The top of my list includes:
> **Can Ryan Lavarnway Catch:** Ryan Lavarnway has been a favorite of ours here at Over the Monster. The Yale product did not start catching until he was in college and has been dogged by questions about his ability to stick at the position since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. This season he made enormous strides behind the plate, being named the best defensive catcher in the International League by AAA coaches. Even with that honor on his resume, Red Sox fans have gotten a look at some of the challenges he faces as he transitions to the role of a big league catcher since his call up at the start of August
and one of my favorite players to watch:
> Che-Hsuan Lin is a 23 year old from Twain prospect who brings elite defensive ability, excellent speed and a very patient approach at the plate to the table. All of that would make Lin an extremely intriguing player if he had some ability to drive the ball. Lin has struggled to produce reasonable batting averages at the AAA level thus far. In two seasons at that level and almost 800 plate appearances Lin has just a .241/.325/.304 line. He does square the ball up well and he has virtually no power in his swing. However, he makes a great deal of sense for the 2013 as the fifth outfielder and top pinch running and defensive replacement option. Even with his poor hitting skills, his strike zone judgment helps him get on base and once there, he is an excellent runner stealing 145 bases in six minor league seasons while getting caught just 45 times. For a team that has gotten away from the grinding, patient approach that brought the Red Sox their greatest successes, Lin is certainly worth a look and deserves some consideration for the final bench spot.
Seeing Lin live is incredible. He gets to balls that you would think no one has a prayer of reaching. I hope he can prove he has enough of a bat to get him in the lineup.