Tag: player of the week

Red Sox catching prospect Franklin Primera named Carolina League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching prospect Franklin Primera has been named the Carolina League Player of the Week for the week of August 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Primera appeared in all six of Low-A Salem’s road games against Delmarva this past week, going 9-for-19 (.474) with one double, one triple, one home run, three RBIs, six runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and one strikeout. The 19-year-old recorded two hits in Tuesday’s series opener, tripled in a four-hit effort on Wednesday, doubled on Friday, homered on Saturday, and scored three times on Sunday.

Since arriving at Salem from the rookie-level Florida Complex League in late June, Primera has not missed a beat. In his first taste of full-season ball, the right-handed hitter is batting .333/.474/.509 with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 12 RBIs, 28 runs scored, one stolen base, 19 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 31 games (137 plate appearances) for the RidgeYaks.

Among 171 hitters who have logged at least 130 plate appearances in the Carolina League this year, Primera ranks first in on-base percentage, third in wOBA (.467), fourth in batting average and wRC+ (165), fifth in OPS (.983), ninth in strikeout rate (12.4%), 12th in slugging percentage, 27th in swinging-strike rate (8.3%), 48th in isolated power (.176), and 75th in walk rate (13.9%), according to FanGraphs.

Overall, Primera is slashing a stout .379/.511/.611 with 14 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs, 58 runs scored, five stolen bases, 41 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 63 games (271 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem this season, his first in the United States. He has posted a .390/.523/.663 line in 222 plate appearances against right-handed pitching and a .333/.458/.385 line in 49 plate appearances against left-handed pitching across the two levels.

Between his stops in the FCL and Salem, Primera has unsurprisingly seen the majority of his playing time come at the catching position. In 41 total starts behind the plate, the 6-foot, 230-pound backstop has allowed seven passed balls and thrown out 25 of 146 would-be base stealers. He has also made eight starts at first base (all in the FCL, where he committed one error in 50 chances) and 13 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Primera originally signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent in September 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season and shined, earning DSL All-Star and All-Star Game Co-MVP recognition. This year, he has shown no signs of slowing down even while acclimating to life stateside, as evidenced by his taking home FCL Player of the Month honors for June and reaching Salem as a teenager.

Primera, who turned 19 in June, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 3 prospect behind only infielder Franklin Arias and outfielder Justin Gonzales. The publication also identified Primera as the top talent to play in the Florida Complex League this season, tabbing him as the circuit’s “purest hitter” thanks to “improved bat speed and sound swing decisions.”

“Defensively,” Baseball America’s Josh Norris wrote last month, “evaluators are bearish on Primera’s chances to stick behind the dish. He’s already big and physical, and will need to stay on top of his conditioning as he ages. For now, he has the arm strength for the position but will need to work on most of the rest of the required skills, including receiving, game-calling, footwork, and blocking.”

Primera is the second Salem position player to earn a weekly award this season, joining outfielder Enddy Azocar, who was dealt to the Orioles as part of the Adley Rutschman trade earlier this month. With the minor league season winding down, it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox could consider promoting Primera to High-A Greenville for the stretch run.

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

Red Sox’ Antonio Anderson named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox prospect Antonio Anderson has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of August 3-9, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Anderson takes home the award for the second time this season, having previously earned the honor for the week of June 22-28. This time, the 21-year-old infielder was a force to be reckoned with in High-A Greenville’s series against the Hudson Valley Renegades at Fluor Field.

Appearing in four of six games, Anderson went 8-for-13 (.615) with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, seven runs scored, four walks, and three strikeouts. He went deep in Tuesday’s series opener, doubled on Wednesday, tallied four hits on Friday, and homered again in Sunday’s series finale.

For the season, Anderson is batting .284/.378/.482 with 13 doubles, three triples, a career-high eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, one stolen base, 30 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 64 games (255 plate appearances) for Greenville. The switch-hitter is slashing .286/.378/.491 in 205 plate appearances against righties from the left side and .279/.380/.442 in 50 plate appearances against lefties from the right side.

