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Homegrown Talent Driving Red Sox Offense

By Johnny Carey, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- The 2016 Boston Red Sox have the third-highest payroll in baseball at just over $200 million. For that reason, the organization sometimes isn't given tremendous credit for its monumental success building through scouting and player development in the minor leagues.

Yet more than a month into the season, the Red Sox are in a tie for first place and the reason for that success has been an unstoppable lineup. Boston is tied with the Chicago Cubs for most runs in the majors, while leading the league in hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.

But that isn't because of big-money free agent signings. The lineup that's producing at the top of the league is made up predominantly of homegrown talent.

Of the nine players considered primary starters for the Red Sox, seven are homegrown. Mookie Betts, Dusin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez, Travis Shaw, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Christian Vazquez are all players who were either drafted by the team or signed as amateur free agents in their teens.

The only non-homegrown starters are David Ortiz, who has been with the team since 2003, and Brock Holt, who still spent the large majority of his first season in the Red Sox organization playing in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Here's a quick breakdown of how the Red Sox have crafted their explosive, homegrown lineup (in batting order):

1. Mookie Betts (.255, 5 HR, 21 RBI - 1 year/$566k)

Betts was selected out of high school in the fifth round of the 2011 draft by the Red Sox. He notably raced up the minor league ladder, propelling himself from Single-A ball in 2013 all the way to the major leagues in 2014. While he's been streaky at the plate this season, Betts is considered one of MLB's rising stars.

2. Dustin Pedroia (.306, 6 HR, 20 RBI - 6 years/$85 million)

Pedroia was taken in the second round of the 2004 draft. A Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP Award, four All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves and two World Series titles have made him one of the most beloved Red Sox ever. He's only 32, and is proving this season that when healthy, he's still one of the best second basemen in the game.

3. Xander Bogaerts (.328, 2 HR, 15 RBI - 1 year/$651 k)

Bogaerts was signed by the Red Sox as an amateur free agent at 16 years old. He came up as part of the 2013 World Series team, but really broke out last season. The 23-year-old has continued to improve in 2016 both offensively and defensively, giving the team its first great shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra. Young shortstop talent is incredibly hard to develop, but Bogaerts has been everything and more than the team could have hoped.

5. Hanley Ramirez (.297, 4 HR, 21 RBI - 4 years/$88 million)

You could nitpick and say that Hanley isn't an example of Boston's homegrown talent because he was signed as an expensive free agent. But the fact of the matter is that Ramirez was originally signed as an amateur free agent all the way back in 2000, before spending parts of five seasons in the Red Sox minor league system. After being traded to the Marlins prior to the 2006 season, the only time Hanley spent in the minor leagues came during rehab assignments. He was developed by the Red Sox, and is now back where he started.

6. Travis Shaw (.323, 4 HR, 23 RBI - 1 year/$515 k)

Shaw was never viewed as a big-time prospect within the Red Sox organization. Drafted in the 32nd round of the 2008 draft, Shaw was asked to switch from third base to first base in order to accommodate more highly touted prospects. Thanks to a promising second half of 2015 and a strong start this year, however, Shaw has taken hold of the same position he was asked to move away from, and has solidified himself ahead of $95 million man Pablo Sandoval.

8. Christian Vazquez (.241, 1 HR, 2 RBI - 1 year/$513 k)

Vazquez was a ninth-round selection in the 2008 draft. Known for his incredible arm and glove, he is expected to be the Red Sox catcher for years to come. While his bat is still a work in progress, he's undoubtedly had a positive impact behind the plate. He came up to take over for another homegrown catcher, Blake Swihart (who was hitting .278). Swihart is now in Triple-A learning to play the outfield, before he inevitably re-joins the major league roster.

9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (.322, 6 HR, 28 RBI - 1 year/$547 k)

JBJ was the team's first-round pick in the 2011 draft. A top prospect throughout his entire minor league career, Bradley Jr. was expected to come up in 2013 and immediately add a big bat as well as a superb glove to the lineup. He struggled at the plate over the years that followed, but in 2016, he seems to have figured it out. Bradley has been a revelation this season, and is finally living up to his high expectations.

What to get out of all of this is that while the Red Sox haven't exactly hit on all of their big-money signings over the past few years, the organization (largely Theo Epstein in these cases, with a nod to then-assistant Ben Cherington) has still been very good at identifying, acquiring and developing young hitting talent. That's an aspect of the franchise that has benefited the team in the past, and should continue to be a big influence upon future success (according to SoxProspects.com, four of the team's five top prospects are position players).

So the next time someone tells you the Red Sox are only winning because of their deep pockets, remind them of how the team's red-hot lineup was constructed.

Johnny Carey is a senior at Boston College. You can find him on Twitter@JohnnyCarey94.

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