Tag: prospects

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Zach Ehrhard to Double-A Portland

With Jhostynxon Garcia set to be promoted to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox are elevating fellow outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Ehrhard, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 47 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .342/.471/.459 with 10 doubles, one home run, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 31 games (140 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2025 season. That includes a ridiculous .418/.484/.582 slash line this month.

Among qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Ehrhard ranks second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, sixth in walk rate (18.6 percent), seventh in OPS (.930), 11th in strikeout rate (19.3 percent), and 15th in slugging percentage, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Ehrhard saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Greenville. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder logged 98 innings in left field, 86 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing zero errors and recording two assists (both from right) in 43 total chances. He also made four starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wharton High School in Tampa. Rather than go pro out of high school, he played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons before re-entering the draft as a junior in 2024. He was then, once again, taken by the Red Sox, only this time in the fourth round (115th overall). As such, he signed for an under-slot $500,000 last July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut after putting pen to paper.

Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive (.459 OPS in 22 games) last year, Ehrhard has shown out of the gate this season why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class. That superlative will surely be put to the test once he arrives in Portland to go up against more advanced competition at the Double-A level in the Eastern League. Still, this new challenge comes at an exciting and opportune time.

In being promoted, Ehrhard will join his older brother, Drew, on the Sea Dogs’ roster. Drew, 26, is in his third season with the Red Sox organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023. The two brothers will now have the chance to be teammates and possibly share the same field again as soon as Tuesday, when Portland opens a six-game series against Reading at Hadlock Field.

“I would love that,” Zach said of the possibility of playing with Drew when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last week. “ We’ve already talked about it a bunch because we got to be on the same team in spring training a couple of times, and that was a lot of fun. So hopefully we get to do it again.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 22-year-old was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, he took part in his first major league spring training before breaking camp with Portland (where he appeared in 30 games in 2024) last month.

To open the 2025 season, the right-handed hitting Garcia batted .256/.355/.393 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 18 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 33 games (138 plate appearances) for Portland. His 13 percent walk rate ranks 18th among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, while his 21 percent strikeout rate ranks 23rd, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw the lion’s share of his playing time with Portland this season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder made 31 starts and logged 258 2/3 innings in center for the Sea Dogs, committing just one error and recording three assists in 52 defensive chances. He also made one start in right field and one start at DH.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native steadily climbed the organizational ladder to begin his professional career before breaking out and rising through three minor-league levels last season to earn a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster. He is the older brother of catching prospect Johanfran Garcia.

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith (through interpreter Daveson Perez) earlier this spring that one of his goals for this season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.”

With his Triple-A debut likely to come in Worcester’s series opener against Durham at Polar Park on Tuesday, Garcia is one step closer to reaching that goal.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Zach Ehrhard goes 5-for-5, hits first professional homer

Red Sox outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard checked off a pair of career firsts in High-A Greenville’s 9-6 victory over Hub City at Fluor Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Ehrhard went 5-for-5 out of the five-hole for the Drive. While recording the first five-hit game of his pro career, the 22-year-old crushed a 373-foot three-run shot over Greenville’s Green Monster off Spartanburgers starter Aidan Curry in the first inning for his first professional home run. He reached base four more times to finish the contest with five RBIs and two runs scored.

After getting his first full season in the professional ranks off to a relatively slow start, Ehrhard has heated up as of late. Following Wednesday’s strong showing, the right-handed hitter is now batting a stout .340/.464/.450 with eight doubles, one home run, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts through 28 games (125 plate appearances) for Greenville this year.

Among 85 qualified South Atlantic League hitters coming into play on Thursday, Ehrhard ranks first in line-drive rate (37 percent), second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, fifth in wRC+ (164), sixth in wOBA (.435), seventh in swinging-strike rate (7.4 percent), eighth in walk rate (18.4 percent), ninth in OPS (.914), and 19th in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (20.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Ehrhard has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Greenville this season. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has logged a team-leading 87 innings in left field, 77 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing no errors and recording one assist in 35 total chances. He has also made three starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wharton High School in Tampa. He turned down the opportunity to go pro at that time and instead played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons, only to be drafted by the Red Sox again in the fourth round (115th overall) following his junior year last summer.

This time around, Ehhard signed with Boston for an under-slot $500,000 in late July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut shortly after putting pen to paper. Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive last year (.459 OPS in 22 games), he is currently showing why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class.

Ehrhard, who does not turn 23 until January, is not currently regarded among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. He is, however, ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which is up four spots from where he was at this time a little more than a month ago.

