Tag: florida complex league

How did Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias fare in stateside debut this season?

Behind only Miguel Bleis, infielder Franklin Arias stole more bases (35) than any other Red Sox prospect in 2024. As such, he was named the organization’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year last month.

Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. After putting together a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League last year, the Caracas native embarked upon his stateside debut by making the jump to the Florida Complex League this season.

In 51 games for the FCL Red Sox, Arias batted a stout .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 36 strikeouts over 206 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old then received a promotion to Low-A Salem in late July.

Though he struggled some out of the gate with Salem, Arias turned things around as the calendar flipped from August to September and slashed a respectable .257/.331/.378 with nine doubles, three home runs, 26 RBIs, 18 runs scored, five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 36 games (166 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Altogether, Arias posted a .309/.409/.487 slash line with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 54 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 35 stolen bases (in 41 attempts), 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 87 total games (372 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem. That includes a .290/.401/.454 line against right-handed pitching and a .422/.460/.689 line against lefties.

Among the 27 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 370 trips to the plate this season, Arias ranked first in wSB (3.0), third in batting average, OPS (.896), speed score (7.1), and wOBA (.427), fourth in on-base percentage and wRC+ (150), fifth in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (17.5 percent), seventh in isolated power (.178) and swinging-strike rate (9.6 percent), and 10th in walk rate (13.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias saw playing time at both middle infield positions between his stops in the FCL and Salem this year. In 57 total starts at shortstop, the projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed 10 errors in 243 chances. In 20 total starts at second base, he committed just two errors in 78 chances. He also started nine games at DH.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

In addition to being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Baserunner of the Year, Arias was recognized as the 2024 Florida Complex League MVP, an FCL All-Star, and the FCL’s top prospect. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 91 prospect in the sport.

Should he remain in the organization through the winter, Arias — who turns 19 in November — will likely return to Salem for the start of the 2025 season. If he continues to be a stolen-base threat moving forward, it will presumably have more to do with his approach than his speed. Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a conversation last month with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

“I would put him in the category of a kid who has really good instincts and can do things at a very mature level on the base paths,” Romero said. “Because I don’t think he’s a plus runner by any means. I think he’s got good speed and he’s very advanced at timing things, taking advantage, and preparing before the game. He’s just got a very mature way about going into it for his pregame. He’ll know pitcher moves. He’ll know catcher arm strength. I think he’s advanced in that area. He’s got good speed. He’s not a Jarren Duran. But I think it’s that he uses his IQ to help him steal a lot of bases.”

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

Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes taking swings after undergoing hand surgery this summer

Red Sox infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes posted a video of himself taking some swings in a batting cage to his Instagram story earlier Thursday afternoon.

Cespedes, the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, is approximately four months removed from undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. The issue first popped up for the 19-year-old after he was promoted from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem in late June.

Though he was initially considered day-to-day, the soreness in Cespedes’ left hand lingered and led to further testing being done. Those tests ultimately resulted in the diagnosis of a hamate fracture, as Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham explained to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in July.

Because of the surgery, Cespedes will have to wait until next April at the earliest to make his Low-A debut. Still, there is no denying that the Dominican native put together a strong first season stateside in 2024 after originally signing with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-touted international free agent last January. He then kicked off his professional career by earning 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and being named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

After being slowed by a quadriceps strain in spring training, Cespedes debuted for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox on May 9 and took off from there. In 25 games, the young right-handed hitter batted stout .319/.400/.615 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (105 plate appearances). That includes a .317/.374/.622 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .333/.571/.556 slash line against lefties.

Among the 139 hitters who made at least 100 trips to the plate during the FCL season, Cespedes ranked first in slugging percentage and isolated power (.297), second in OPS (1.015), fourth in wOBA (.464) and wRC+ (163), 11th in batting average, 34th in on-base percentage, and 42nd in strikeout rate (18.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Cespedes saw most of his playing time in the FCL come at either shortstop or second base. In 10 starts at short, the projectable 5-foot-8, 181-pounder committed five errors in 36 defensive chances. In seven starts at second, he did not commit a single error in 30 defensive chances. He also started eight games at DH, five of which came in succession to ease him back into things out of the gate in May.

