Bryce Brentz

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #21 prospect in 2015
  Few players in the upper levels of the Red Sox system divide opinion as much as Brentz. He'll show power that some view as plus to double-plus, with the potential to send rockets into orbit. Yet his all-ornothing approach tends to lead to high strikeout rates and inconsistency. Brentz missed two and a half months with a hamstring injury, and he showed a huge platoon split in which he slugged .685 against lefties and struggled against righties, hitting just .223/.335/.363. He repeated the pattern in a season-ending taste of the big leagues. As such, Brentz probably fits best as the righthanded hitter on an outfield corner, though some scouts believe he could eventually make an impact as a late-developing everyday outfielder. His fringy range and strong arm suggest a future in right field. Brentz made a concerted effort to improve his plate discipline in 2014, on which he'll continue to focus in 2015 as he embarks on a third season at Pawtucket at age 26.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #16 prospect in 2014
  The Red Sox drafted Brentz after he followed a spectacular sophomore year in which he displayed substantial raw power with an injury-impaired struggle as a Middle Tennessee State junior. The boom or bust pattern has followed him into the professional ranks, with a particularly forgettable 2013. On the cusp of his first big league camp, Brentz accidentally shot himself in the left leg, he said, while cleaning his handgun. The Red Sox subsequently revoked his spring training invitation. Though he led Boston minor leaguers with 19 home runs in 2013, Brentz played in just 88 games after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee that required surgery in July. Offensively, his aggressiveness and penchant to chase breaking balls led to streakiness and a .262/.313/.487 batting line at Triple-A Pawtucket. Still, he possesses considerable upside as a righthanded hitter with "rare double-plus power," according to one scout with an American League club. Brentz has regressed defensively since college, and looks increasingly like a left fielder, but there's still a chance that he could emerge as a run-producer who can bat in the lower third of the order.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #8 prospect in 2013
  Brentz topped NCAA Division I in batting (.465), home runs (28) and slugging (.930) in 2009, then went 36th overall in the next year's draft and signed for $889,200. He hit 30 homers in his first full pro season and reached Triple-A in his second. He batted .333/.385/.792 in the International League playoffs to lead Pawtucket to a championship. Brentz has the two most important tools for a right fielder, as both his power and arm grade as better than average. His bat speed and pure strength give him at least 65 raw pop on the 20-80 scouting scale. He'll always pile up strikeouts, but he has shortened his swing and used the whole field more often as he has risen through the minors. He can get out of control at times, trying to uppercut and pull pitches, and his biggest weakness is a propensity to chase breaking balls. Managers rated Brentz's outfield arm as the Eastern League's best in 2012, when he recorded 10 assists and cut down on needless throws that led to errors in the past. He's a below-average runner with average range in right. The Red Sox view Brentz as a potential solid regular in right field. After more Triple-A seasoning, he could compete for a starting job in Boston in 2014.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #5 prospect in 2012
  An Indians 30th-round pick out of high school as a pitcher, Brentz made it clear his future was as a hitter when he led NCAA Division I in batting (.465), home runs (28) and slugging (.930) as a sophomore in 2009. The 36th overall pick the next June, he signed for $889,200. He scuffled in his pro debut but rebounded in 2011, hitting 30 homers and sharing Boston's minor league offensive player of the year award with catcher Ryan Lavarnway. In a system filled with intriguing sluggers, Brentz has the most usable power. He combines explosive bat speed with pure strength, and he turned a corner when he realized his homers would come naturally. He toned down an all-or-nothing approach and used the whole field more often in 2011, though his plate discipline still has room for improvement. With fringy speed and plus arm strength, Brentz has the tools for right field. He has 21 errors in 152 pro games in right, many coming on throws he shouldn't have made. The Red Sox were looking for a righthanded bat and a right fielder this offseason. Brentz isn't ready to fill those needs yet, but he could be in mid-2013. A potential .270 hitter with 30-homer power, he's headed to Double-A.