Given how he has fared at the High-A level to this point, one would think a promotion to Double-A Portland could be on the horizon for Ehrhard. Such a move would reunite Zach with his older brother Drew, who plays for the Sea Dogs and is in his third season with the Red Sox organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023.

“I would love that,” Zach said of potentially playing with Drew in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “ We’ve already talked about it a bunch because we got to be on the same team in spring training a couple of times, and that was a lot of fun. So hopefully we get to do it again.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox prospect Gilberto Batista (part of Danny Jansen trade) named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect Gilberto Batista has been named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

One of three prospects traded to the Blue Jays for veteran catcher Danny Jansen last July, Batista was excellent in his latest start for Low-A Dunedin on Saturday. The young right-hander earned the win on the road against Fort Myers, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out a career-high of nine over five scoreless innings.

Retiring 13 of the 18 batters he faced on the night, Batista finished with 62 pitches (42 strikes) and induced a game-high 13 swings and misses. The 20-year-old hurler averaged 93.5 mph and reached 95.3 mph with his four-seam fastball, a pitch he threw 25 times. He also featured an 85-88 mph slider (thrown 24 times), an 84-86 mph slider (thrown seven times), a 92-95 mph sinker (thrown three times), and an 84-86 mph changeup (thrown seven times), according to Baseball Savant.

Following Saturday’s outing, Batista now owns a 1.74 ERA and 4.21 FIP with 28 strikeouts to five walks through seven appearances (four starts) for Dunedin this season. Opposing hitters have batted .235 against him. Among 16 qualified pitchers in the Florida State League, he most notably ranks second in walks per nine innings (1.45) and walk rate (4.1 percent), fourth in ERA, sixth in swinging-strike rate (13.4 percent), and eighth in xFIP (3.53), per FanGraphs.

Batista was originally signed by the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in November 2022. The 6-foot, 165-pound righty made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June and was later recognized as the organization’s 2023 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year. He opened the 2024 campaign in the Florida Complex League and was promoted to Low-A Salem in late July, though he was dealt to the Blue Jays alongside infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino for Jansen before he could appear in a game for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Since that four-player trade was made, Batista has forged a 2.08 ERA (4.04 FIP) with 77 strikeouts to 21 walks in 11 outings (seven starts) spanning 47 2/3 innings for Dunedin. He is not currently regarded by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the Blue Jays’ top pitching prospects, but he did receive an honorable mention from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan last month as a “kitchen sink righty and strike-throwing athlete with below-average present stuff” who could profile as a depth starter in the future.

With that, it should be interesting to see if Batista — who does not turn 21 until next January — can leverage his performance with Dunedin into a promotion to Toronto’s High-A affiliate in Vancouver before long.

(Picture of Gilberto Batista courtesy of the Dunedin Blue Jays)

Former Red Sox OF prospect Braden Montgomery (part of Garrett Crochet trade) named South Atlantic League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect Braden Montgomery has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of May 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

One of four prospects traded to the White Sox for ace left-hander Garrett Crochet in December, Montgomery was a man on a mission in High-A Winston-Salem’s series against Bowling Green this past week. Appearing in all six games, the switch-hitting outfielder went 10-for-21 (.476) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, five runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout.

Montgomery went deep twice on Tuesday, crushed a walk-off three-run homer on Wednesday, stroked two hits on Thursday, drove in a pair of runs on Friday, drew a walk on Saturday, and doubled as part of another two-hit effort on Sunday. The 22-year-old is now batting a stout .405/.480/.762 with six doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, six walks, and eight strikeouts in 12 games (50 plate appearances) for Winston-Salem since being promoted from Low-A Kannapolis in late April. He received that promotion after slashing .304/.393/.493 with four doubles, three homers, 19 RBIs, 14 runs scored, six stolen bases, 10 walks, and 19 strikeouts over 18 games (84 plate appearances) to open his first full professional season.

Altogether, Montgomery has batted .342/.425/.595 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 16 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 30 games (134 plate appearances) thus far in 2025. That includes a .318/.423/.506 line in 104 plate appearances swinging from the left side of the plate and a .423/.433/.885 line in 30 plate appearances swinging from the right side.