Cespedes, who just turned 19 last month, has already shown that he has top-100 prospect potential when healthy. Given the breadth of position-playing prospects the Red Sox have in their system at the moment, it would not be surprising if Cespedes emerged as a possible trade candidate as the club looks to address other areas of need this winter. Assuming he remains in the organization, though, Cespedes seems likely to open the 2025 campaign at Salem.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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)

Red Sox’ Franklin Arias named 2024 Florida Complex League MVP

Red Sox middle infield prospect Franklin Arias has been named the 2024 Florida Complex League MVP, Minor League Baseball announced on Thursday. He was also recognized as an FCL All-Star and the FCL’s top MLB prospect.

Arias is currently regarded by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old batted .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 51 games (206 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season.

Among 71 qualified FCL hitters, Arias led in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.055), and wRC+ (181). He also ranked fifth in isolated power (.229), sixth in speed score (8.7), 16th in walk rate (16.5 percent), 17th in swinging-strike rate (10.2 percent), and 23rd in strikeout rate (17.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Arias was promoted from the FCL to Low-A Salem on July 23. He has since slashed .231/.308/.350 with five doubles, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 13 runs scored, five stolen bases, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts in his first 29 games (130 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Between the two stops, Arias has seen the majority of his playing time this season come at either shortstop or second base. With Salem in particular, the projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has made 16 starts at short and eight at second, committing five errors in 109 total defensive chances. He has also started five games at DH.

Arias, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The Caracas native was viewed as a glove-first infielder when he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June, but he has added to his profile by making significant strides at the plate.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier last month. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Adam Bates named to Australia’s WBSC U23 World Cup national team

Red Sox pitching prospect Adam Bates has been named to the Australian national team for next month’s WBSC U23 World Cup in China.

Bates, who turned 19 last week, was among 12 pitchers to make Team Australia’s roster. The Aussies will compete in Group A with China, Colombia, Great Britain, Japan, and Puerto Rico. The biennial tournament runs from September 6-15.

A Sydney-area native, Bates signed with the Red Sox for $200,000 as an international free agent last September after impressing at the 2023 U18 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan. Though he had prior experience pitching in the Australian Baseball League as a 17-year-old in 2022, the right-hander made his organizational/professional debut for Boston’s Florida Complex League affiliate in May and spent his first season stateside in Fort Myers.

In 11 appearances (nine starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox, Bates posted a 3.96 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 36 strikeouts to 17 walks over 36 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted .278 against him. His 17.2 percent swinging-strike rate ranked 12th among the 76 FCL pitchers who threw at least 30 innings this year, per FanGraphs.

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Bates operates with a high-80s fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a low-70s curveball, and a low-80s changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He also throws a cutter that he picked up from former Padres righty and fellow Australian Chris Oxspring, as he explained to hosts Andrew Parker and Ed Hand on the To The Show We Go podcast back in February.

Bates is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as having “room to grow.” It’s early and things can change, but it will be interesting to see if Bates can make his way to Low-A Salem at some point in 2025.

(Picture of Adam Bates: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Wuilliams Rodriguez named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month for July

Red Sox pitching prospect Wuilliams Rodriguez has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month for July, Minor League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

In four outings (three starts) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last month, Rodriguez allowed one earned run on six hits, four walks, and 15 strikeouts over 15 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .122 against him.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Rodriguez posted a 3.82 ERA and 3.56 FIP with 30 strikeouts to 11 walks over 12 appearances (four starts) spanning 30 2/3 innings of work. The 18-year-old right-hander closed out his first season stateside by firing 8 1/3 consecutive scoreless frames against the FCL Orioles and FCL Rays on July 16 and July 23, respectively.

