Tag: 2026 season

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera cracks Baseball America’s top 100 rankings

Coming off a dominant outing for High-A Greenville last week, Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has entered Baseball America’s top 100 list for the very first time.

Valera was one of three new additions to Baseball America’s top 100 rankings on Monday, coming in at No. 100. The 19-year-old right-hander now joins fellow Red Sox prospects Payton Tolle (No. 11), Connelly Early (No. 33), Franklin Arias (No. 46), and Kyson Witherspoon (No. 66) on the esteemed list.

Valera’s inclusion in the top 100 should come as little surprise given his strong start to the season. As part of Greenville’s 2-0 shutout victory on the road against Hub City last Thursday, the hard-throwing righty scattered just two hits (both singles) and one walk while striking out a career-high of nine over five scoreless innings. He featured a fastball that topped out at 101.7 mph and threw 56 pitches (39 strikes) in total, generating 15 whiffs.

Through his first two starts of the year for Greenville, Valera has allowed two earned runs on four hits (one home run), three walks, and 16 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. That is a 2.16 ERA. Among 28 qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League entering play Tuesday, Valera ranked first in strikeouts per nine innings (17.28), second in strikeout rate (52%), third in swinging-strike rate (21.2%), fourth in xFIP (1.57), and seventh in batting average against (.143) and FIP (0.32), per FanGraphs.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Valera originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. Following a so-so professional debut in the 2023 Dominican Summer League, he burst onto the scene in 2024 by earning All-Star honors in the Florida Complex League and reaching Low-A Salem. He was rewarded with an aggressive season-opening assignment to Greenville last spring but was limited to just 10 starts (38 innings) due to elbow soreness in 2025.

Now healthy, Valera is evidently getting back on track in 2026. In addition to an upper-90s fastball that regularly reaches triple digits, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound hurler mixes in an 88-92 mph slider, an 86-88 mph sweeper, and a 91-94 mph changeup.

“He’s a monster physically,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Valera when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “He’s done a lot of work on his secondary pitches, but when you’re sitting 96 in your sides, that’s encouraging. And he can run it up.”

If Valera, who turns 20 next month, continues to build on this encouraging start to his season, it would not be surprising to see him climb Baseball America’s top 100 list and receive a promotion to Double-A Portland before long.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Devin Futrell named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Devin Futrell has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 6-12, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Futrell was nearly perfect in his first start (second appearance) of the young season in Low-A Salem’s series finale against Wilson on Sunday. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed just one walk and struck out four over five scoreless, no-hit innings.

After issuing a leadoff walk to begin his afternoon, Futrell retired the final 15 batters he faced and needed all of 52 pitches (33 strikes) to get through five efficient frames. He generated eight whiffs and improved to 2-0 as the RidgeYaks routed the Warbirds, 16-3, at Salem’s Carilion Clinic Field.

Through his first two outings of the season for Salem, Futrell has yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 of the 30 batters he has faced over nine innings of work. Among 31 qualified pitchers in the Carolina League, Futrell leads in both batting average against (.036) and WHIP (0.33). He also ranks ninth in swinging-strike rate (16.5%) and 10th in FIP (2.30), per FanGraphs.

A former 10th-round draft pick (297th overall) out of Vanderbilt who signed for an over-slot $250,000 in 2024, Futrell is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects. The Florida native spent most of his first full professional season with Salem before receiving a promotion last August to High-A Greenville, where he posted a 1.09 ERA over five starts spanning 24 2/3 innings.

Despite the strong results there, Futrell did not break camp with Greenville this spring after being knocked down the pitching depth chart by 2025 draftees Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson. Instead, he has returned to Salem and has evidently not skipped a beat. In fact, it is fair to wonder if he is even being challenged at the level he is at right now.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Futrell operates with a four-pitch mix that includes an upper-80s fastball that has reached the lower-90s, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lefty lacks velocity but makes up for it with pitchability.

Futrell, who turns 24 in September, is undoubtedly gunning for a tougher assignment in the form of a return to Greenville. If one of Witherspoon, Phillips, or Eyanson — or perhaps even hard-throwing righty Juan Valera — were to move up to Double-A Portland in the coming weeks, Futrell would be an obvious candidate to take their place in the Drive’s starting rotation.

UPDATE: Futrell has indeed been promoted to Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker.

(Picture of Devin Futrell courtesy of the Salem RidgeYaks)

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Tibbs, now a member of the Dodgers organization, had a monster week for Triple-A Oklahoma City in its series against Las Vegas. Appearing in all six games, the left-handed hitting 23-year-old went 10-for-25 (.400) with one double, five home runs, five RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks, and seven strikeouts. He doubled and homered on Tuesday, recorded two more hits on Wednesday, homered again on Thursday, singled and scored one run on Friday, went deep three times on Saturday, and drew one walk on Sunday.

Even after going hitless in Sunday’s series finale, Tibbs is still slashing a ridiculous .474/.535/1.184 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 13 RBIs, 15 runs scored, five walks, and nine strikeouts through nine games (43 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City to begin the season. That includes a .500/.563/1.357 line against lefties and a .458/.519/1.083 line against righties, albeit in a limited sample.

Among those who have made at least 40 trips to the plate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League early on in 2026, Tibbs ranks first in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.719), isolated power (.711), wOBA (.716), and wRC+ (336), second in on-base percentage, and seventh in line-drive rate (24.1%), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Tibbs has made seven starts in right field and two starts at first base for Oklahoma City thus far. At the former, the 5-foot-11, 201-pounder has recorded one assist and committed one error in 12 chances. At the latter, he has yet to commit an error across 18 defensive innings.

Needless to say, Tibbs is on quite a heater to begin his second full professional season. A lot has happened since the Georgia native was selected by the Giants with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Florida State. Despite his first-round pedigree, Tibbs was traded to the Red Sox as part of last June’s Rafael Devers blockbuster. Then, after just six-plus weeks in Boston’s system, he was dealt again, this time to the Dodgers alongside fellow outfielder Zach Ehrhard for starter Dustin May on July 31.

While the Red Sox did not get much in the way of production from May, who struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 28 1/3 innings before being shut down with right elbow neuritis in September and leaving for the Cardinals via free agency in December, the Dodgers have to be pleased with what they have seen from Tibbs.

After taking part in his first major league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring, Tibbs opened the 2026 season ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 26 prospect by Baseball America. Even if not entirely sustainable, this strong start at Triple-A should help him climb the rankings and has put him firmly in position for a potential big league debut if the need arises for an otherwise loaded Dodgers team.

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

Who did Red Sox send to Cardinals to complete Sonny Gray trade?

In late November, the Red Sox made their first of two significant offseason trades with the Cardinals, acquiring veteran starter Sonny Gray and cash considerations for right-hander Richard Fitts, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

On Monday, Boston completed the deal by sending minor league righty Patrick Galle to St. Louis, per announcements from both clubs. Galle will report to the Cardinals’ Low-A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Galle, who turned 22 on Sunday, gets a belated birthday present in the form of a new organization. The Mississippi native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round (508th overall) of last year’s draft out of Ole Miss. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus.

Following a solid summer (1.04 ERA in 8 2/3 innings) with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, Galle made his professional debut for Low-A Salem last August. He appeared in three games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate to end his 2025 season and then returned to the rebranded RidgeYaks to open the 2026 campaign. Altogether, he owns a 4.91 ERA with seven walks to four strikeouts through the first four relief outings (7 1/3 innings) of his pro career.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Galle operates with a 95-97 mph fastball that has reached 99 mph, an 89-93 mph cutter, and an 85-88 mph slider. SoxProspects.com, which did not have him ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects, describes him as a “pure relief prospect with intriguing fastball velocity” who “needs to throw more strikes to be successful in pro ball.”

While sending Galle to the Cardinals completes the Gray deal, the Red Sox still have unfinished business involving players to be named later. They are due to send two players and receive one from the White Sox to finalize the February trade that sent righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to Chicago.

(Picture of Sonny Gray: Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

Red Sox release another top international signing after five seasons

The Red Sox have released another former top international signing in 23-year-old outfielder Juan Chacon, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Chacon originally signed with Boston for $900,000 in July 2019, receiving the largest bonus of the club’s 2019-2020 international free agent class. The native Venezuelan had drawn praise as an amateur for his approach, athleticism, and speed, but he was never able to quite put it all together and climb up the prospect rankings as a member of the Red Sox organization.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor league season, Chacon did not officially make his professional debut until 2021. He played in both the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues before reaching Low-A Salem in August 2022. A left hamate injury that required surgery the following July limited him to just 57 games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate in 2023.

