Where Red Sox's Top 30 prospects are starting season

April 4th, 2018
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      With the 2018 season getting started, here's a look at where the Red Sox's Top 30 prospects are starting the season:
      1. (MLB No. 80), 3B -- Portland Sea Dogs (AA) -- DL
      2. Jay Groome (MLB No. 85), LHP -- Greenville Drive (A) -- DL
      3. Tanner Houck, RHP -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      4. Bryan Mata, RHP -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      5. , 1B -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      6. Cole Brannen, OF -- Greenville Drive (A)
      7. Darwinzon Hernandez, LHP -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      8. Alex Scherff, RHP -- Greenville Drive (A)
      9. Mike Shawaryn, RHP -- Portland Sea Dogs (AA)
      10. C.J. Chatham, SS -- Greenville Drive (A)
      11. Josh Ockimey, 1B -- Portland Sea Dogs (AA) -- DL
      12. Bobby Dalbec, 3B -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      13. Jake Thompson, RHP -- Greenville Drive (A)
      14. Danny Diaz, 3B -- Extended spring training -- Dominican Republic
      15. , LHP -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      16. Travis Lakins, RHP -- Portland Sea Dogs (AA) -- DL
      17. Antoni Flores, SS -- Extended spring training -- Dominican Republic
      18. Pedro Castellanos, 1B -- Greenville Drive (A)
      19. Brett Netzer, 2B -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      20. Tyler Esplin, OF -- Extended spring training
      21. , RHP -- Boston Red Sox (MLB) -- DL
      22. Roniel Raudes, RHP -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      23. , LHP -- Boston Red Sox (MLB)
      24. , INF/OF -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      25. Chad de la Guerra, SS/2B -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      26. , RHP -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      27. Wiliams Jerez, LHP -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      28. Joan Martinez, RHP -- Salem Red Sox (A Adv)
      29. , RHP -- Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
      30. Jhonathan Diaz, LHP -- Greenville Drive (A)
      Red Sox prospect coverage | Red Sox Top 30 prospects stats
      Team to watch
      High Class A Salem is led by three of the four best pitching prospects in the Red Sox's system: 2017 first-rounder Houck, fellow right-hander Mata and hard-throwing left-hander Hernandez. The best hitter on that roster is Dalbec, who has light-tower power but had his first full pro season in '17 marred by a hamate injury.
      Where baseball's top prospects are starting the 2018 season
      Teams on MiLB.TV
      Pawtucket Red Sox
      Portland Sea Dogs
      Salem Red Sox
      Greenville Drive
      New faces
      After signing Scherff for a well above slot $700,000 as a fifth-rounder last summer, the Red Sox had him concentrate on strengthening his shoulder rather than make his pro debut. He's now a member of low Class A Greenville's rotation. Diaz and Flores, Venezuelans who signed for seven-figure bonuses last July, will make their pro debuts this summer in Rookie-ball.
      On the shelf
      Both of Boston's Top 100 Prospects will miss the beginning of the season. Chavis is on the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs disabled list after straining an oblique in February and should return to action soon. Groome is on the Greenville DL with a flexor strain and will begin throwing again in the near future. Ockimey (hamstring) and Lakins (elbow) join Chavis on the Portland DL. Righty Austin Maddox opened the season on the big league disabled list with a shoulder strain.

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      Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow @jimcallisMLB on Twitter. Listen to him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast.