Michael Chavis

The Red Sox's mounting injuries at second base expedited Chavis' promotion to the majors, even though the bat-first prospect was a relative newcomer to the keystone. Chavis predictably graded out poorly on defense, but he made an immediate mark at the plate. Through the end of June, Chavis was batting .261 with 14 home runs, 44 RBI and 36 runs in 63 games. However, a 33.5 K% and .357 BABIP over that stretch signaled a downturn could be coming, and the reckoning came hard after the All-Star break. Chavis' elevated strikeout rate plus a sharp dip in BABIP limited him to a .649 OPS in the second half before a shoulder sprain ended his season in mid-August. Chavis regained health heading into the winter and should enter 2020 as an everyday player between second and first, but his lack of speed likely means that cutting down on the whiffs will be essential for him to emerge as a middle-tier fantasy option.

There was quite a bit of buzz surrounding Chavis after his showing in the 2017 Arizona Fall League, but an 80-game suspension for a positive PED test took away a lot of his shine. Chavis did what he could to get some of it back after he served his ban, hitting .303/.388/.508 with six homers in 33 games with Double-A Portland to earn a late-season promotion to the Red Sox's top affiliate, but the suspension casts a shadow over his season and creates a sliver of doubt about the legitimacy of what he's done in the past. It's unfair to cast aside everything he's done. After all, Chavis is a legitimate pedigree guy, having been a first-round pick in 2014, but the true skills baseline can't be known. While the Red Sox added Chavis to the 40-man roster in the offseason, there's no real chance he will be with the club to start the season and he will likely need more than one long-term injury ahead of him to get an extended look in Boston in 2019.

A thumb injury derailed his 2016 campaign, but nothing held Chavis back last season as he established himself as the Red Sox’s top prospect. Among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances, Chavis led the Carolina League in SLG (.641), OPS (1.029), ISO (.323) and wRC+ (187). His batting average dropped off a little after a promotion to the Eastern League, but that was largely due to a .265 BABIP. In fact, his strikeout rate actually improved after the promotion, and he still hit for a ton of power (.242 ISO). His offensive profile will likely always be power over hit, with the potential to mirror Brian Dozier’s production without the stolen bases. Blocked at third base, Chavis could probably handle the keystone, but played first base in the Arizona Fall League, as that’s the position where the Red Sox have the most immediate need. Given how aggressive Boston has been about promoting top prospects under Dave Dombrowski, Chavis could make his MLB debut in the second half if he continues to rake this summer.

Chavis' pro career has stalled since he was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2014 draft out of high school. He opened a second straight season at Low-A Greenville and was promoted to High-A Salem in August. His promotion was hardly earned, but after 783 plate appearances in the South Atlantic League, it was time to move on. In retrospect, perhaps the Red Sox were too aggressive in having him start at Low-A in 2015, when he had a .682 OPS in 109 games with the Drive. It hasn't been all doom-and-gloom for the Georgia native, who was having a monster April (.992 OPS) before injuring his thumb. His fade from June until the end of the season may have been the result of the thumb injury, but there are underlying concerns like his 30 percent career strikeout rate. At any rate, 2017 is an important year for Chavis, who at 21, is still young enough to develop a potential plus hit tool.

Chavis, a 2014 first-round draft pick, had himself a nice spring training and the 19-year-old earned a placement at Boston’s full-season affiliate in Greenville of the Low-A South Atlantic League. The full-season assignment may have been too aggressive, as Chavis started slowly and never hinted at the projected plus hit tool. He finished with a line of .223/.277/.405 while striking out a whopping 144 times in 471 plate appearances (30.5%). He has more potential as a hitter than he showed in 2015, but seems a long way off from being a first-team major leaguer at this point. Despite a short stature, he’s got a compact build and projects as an above-average power hitter –- his 16 home runs led the Drive. Defensively, he had problems with the accuracy of his throws and footwork, but he’ll remain at third base for now. Given his struggles last season, it would not be surprising to see him repeat at Low-A to begin 2016 with a quick promotion to High-A Salem likely.

Chavis was Boston's first-round selection in the 2014 draft out of high school in Georgia. He signed quickly, and was assigned to the organization's Gulf Coast League affiliate. He slashed .269/.347/.425 in 150 plate appearances in the rookie league with 16 of his 36 hits going for extra bases. He's considered a polished hitter who grades out with solid-average power potential. Chavis was a shortstop in high school and will continue on that track initially in the organization, but he may switch to second or third base eventually. He participated in the Fall Instructional League before getting ready for his first full season of professional baseball. The Red Sox may elect to keep him at extended spring training to begin 2015, before an assignment to short-season Lowell during the summer.