Among 33 qualified White Sox minor-leaguers to this point in the year, Montgomery most notably ranks third in batting average, wOBA (.465), and wRC+ (178), fourth in slugging percentage and OPS (1.020), fifth in isolated power (.252), seventh in on-base percentage, 11th in strikeout rate (20.1 percent), and 13th in walk rate (11.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Montgomery has seen playing time at all three outfield spots this season. Between his stops at Kannapolis and Winston-Salem, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has logged 135 innings in center, 58 innings in right, and 27 innings in left without committing an error or recording an assist. He has also made five starts at DH.

Montgomery was selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Texas A&M by way of Stanford (where he played two seasons before transferring as a junior). The 2021 Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year signed for an under-slot $5 million in July but was still recovering from a fractured right ankle he suffered during the NCAA Super Regionals a month prior. As such, he did not appear in a game for one of Boston’s minor-league affiliates and make his professional debut before being dealt to Chicago alongside catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez in the blockbuster trade for Crochet at December’s Winter Meetings.

Montgomery, who just turned 22 last month, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Chicago’s farm system and the No. 60 prospect in the sport. With plus power and arm strength, he profiles “as a three true outcomes corner outfielder” who could break in at the big league level for the White Sox as soon as next year, according to his Baseball America scouting report.

In the more immediate future, one would think Montgomery has a strong chance to earn another promotion from Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham for his first test in the upper minors at some point this summer.

(Picture of Braden Montgomery: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Antonio Anderson to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Antonio Anderson from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Anderson, 19, is enjoying a bounce-back season after struggling mightily in his first full season of pro ball last year. To kick off the 2025 campaign, the switch-hitter batted a stout .345/.436/.488 with six doubles, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 18 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 22 games (101 plate appearances) for Salem. That includes a .276/.382/.397 slash line from the left side of the plate and a .500/.546/.692 slash line from the right side.

Among qualified Carolina League hitters coming into play on Tuesday, Anderson ranked fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, OPS (.924), wOBA (.443), and line-drive rate (30.2 percent), seventh in wRC+ (154), 12th in slugging percentage, 28th in walk rate (14.9 percent), 30th in isolated power (.143) and swinging-strike rate (10.1 percent), and 31st in strikeout rate (21.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anderson saw the majority of his playing time to begin the season come at third base. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder logged 145 1/3 innings at the hot corner for Salem, committing two errors in 42 chances. He also made one start at first base (a career first) and four starts at DH after splitting time between third base and shortstop last year.

A Georgia native, Anderson was originally 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 by signing with Boston for an over-slot $1.5 million and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League shortly thereafter.

Anderson, who turns 20 next month, is not currently regarded by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Still, as recently highlighted by Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes, he has improved in several areas across the board this season and appears to have turned a corner developmentally.

With that being said, it should be interesting to see how Anderson handles the jump from Low-A to High-A and the adjustment period that comes with it. In Greenville, he figures to join a corner infield mix that — at present — includes the likes of Albert Feliz, Andy Lugo, Brooks Brannon, Juan Montero, and Marvin Alcantara, among others.

(Picture of Antonio Anderson: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Blake Aita named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Aita has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 28-May 4, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

This marks the second time this season that Aita has earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors. The 21-year-old first took home the award last month after striking out four and walking only one over five scoreless, no-hit innings in his professional debut for Low-A Salem on April 4.

Aita was arguably even more impressive in his most recent outing for Salem at home last Thursday. Going up against the Fredericksburg Nationals at Carilion Clinic Field, the young right-hander gave up just one hit and no walks while fanning seven across six shutout frames. He took a perfect game into the top of the sixth before giving up a leadoff single, which was nullified two batters later when he induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end his night.

Finishing with 67 pitches (45 strikes), Aita induced a game-high 14 swings and misses as the Red Sox ultimately held on to defeat the Nationals by a final score of 5-4.

Through five starts for Salem to begin his first full professional season, Aita has posted a 3.28 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 22 strikeouts to six walks over a staff-leading 24 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters have batted .220 against him. Among 15 qualified Caroline League pitchers, he ranks third in WHIP (1.05) and xFIP (3.47), fourth in walks per nine innings (2.19), walk rate (6.1 percent), and FIP, and seventh in groundball rate (45.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Aita is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 20th among pitchers in the organization. The Tennessee native was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round (177th overall) of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State, where he was named 2024 First Team All-Atlantic Sun. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he signed for $300,000 but waited until this spring to make his pro debut.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Aita throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the intriguing righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball (velocity increased in spring training), an 80-82 mph sweeper, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 85-89 mph changeup.

“He’s been great so far,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Aita. “Has worked hard all offseason and spring training to set him up for success throughout the year. He added velo to his fastball along with his secondaries and continues to pound the zone. His sweeper has been a big weapon, used for strikes and chase against both sides.”

