Ryan Lavarnway

2013

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2012

Lavarnway made his way to the major leagues for the first time in 2011, hitting .231 in 17 games for Boston. His two-homer game on the next-to-final night of the season was the highlight. Looking ahead, Lavarnway has a real shot at claiming the backup catching job. He's worked hard to improve his receiving game, though there's still room for growth, and his right-handed power bat can provide some balance to a lefty-heavy order. Red Sox catchers wore down over the course of the season and they're unlikely to re-sign Jason Varitek, who will be 40 in April. The signing of Kelly Shoppach unfortunately clouds the playing time picture for Lavarnway.

2011

Lavarnway continued to show advanced hitting skills in 2010, becoming the organization's best hitting prospect while leading the minors in home runs. All that's good. He understands the strike zone, has an approach at the plate, and hits to all fields. Defensively, he's still rather stiff behind the plate and he's not very instinctive. He's improved his throwing mechanics, but has problems with the more athletic part of the job and has never been the No. 1 catcher at any stop. This is the same story as it was last season. How far he can come defensively will dictate his major-league prospects. He'll likely land back in Double-A with a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket.

2010

Lavarnway, 22, continued to showcase his power, leading the organization with 21 homers in 2009 at Low-A Greenville. The organization is commiting him to catcher for now, but he may be switched to first base at some point. He's relatively new to the position, and his catching skills still need work. The bat is ready for Double-A, but the defense isn't. Moving up a level, Lavarnway will be challenged by better pitching and he'll need to cut down on the strikeouts. If he can maintain his power while fine tuning the swing, 2010 will be a good year.