This will be short and sweet because I think most people have been able to see the potential in Jacoby Ellsbury, but I wanted to make a few comments and give you a few comparable players. In some ways Ellsbury came as a surprise, bursting onto the scene just as the Red Sox were making their way towards another World Series title, but if you take a look at his minor league numbers his success is almost expected. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if he would come out of the gates putting up the solid numbers or just getting by, but sometimes a prospects initial response to being called up is hard to predict. He probably won’t sustain the batting average he had in ’07, but I think he’ll be very productive in the Red Sox line-up and Red Sox will soon forget Johnny Damon, if they haven’t already.

Some of Ellsbury’s comparable came as a bit of a surprise for me, but I think Red Sox fans will be happy about them.

Reyes obviously went through the minors at a younger age, but with an adjustment for that age difference I think their numbers come out to be very similar. The only big differences I see are that Reyes showed a little more power, while Ellsbury showed better plate discipline.

AVG OBP SLG OPS HR SB
.290 .360 .445 .805 15 45
Even though he won’t stay on the pace he set for himself in 2007, I think 2008 will still be a very good year for Ellsbury. I wouldn’t advise buying any of his cards for investment purposes, but if you want a few for a personal collection then just wait until some of the hype dies down and you should be able to pick up a few at a decent price.
That’s nice. He still plays for Boston.
I like Ellsbury alright, but I think the power potential just isn’t there so he may never be anything more than a .300/.380/.400 type player even in his peak. He’s what I’d call a good supporting player on a championship team but not a difference maker all on his own.
Thanks for the comment, Alan.
I think some people got a little to excited about his post season play. I remember Leyritz hit like 5 home runs one post season series but that didn’t mean he went on to hit 30-40 a year…..ever.