Future Red Sox Coming to Town

The season is winding down and the Fisher Cats are in the hunt for the Eastern Division Wild Card playoff berth. On Monday, one of the teams chasing the Fisher Cats comes to town for the final homestand of the season. The Future Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs, trail third-place New Hampshire by 2.0 games. The Fisher Cats enter the weekend trailing Wild Card-leading Trenton by 3.0 games. 

When the Future Sox arrive on Monday, they'll have several Red Sox prospects that are not only thinking playoffs in 2013, but in future years with the Red Sox in Boston. Below is a list of some of the big names you'll see at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium next week.

• 3B Garin Cecchini is a .315 hitter with a .415 OBP in his three-year pro career. He needs to develop his power before too much longer, but his skill with the bat, his defense, and throwing arm already have him challenging for a future role at third base with Will Middlebrooks and Bogaerts. Still just 22, the Red Sox 4^th-round pick in 2010 is their 7^th-ranked prospect.
• LHP Henry Owens has cruised into Double-A at the ripe young age of 21. He's been a high strikeout pitcher everywhere he's been, including his first stop at Class A Salem this year. A first-round pick two years ago, Owens is Boston's fourth-ranked prospect and is scheduled to face the Fisher Cats for the first time on Tuesday night.
• C Christian Vazquez is known more for his work behind the plate than his work at it, but he is on pace for career highs in average, OBP, and walks this season, and has more free passes than strikeouts. But the defense is still top notch, throwing out 46% of base stealers this season. The ninth-round pick in the 2008 draft is expected to hit the big leagues next year.
• RHP Matt Barnes has struggled this year with his won-lost record (5-9) and ERA (4.41), but is still racking up the strikeouts (132 in 104.0 innings). The UConn product stands at 6'4" and 205 pounds, and is still only 23 years old. The first-round pick in 2011 is expected to be in the majors next year, and could be a regular in the rotation by the 2015 season. Barnes is on track to pitch against the Fisher Cats on Wednesday night.
• RHP Keith Couch began the year in the Portland bullpen, but since moving to the rotation, has posted a 7-1 record with a 2.96 ERA, and has 21 wins over his last two seasons. The Red Sox 13^th-round draft pick in 2010 is also young at 23 years old and is beginning to make himself into a prospect.

Tickets are available by visiting www.nhfishercats.com, stopping by the box office at the ballpark, or by calling (603) 641-2005. For more information on the above events, please contact Tom Gauthier at [email protected].