Matthew Lugo considered a 'sleeper prospect' in The Athletic’s Top 20 Red Sox prospect rankings
The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked the Red Sox farm system and listed his top 20 prospects. In the process, one under-the-radar prospect cracked the top-10 list. Sox prospect Matthew Lugo was ranked No. 9 by Law and is considered Boston’s 2022 sleeper prospect.
“He’s an athletic shortstop who should get to at least average power, and showed solid zone awareness last year in Low-A, with just a 20 percent strikeout rate despite having played just two games outside the complex league before last year,” Law wrote of Lugo on Tuesday. “His defense at shortstop has improved significantly, and the quality of his at-bats also improved over the course of 2021. He might be a level per year guy but projects to be an everyday player at shortstop when he gets there.”
The Red Sox selected Lugo back in the second-round during the 2019 MLB Draft. Lugo was drafted out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. Beltran is Lugo’s uncle and helped develop some of his nephew raw skills.
Law has Lugo ranked the highest out of any Red Sox prospect ranking web site. SoxProspects has Lugo ranked No. 28 in the organization while Baseball America doesn’t even rank him as a top prospect.
“I think this is Lugo’s year to take that big step forward at the plate, with harder contact and better at-bats translating at least into doubles power,” said Law in The Athletic.
The 6-foot-1 and 187 pound Lugo could take a big step forward this coming season after spending his 2021 season with Low-A Salem.
Lugo batted batted .270/.338/.364, four home runs, 50 RBIs, 61 runs scored and 15 stolen bases over 469 plate appearances.
The young shortstop has always dreamed of playing in the major leagues. Beltran hopes to see that very soon.
“Matthew is a good and humble kid with tremendous ability, but the thing that impresses me most is his discipline and focus,” Beltran told MLB.com before the start of the pandemic. “To be so young and be so focused is good. He’s aware of all the sacrifices you have to make to be a good player, and I think he has the right mentality to face the difficulties that come in pro ball.”
That dream can take another step forward to reality, especially if Lugo meets Law’s expectations. If Lugo continues to elevate himself within the Red Sox system, the right-handed hitting shortstop will try and fulfill a dream. The dream of playing in the big leagues and for skipper Alex Cora.
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