With Jason Groome undergoing Tommy John surgery and Michael Chavis suspended to open the year, the top prospect in the entire Red Sox farm system may be left-hander Jalen Beeks, currently with the PawSox.
Beeks is 3-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 starts this season, but is coming off perhaps his best outing of the season on Thursday. The 24-year-old went seven innings, allowing one run on four hits, while not walking a batter and striking out seven. He's in the midst of a four-game stretch of going at least six innings, and has allowed three earned runs or less in three of the four games.
A 12th-round pick in the 2014 draft out of Arkansas, Beeks has quickly risen through the organization, but really stood out beginning last year. Between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket he went 11-8 with a 3.29 ERA in 2017.
Although there are a number of spot starters with the Red Sox in the bullpen right now -- Steven Wright, Brian Johnson, Hector Velazquez -- if they were ever to need one moving forward Beeks appears ready to be that guy. Barring injury, look for Beeks to potentially be a September call-up and then compete for a spot in the rotation next spring.
