Brendan Campbell

Red Sox prospect Blake Wehunt named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the week for the week of June 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt dazzled for Double-A Portland in Sunday’s series finale against Hartford on the road. Pitching for the first time in 12 days, the 25-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out eight over six scoreless innings at Dunkin’ Park. He retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced on 71 pitches (50 strikes), generating seven whiffs and topping out at 95.5 mph with his fastball as the Sea Dogs blanked the Yard Goats, 6-0.

Following a rough 2026 debut in which he was tagged for three runs in one-third of an inning, Wehunt went on the 7-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on April 4. Since returning to the mound on April 22, the righty has forged a 3.16 ERA with 57 strikeouts to 11 walks over his last 10 starts (42 2/3 innings) for Portland.

Altogether, Wehunt owns a 3.77 ERA with 57 strikeouts to 12 walks through 11 starts (43 innings) for the Sea Dogs this season. He has held opponents to a .245/.301/.387 clip. That consists of a .295/.368/.436 line against left-handed hitters and a .200/.236/.341 line against right-handed hitters.

Among the 55 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the Eastern League this year, Wehunt ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine (11.93), strikeout rate (32.4%), and xFIP (3.27), 10th in FIP (3.65), walks per nine (2.51) and WHIP (1.21), 11th in walk rate (6.8%), 13th in ERA, and 20th in groundball rate (45.2%), according to FanGraphs.

A Georgia native who grew up working on his family’s chicken farm, Wehunt was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (268th overall) of the 2023 draft out of Kennesaw State. He received a below-slot $100,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut that August before moving up from Low-A to High-A to Double-A as part of a strong 2024 campaign. Last season, he was tested and limited to just 63 1/3 innings with Portland due to a lat strain.

Wehunt is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 26 prospect, placing 14th among pitchers in the organization. In addition to a mid-90s fastball that can reach 97 mph, the 6-foot-7, 240-pound hurler features an 89-91 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph sweeper, and an 85-87 mph splitter.

Given how he has fared with Portland as of late, it would not be surprising to see Wehunt — who turns 26 in November — earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future. That possibility is worth noting since he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox prospects Dylan Brown, Antonio Anderson named South Atlantic League Pitcher and Player of the Week

Red Sox prospects Dylan Brown and Antonio Anderson have been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher and Player of the Week for the week of June 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Brown put together a dominant start for High-A Greenville last Wednesday. Going up against Asheville at Fluor Field, the 22-year-old left-hander allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out a career-high of 11 over a career-high seven scoreless innings. He threw 75 pitches (53 strikes), topping out at 93.4 mph with his fastball and generating 19 whiffs as the Drive blanked the Tourists, 5-0.

In seven outings (six starts) since being promoted from Low-A Salem in early May, Brown has posted a 4.05 ERA with 49 strikeouts to 11 walks over 33 1/3 innings for Greenville. While opponents in the South Atlantic League are hitting .276 against him, that figure is inflated by a .442 batting average on balls in play.

Overall, Brown owns a 3.34 ERA with an organizational-leading 81 strikeouts to 24 walks through 12 outings (11 starts) spanning 56 2/3 innings between Salem and Greenville this season. The lefty has limited opposing hitters to a .238/.352/.331 clip. In a case of reverse splits, that includes a .299/.405/.373 line against left-handed hitters and a .210/.294/.259 line against right-handed hitters.

Brown, who just turned 22 on Saturday, was selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round (238th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Old Dominion. The Pennsylvania native received an at-slot $229,000 signing bonus but did not make his professional debut until this April. Since then, he has moved into Baseball America’s top 30 Red Sox prospects list and is now ranked as the organization’s No. 28 prospect.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Brown operates with a wide-ranging pitch mix that includes a 91-94 mph two- and four-seam fastball combination that can reach 95 mph, an 88-89 mph cutter, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 82-84 mph changeup.

Anderson, meanwhile, put together a strong series at the plate for Greenville. Appearing in all six games against Asheville, the switch-hitting 21-year-old went 11-for-22 (.500) with two doubles, three home runs, six RBIs, five runs scored, two walks, and four strikeouts. He homered in three straight games (June 25-27), finished a triple shy of the cycle on Saturday, and saw a seven-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday, though he still scored a run.

After a slow start, Anderson has picked things up in recent weeks. Since June 1, for instance, he is slashing a stout .350/.422/.650 over his last 11 games (45 plate appearances). Altogether, he is batting .236/.342/.390 with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 18 RBIs, 20 runs scored, one stolen base, 19 walks, and 35 strikeouts through 37 games (146 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. That includes a .200/.286/.400 line against lefties and a .245/.356/.388 line against righties.

Defensively, Anderson has seen most of his playing time this year come at first base, where he has committed four errors in 207 chances across 26 starts. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has also made eight starts at shortstop (where he has committed four additional errors) and one start at DH. He has prior experience at shortstop, though he has not logged any innings there since 2024.

Anderson, who just turned 21 on Sunday, was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2023 draft out of North Atlanta High School. He forwent his commitment to Georgia Tech and went pro by signing with Boston for an over-slot $1.5 million. Coming into 2024, he was ranked by Baseball America as the organization’s No. 22 prospect. Since then, however, he has dropped out of the rankings entirely, having become something of a forgotten prospect before this recent stretch.

Brown and Anderson are the first Red Sox prospects to earn South Atlantic League Pitcher or Player of the Week honors for Greenville this season, with each taking home their first career minor league award as well.

(Picture of Dylan Brown: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox prospect Josue Brito named FCL Player of the Week

Red Sox first base/outfield prospect Josue Brito has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of June 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Brito appeared in five games for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last week, going 9-for-18 (.500) at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and four strikeouts. Both homers came in Thursday’s 10-8 loss to the FCL Orioles at JetBlue Park, leaving his bat at 103.4 and 105.4 mph, respectively.

Through 32 games in the Florida Complex League this season, his first in the United States, Brito is batting a stout .303/.450/.606 with 10 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 24 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 23 walks, and 27 strikeouts over 131 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 19-year-old has posted a .389/.478/.611 line against lefties and a .284/.444/.605 line against righties so far.

Among 78 qualified FCL hitters, Brito ranks third in OPS (1.056), fourth in isolated power (.303), slugging percentage, eighth in on-base percentage, 14th in batting average, 19th in walk rate (17.6%), and 24th in strikeout rate (20.6%), according to MiLB.com’s statistical leaderboards.

Defensively, Brito has seen most of his playing time this season come in right field, where he has committed two errors and recorded five assists in 33 chances over 21 starts. The 6-foot, 225-pounder has also made three error-free starts in left field and at first base, along with five starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Brito originally signed with the Red Sox for $20,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter before repeating the level last season, slashing .284/.487/.606 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs en route to being named the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Brito, who turned 19 in April, entered 2026 ranked outside Baseball America’s top 30 Red Sox prospects list at No. 40. The outlet noted that Brito’s “underlying data and performance in 2025 was quite good,” citing his standout exit velocities and hit tool data as reasons why.

With Monday’s recognition, Brito becomes the third Red Sox prospect to earn FCL Player of the Week honors this season, joining catcher Franklin Primera and infielder Louis Andujar. Both Primera and Andujar have since received promotions to Low-A Salem, and it would not be surprising to see Brito follow suit before long.

(Picture of Josue Brito: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote catching prospect Franklin Primera to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox are promoting teenage catching prospect Franklin Primera from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, as was first reported by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.

Primera, who turned 19 earlier this month, lit up the Florida Complex League to begin his first season stateside. The right-handed hitter batted .427/.549/.718 with six doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBIs, 30 runs scored, four stolen bases, 22 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 32 games (134 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox. He slashed .250/.478/.250 in 24 plate appearances against lefties and .460/.564/.805 in 110 plate appearances against righties.

Among 73 qualified hitters in the FCL entering play this week, Primera leads in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.267), wOBA (.571), and wRC+ (202). He also ranks second in strikeout rate (9.7%), sixth in isolated power (.291), seventh in swinging-strike rate (7.6%), and 24th in walk rate (16.4%), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Primera saw most of his playing time in the FCL at catcher. Primarily splitting reps with Jorge Rodriguez, the 6-foot, 230-pound backstop allowed five passed balls and threw out 17 of 101 would-be base stealers in 23 starts behind the plate. He also made eight starts at first base, marking his first exposure there as a professional, and one start at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Primera originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an unheralded international free agent in September 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June, emerging as a 2025 DSL All-Star and All-Star Game Co-MVP after hitting a crucial home run for his first (unofficial) round-tripper as a pro.

Thanks to his hot start out of the gate in 2026, Primera is now ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s top catching prospect and No. 19 overall prospect. Evaluators have been impressed by his approach at the plate, his ability to impact the baseball, and his defensive capabilities.

As he prepares for his first taste of full-season ball, Primera is slated to join a Salem catching group that currently includes the likes of Kleyver Salazar, Andonys Guzman, and Andruw Musett. The RidgeYaks are on the road for the next two weeks and open a six-game series against the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday.

(Picture of Franklin Primera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How former Red Sox prospect Zach Ehrhard is faring with Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate

After writing about James Tibbs III last week, it feels like it would be a missed opportunity to not take note of the season Zach Ehrhard — the other outfield prospect the Red Sox traded to the Dodgers for Dustin May last July — is having so far.

Like Tibbs, Ehrhard received his first non-roster invite to major league spring training before breaking camp with Triple-A Oklahoma City in late March. In his inaugural taste of the minors’ highest level, the 23-year-old initially got off to a slow start at the plate with the Comets, batting .229/.307/.356 with two home runs and 22 RBIs over his first 35 games (163 plate appearances) through May 12.

On May 13, Ehrhard snapped a 22-game homerless drought with a solo shot against Albuquerque. That appears to have been a turning point. Including that contest, the right-handed hitter is slashing a stout .359/.490/.675 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs across his last 32 games (147 plate appearances). Three multi-homer outings are mixed in there as well.

In all, Ehrhard is hitting .288/.394/.490 with 17 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 51 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 45 walks, and 64 strikeouts through 67 games (310 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City this season. He has posted a .262/.365/.396 line in 222 plate appearances against righties and a .357/.466/.743 line in 88 plate appearances against lefties.

Among 60 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League entering play this week, Ehrhard ranks ninth in wRC+ (125), 13th in swinging-strike rate (7.2%), 14th in walk rate (14.5%), 16th in isolated power (.202), 17th in on-base percentage, 18th in OPS (.884) and wOBA (.396), 21st in batting average and slugging percentage, 28th in strikeout rate (20.6%), and 29th in line-drive rate (24.9%), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Ehrhard has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Oklahoma City. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has made 31 starts in center, 17 starts in left, and 15 starts in right, recording seven assists and committing three errors in 134 total chances. He has also made three starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was drafted by the Red Sox in the 13th round out of high school in 2021 but did not sign. Three years later, he was again drafted by the Red Sox, this time as a fourth-round selection (115th overall pick) out of Oklahoma State. He received a below-slot $500,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut at High-A Greenville in July 2024, then worked his way up to Double-A Portland last May. There, he had the chance to play with his older brother, Drew, before being dealt to the Dodgers for May alongside Tibbs in the moments leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

In a similar fashion to Tibbs, Ehrhard ended his 2025 season on a high note with Double-A Tulsa and has seemingly taken advantage of the Dodgers’ player development program to elevate his profile. He is currently ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 21 prospect by Baseball America, which describes him as “the kind of player who does just enough right to carve out a big league career.”

With that, it would not come as a shock to see Ehrhard — who does not turn 24 until January — get his first crack at the majors in the near future. Whether that opportunity comes with the Dodgers or another club following this summer’s Aug. 3 trade deadline remains to be seen.

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

How Red Sox pitching prospect Gage Ziehl is faring with Double-A Portland

After a rocky start to his first season in the organization, Red Sox pitching prospect Gage Ziehl appears to be settling in with Double-A Portland.

Ziehl showed as much in his latest start for Portland this past Friday night by striking out seven consecutive batters at one point. Going up against Somerset at Hadlock Field, the 23-year-old right-hander retired seven straight Patriots hitters via strikeout from the first inning through the middle of the third.

The streak ended when Somerset’s Garrett Martin grounded out to lead off the fourth, leaving Ziehl one shy of the Sea Dogs’ franchise record of eight consecutive strikeouts set by Clay Buchholz in 2007.

In all, Ziehl struck out a career-high of nine without issuing a walk over five solid innings in which he allowed two earned runs on four hits. The righty threw 76 pitches (54 strikes), generating 12 whiffs and topping out at 94.5 mph with his fastball. He also picked up the winning decision as the Sea Dogs defeated the Patriots by a final score of 6-2.

Following Friday’s performance, Ziehl is now 3-2 with a 4.56 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 61:10 through 11 starts (53 1/3 innings) for Portland this season. Dating back to May 24, however, he has forged a 2.55 ERA with 30 strikeouts to seven walks across his last five outings and 24 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting just .207 against him in that stretch.

Among the 37 pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings in the Eastern League this year, Ziehl owns the best walks-per-nine mark (1.69) and walk rate (4.3%). He also ranks third in xFIP (3.43), seventh in groundball rate (52.3%), 10th in FIP (4.14), strikeouts per nine (10.29), and strikeout rate (26.4%), and 14th in WHIP (1.33), according to FanGraphs.

Ziehl, who turned 23 last month, was acquired by the Red Sox in February as part of a trade with the White Sox that sent fellow righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and cash to Chicago. Boston also received a player to be named later in the deal.

That marked the second time that Ziehl, a former fourth-round draft pick of the Yankees out of the University of Miami in 2024, had been traded since beginning his professional career. New York sent him to Chicago in exchange for veteran outfielder Austin Slater last July.

Now on his third organization, Ziehl is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 20 prospect, ranking 11th among pitchers in the system. In addition to boasting a strong command profile and a mid-90s fastball, the 6-foot, 223-pound hurler features an 88-91 mph cutter, an 83-87 mph sweeper, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

Barring another trade between now and the August 3 deadline, it would not be all that surprising to see Ziehl work his way up to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the season. He could strengthen his case for such a promotion if he continues pitching the way he has as of late.

(Picture of Gage Ziehl courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox promote Newton native, power-hitting prospect Jack Winnay to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted corner infield prospect Jack Winnay from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com.

Winnay, who turned 23 earlier this month, is in his first full professional season. The Newton, Mass. native (and Belmont Hill alumnus) was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (388th overall) of the 2025 draft out of Wake Forest. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus and debuted at Low-A Salem last August, batting .321/.393/.434 with one home run and 11 RBIs in a limited 15-game sample.

After integrating himself with the Red Sox player development program over the winter, Winnay entered his first spring training with little fanfare and broke camp with Greenville as an unranked prospect. The right-handed hitter struggled out of the gate, slashing just .184/.382/.250 with one home run and nine RBIs in his first 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the Drive through May 3. From there, however, he began to turn a corner offensively — particularly in the power department — and hit .304/.470/.598 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs across his next 33 games (149 plate appearances) before being promoted late Sunday.

Overall, Winnay batted a respectable .255/.434/.457 with five doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 53 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 56 games (251 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2026 season. He posted a .364/.475/.788 clip in 40 plate appearances against lefties and a .232/.427/.387 clip in 211 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 80 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League, Winnay ranks second in walk rate (21.1%), fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in wOBA (.413), ninth in wRC+ (136), 12th in swinging-strike rate (8.9%), 14th in OPS (.891), 22nd in strikeout rate (20.3%), 27th in isolated power (.202), 28th in slugging percentage, and 35th in batting average, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Winnay primarily split his playing time with Greenville between the two corner infield positions. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder made a team-leading 40 starts at third base, committing 12 errors in 94 chances, and 14 error-free starts at first base. He also made one start at DH and has prior experience in the outfield.

Thanks to his recent hot stretch at the plate, Winnay is now regarded as Boston’s No. 40 prospect by SoxProspects.com. He is not yet ranked by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, but that may not be too far behind, given the amount of attention he has received as of late.

Winnay joins third-round right-hander Anthony Eyanson as the second member of the Red Sox’ 2025 draft class to reach the upper minors this season. As was the case for Eyanson — who has forged a 1.46 ERA through his first six Double-A starts (24 2/3 innings) — the jump to Portland represents a new challenge for Winnay in the form of more advanced competition.

The Sea Dogs hit the road and open a six-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Jack Winnay: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III becomes first to reach 20 home runs in PCL this season

One year and one day after making his Red Sox organizational debut, Dodgers prospect James Tibbs III became the first hitter in the Pacific Coast League to reach the 20 home run mark this season.

Tibbs proved to be the hero for Triple-A Oklahoma City in Thursday’s matinee against Sacramento at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. After going hitless in his first four at-bats, the 23-year-old slugger led off the bottom of the 10th inning by belting a 360-foot two-run shot over the left field wall, driving in old friend Ryan Fitzgerald and himself to lift the Comets to a 5-4 win over the River Cats in walk-off fashion.

With Thursday’s late-game heroics, Tibbs became the eighth hitter across Minor League Baseball so far in 2026 to reach the 20-homer mark. The left-handed hitter also matched his home run total from last season, his first full professional campaign, doing so in 54 fewer games.

Overall, Tibbs is batting .297/.413/.602 with 17 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, 63 runs scored, three stolen bases, 51 walks, and 83 strikeouts through 69 games (320 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City this season, his first at the Triple-A level. He is slashing .310/.404/.690 against lefties and .291/.416/.560 against righties in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Defensively, Tibbs has primarily been used at two positions by the Comets. The 5-foot-11, 201-pounder has made 25 starts at first base (where he has committed three errors in 216 chances) and 22 starts in right field (where he has committed four errors and recorded one assist in 45 chances). He has also made 20 starts at DH, including Thursday, and has prior experience in left field.

For as successful as Tibbs has been this season, it may come as a surprise that he is already with his third organization since being drafted in 2024. The Florida State product was taken 13th overall by the Giants that summer and signed for $4.7475 million, only to be traded to the Red Sox as the top prospect switching teams in last June’s Rafael Devers blockbuster. He then spent all of six-plus weeks in Boston’s system at Double-A Portland before being dealt once again ahead of July’s trade deadline, this time to the Dodgers alongside fellow minor leaguer Zach Ehrhard for Dustin May.

The Red Sox, for what it is worth, never seemed overly enamored by Tibbs in the first place. They had an opportunity to draft him with the 12th overall pick in 2024, but chose another college outfielder in Braden Montgomery (who was later dealt to the White Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet trade). Upon acquiring Tibbs from the Giants, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. attempted to alter his swing (to no avail) and subsequently made him available to other teams in trade deadline talks. The Dodgers, looking to move on from a struggling free agent-to-be in May, happily obliged.

“Breslow’s willingness to include Tibbs to acquire a fringe rental starter surprised members of the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Giants front offices, sources with those teams said,” The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey wrote last week. “The Dodgers ‘couldn’t agree to that fast enough,’ a source said, when the Sox proposed giving up Tibbs and Ehrhard.”

As he explained to MLB.com’s Cole Weintraub last August, Tibbs worked with Double-A Tulsa hitting coach Blake Gailen to refine his swing and return to the form he showed at Florida State, where he earned 2024 ACC Player of the Year honors in his last season with the Seminoles. The adjustments have seemingly paid off. This year alone, he received his first invitation to major league spring training, made the All-Spring Breakout First Team, and has twice been named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week.

Tibbs, who does not turn 24 until October, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the Dodgers’ No. 13 prospect. If he were not positionally blocked, he likely would have made his major league debut by now. Instead, he now projects as one of the summer’s more intriguing trade chips as Los Angeles aims for a third straight World Series title, leaving the Red Sox to wonder what could have been.

(Picture of James Tibbs III: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Johanfran Garcia named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of June 8-14, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Garcia tore the cover off the ball for Double-A Portland last week. Appearing in all six of the Sea Dogs’ games on the road against Reading, the 21-year-old slugger went 14-for-27 (.519) with four doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, four runs scored, and five strikeouts. He recorded multiple hits in five of the six contests and is now riding a 10-game hitting streak dating back to June 2.

After beginning the season in extended spring training, Garcia reported to Portland for his first taste of the Double-A level on April 21. In 36 games since then, the right-handed hitter is batting .309/.356/.570 with six doubles, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, one stolen base, eight walks, and 44 strikeouts through 160 plate appearances for the Sea Dogs. That includes a .235/.316/.500 line in 38 plate appearances against lefties and a .330/.369/.591 line in 122 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 94 hitters who have made at least 160 trips to the plate in the Eastern League this season, Garcia ranks seventh in line-drive rate (29.8%), 10th in batting average and slugging percentage, 11th in isolated power (.262) and OPS (.926), 12th in wOBA (.399), 15th in wRC+ (137), and 28th in on-base percentage, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia has seen most of his playing time come behind the plate for Portland, where he is primarily splitting catching duties with Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario. In 22 starts at catcher, the stocky 5-foot-11 backstop has allowed just one passed ball and thrown out 11 of 41 would-be base stealers. He has also made 14 starts at DH and has prior experience at first base.

Garcia, the younger brother of former Red Sox-turned-Pirates outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, originally signed with Boston for $850,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. The native Venezuelan got his professional career off to a strong start before tearing two ligaments in his right knee while running the bases and undergoing season-ending surgery in May 2024. He returned to action as a rehabber in the Florida Complex League last May, moved up to High-A Greenville in June, and ended the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Garcia entered 2026 as Baseball America’s No. 27 Red Sox prospect. He has since fallen out of the publication’s top 30, though MLB Pipeline and SoxProspects.com currently have him ranked at No. 26 and No. 34 in Boston’s farm system, respectively.

Taking into account that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter, it would not be terribly surprising to see Garcia — who turns 22 in December — leverage his performance at Portland into a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the season.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects Sadbiel Delzine, Franklin Primera named FCL Pitcher and Player of the Week

The Red Sox swept the weekly awards in the Florida Complex League on Monday, as prospects Sadbiel Delzine and Franklin Primera were named Pitcher and Player of the Week for June 8-14.

Delzine was dominant in his latest outing for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last Tuesday. Working in relief of the rehabbing Jeremy Wu-Yelland on the road against the FCL Braves, the 18-year-old right-hander allowed only two hits and no walks (though he did hit two batters) while striking out a career-high eight over 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

Finishing with 75 pitches (54 strikes), Delzine generated 14 whiffs en route to improving to 3-0 on the season as the FCL Red Sox routed the FCL Braves, 13-2, at CoolToday Park in North Port. The young righty averaged 96 mph and reached 97.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, a pitch he threw 24 times. He also mixed in a slider, changeup, sinker, curveball, and cutter, according to Baseball Savant.

Through his first six appearances (three starts) of the season for Boston’s FCL affiliate, Delzine has posted a 1.16 ERA (3.03 FIP) with 27 strikeouts to seven walks over 23 1/3 innings in which he has held opponents to a .114 batting average. That includes a .152 clip for right-handed hitters and a .087 clip for left-handed hitters.

Among the 30 pitchers who entered this week having thrown at least 20 innings in the Florida Complex League, Delzine ranks first in batting average against, ERA, FIP, and WHIP (0.69), sixth in walks per nine innings (2.70), seventh in strikeout rate (30.3%), eighth in walk rate (7.9%), 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.41), swinging-strike rate (15.6%), and xFIP (4.21), per FanGraphs.

Delzine is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 11 prospect, placing sixth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan signed with the Red Sox for $500,000 as an international free agent in January 2025. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season, but was limited to just 9 1/3 innings due in part to a flexor issue. When on the mound, though, he flashed intriguing potential and has carried that momentum over into 2026.

At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Delzine possesses an imposing, projectable frame and the ability to already touch triple digits with his fastball. He does not turn 19 until January and could very well be ready for a new challenge in the form of a promotion to Low-A Salem in the near future.

The same can be said for Primera, another Venezuelan-born prospect who has been on an absolute tear at the plate of late. In four games for the FCL Red Sox last week, the right-handed-hitting catcher went 8-for-12 (.667) with two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and one strikeout. He notably homered and drove in a career-high six runs as part of a four-hit effort in a 26-6 drubbing of the FCL Braves at the JetBlue Park complex on Thursday.

Primera, who turns 19 on Tuesday, is enjoying a productive first season in the United States. Entering the week, he is batting .458/.596/.778 with five doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 25 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, and 10 strikeouts through 24 FCL games (100 plate appearances). He is slashing .214/.476/.214 in 22 plate appearances against lefties and an eye-popping .517/.628/.914 in 78 plate appearances against righties.

Among the 37 hitters who came into the week having made at least 100 trips to the plate in the Florida Complex League, Primera ranks first in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.374), wOBA (.613), and wRC+ (228), second in isolated power (.319) and strikeout rate (10%), and fourth in swinging-strike rate (7.5%) and walk rate (21%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Primera has spent most of his time with the FCL Red Sox behind the plate. While primarily splitting catching duties with Jorge Rodriguez, the 6-foot, 230-pound backstop has made 18 starts at catcher, allowing four passed balls and throwing out 11 of 75 would-be base stealers. He has also made five starts at first base, where he has committed one error in 41 chances, and one start at DH.

Hailing from the Venezuelan city of Coro, Primera signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in September 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season and worked his way from a bench role to an injury replacement in the DSL All-Star Game, where he was named co-MVP after hitting a crucial home run.

Less than a year after receiving that honor, Primera is now ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s top catching prospect and No. 19 overall prospect in the system. Like Delzine, Primera seemingly has little left to prove in rookie ball and should soon be in line for a promotion to Salem for his first full-season assignment.

(Picture of Franklin Primera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)