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Red Sox second-round pick Nazzan Zanetello said he aspires to be like Mookie Betts
Zanatello, seen as having "five-tool potential," said he's also been compared to another MLB All-Star.
The Red Sox lost to the Athletics 3-0 on Tuesday night. Boston will face Oakland again today in the series finale starting at 3:37 p.m.
Also on Tuesday, the Sun lost to the Mercury 72-66. Connecticut will play the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Patriots are one week away from the team’s first practice of training camp.
Nazzan Zanetello’s Mookie Betts reference: Since the decision was made to trade Mookie Betts in 2020, the Red Sox have been attempting to replace the 2018 MVP.
Of course, such a feat is nearly impossible: Betts is a singular talent who not only helped the Red Sox win a championship, but had an impact on and off the baseball diamond.
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Still, it can’t hurt if some of the team’s talented young players try to model their game after Betts (now in his fourth season with the Dodgers). One of those players is Nazzan Zanetello, who the Red Sox recently selected in the second round of the MLB Draft.
Zanatello, the 50th overall pick, is seen as a prospect with five-tool potential.
So it might not be a surprise that the 18-year-old mentioned the multitalented Betts during a recent conversation with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam during an episode of their podcast, “The Fenway Rundown.”
“I aspire to be like Mookie Betts,’’ Zanetello told Cotillo and McAdam. “He’s very versatile, very athletic, very tool-sy. He can play anywhere.”
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Listed as a shortstop, Zanatello has also “looked solid in stints in center field and should provide similar glovework if he shifts to third base,” according to MLB.com’s scouting report.
During his interview, Zanatello also mentioned Phillies shortstop Trea Turner as a player he’s been compared with.
“Just the speed, bat skills, where I can play in the field. Trea Turner is very, very versatile. He can play center and short, so just kind of all around.”
Considering that Boston has several other potential shortstops in its system — including top prospect Marcelo Mayer — it seems to bode well that Zanatello is emphasizing his versatility.
Trivia: Mookie Betts was a fifth-round pick by the Red Sox in 2011. Can you name the No. 1 overall pick from that year?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Now a member of the Yankees, he began his career with the Pirates (and also pitched for the Astros).
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Ceddanne Rafaela with yet another home run: The 22-year-old, the second-ranked prospect in the Red Sox system, is hitting .270 with five home runs (and an .880 OPS) since being promoted from Double-A.
Dalvin Cook destinations: The AFC East has several teams in the mix for the free agent running back.
On this day: In 1909, the Red Sox split a doubleheader with the Cleveland Naps. Cy Young defeated Boston in the first game, pitching a complete game and allowing just one run in a 6-1 win. The game was notable for what happened in the second inning.
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After Boston led off with a pair of singles, second baseman Amby McConnell ripped what appeared to be a run-scoring base hit. But Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball, thinking quickly, not only made the catch but stepped on second base for a second out and then tagged Red Sox first baseman Jake Stahl as he ran towards second (not realizing the ball had been caught).
In doing so, Ball turned the first unassisted triple play in MLB history. In a matter of seconds, the Red Sox went from a threatening situation against Young (formerly a Boston pitcher) to awkwardly taking the field for the bottom of the inning.
The Red Sox found a measure of revenge in the second game, when — as The Boston Globe’s recap of the game noted — Cleveland “went entirely to pieces” in the second and third innings. A “comedy of errors” led to a combined seven Red Sox runs, and Boston emerged with an 8-2 win.
Daily highlight: Speaking of impressive defense, Cole Tucker helped the Albuquerque Isotopes defeat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 8-3 by not only robbing the home run with his catch at the wall, but also completing the double play with a quick (and accurate) throw.
Trivia answer: Gerrit Cole
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