When the Boston Red Sox invited their minor league standouts to Fenway Park last September for a brief pregame ceremony, Sam Travis soaked in the experience.
Waiting for the ceremony, Travis, 22, stood on the grass in foul territory and looked out on the famous Fenway grounds, including the Green Monster and the Citgo sign in the background.
“When I’m on this field,” Travis said, “it makes it all worth it.
“I hope to be here (to stay) soon.”
While Portland Sea Dogs followers may selfishly say, ‘What’s the rush?’ there is speculation that Travis, a first baseman drafted in 2014, could be on a fast track to the major leagues.
The focus this spring is at first base, where Hanley Ramirez is learning the position. Then there’s Travis Shaw trying to force his way into the lineup, at first and third.
So why rush Travis?
Because he could be that good.
“He’s the guy you may see soon in the big leagues,” said Carlos Febles, the new manager of the Sea Dogs. “And once he’s there, he’s not coming back down.”
Febles managed Travis last year in advanced Class A Salem, where Travis batted .313 with five home runs in 66 games. He had a .378 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage (for an .845 OPS).
“He’s a gamer. He hates to lose,” Febles said. “And he works hard. He is such a good hitter.
“His approach is one of the best I’ve seen in the minor leagues in years. He’s strong and has a good, good swing.”
Travis left Salem in June and landed in Double-A Portland. The hits just kept coming – .300 average and four home runs in 65 games, with a .384 on-base percentage and an .821 OPS.
“He has the talent, but the main thing is his heart,” Febles said. “He will run through walls for you.”
Travis’ never-quit approach reminds some of Kevin Youkilis, another former Sea Dogs player who spent time as a first baseman at Fenway.
The Youkilis comparison is noteworthy. Originally a third baseman, Youkilis’ move to first base was considered a gamble because he did not display the power of a typical first baseman. When Youkilis was in Portland at the age of 24 in 2003, he batted .327 with a .952 OPS over 94 games, but with only six home runs.
The power eventually came for Youkilis and he averaged 20 home runs over six full major league seasons for Boston. So the case can be made with Travis, who hit only nine home runs last year, that the power will come.
Youkilis played 44 games with the Sea Dogs in 2002 – for a total of 138 in Double-A. The Red Sox are not as patient with prospects these days.
When Jacoby Ellsbury was 22, he finished the 2006 season with 50 games for the Sea Dogs, batting .308 with an .821 OPS. Boston sent him back to Portland in 2007. Ellsbury did not stay long, batting .452 with a 1.162 OPS in 17 games.
But the point is that Ellsbury had to return to Double-A and prove himself (which he certainly did).
Jackie Bradley Jr. was 22 when he finished 2012 in Portland, batting .271 with an .809 OPS over 61 games. Sea Dogs fans hoped to see more of Bradley in 2013, but he had a great spring training and was rushed, starting the season with Boston.
Bradley has struggled over most of the past three seasons – finally showing his potential in parts of last year. It could be argued that the struggles were a result of Boston not being patient enough.
The same can be said for Garin Cecchini. Cecchini was 22 when he finished 2013 with a strong showing in Portland – .296 with an .825 OPS over 66 games. He never came back to Portland, but Cecchini nosedived in Pawtucket the past two seasons and was let go.
This brings us to Travis, who was named the Red Sox minor league offensive player of the year for 2015.
Travis shined in the Arizona Fall League (.344 average, .899 OPS in 23 games) and has played five spring training games (including the Boston College game), going 3 for 8 with three doubles. He was 0 for 3 Saturday against the Yankees.
Do the Red Sox rush him?
“I don’t know if there is an exact formula for every player,” said Ben Crockett, Boston’s director of development. “Sam certainly performed well in multiple stops last year, and in the fall league. There are a lot of times where spring training plays into it.”
And despite the presence of Ramirez and Shaw, you can tell the Red Sox like what they have in Travis.
“Sam is a grinding type of player. He loves to be out there. He’s kind of a throwback in a lot of ways, with a hard-nosed approach to the game,” Crockett said.
“He’s got impressive ability at the plate. He can hit the ball to all fields. He can hit the ball to the gaps, and he’s made a lot of improvements defensively at first.”
Those of us who saw Travis in Portland are thrilled with his progress. And while we would like to warn the Red Sox about rushing him, our motivation is mostly selfish. We want to see Travis running through walls for a few more games at Hadlock Field.
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