these farmhands on the verge of taking the final step. From Chaim Bloom to Craig Breslow, the Red Sox have patiently awaited their top prospects in the hopes of experiencing an Atlanta- or Baltimore-like surge.
We're about to find out if this group was worth the wait.
Here's a look at the seven Red Sox candidates in this year's "20 Under 25" contest. (You can vote in this year's contest in the module at the bottom of this article.)
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Roman Anthony, OF
The No. 1 prospect in the game according to Baseball America, Anthony doesn't necessarily wow with any one skill, but represents more of the complete package.
He's listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, but it's easy to see him filling out into the player often described as a comp -- former Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill. He makes consistently hard contact and projects to develop above-average power.
Miguel Bleis, OF
Bleis has fallen down the prospect rankings after a lost 2023 that ended with shoulder surgery and a disappointing 2024. But don't sleep on this exciting five-tool center fielder.
Bleis has outstanding power and a right-handed swing that produces it naturally. He also packed on more than 30 pounds last year, according to MassLive, but remains one of the fastest baserunners in the system. He's probably the biggest boom-or-bust candidate in the organization.
Kristian Campbell, 2B
While Anthony took home BA's most prestigious hardware, Campbell snagged an impressive honor of his own as the publication's Minor League Player of the Year. He also may earn the distinction of first member of this prospect group to reach the big leagues, since his right-handed bat and ability to play second base could fill two holes on the big league roster.
An unheralded fourth-rounder out of Georgia Tech in 2023, Campbell shot to stardom across three levels last year by posting a .997 OPS, second overall in the minors.
Kristian Campbell is the Minor League Hitting Prospect of the Year and Breakout Player of the Year! 💥
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 1, 2024
The @RedSox No. 5 prospect recapped his fantastic 2024 season and what lies ahead for him as he looks to build off of it moving forward.@WooSox | @MiLB pic.twitter.com/mcVmeE1Lkp
Triston Casas, 1B
Hey, here's someone we already know. Casas is a bit of an enigma with a quirky personality that belies his hulking stature. A rib injury effectively robbed him of last season, and his name has been mentioned in trade rumors, but the Red Sox don't seem keen on giving up a potential 40-home run hitter.
Blessed with a keen eye and improving defense at first, Casas should be a rock solid piece of the future.
Marcelo Mayer, SS
The ebbs and flows of prospect performance are reflected in Mayer, who was once in contention for No. 1 prospect in the game, but now might rank only third in his own organization. Injuries have slowed Mayer's ascent, but he remains a top-10 prospect and Boston's shortstop of the future.
Like Anthony, he doesn't necessarily have one standout tool so much as solid ability across the board. That said, this is a big year for Mayer to regain some of his luster, potentially in Boston.
Ceddanne Rafaela, UTIL
One of the more unique players in baseball, Rafaela has super utility potential in the mold of former Rays standout Ben Zobrist or old friend Kiké Hernández. He can play a Gold Glove-caliber center field and with enough reps, could probably be an above-average shortstop, too. That's a heck of a luxury for manager Alex Cora, and we haven't even mentioned Rafaela's pop (15 homers, 75 RBIs in 2024) or athleticism.
As we've known since his debut, however, his career will hinge on his understanding of the strike zone. Rafaela struck out 151 times vs. only 15 walks, which is untenable.
Kyle Teel, C
The last of the Big Four, Teel plays the most demanding position, and probably comes with the most questions.
He zoomed to Double-A in his 2023 debut and performed well there last year before spending 28 games at Triple-A, where a long season appeared to catch up to him. His all-fields approach should lead to plenty of doubles and he boasts a strong arm behind the plate, but catchers don't typically race to the majors, so he'll probably start the year back at Worcester.
Editor's Note: Using the form below, you can evaluate each of the 20 Under 25 candidates “video game” style, giving each athlete a player “rating” that reflects their maximum potential in the coming years.