Tag: all-star

Red Sox catching prospect Franklin Primera shines in 2025 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game

Red Sox minor league catcher Franklin Primera was a late addition to the American League’s roster for the 2025 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game on Sunday.

He ended up being named one of the contest’s co-MVPs.

Primera took the spot of injured teammate Dorian Soto, who has been sidelined by wrist soreness for the last week-plus, on the American League’s updated roster ahead of Sunday’s showcase at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ DR complex in Boca Chica. The 18-year-old came off the bench to lead off the eighth inning and immediately made his impact felt by clubbing a pinch-hit home run to left field off National League All-Star reliever Frankelly Desis.

With his leadoff homer (technically the first of his professional career), Primera brought the American League back to within one run of the opposition at 8-7. They rallied for three additional runs off Desis in the eighth and ultimately defeated the National League by a final score of 10-8.

Primera, who grounded out in his final at-bat to finish the day 1-for-2, was recognized as the game’s most valuable hitter. On the flip side, Orioles minor leaguer Laurens Sosa was recognized as the game’s most valuable pitcher after converting the save (also technically the first of his professional career) with a scoreless ninth inning.

Hector Ramos, the only other Red Sox minor leaguer to appear in Sunday’s exhibition, went 0-for-2 with one strikeout after pinch-hitting and taking over at first base (a position he hadn’t played before professionally) for the American League in the seventh. Williams Montero, who pitched four innings in his most recent start last Thursday, did not see any action.

Primera, meanwhile, originally signed with Boston for a nondescript $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela last September. The right-handed hitter had to wait until June to officially make his pro debut and is batting .313/.456/.388 (135 wRC+) with six doubles, 13 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and seven strikeouts in 27 games (103 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Red this season.

Among 25 Dominican Summer League catchers who have made at least 100 trips to the plate in 2025, Primera ranks second in strikeout rate (6.8 percent), third in batting average, on-base percentage, wOBA (.441), wRC+, and swinging-strike rate (6.4 percent), seventh in walk rate (15.5 percent), and 10th in OPS (.844), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Primera has made a team-leading 24 starts at catcher for DSL Red Sox Red this year. In the process of logging 178 innings behind the plate, the 6-foot, 179-pound backstop has thrown out 19 of 70 possible base stealers and has committed six errors (not including two passed balls) in 189 chances. He has also started three games at DH.

Primera, who just turned 18 on June 16, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top catching prospects at this early stage in his career. With that being said, he is on track to make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League next year.

(Picture of Franklin Primera via his Instagram)

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera named Florida Complex League All-Star

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has been named a 2024 Florida Complex League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday.

Unlike fellow FCL All-Star Franklin Arias, Valera is not currently regarded by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top 30 prospects in Boston’s farm system. SoxProspects.com slates him in at No. 27 on its list, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization.

Valera appeared in 11 games (nine starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.25 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks over 40 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .128 against him.

Among 26 FCL pitchers who threw at least 40 innings in 2024, Valera led in both batting average against and WHIP (0.77). He also ranked second in FIP and line-drive rate (8.8 percent), third in ERA and groundball rate (56 percent), sixth in walks per nine innings (3.12), walk rate (9.1 percent), and strikeout rate (26 percent), seventh in xFIP (3.94), ninth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent) and 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.93), per FanGraphs.

Like the aforementioned Arias, Valera was promoted from the FCL to Low-A Salem on July 23. He has since pitched to a 1.65 ERA (3.95 FIP) with 15 strikeouts to 12 walks through his first five starts (16 1/3 innings) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. While the walks are clearly up, he has held opponents to a .098 batting average thus far.

Valera, who turned 18 in May, originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023. The Sabana Grande de Palenque native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June but has really emerged as one to watch this year.

“We’re super high on this kid,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard told The Boston Globe’s Sarah Barber earlier this month. “He’s starting to get to some pretty cool shapes from a pitch-design standpoint. We’re very excited about this kid, and he’s only continued to go out there and kind of hammer the things that he needs to for his long-term development as well.”

Standing at a projectable 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Valera operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a fastball that has sat between 94-99 mph this season, a slider, a sweeper, and a changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, “he checks a lot of boxes that you look for in a pitching prospect his age.”

“This kid, he shows up every day and just gets his work done,” Salem pitching coach Juan Rivera said of Valera in a separate conversation with Barber last week. “If I don’t see him one time during the day, I know for a fact he still got his work in without me having to hover over him. He’s just a really autonomous player, understands his routines and what he needs to accomplish, and just crushes it.”

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

J.D. Martinez joins Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts in representing Red Sox at All-Star Game

Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez is headed to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday. The veteran slugger will replace the injured Yordan Alvarez of the Astros on the American League roster.

Now a five-time All-Star, Martinez originally finished behind the likes of Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani and Alvarez in both fan and player voting for the starting and reserve designated hitter spots. But Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list because of right hand inflammation on Sunday, making him ineligible to compete in the 92nd Midsummer Classic.

Because Martinez was the next designated hitter in line on the player ballot, he will join teammates Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts in representing the Red Sox in Los Angeles next Tuesday. In addition to Martinez taking over for Alvarez, the Giants’ Carlos Rodon and the Marlins’ Garrett Cooper were named replacements in the National League for the Brewers’ Josh Hader and the Phillies’ Bryce Harper, respectively.

Martinez, who turns 35 next month, has made the American League All-Star team in four of his five seasons (2018-2019, 2021-2022) with Boston. There was no All-Star Game in 2020 due to the nature of the COVID-shortened season.

In 76 games this season, Martinez is batting .313/.380/.500 with 29 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 30 walks, and 78 strikeouts across 337 trips to the plate.

As is the case with Bogaerts, Martinez can become a free-agent at the end of the year. So this very well may be the final time he represents the Red Sox in an All-Star Game.

(Picture of J.D. Martinez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)