Boston's Swihart Is On MLB.com's Top 10 C List

Blake Swihart (FN Photo)

Blake Swihart, the 20-year old catching prospect of the Boston Red Sox has been ranked ninth best overall by MLB.com. Swihart is a switch-hitter and is ranked as the 8th best overall Red Sox prospect by the influential SoxProspects.com. The 6-1, 175 pound backstop is rated as having a plus arm. Last year at Single A Greenville, Swihart hit .262, with 7 HRs and 53 RBIs in 92 games. FenwayNation had a chance to speak with Blake at a recent Jimmy Fund event and asked him about how he views the crowded catching position in the organization. His response showed an admirable maturity for a young player: "You've just got to keep working, prove yourself on the field and hope you're given a chance at some point." Realistically, the logjam at catcher will be broken soon—either through trades or departure via free agency. The current bevy of backstops (Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross, Ryan Lavarnway, Mike Napoli, Christian Vazquez, Dan Butler along with Swihart) is a prime example of the "deep depth" the Sox keep talking about these days. Chances are they will spend some of that depth and, thus, Swihart may be knocking on the Fenway door sooner rather than later.