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  Ranked Boston Red Sox #17 prospect in 2011
  The Indians made Brentz a 30th-round pick out of high school in 2007 as a pitcher, but it quickly became clear his future was as a hitter. He led NCAA Division I in hitting (.465), homers (28) and slugging (.930) as a sophomore in 2009, then followed up by batting .366 with Team USA, laying the groundwork for going 36th overall in the 2010 draft. After he signed for $889,200, the Red Sox had him try contact lenses to improve his vision. He didn't take to the lenses and eventually ditched them toward the end of a lackluster pro debut. His all-or-nothing approach also created problems. Brentz has explosive bat speed and power, but Boston is trying to settle him down at the plate. He started to use the opposite field and shorten his swing with two strikes more often toward the end of the season and in instructional league. He'll always strike out some, but the Red Sox want to find a happy medium where makes more contact and hits for a decent average without sacrificing much power. Brentz has solid-average speed and plus arm strength that should make him a good defender in right field. He'll continue to work on making adjustments at the plate this year in Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked South Atlantic League #16 prospect in 2011
  The oldest player on this list, Brentz did everything the Red Sox hoped he would during his seven-week stint at Greenville to open the season. He kept hitting following his promotion to high Class A and finished with combined .306/.365/.574 numbers and 30 homers. Brentz admitted he pressed in his pro debut last summer, and he fared better when he stopped trying to pull everything and let his bat speed and above-average raw power take over. He still needs to tighten his strike zone. A good athlete, he fits nicely in right field with his average speed, plus arm strength and solid instincts. "He hit for power, he played very good defense, his average was high," McMillon said. "Never having seen him play prior to this year, I really liked what I saw. He was ready to compete every day. He's a very good athlete and a very good player. He did well in every phase of the game."
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  Ranked Carolina League #8 prospect in 2011
  When it comes to raw power, no one in the Carolina League could match Brentz, who finished fifth in the home run race with 19 despite playing only 75 games after starting the year in low Class A. When he squares a ball up, he can hit it 425-plus feet. He just has to work on getting more pitches to square up. Brentz struggles to command the strike zone and can be induced to chase breaking balls. He did do a better job of using the whole field this year, but he has to improve his approach at the plate. If he does, he can be an average hitter with 65 power on the 20-80 scouting scale. Brentz has some athleticism and is an average runner, but he figures to slow down a step over time. He struggles at times with his routes in right field and led CL outfielders with nine errors, though he does have a plus arm.
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #13 prospect in 2010
  Brentz was a first-team All-American after hitting .465/.535/.930 with 28 homers as a sophomore at Middle Tennessee State in 2009. An ankle injury sidetracked him this spring, though he still put up solid numbers and earned an $889,200 bonus as a supplemental first-round pick. He had a miserable debut in the NY-P, in part because he had difficulty adjusting after the Red Sox asked him to wear contact lenses. Brentz has big raw tools, but he'll have to refine his all-or-nothing approach to succeed in pro ball. He needs to do a better job commanding the strike zone, laying off pitches out of the zone and not trying to pull everything out of the ballpark. He did hit better in August after scrapping the contact lenses. His exceptional bat speed gives him plus-plus raw power, and Brentz can punish fastballs both down in the zone and up. If he can become an average hitter--as some scouts believe he will in time--his game power should be above-average, at least. His plus arm, average speed and good defensive instincts give him a chance to be a quality defender in right field.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Brentz topped NCAA Division I in batting (.465), home runs (28) and slugging (.930) as a sophomore in 2009, then went 36th overall in the next year's draft and signed for $889,200. He hit 30 homers in his first full pro season and reached Triple-A in his second. He batted .333/.385/.792 in the International League playoffs to lead Pawtucket to its first championship in 28 years. Scouting Report: Brentz has the two most important tools for a right fielder, as both his power and arm grade as better than average. His bat speed and pure strength give him at least 65 raw pop on the 20-80 scouting scale. He'll always pile up strikeouts, but he has shortened his swing and used the whole field more often as he has risen through the minors. He still can get out of control at times, trying to uppercut and pull pitches, and his biggest weakness is a propensity to chase breaking balls. Managers rated Brentz's outfield arm as the Eastern League's best in 2012, when he recorded 10 assists and cut down on needless throws that led to errors in the past. He's a below-average runner with average range in right. The Future: The Red Sox view Brentz as a potential solid regular in right field. After some Triple-A seasoning, he could compete for a starting job in Boston in 2014.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: An Indians 30th-round pick out of high school as a pitcher, Brentz made it clear his future was as a hitter when he led NCAA Division I in batting (.465), home runs (28) and slugging (.930) as a sophomore in 2009. The 36th overall pick the next June, he signed for $889,200. He scuffled in his pro debut but rebounded in 2011, hitting 30 homers and sharing Boston's minor league offensive player of the year award with catcher Ryan Lavarnway. Scouting Report: In a system filled with intriguing sluggers, Brentz has the most usable power. He combines explosive bat speed with pure strength, and he turned a corner when he realized his homers would come naturally. He toned down an all-or-nothing approach and used the whole field more often in 2011, though his plate discipline still has room for improvement. With fringy speed and plus arm strength, Brentz has the tools for right field. He has 21 errors in 152 games in right, many coming on throws he shouldn't have made. The Future: The Red Sox were looking for a righthanded bat and a right fielder this offseason. Brentz isn't ready to fill those needs yet, but he could be in mid-2013. A potential .270 hitter with 30-homer power, he's headed to Double-A.