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| (Photo by John Corneau/Lowell Spinners) |
You might call it a dubious distinction, but the influential website
FanGraphs.com has named Red Sox minor league second-baseman Mookie Betts as their top "fringe" prospect of the week. In fact, Betts has appeared on this list for
six consecutive weeks. The site defines "fringe" in a more positive light than you might first assume:
"any prospect who was absent from all of three notable preseason top-100 prospect lists." They project Betts—who currently plays for Boston's High-A Salem affiliate—as having:
"(a) excellent command of the strike zone, (b) more power than one might otherwise expect from a player listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, and (c) baserunning numbers which almost certainly suggest future above-average production in that regard." Not only that, his success would forever transform our view of the name "Mookie".
