RADIO
CURRENT ADP: 121
RANKINGS STATUS: Undervalued
ANALYSIS: It is becoming increasingly obvious that Mookie Betts will be the Boston Red Sox Opening Day center fielder and leadoff man. He entered spring training expecting to compete with Cuban sensation Rusney Castillo for the center field job, but Castillo suffered an oblique injury which has prevented him from playing in any Grapefruit League games so far this spring. Betts, 22, has taken full advantage of Castillo's lengthy absence by going 13-for-29 with seven extra-base hits in 29 at-bats out of the leadoff spot as of March. 19.
His stellar play this spring should come as no surprise, as the former top prospect has hit at every level throughout his career. In 99 games split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014, he hit .346/.431/.529 with 11 home runs and 33 stolen bases. A second basemen for most of his career, Betts shifted to center field midway though 2014 to accommodate for All-Star second basemen Dustin Pedroia and help accelerate his own path to the big leagues.
An injury to then center fielder Shane Victorino opened the door for Betts to make his major league debut on June 29th of last season. Betts infusion into the lineup gave Boston's offense a spark it had been lacking all season. In 52 games he hit .291 with a .368 OBP, five HR and an impressive .812 OPS. He put up a powerful .153 ISO and maintained a relatively low strikeout-rate of 15%. Both numbers are on par with his .168 ISO and 14% strikeout-rate in Triple-A.
With the opportunity to bat atop a potent Red Sox lineup featuring David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, and Pablo Sandoval in the middle, Betts could end up being among the 2015 league leaders in runs scored. His ADP will continue to rise with him seemingly having locked up the starting center field gig, but Betts is clearly well-deserving of a mid-round selection in drafts. Standing at just 5-foot-9, Betts brings an electric power-speed combination to the plate and appears to be on his way to becoming one of the premier young players in the game.
