Many heads turned Thursday when the Boston Red Sox acquired National League All-Star pitcher Drew Pomeranz from San Diego, but the Padres may have received the better end of the deal.
Anderson Espinoza, the prospect Boston traded for Pomeranz, has already been compared to Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez.
Goose Gregson, the pitching coordinator for the Red Sox, said Espinoza shares the same personality traits as Martinez, the same determination.
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“This kid wants to be the best at everything he does that’s baseball related," Gregson said via the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Pedro Martinez was the exact same way,” said Gregson. “Pedro had intangibles that this kid has in the sense that the confidence factor, Pedro Martinez knew when he was a young kid, he knew he was good, he knew he was going to be good, and he used to tell me all the time, ‘Because I know I’m good and I think I’m going to be good, I will outwork everyone else who is out there.’ This kid is the same way."
Espinoza, 18, is ranked as the 15th best MLB prospect by Baseball America. His fastball was clocked at speeds as high as 97 mph during spring training and was consistently recorded between 94-96 mph. He also has a devastating 76 mph curveball.
Though his numbers in Class A haven't matched his lofty comparison (5-8 with a 4.38 ERA this season in 76 innings pitched), it's clear the talent is there.