Among the 76 FCL pitchers who threw at least 30 innings this year, Rodriguez ranked ninth in WHIP (1.14), 12th in FIP, 17th in walks per nine innings (3.23) and walk rate (8.8 percent), 20th in xFIP (4.04), 21st in line-drive rate (13.8 percent), 24th in batting average against (.216), 29th in strikeout rate (24 percent), 33rd in groundball rate (46.3 percent), and 34th in swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent) and ERA, per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound Barquisimeto native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and was recognized as a DSL mid-season All-Star. He is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com but is projected to make the jump to Low-A Salem in 2025.

(Picture of Wuilliams Rodriguez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox prospect Frederik Jimenez named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox first base prospect Frederik Jimenez has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of July 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

In three games for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last week, Jimenez went 4-for-9 (.444) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout. The switch-hitting 19-year-old homered and doubled twice on Monday, drew two walks on Tuesday, and tripled in Thursday’s regular-season finale against the FCL Rays at JetBlue Park.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Jimenez batted .308/.404/.500 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 18 runs scored, six stolen bases, 12 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 29 games (94 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. Among the 154 FCL hitters who made at least 90 trips to the plate in 2024, Jimenez ranked 17th in batting average, 34th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage and isolated power (.192), 18th in OPS (.904), and 20th in wRC+ (142), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Jimenez saw the majority of his playing time this season come at first base. The 6-foot-3, 178-pounder logged 133 innings at first, committing one error in 121 chances. He also appeared in one game as a catcher after making eight starts behind the plate as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year.

A native of the Dominican Republic himself, Jimenez signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Sabana Grande de Boya in December 2022. He is not currently ranked among the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system by SoxProspects.com.

It remains to be seen if Jimenez, who turns 20 in November, will be making the jump to Low-A Salem before the end of the minor-league season. Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, that is likely where he will be for the start of 2025.

(Picture of Frederik Jimenez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox promote pitching prospects Yeferson Vargas, Gilberto Batista to Low-A Salem

In addition to Franklin Arias and Juan Valera, Red Sox pitching prospects Yeferson Vargas and Gilberto Batista have also been promoted from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Hunter Noll.

Vargas, who turns 20 next month, posted a 3.13 ERA and 4.58 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 13 walks in 10 appearances (three starts) spanning 31 2/3 innings for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox. That translates to a 22 percent strikeout rate and a 9.8 percent walk rate. Opposing hitters batted .256 against him.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Vargas originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in December 2022. The hard-throwing righty made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 54 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 29th among pitchers in the organization.

Listed at 6-foot and 177 pounds, Vargas was recently described by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen as a “stout” hurler who “has cut his walks substantially compared to 2023 while also enjoying a two- or three-tick velocity spike.” According to Longenhagen, Vargas has averaged 95-96 mph and reached 98 with his fastball this season while featuring a “snappy” curveball in the 81-84 mph range.

Batista, who does not turn 20 until January, forged a 3.92 ERA and 3.51 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 13 walks in eight appearances (five starts) spanning 20 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .220 batting average. That translates to a 24.2 percent strikeout rate and a 13.7 percent walk rate.

Like Vargas, Batista hails from the Dominican Republic and signed with the Red Sox in late 2022. He, too, received a modest $10,000 signing bonus but impressed in his professional debut (3.54 ERA in 40 2/3 innings) in the DSL last season and was recognized as the organization’s Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Standing at 6-foot and 165 pounds, Batista is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system. The 19-year-old reportedly sits between 93-95 mph with his fastball and has featured a slider.

Olds promoted, Olivarez released

In other minor-league news, reliever Wyatt Olds was promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester as a corresponding move for Isiah Campbell landing on the WooSox’ 7-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Olds, 24, posted a 5.03 ERA (4.15 FIP) with 74 strikeouts to 30 walks in 26 appearances (one start) spanning 53 2/3 innings for Portland this season. The right-hander was originally selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Oklahoma.

The Red Sox also released Helcris Olivarez, who they signed to a minor-league contract in November, from Portland’s roster. A former top prospect of the Rockies, the 23-year-old lefty pitched to a 3.50 ERA (but much more concerning 6.07 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 50 walks in 14 appearances (five starts) spanning 36 innings for the Sea Dogs in 2024.

