Fansided

3 Red Sox prospects who will debut and steal playing time in 2022

By Gabrielle Starr

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Jeter Downs #20 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the Minnesota Twins during a Grapefruit League spring training game at Hammond Stadium on March 14, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Jeter Downs #20 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the Minnesota Twins during a Grapefruit League spring training game at Hammond Stadium on March 14, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Red Sox Jeter Downs
Jeter Downs #20 of the Boston Red Sox (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

2. Jeter Downs, SS/2B

Like Winckowski, Jeter Downs was acquired via trade for a former Red Sox outfielder. The infielder was part of the return package for Mookie Betts.

His big-league ETA was originally set at 2021, but a terrible season in Triple-A pushed Downs back a considerable amount. Over 99 games, he hit a meager .190/.272/.333 with a .606 OPS, nine doubles, and 14 home runs.

Downs fared better in the Arizona Fall League, though the sample size is significantly smaller. Over 16 games, he hit .228/.389/.491 with a .800 OPS, five home runs, nine runs scored, and 14 RBI.

The Sox have longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts under contract through 2025. Infielder Christian Arroyo won’t hit free agency until 2025, but injuries limited him to 57 games in 2021. If he struggles to stay healthy in 2022, that might be Downs’ way up.

Home/Boston Red Sox