Mike Goss

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #11 prospect in 2003
  Goss might have gone as high as the fifth round in the 2002 draft had his NFL potential as a kick returner not made teams wary. More of a wide receiver/return specialist than a baseball player at Jackson State, Goss slipped to the 11th round--the same round when Boston grabbed Freddy Sanchez two years earlier. Goss got off to an electrifying start at Lowell, hitting .397 with 14 steals in 21 games, before dislocating a finger on a headfirst slide. He's an exciting player, the fastest guy (6.4 to 6.45 seconds in the 60-yard dash) and the best athlete in the system, but he's also raw and isn't going to make it to Boston overnight. Goss, the only real prospect among the system's outfielders, does understand what he needs to do at the plate. His game is about speed, not strength, and he knows line drives and ground balls play to his strong suit. His plate discipline needs improvement, and he's not going to be a viable leadoff hitter unless he learns to draw a walk. Goss steals bases and runs down fly balls on pure speed, and he'll have to learn how to make better reads and get better jumps. His arm is below-average but playable in center field because he gets to balls quickly. He'll spend his first full pro season in low Class A.