Chacon made the jump to High-A Greenville in 2024 but struggled to a .203/.269/.302 line with 18 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 37 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 25 walks, and 109 strikeouts in a career-high 84 games (334 plate appearances). The right-handed hitter returned to the Drive for the start of the 2025 campaign before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland in late April. From there, he batted .229/.311/.298 with seven doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, three stolen bases, 14 walks, and 41 strikeouts in 51 games (151 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs while frequently moving to and from the development list.

Overall, Chacon is a lifetime .233/.330/.318 hitter with 47 doubles, 12 triples, four home runs, 82 RBIs, 147 runs scored, 65 stolen bases, 126 walks, and 299 strikeouts over 290 career minor league games (1,130 plate appearances) across five levels. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 171-pounder (listed height and weight) has experience at all three outfield spots. But between Greenville and Portland last year, he was used exclusively at the corners, making 35 starts in left and eight in right, where he recorded his lone outfield assist.

Chacon, who does not turn 24 until December, was slated to reach minor league free agency at the end of the 2026 season but will now do so sooner than initially anticipated. Given his speed and defensive abilities, it will be worthwhile to see if Chacon draws interest from other teams in need of upper-minors outfield depth in the coming weeks.

In addition to releasing Chacon, Noll noted that the Red Sox also parted ways with 21-year-old infielder Yohander Linarez, who had been in the organization since signing for $10,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2022.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Anthony Eyanson named to All-Spring Breakout Second Team after dazzling performance

It may have just been one inning of relief. Still, Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson was unquestionably one of the standout performers in Friday night’s Spring Breakout showcase against the Orioles.

On Monday, Eyanson was recognized for his efforts, as he was named to the 2026 All-Spring Breakout Second Team by Major League Baseball.

Eyanson was the last pitcher the Red Sox used in Friday’s 3-1 loss to Orioles minor leaguers under the lights at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. The 21-year-old right-hander was both efficient and effective, needing only 14 pitches (10 strikes) to punch out the only three batters he faced (Jose Pena, Cobb Hightower, and Ethan Anderson) in order as part of a scoreless eighth inning.

Of the 14 pitches Eyanson threw, four were whiff-inducing. He mixed in a fastball that averaged 99.1 mph and topped out at 100.2 mph, an 88-90 mph splitter, and an 82-83 mph curveball. All three of his strikeouts were recorded on his wipeout curveball, as he got two looking and one swinging.

“Obviously, I wanted to show off what I’ve been working on as far as the fastball and the splitter, and I feel like I did that tonight,” Eyanson told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “[I] really feel myself expanding as a pitcher, being able to use that splitter when I fall behind, getting that arm-side action, giving me a lot more options, especially with the fastball carrying and being a lot harder now. It’s just a lot different.”

For Eyanson, lighting up the radar gun to this extent has not always been the standard. The California native was selected by the Red Sox with the 87th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State, where he typically sat between 92-94 mph and topped out at 97 mph in his lone season with the Tigers. Since signing for an over-slot $1.75 million and subsequently immersing himself in Boston’s pitching development program, however, Eyanson has experienced a significant uptick in velocity.

“The velo jump is hard to ignore,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Eyanson when speaking with MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. “He was mostly 93-95 in college, I know he touched 97, but he’s been sitting 96-98 this spring with secondaries that are advanced for where he is. He just has a really good feel for the baseball, feel to spin the ball, and can challenge the strike zone.”

As a result of reaching triple digits for the first time in a game setting on Friday, Eyanson is now the proud owner of a “Fuego” t-shirt, which the Red Sox award to all pitchers who throw 100 mph. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound righty is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 10 prospect, while Baseball America has him slightly lower at No. 13.

Alongside fellow 2025 draftees (and SEC products) Kyson Witherspoon and Marcus Phillips, Eyanson has been the talk of minor league spring training for the Red Sox in Fort Myers. Even before officially making his professional debut (which he will likely do for High-A Greenville next month), Eyanson’s stock is already on the rise.

“It’s crazy to see the amount of progress that I’ve made,” Eyanson said. “I’m really excited. I feel almost like a brand new pitcher.”

(Picture of Anthony Eyanson: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox release another notable international signing after two seasons

The Red Sox parted ways with another notable international signing on Friday by releasing 19-year-old outfielder Edwin Brito.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker, Brito received the third-largest bonus ($450,000) in Boston’s 2024 international signing class behind only fellow Dominican outfielder Vladimir Asencio ($1 million) and Venezuelan infielder Carlos Carrasquel ($590,000), both of whom have since been released.

