Six weeks into his first full professional season, it appears as though Red Sox catching prospect Luke Heyman may be ready for a new challenge.
Heyman, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Mariners for reliever Alex Hoppe in November, has been on an offensive tear as of late for Low-A Salem. In five games at home against Delmarva last week, for instance, the right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 7-for-16 (.438) with one double, three home runs, seven RBIs, five runs scored, six walks, and three strikeouts.
Following a slow start, Heyman is now slashing .244/.395/.489 with four doubles, six home runs, 18 RBIs, 15 runs scored, 22 walks, and 25 strikeouts through 26 games (114 plate appearances) for Salem this season. That includes a .254/.386/.522 line in 83 plate appearances against righties and a .217/.419/.391 line in 31 plate appearances against lefties.
Among 82 qualified hitters in the Carolina League, Heyman ranks eighth in isolated power (.244), ninth in walk rate (19.3%), 17th in slugging percentage, 18th in OPS (.884) and wOBA (.409), 20th in wRC+ (133), 24th in on-base percentage, 27th in strikeout rate (21.9%), and 31st in swinging-strike rate (11%), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Heyman has unsurprisingly seen the lion’s share of his playing time this year come at catcher. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound backstop has logged a team-leading 150 innings behind the plate for Salem so far, allowing four passed balls while throwing out 12 of 41 would-be base stealers. He has also made nine starts at DH and has prior collegiate experience at first base.
Heyman was selected by the Mariners in the 14th round of the 2025 draft out of Florida, where he earned First Team All-SEC honors despite suffering a fractured forearm in May that cut his junior season short. The former Gator received a $230,000 signing bonus — well above the $150,000 slot value for the 422nd overall pick — but did not appear in a game for a Seattle affiliate while rehabbing before being traded to the Red Sox in November.
Heyman, who turns 23 in July, entered the 2026 season ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 28 prospect. Given how he has performed with Salem in recent weeks, one would think a move up the rankings — as well as a promotion to High-A Greenville — could soon be in the works.
(Picture of Luke Heyman: Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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