Tag: prospects

Trio of Red Sox prospects named 2026 Dominican Summer League All-Stars

Red Sox prospects Joskairo Ramirez, Anderber Urbina, and Isaac Velasquez have been named 2026 Dominican Summer League All-Stars. The trio of teenagers will represent the organization in Sunday’s DSL All-Star Game at the Rays’ academy in Guerra, just outside Santo Domingo.

All three of Ramirez, Urbina, and Velasquez are in their first professional seasons after joining the Red Sox as international free agents in January. Ramirez, a native of the Dominican Republic, received an $800,000 signing bonus, while Urbina, a native of Venezuela, and Velasquez, a native of Colombia, received $145,000 and $370,000, respectively.

Ramirez, 17, received the third-largest signing bonus in Boston’s 2026 international class and is enjoying a strong debut campaign with DSL Red Sox Red. Nicknamed “El Peluche” (“Teddy Bear” in English), the left-handed hitting outfielder is batting .293/.408/.505 (121 wRC+) with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 21 runs scored, six stolen bases, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 29 games (120 plate appearances) this season.

Defensively, Ramirez has seen nearly all of his playing time this year come in center field. Across 26 starts there, the 5-foot-9, 175-pounder has committed one error and recorded one assist in 47 chances. He has also made two starts at DH. SoxProspects.com, which currently ranks him as Boston’s No. 56 prospect, notes that he “gets great jumps in center and reads the ball well.”

Urbina, also 17, is Ramirez’s teammate on DSL Red Sox Red. In 28 games for the rookie-level affiliate this season, the right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .312/.443/.505 (134 wRC+) with five doubles, two triples, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 28 runs scored, five stolen bases, 21 walks, and 16 strikeouts over 116 plate appearances.

On the other side of the ball, Urbina has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base. The 5-foot-9, 146-pounder has made 15 starts at shortstop, 10 starts at third base, and three starts at second base, committing five errors in 113 total chances. He is not currently ranked among the organization’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com.

Velasquez, who does not turn 17 until next month, is playing for DSL Red Sox Blue to begin his pro career. Through 26 games this season, the left-handed hitting infielder is batting .216/.376/.527 (112 wRC+) with three doubles, one triple, six home runs, 26 RBIs, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 93 plate appearances. His six homers and 26 RBIs lead all of Boston’s DSL hitters.

Defensively, Velasquez has seen the lion’s share of his playing time this year come at shortstop. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has made 23 starts at short for DSL Red Sox Blue, committing two errors in 59 chances. He has also made one error-free start at third base and one start at DH. Like Urbina, he is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the system’s top 60 prospects.

(Picture: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

How Red Sox OF prospect Enddy Azocar is faring with High-A Greenville

Top Red Sox outfield prospect Enddy Azocar headed into the MLB All-Star break on a high note after launching three home runs in High-A Greenville’s final two games against Greensboro over the weekend.

Azocar has experienced some growing pains since being promoted from Low-A Salem, where he batted .295/.344/.530 with six home runs and 26 RBIs over 39 games (180 plate appearances), in late May. In 34 games for Greenville since then, the right-handed hitting 19-year-old is slashing .228/.296/.441 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs across 159 trips to the plate.

Overall, though, Azocar has put together a solid body of work to begin his second season in the United States. Between Salem and Greenville, he is batting .264/.322/.489 with 21 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs, 47 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 82 strikeouts in 73 games (339 plate appearances). He has posted a .344/.400/.688 line in 70 plate appearances against lefties, compared to a .243/.301/.437 line in 269 plate appearances against righties.

Among 13 Red Sox minor leaguers who — regardless of level — have logged at least 300 plate appearances this year, Azocar ranks second in line-drive rate (27%) and speed score (8.2), third in isolated power (.225) and slugging percentage, and fourth in batting average, OPS (.811), wOBA (.362), and wRC+ (104), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Azocar has seen nearly all of his playing time come in center field this season after getting reps at all three outfield spots last year. Across 61 total starts (31 with Salem, 30 with Greenville), the athletic 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has committed two errors and recorded two assists in 137 chances over 537 1/3 innings. He has also made 12 starts at DH between the two stops.

A native of Venezuela, Azocar originally signed with the Red Sox for $40,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. He was relatively unknown at the time and truly did not get on most people’s radar until he arrived in Fort Myers for his stateside debut last year. Since then, he has emerged as one of the top position-playing prospects in the organization.

Baseball America currently ranks Azocar as Boston’s No. 6 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him slightly lower at No. 10. Both outlets note that the teenager generates plenty of bat speed from the right side, allowing him to consistently produce triple-digit exit velocities. They also cite his above-average speed and project him to either stick in center field or develop into a strong right fielder in the long run.