After signing with the Red Sox in January 2024, Brito showed signs of promise in his first professional season by batting .251/.361/.450 with six doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 32 RBIs, 27 runs scored, two stolen bases, 21 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 51 Dominican Summer League games (205 plate appearances). The right-handed hitter made the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2025 but struggled significantly, slashing just .141/.252/.212 with seven doubles, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 32 games (115 plate appearances) in his stateside debut.

Altogether, Brito is a lifetime .211/.322/.363 hitter with 13 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 44 RBIs, 35 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 84 strikeouts through 83 career games (320 plate appearances) in the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues. Defensively, the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder has spent most of his time in left field (21 starts) and right field (36 starts), while also making one appearance in center field and four starts at first base.

Despite being ranked by SoxProspects.com as the organization’s No. 54 prospect at this time last year, Brito now finds himself a free agent before playing a single game for a Red Sox full-season affiliate. Given that he does not turn 20 until November, it should be interesting to see if another club believes Brito still has room for development and is therefore worth a second chance.

(Picture of Edwin Brito: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox release former top international signing after four seasons

The Red Sox released six minor leaguers on Thursday, including one of their former top international signings.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker, Boston cut ties with 21-year-old infielder Fraymi De Leon, who received the largest bonus ($1.2 million) of the club’s 2022 international signing class.

At the time of his signing in January 2022, De Leon was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 50 international prospect in his class. As an amateur, the Dominican native drew rave reviews for his defense, arm strength, and speed, but he was never able to put it all together at the plate as a member of the Red Sox organization.

After spending his first two professional seasons in the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues, De Leon made stops at Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland in each of the last two campaigns. In a career-high 88 games between the three affiliates last year, the switch-hitter batted just .190/.255/.245 with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 27 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 85 strikeouts over 307 plate appearances.

Overall, De Leon is a lifetime .210/.310/.264 hitter with 21 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 76 RBIs, 127 runs scored, 74 stolen bases, 91 walks, and 246 strikeouts in 253 career minor league games (903 plate appearances) across five levels. Defensively, the versatile 5-foot-10, 155-pounder (listed height and weight) has seen playing time at every position besides catcher and first base. Last season alone, he made 33 starts at second base, 24 starts at third base, 22 starts at shortstop, and four starts in left field.

Though he was never viewed among Boston’s premier prospects, SoxProspects.com does take note of the fact that the organization appeared to have respected De Leon’s “defensive skills enough to regularly call him up to cover for injured players at higher levels.”

It will now be interesting to see if De Leon, who does not turn 22 until September, can potentially latch on with another team before the 2026 season begins in the coming weeks. An organization that values his defensive versatility enough may be willing to give him another chance.

In addition to De Leon, the Red Sox also released infielders Tyler Miller and Efren Teran, outfielders Yan Cruz and Jesus Lugo, and left-hander Noah Dean on Thursday.

(Picture of Fraymi De Leon: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Why Red Sox catching prospect Gerardo Rodriguez is a name to watch in 2026

The Red Sox undoubtedly placed an emphasis on reinforcing their lower-minors catching depth over the winter. They addressed this area of need by acquiring the likes of Adonys Guzman, Ronny Hernandez, and Luke Heyman in trades with the Pirates, White Sox, and Mariners.

While Guzman, Hernandez, and Heyman represent intriguing external additions, the Red Sox are not without at least a few in-house catching prospects who may be worth keeping an eye on. One such name to watch is Gerardo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who turned 20 in December, is coming off a productive 2025 season that began with him repeating the rookie-level Florida Complex League. In 41 games for the FCL Red Sox, the right-handed hitter batted .279/.329/.383 with a team-high 16 doubles and 32 RBIs, 17 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 170 plate appearances.

Following the conclusion of the FCL season, Rodriguez was promoted to Low-A Salem (where he played seven games in 2024) in early August. This time around, Rodriguez got more run and ended his year on a high note by slashing .297/.372/.500 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and 13 strikeouts in 22 games (86 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Overall, Rodriguez slashed .285/.344/.421 with 20 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 43 RBIs, 26 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 69 games (256 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem last year. That includes a .313/.395/.469 line against lefties and a .281/.335/.413 line against righties.

