2010 SoxProspects.com Players of the Year

During the 2010 season many players had impressive individual performances and opened the eyes of our community and staff. The players listed below are the SoxProspects.com Players of the Year based on their outstanding campaigns.

Offensive Player of the Year: Ryan Lavarnway

For the second year in a row, Lavarnway wins top honors behind the plate. The 23-year-old, originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2008 draft, impressed in 2010 as he split the season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. Before being promoted to Double-A Portland on July 16, Lavarnway hit .289/.392/.487 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI as a member of Salem. The promotion to Portland did not slow down Lavarnway's hot bat, as he hit .285/.395/.494 with 8 home runs and 39 RBI in just 44 games as a Sea Dog. He finished the season with a combined slash line of .288/.393/.489, with 22 home runs and 102 RBI. Leading all Boston prospects in RBI, he finishes the season as the 16th-ranked prospect by SoxProspects.com.

Pitcher of the Year: Felix Doubront

In a year that saw Doubront ascend from Double-A Portland all the way to Boston, he showed why he is ranked the #5 prospect on SoxProspects.com. In 17 games (16 starts) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, Doubront compiled an 8-3 record with a 2.81 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched. He received the call to Boston on June 18 and became an important member of the Boston bullpen, tossing in 12 games (3 starts) going 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA, striking out close to a batter an inning. The 22-year-old left-hander has essentially been shut down for the remainder of the season after suffering a pectoral injury.

Rookie of the Year: Xander Bogaerts

Signed in August of last year out of Aruba, Bogaerts made his professional debut this June with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox and created quite a splash. In 63 games at shortstop, Bogaerts hit .314/.396/.423 with 3 home runs and 42 RBI. The 17-year-old's impressive season led to him being named a DSL All-Star and turning heads of those who saw his outstanding play on both offense and defense.




Breakout Player of the Year: Drake Britton

Originally drafted in the 23rd round of the 2007 draft, the 22-year-old left-hander has always shown flashes of potential during his time as a member of the Red Sox organization, but had his career interrupted by Tommy John surgery in 2008. After missing most of the 2009 season, Britton came back strong as he rocketed up prospect charts in 2010. In 21 starts for Low-A Greenville, Britton compiled a 2-3 record with a 2.97 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 75.2 innings pitched. Perhaps most encouraging was that Britton has pitched some of his best baseball as Greenville has gone deep in the playoffs, hurling 5.0 innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out 8 in a key Game 1 victory over the Savannah Sand Gnats (NYM) in the South Atlantic League semi-finals. In his most recent start in the SAL Finals, he went 5.0 innings, allowing just 1 hit and 3 walks to pick up another key victory that gave Greenville an early series lead. He is currently ranked the 15th best prospect on SoxProspects.com

Comeback Player of the Year: Oscar Tejeda

One of the most highly regarded international signings in 2006, Tejeda excited many prospect followers due to his excellent tools at a very young age. After a solid freshman campaign in 2007, Tejeda rose to Greenville in 2008 and had a disappointing season that saw him battle through injury. After returning to health in 2009, Tejeda again struggled at the Low-A level, hitting .257/.311/.332. Coming into 2010, many were questioning Tejeda's ability to become a true prospect and live up to his potential. Spending all season with High-A Salem, Tejeda quieted his critics, hitting .307/.344/.455 with 11 home runs and 69 RBI as the Drive's second baseman. His bounce-back season allowed him to be named a Carolina League All Star and finish the season ranked 13th on SoxProspects.com.

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