Azocar, who does not turn 20 until February, is expected to return to Greenville when the High-A season resumes on Friday. Depending on how he continues to fare with the Drive and how aggressive the Red Sox want to be with his development, it would not be surprising to see him reach Double-A Portland before his age-19 campaign draws to a close. The club took a similar approach with No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias last year.

(Picture of Enddy Azocar: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

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)

How top Red Sox prospects Franklin Arias, Anthony Eyanson fared in All-Star Futures Game

Top Red Sox prospects Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson played supporting roles in the American League’s 6-1 win over the National League in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park.

Arias started at second base and served as the American League’s two-hole hitter to begin the seven-inning showcase in Philadelphia. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old went 0-for-2 with an RBI and a strikeout. He drove in the game’s first run on an RBI groundout that scored Leo De Vries in the top of the first.

After cleanly fielding the only ball hit his way and recording a putout in the bottom of the third, Arias struck out to lead off the fourth inning in his second and final plate appearance of the afternoon. He was then replaced at second base by Max Anderson in the middle of the fifth.

Arias is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 3 prospect in baseball. The Venezuelan-born infielder has enjoyed a breakout season at Double-A Portland, slashing .325/.411/.596 with 16 doubles, one triple, an organizational-leading 18 home runs, 48 RBIs, 47 runs scored, five stolen bases, 34 walks, and 41 strikeouts through 70 games (309 plate appearances). He has also provided the Sea Dogs with strong defense at shortstop, committing just three errors in 195 chances across 50 starts.

Eyanson, meanwhile, was one of 10 pitchers used by the American League on Sunday. The 21-year-old right-hander worked a scoreless third of an inning after relieving Kendry Chourio in the bottom of the fourth. With one runner on and two outs, he issued a six-pitch walk to the first batter he faced before getting Luis Pena to fly out and retire the side. In all, he threw 12 pitches (five strikes). His fastball sat at 92-94 mph, and he mixed in four sliders and a curveball.

Though he was not on the mound long, Eyanson was ultimately credited with the winning decision. He was the pitcher of record when the American League took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth. Five relievers then combined to toss three scoreless innings the rest of the way.

Eyanson is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 33 prospect in the sport. At this time last year, the California-born righty had not yet even signed his first professional contract after being selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of Louisiana State. He has since added power to his arsenal and owns a 1.29 ERA with 71 strikeouts to 21 walks through 13 outings (12 starts) spanning 55 2/3 innings between High-A Greenville and Portland to begin his first full pro season.

Both Arias and Eyanson are expected to return to Portland from Philadelphia when the Sea Dogs’ season resumes on Friday. However, it may not be long before either of the top prospects receives a promotion to Triple-A Worcester as the next step in their development.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Skylar King hits for cycle in hometown

Red Sox outfield prospect Skylar King hit for the cycle in Low-A Salem’s 14-5 win over Columbia on Tuesday night.

King, a Columbia native, batted leadoff for the RidgeYaks in Tuesday’s series opener against the Fireflies at Segra Park, located less than five miles from where he went to high school (Brookland-Cayce). The 22-year-old made an immediate impact, crushing a home run on the second pitch of the game for his 10th homer of the season.

After tripling in the second inning, grounding out in the fourth, and doubling in the fifth, King led off the top of the eighth, needing only a base hit to complete the cycle. He did just that, shooting a line drive into left field for a single on the first pitch he saw from Fireflies reliever Henson Leal.

King struck out in his final plate appearance, but it did little to overshadow an otherwise memorable night in his hometown. The left-handed hitter finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and the first cycle by a Salem player in 21 years, according to the team.

Following Tuesday’s performance, King is batting .378/.417/.733 with three home runs and nine RBIs in his last 11 games (48 plate appearances) dating back to June 23. Overall, he is slashing .231/.321/.409 (92 wRC+) with 11 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 34 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 52 strikeouts through 66 games (278 plate appearances) for Salem this season. That includes a .185/.274/.370 line against lefties and a more solid .245/.335/.420 line against righties.

Among 65 qualified hitters in the Carolina League entering play Wednesday, King notably ranks sixth in pull rate (51.6%), 13th in isolated power (.178), 14th in strikeout rate (18.7%), 21st in slugging percentage, 23rd in wSB (0.7), 25th in swinging-strike rate (11.3%), and 26th in speed score (6.8), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, King has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Salem this season. The athletic 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has made 29 starts in right field, 26 starts in center field, and eight starts in left field, committing six errors and recording four assists in 138 total chances between the three spots. He has also made two starts at DH.

King was Boston’s 15th-round selection in the 2025 draft out of West Virginia. As the 448th overall pick, the former Mountaineer received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus before making his professional debut for Salem last August. He is not currently ranked among the organization’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as having “a solid floor with his speed and defensive ability, but upside will be determined by how his bat develops.”

