Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox is a phenom. He is the throwback 1970-1980’s leadoff hitter (speed, average, defense, OBP, and no power) that has always been my favorite type of player. Ellsbury has been the Red Sox center fielder of the future for the last two seasons, and even had a stellar spring training while playing with the Red Sox starters this year. There was no chance he would make the opening day team, so he was sent to minor league camp despite outplaying other outfielders on the team. The Sox have a glut of prospects in AAA Pawtucket that play in the outfield (David Murphy and Brandon Moss could be starters or fourth outfielders on most major league teams), so Jacoby was send to the AA Portland Sea Dogs. Well now Ellsbury is taking a trip down Route-95 from Maine to Rhode Island to play in Pawtucket. Why the promotion after only a month in AA? The stats don’t lie.
Ellsbury was leading all of minor league baseball with a .452 batting average (including a current 15 game hitting streak). Throw in an on-base percentage of .512, and a slugging percentage of .653 (with no home runs!) and you have a great hitter. He has also stolen eight bases so far this year. The Red Sox need to be on alert with this guy. By next year he won’t be able to be sent to the minors, he has too much talent. Brandon Moss will be ready to be a Brian Giles clone by next season (if not sooner) and David Murphy had a job as the Marlins starting CF this year if the teams could have pulled off a trade. JD Drew will be the Boston RF for the rest of the decade as long as his body doesn’t fall apart, and he is actually surprising everyone by becoming a fan favorite. Manny Ramirez will be in LF unless the Sox move him to DH and put Big Papi David Ortiz at first base. Coco Crisp and Willy Mo Pena have talent to be a notch below All-Stars, but they will soon have no place to play. Their days in Boston appear numbered. It feels good to see Boston with homegrown talent that may actually shine in Boston instead of another city. Start the Jacoby Ellsbury for 2008 Rookie of the Year campaign now.
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