(Picture of Gilberto Batista: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Juan Valera to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Franklin Arias and pitching prospect Juan Valera from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, according to reports from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and SoxProspects.com.

Arias, 18, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 51 games (206 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season.

In the month of July alone, Arias has slashed a ridiculous .482/.574/.768 with five doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBIs, 18 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 12 walks, and 14 strikeouts over 18 games (68 plate appearances). Among 70 qualified FCL hitters coming into play on Monday, Arias led the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (1.055), and wRC+ (180). He also ranked second in slugging percentage, fifth in isolated power (.229), 17th in walk rate (16.5 percent), and 23rd in strikeout rate (17.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias has split his playing time on the field this season between shortstop and second base. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed nine errors in 33 starts at short for the FCL Red Sox but did not commit an error in 10 starts at second. He also made four starts at DH.

Arias, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The Caracas native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year and has since added to his glove-first profile by showing signs of immense improvement at the plate.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with Speier earlier this month. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

Valera, meanwhile, is not yet ranked by Baseball America but is rated by SoxProspects.com as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.29 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 11 appearances (nine starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted just .128 against him.

Dating back to the beginning of June, Valera has pitched to a 0.98 ERA (2.20 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to four walks over his last seven starts (27 2/3 innings). That includes punching out a season-high seven batters in five perfect frames against the FCL Braves last Thursday.

Among the 20 FCL pitchers who entered Monday with at least 40 innings under their belt to this point in the year, Valera ranked first in batting average against and WHIP (0.77), second in FIP, third in groundball rate (56 percent), fourth in ERA fifth in strikeout rate (26 percent), sixth in walk rate (9.1 percent) and xFIP (3.98), and eighth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), per FanGraphs.

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 appeared in 15 games (one start) as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season but has really burst onto the scene this year.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Valera primarily operates with a 93-97 mph fastball and an 83-85 mph slider, according to his initial SoxProspects.com scouting report. The projectable righty does not yet feature a third pitch and is inconsistent when it comes to throwing strikes. Still, “he checks a lot of boxes that you look for in a pitching prospect his age.”

While Arias and Valera are getting somewhat of a head start in making the jump to Salem, others in Fort Myers will likely join them at some point in August since the 2024 FCL season will conclude on July 30 at the latest.

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

Red Sox’ Franklin Arias named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox infield prospect Franklin Arias has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of June 24-30, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Arias went 7-for-15 (.467) with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, four runs scored, five stolen bases, three walks, and three strikeouts in five games for the FCL Red Sox last week. The 18-year-old then went 4-for-7 (.571) with two doubles, one RBI, three runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and one strikeout between Games 1 and 2 of Monday’s doubleheader against the FCL Braves at the JetBlue Park complex in Fort Myers.

Following Monday’s performance, Arias is now batting a stout .308/.432/.513 with 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 35 games (146 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox after a relatively slow start to the season. The right-handed hitter leads Boston’s rookie-level affiliate in doubles, runs scored, stolen bases, extra-base hits (17), and total bases (60), per MiLB.com.

Defensively, Arias has seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at either shortstop or second base. The projectable 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has made 23 starts at short, where he has committed five errors in 98 chances, and eight at second, where he has yet to commit an error. He has also served as the FCL Red Sox’ designated hitter three times, including Game 2 of Monday’s twin bill.

Arias is currently regarded by both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and slashed .350/.440/.453 over 37 games while impressing with his defense.

Arias, who does not turn 19 until November, is the second member of this year’s FCL Red Sox to earn Player of the Week honors, joining fellow infielder and 2023 signee Yoeilin Cespedes (June 3-9). Cespedes has since received a promotion to Low-A Salem but has yet to appear in a game there due to left-hand soreness, according to SoxProspects.com Chris Hatfield.

As part of a new scheduling quirk, the 2024 Florida Complex League regular season will end on July 25. Barring a trade or other sort of surprise, it seems more likely than not that Arias will be joining Cespedes in Salem before the end of the summer.

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