Among 85 hitters who have made at least 250 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Anderson ranks 12th in batting average, 15th in wOBA (.385) and wRC+ (118), 16th in line-drive rate (25%), 17th in slugging percentage and OPS (.860), 20th in on-base percentage, 30th in isolated power (.197), 33rd in strikeout rate (22.7%), and 41st in swinging-strike rate (12.2%), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Anderson has split his playing time between the infield corners for Greenville this season. In 34 starts at third base, the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has committed 11 errors in 88 chances over 303 innings. In 27 starts at first base, he has four errors in 221 chances over 249 2/3 innings. He has also made one start at DH.

A former third-round draft pick (83rd overall) in 2023, Anderson is enjoying a resurgent 2026 campaign. The North Atlantic High School product, who forwent his commitment to Georgia Tech by signing with the Red Sox for $1.5 million, has endured his fair share of struggles since making his professional debut three years ago. He was ranked as high as Boston’s No. 22 prospect by Baseball America in 2024, when he was viewed more as a shortstop, but had fallen almost entirely off the radar before this season began.

Anderson, who turned 21 in June, is the first player in the South Atlantic League to earn multiple Player of the Week honors this year. Given his recent performance with Greenville, it is certainly possible that a late-season promotion to Double-A Portland could be in the cards.

(Picture of Antonio Anderson: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Ronald Rosario named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox catching/first base prospect Ronald Rosario has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of July 6-12, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Rosario appeared in four of Double-A Portland’s six road games against New Hampshire last week. The right-handed hitter went 8-for-16 (.500) with four home runs, nine RBIs, four runs scored, one stolen base, and one strikeout. He homered once in Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, went deep twice on Friday, and left the yard again in Sunday’s series finale.

Following this hot stretch, Rosario is now batting .278/.324/.462 with six doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, 10 walks, and 41 strikeouts through 43 games (170 plate appearances) for Portland this season, his second at the Double-A level. He is slashing .229/.289/.371 in 38 plate appearances against lefties and .293/.333/.488 in 132 plate appearances against righties.

Defensively, Rosario has primarily split his playing time this year between catcher and first base. Behind Nate Baez and Johanfran Garcia on Portland’s catching depth chart, the 5-foot-11 backstop has thrown out four of 24 would-be base stealers over 15 starts. At first base, where he trails Brooks Brannon on the depth chart, he has committed four errors in 129 chances across 17 starts. He has also made eight starts at DH.

Rosario, 23, originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, however, the native Venezuelan did not make his professional debut until 2021. He split his first two seasons in pro ball between the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues before graduating to full-season ball in 2023. This past January, he received his first invite to major league spring training and ultimately broke camp with Portland.

Rosario has never been viewed as one of Boston’s premier catching prospects but has provided the organization with solid depth behind the plate over the years. He is slated to reach minor league free agency at the end of the season, though the Red Sox bringing him back on a new contract for 2027 is not out of the realm of possibility.

(Picture of Ronald Rosario: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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’ 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’ Louis Andujar named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox infield prospect Louis Andujar has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of May 11-17, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Andujar appeared in five games for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last week, going 9-for-18 (.500) with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, six runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and two strikeouts. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old recorded four multi-hit games during that stretch, including a three-double performance on Friday.

Following a 1-for-4 showing on Monday, Andujar is now batting .410/.489/.744 with seven doubles, two home runs, 11 RBIs, 11 runs scored, four stolen bases, five walks, and 10 strikeouts through 11 games (45 plate appearances) to begin his first season in the United States. That includes a .364/.462/.818 line against lefties and a .429/.500/.714 line against righties, albeit in a limited sample.