Given how he has fared at Low-A in recent weeks, it would not be surprising to see King — who does not turn 23 until November — earn a promotion to High-A Greenville at some point during the second half of the season. In the meantime, he will look to keep it rolling with Salem.

(Picture of Skylar King: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Top prospects Franklin Arias, Anthony Eyanson to represent Red Sox at All-Star Futures Game

Top Red Sox prospects Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson have been selected to represent the organization at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia later this month, Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

As part of All-Star Week festivities, Arias and Eyanson will suit up for the American League in the annual prospect showcase at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12. The seven-inning exhibition, which will air exclusively on NBC, is scheduled to begin at noon ET.

Arias, a 20-year-old infielder, and Eyanson, a 21-year-old right-hander, are currently ranked by Baseball America as the top two prospects in Boston’s farm system and the Nos. 3 and 33 prospects in baseball, respectively. Both have had exceptional seasons to this point and are being rewarded with Futures Game nods.

Arias clubbed his organizational-leading 17th home run of the season for Double-A Portland on Wednesday. In 65 games for the Sea Dogs this year, the right-handed hitter is batting a robust .329/.414/.606 with 15 doubles, one triple, a career-high 17 homers, 44 RBIs, 43 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 36 strikeouts over 285 plate appearances. He is slashing .299/.405/.567 against lefties and .341/.417/.620 against righties.

Defensively, Arias has seen most of his playing time with Portland this season come at shortstop, where he has committed just three errors in 182 chances across 48 starts. The sure-handed 5-foot-11, 180-pounder has also made two error-free starts at second base and 10 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. Known more for his glove at the time of his signing, he quickly turned heads with his bat in the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues, earning MVP honors in the latter as part of an electric 2024 stateside debut. He followed that up by climbing from Low-A to High-A, and then from High-A to Double-A as a 19-year-old in 2025.

Eyanson, meanwhile, is in his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox with the 87th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State. The California native received an above-slot $1.75 million signing bonus but did not pitch for an affiliate immediately after putting pen to paper. He instead debuted at High-A Greenville this April following a standout spring training in Fort Myers.

In five starts for Greenville out of the gate, Eyanson pitched to a 0.44 ERA with 34 strikeouts to three walks over 20 1/3 innings in which opponents batted just .104 against him. The righty was recognized as the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the month for April and received a promotion to Portland in early May. He has since forged a 1.48 ERA with 30 strikeouts to 16 walks across seven starts (30 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs.

Overall, Eyanson is 2-0 with a 1.07 ERA and a 64:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 starts (50 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. Opposing hitters are batting .149 against the 6-foot-2, 208-pound hurler, who features an upper-90s fastball that has touched triple digits as well as a slider, curveball, and changeup.

 (Picture of Franklin Arias: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Which prospect did Red Sox trade to Athletics for infielder Brett Harris?

The Red Sox swung a trade with the Athletics on Wednesday morning, acquiring infielder Brett Harris in exchange for minor league right-hander Ben Hansen, per a club announcement.

To make room for Harris, who was designated for assignment by the Athletics on Saturday, on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle for assignment. Harris has since been optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

Hansen, like Harris, switches organizations for the first time in his professional career with this trade. The 24-year-old righty was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 20th round (597th overall) of the 2024 draft out of Brigham Young. He signed for $50,000 and made his pro debut last April.

After spending all of 2025 at Low-A Salem, where he posted a 6.23 ERA (4.56 FIP) over 60 2/3 innings, Hansen opened the 2026 season with High-A Greenville. In 13 appearances (two starts) for the Drive, Hansen forged a 4.75 ERA (3.93 FIP) with 52 strikeouts to 14 walks across 41 2/3 innings in which opponents batted .248 against him.

Among 58 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Hansen ranks third in xFIP (3.64), eighth in walk rate (7.6%), 10th in walks per nine (3.02), 11th in strikeouts per nine (11.23), 12th in groundball rate (49.1%), 13th in strikeout rate (28.3%), 14th in FIP, 18th in WHIP (1.32), and 27th in ERA, according to FanGraphs.

Hansen, who turned 24 in March, was not ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects by SoxProspects.com. The outlet notes that the 6-foot-6, 210-pound California native “worked out at Tread Athletics during the offseason” and “reported to camp in 2026 with improved stuff, adding 1-2 mph of velocity to his fastball among other steps forward.”

Hansen becomes the fifth member of the Red Sox’ 2024 draft class to be traded, joining first-rounder Braden Montgomery, fourth-rounder Zach Ehrhard, fifth-rounder Brandon Clarke, and sixth-rounder Blake Aita. He has been assigned to the Athletics’ High-A affiliate in Lansing, Mich., where he will likely have the opportunity to earn a promotion to Double-A before the season ends.

(Picture of Ben Hansen: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Sox prospect Josue Brito named FCL Player of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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