Among 43 Red Sox minor leaguers who made at least 250 trips to the plate in 2025, Rodriguez ranked third in strikeout rate (14.1%), fourth in batting average, sixth in wOBA (.370), ninth in slugging percentage and OPS (.765), 13th in on-base percentage and wRC+ (110), 16th in swinging-strike rate (10.4%), and 18th in isolated power (.136), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Rodriguez unsurprisingly saw most of his playing time last year come at catcher. Between his stops in the FCL and Salem, the 5-foot-10, 177-pound (listed height and weight) backstop logged 327 1/3 innings behind the plate and threw out 46 of 135 (34.1%) possible base stealers. He also made 10 starts at first base, where he committed one error in 55 defensive chances, and 15 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Rodriguez originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. He has not received much buzz to this point, but has made strides by adding strength and bat speed to his profile. Baseball America ranks him as Boston’s No. 25 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him two spots lower at No. 27.

“He’s squat and stocky, yet moves in surprisingly quick bursts on both sides of the ball after making sizable bat speed gains with his level swing,” Rodriguez’s Baseball America scouting report reads. “Though he chases breaking balls off the plate, his 19% whiff rate and 14% in-zone whiff rate were both well above-average for his level and yielded solid contact. He generated a 102.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 110.8 mph max. Rodriguez improved his ball flight in 2025, trading grounders for more liners and flyballs, which suggests an atypically solid hit tool for a catcher with fringy power. Defensively, his strong framing and blocking data suggest average potential behind the plate.”

MLB Pipeline adds: “Rodriguez will be more effective at the plate as he becomes more selective. He doesn’t strike out much, but chases more pitches than he should, lowering his quality of contact. He not only added muscle but also improved his ability to drive balls in the air, giving him 12-15 homer potential.”

Rodriguez was one of three catchers (alongside Nate Baez and Franklin Primera) named to the Red Sox’ Spring Breakout roster ahead of Friday night’s showcase against prospects from the Orioles organization in Sarasota, Fla. Looking a little further ahead, Rodriguez could very well make the jump to High-A Greenville to open his 2026 campaign next month.

(Picture of Gerardo Rodriguez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Brooks Brannon undergoes surgery for broken hamate bone

Red Sox catching/first base prospect Brooks Brannon recently underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand, as noted by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.

Brannon injured the hand on a swing during spring workouts, according to a team source. It is unclear exactly how much time the 21-year-old will miss, though he will undoubtedly be sidelined for at least the first several weeks of the 2026 season.

Brannon, who turns 22 in May, is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 46 prospect by SoxProspects.com. The Randleman (N.C.) High School product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (279th overall) of the 2022 draft. He forwent his commitment to North Carolina by signing for a well-over-slot $712,500, but has struggled to stay on the field consistently since going pro.

Due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, for instance, Brannon was limited to just 62 games with Low-A Salem in 2024. He did, however, end that year on a high note, as he made up for lost time by earning All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League. Following a healthy offseason and spring, he broke camp with High-A Greenville last April.

Brannon overcame a slow start to his 2025 campaign and batted .270/.313/.398 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 31 RBIs, 32 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 63 strikeouts in 55 games (224 plate appearances) for Greenville before being promoted to Double-A Portland in late June. The right-handed-hitting slugger struggled out of the gate following the move, but settled in by slashing .224/.302/.385 with eight doubles, five home runs, 16 RBIs, 20 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 38 games (159 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Altogether, Brannon hit .251/.308/.393 with 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, 52 runs scored, four stolen bases, 27 walks, and 117 strikeouts in a career-high 93 games (383 plate appearances) between Greenville and Portland. That includes a .200/.210/.275 line against lefties and a far more favorable .266/.334/.427 line against righties.

Among 30 Red Sox minor leaguers who, regardless of level, made at least 350 trips to the plate last year, Brannon ranked eighth in line-drive rate (25.7%), 12th in batting average and slugging percentage, 13th in isolated power (.141), and 15th in wRC+ (102). At the same time, he ranked 27th in strikeout rate (30.5%) and walk rate (7%) and 28th in swinging-strike rate (16.3%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Brannon saw playing time at both catcher and first base at his stops in Greenville and Portland. In 49 starts behind the plate, the hulking 5-foot-11, 210-pound (listed weight, appears to have bulked up over the winter) backstop allowed five passed balls and threw out 21 of 120 possible base stealers. In 17 starts at first, he committed just two errors in 132 chances. He also made 27 starts at DH.

Brannon was projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2026 season, but will now likely head to the injured list in the coming days or weeks. With an uncertain immediate future, it feels worth mentioning that Brannon can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)