Among 90 qualified hitters in the Florida Complex League, Andujar ranks first in extra-base hits (9), second in total bases (29), third in OPS (1.233), fourth in batting average and slugging percentage, fifth in isolated power (.333), 10th in on-base percentage, and 43rd in strikeout rate (22.2%), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Andujar has seen most of his playing time with the FCL Red Sox come at third base. The 6-foot, 185-pounder has yet to commit an error in eight starts and 56 1/3 innings at the hot corner. He has also made two starts at second base and one start at DH.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Andujar signed with the Red Sox for just $20,000 as an international free agent out of San Cristobal last January. He made his professional debut in the 2025 Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .280/.450/.524 with five doubles, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 24 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 22 walks, and 20 strikeouts across 29 games spanning 111 plate appearances.

Andujar — who does not turn 19 until September — is not yet ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The outlet describes him as having a “solid approach and bat-to-ball skills” as well as “excellent range” and an “above-average arm.”

If he continues to perform at this exceptional pace in the Florida Complex League, Andujar could soon be in line for a promotion to Low-A Salem for his first taste of full-season ball.

(Picture of Louis Andujar: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Enddy Azocar named Carolina League Player of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Enddy Azocar has been named the Carolina League Player of the Week for the week of May 11-17, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Azocar had a productive week at the plate in Low-A Salem’s series on the road against Fredericksburg. Appearing in five games, the right-handed hitting 19-year-old went 9-for-21 (.429) with three doubles, one home run, four RBIs, three runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and six strikeouts.

After going hitless in Tuesday’s series opener, Azocar singled twice and drove in a run on Wednesday before doubling, homering, driving in two runs, and drawing a walk on Thursday. He did not play on Friday, doubled and walked on Saturday, then capped the week off with a four-hit performance on Sunday that included another double, an RBI, and a stolen base.

On the heels of this offensive surge, Azocar now finds himself batting .297/.348/.531 with 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 30 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 11 walks, and 36 strikeouts through 34 games (158 plate appearances) for Salem this season. That includes a .405/.463/.838 line in 41 plate appearances against lefties and a .259/.308/.426 line in 117 plate appearances against righties.

Among 84 qualified hitters in the Carolina League entering play this week, Azocar ranks sixth in slugging percentage, ninth in isolated power (.234), 10th in line-drive rate (28.6%), 12th in batting average, 13th in OPS (.879), 15th in speed score (8.2), 18th in wOBA (.397), 22nd in wRC+ (127), and 32nd in strikeout rate (22.8%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Azocar has been used almost exclusively in center field by Salem this season. The projectable 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has made 26 starts and logged 228 1/3 error-free innings in center for the RidgeYaks thus far, recording one assist. He has also made eight starts at DH and has prior experience at both corner outfield positions.

Azocar, who just turned 19 in February, originally signed with the Red Sox for $40,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2024. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League before arriving stateside for the first time in 2025. Following an eye-opening spring training in Fort Myers, he came out of the gates firing in the Florida Complex League and arrived in Salem last May.

Even though he struggled in his first stint with Salem, Azocar’s stock has still steadily risen since making the jump to full-season ball a year ago. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both currently rank him as Boston’s No. 10 prospect, citing his five-tool potential and encouraging underlying data. At the same time, there are questions about his approach at the plate and whether he can stick in center field long-term.

Nonetheless, Azocar is clearly pushing for a new challenge in the form of a promotion to High-A Greenville. At this point, that happening feels more like a matter of when, not if.

(Picture of Enddy Azocar: Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Brooks Brannon named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Brooks Brannon has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 4-10, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Appearing in four of Double-A Portland’s five games against New Hampshire, Brannon enjoyed a productive, albeit rain-soaked week at Hadlock Field. The right-handed hitter went 9-for-15 (.600) with two doubles, one triple, three home runs, 11 RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and two strikeouts.

After going hitless in Tuesday’s series opener and losing Wednesday’s contest to rain, Brannon tripled as part of a two-hit effort in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader. He then homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs on Friday. Following another rainout on Saturday, Brannon capped his week by going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a home run, and five RBIs in Sunday’s series finale, with his mom in attendance for Mother’s Day.

