It’s hard for me to think of a guy who’s been a more polarizing Red Sox draft pick in recent memory than Deven Marrero. The long and short is that Marrero was thought to be on the of the game’s best prospects heading into this year. He was nabbed in the 17th round back in 2009 by the Cincinnati Reds, but shrugged off their offer and took a full boat to Arizona State. Since going to college his bat has declined, hitting a low .289 this past year that effected his overall value with some. His defense made him a sure-fire 1st rounder though – as he’s from a rare breed of players who came up through high school and college as a SS and might have a real chance to make it to the Majors as one. Proponents have suggested patience with his bat while detractors have portrayed him as just another ‘all glove, no bat’ SS prospect.
In terms of his college career specifically, it’s hard to consider it anything but successful at this point. While the new bats have played a minor role, his batting average has declined over his three seasons from .397 his freshman year all the way down to just .286 this year. Perhaps a bit more worrisome are his declining OBP and SLG leading some folks to speculate whether or not he’s got the goods to be a Major League hitter. He’s not afraid to swing the bat – and although he’s got mostly average bat speed, he’s able to get to the ball pretty well. While he lacks the sheer natural power to drive the ball out of the park, he finds gaps very well and has more than enough speed to be a nuisance on the base pads. Some have speculated that if he can fill out physically, that he could hit for a little more power than people are thinking.
In terms of his defense, Marrero was considered one of the best – if not the best- players in the draft. He’s got a tremendous arm that he can use from a variety of off-balance positions and throw with plenty of accuracy. His footwork is exemplary and he possesses exceptional range. He transfers the ball well, positions himself well, and reads hitters very well. Although college shortstops get drafted frequently, few of them ever pan out defensively in that position. In just the Red Sox organization alone – we’ve seen Xander Bogaerts be discussed as more of an OF/3B-type. Marerro is a rare breed – a guy who was taken as a SS in the draft who can likely play there at the big league level.
Right now, the verdict is out. Again – a lot of folks are on the ‘all glove, no bat’ bandwagon with him but I’m having a hard time buying it. He’s essentially had one poor stretch of hitting – that being this year during his college schedule. He dominated his fist two years of collegiate ball and was a force in both the Cape League and on Team USA. To me- there’s no reason to think he can’t develop into a guy who hits for decent average, with a little pop and lots of gap power. Even if he’s average – with his defense being so strong at a premium position, he brings a ton of value to the table. And let’s not forget the last 1st round pick the Red Sox took a flier on – Jackie Bradley Jr. who hit a paltry .259 in his final injury-plagued season at South Carolina. He’s been tearing Single-A ball to shreds this year.
Leave a comment