Due to a broken left hamate bone that required surgery during spring training, Brannon was sidelined for the first three weeks of the 2026 season. Since returning to action for Portland on April 22, however, the 22-year-old is slashing .359/.469/.897 with four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 16 RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts through 12 games (49 plate appearances). That includes a .444/.500/1.000 in 10 plate appearances against lefties and a .333/.462/.867 line in 39 plate appearances against righties.

Among 145 Eastern League hitters who have made at least 40 trips to the plate this year, Brannon ranks first in slugging percentage, OPS (1.366), isolated power (.538), wOBA (.547), and wRC+ (224), third in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, eighth in line-drive rate (35.7%), 13th in walk rate (18.4%), and 29th in swinging-strike rate (9.6%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Brannon has played almost exclusively at first base this season. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder has started 10 games there for Portland, logging 83 1/3 innings while committing just one error in 68 chances. He has also made two starts at DH and brings plenty of experience behind the plate, though he appears to trail Nate Baez, Ronald Rosario, and Johanfran Garcia on the Sea Dogs’ catching depth chart.

Brannon, who just turned 22 earlier this month, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (279th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Randleman (N.C.) High School. He forwent his commitment to North Carolina by signing for an over-slot $712,500, but has struggled to stay on the field consistently since entering the professional ranks.

Brannon entered 2026 ranked as Boston’s No. 53 prospect by SoxProspects.com, which notes that he “needs to make more contact and chase less in order to allow his power to play to its potential.” If he can continue to build off this strong start with Portland, it would not be surprising to see him earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the not-so-distant future. Such a move would be noteworthy given that he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time this winter if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

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

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)

Red Sox OF prospect Justin Gonzales recognized as Carolina League Player of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Justin Gonzales has been named the Carolina League Player of the Week for the week of June 30-July 6, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Gonzales appeared in five of Low-A Salem’s six games against Lynchburg on the road last week. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old went 8-for-20 (.400) with three doubles, one home run, four RBIs, three runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks, and three strikeouts. He drew one walk on Tuesday, homered as part of a three-hit effort on Wednesday, did not play on Thursday, singled on Friday, doubled and drove in one run on Saturday, and doubled twice in Sunday’s series finale.

Now riding a four-game hitting streak, Gonzales is batting .273/.383/.376 with nine doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 24 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 24 walks, and 30 strikeouts in 45 games (196 plate appearances) for Salem this season. That includes a .246/.356/.304 slash line against righties and a far more favorable .407/.515/.741 slash line against lefties.

Among 89 Carolina League hitters who have made at least 190 trips to the plate this year, Gonzales ranks 11th in batting average and on-base percentage, 14th in strikeout rate (15.3 percent), 16th in wOBA (.378), 17th in OPS (.758), 19th in wRC+ (122), 27th in slugging percentage, and 33rd in walk rate (12.2 percent) and swinging-strike rate (10.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Gonzales has seen playing time at all three outfield spots for Salem. The hulking 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has logged a team-leading 226 1/3 innings in center field, 61 innings in right field, and 15 2/3 innings in left field, recording one outfield assist and committing three errors in 74 total defensive chances. He has also made nine starts at DH and has prior experience at first base.

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000 in January 2024, Gonzales is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 16 prospect. The Bani native burst onto the scene in his professional debut last season, most notably earning Dominican Summer League All-Star and Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Position Player of the Year honors. He stood out in his first stateside spring training and made the jump to Salem on May 6 after just one game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

“This kid is more physical than any player I’ve been around,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier in early May. “He’s a monster. I think he’s still kind of learning what he can do physically, learning his body. And for a guy who’s so big and has so much power, his ability to control the bat is incredibly impressive. He’s been a much better hitter than maybe we had expected. That’s been really exciting.”

Gonzales, who does not turn 19 until December, could emerge as an intriguing candidate to be moved in the coming weeks if the Red Sox elect to be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline at the end of the month. Assuming he remains in the organization, though, it should be worthwhile to see if Gonzales can aggressively work his way up to High-A Greenville at some point in the second half.

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)