Aita, who turns 22 next month, is seemingly a prime candidate to receive a promotion to High-A Greenville in the not-so-distant future. He can continue to strengthen his case for that move by stringing together more dominant outings for Salem in the meantime.

“Very pleased with the consistency and constant improvement daily,” said Abraham.

(Picture of Blake Aita: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Marcelo Mayer named International League Player of the Week

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of April 21-27, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer put together an impressive week at the plate in Worcester’s series against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park. Appearing in six games, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-20 (.450) with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, seven runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts. He crushed a 401-foot homer on Tuesday, a 445-foot homer on Wednesday, and a 419-foot homer on Sunday.

After getting his first season at the Triple-A level off to a relatively slow start, Mayer has been on an offensive tear as of late and is now batting .280/.324/.548 with four doubles, seven home runs, an International League-leading 34 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 20 strikeouts through 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the WooSox thus far.

Among 134 qualified hitters in the International League, Mayer ranks 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in isolated power (.269), 23rd in OPS (.872), 35th in wOBA (.376), 37th in wRC+ (125), 41st in strikeout rate (19.6 percent), 43rd in swinging-strike rate (9.9 percent), 46th in batting average, and 58th in line-drive rate (25.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has added to his defensive profile by seeing playing time at three different positions to this point in the season. In addition to logging 135 innings at shortstop, the 6-foot-3, 188-pound infielder has made three starts at second base (a first for him professionally) and three starts at third base. Between those three spots, he has committed two errors in 75 total chances. He has also made one start at DH.

Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft coming out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in the sport. Shortly after making his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game last summer, he was promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester for the first time in mid-August. Due to a lumbar strain in his lower back, however, he did not appear in a game for the WooSox and instead spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign on the injured list.

After standing out at his first big league camp in Fort Myers this spring, Mayer has seemingly carried over that momentum into the early stages of the season with Worcester and is showing how impactful he can be when healthy. As MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day recently highlighted, the Red Sox are prioritizing durability when it comes to Mayer’s remaining development.

“Number one with Marcelo is his health. We want to see him withstand the ups and downs of the season from a health standpoint,” WooSox hitting coach Doug Clark told Morrison-O’Day. “And that’s not only physically, but mentally. These kids are not 30 years old. They’re very young, and they’re very susceptible to ups and downs and how they deal with them. And that’s where we come into play as coaches…but that’s something that he does well already.”

Mayer, who does not turn 23 until December, is undoubtedly on the cusp of being called up for his major league debut. Though he is currently blocked at shortstop by Trevor Story, at second base by Kristian Campbell, and at third base by Alex Bregman, Mayer — much like top outfield prospect Roman Anthony — could force the issue for the Red Sox if he continues to produce the way he has in recent weeks.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Clark said of Mayer. “We can’t wait for him to get what he deserves, and that’s to be a champion up there with Boston.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Brandon Clarke to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Franklin Arias and pitching prospect Brandon Clarke from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Arias, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 72 prospect in the sport. The right-handed hitter batted a stout .346/.407/.397 with four doubles, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 12 strikeouts in 19 games (86 plate appearances) for Salem to open the season. He did not play in Sunday’s series finale against Hickory.

Among 93 qualified hitters in the Carolina League coming into play on Sunday, Arias ranked third in swinging-strike rate (6.1 percent), sixth in batting average, 11th in strikeout rate (14 percent), 13th in line-drive rate (29.2 percent), 21st in on-base percentage, 29th in wOBA (.401), 30th in OPS (.804), 34th in slugging percentage and wRC+ (128), and 46th in speed score, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Arias has seen the vast majority of his playing time to this point in the season come at shortstop. With Salem, the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder logged 135 1/3 innings at short, where he committed just one error in 70 defensive chances. He also made one start at second base and two starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. He put forth a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that season, then caught fire in the Florida Complex League last year. To go along with being named the FCL’s 2024 MVP and top prospect, he was rewarded with a promotion to Salem in late July and was later recognized as Boston’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year.

“I definitely want to be the best player I can be. [But] I try to take it day to day and try not to look too far in the future,” Arias told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (through a translator) earlier this month. “I feel that’s what helped me get that MVP last year, and I think if I can take that day-to-day approach this year, I can have some similar results.”

Arias, who does not turn 20 until November, also told Speier that he is aiming to make it to Double-A Portland or even Triple-A Worcester before his age-19 season draws to a close. If he were to receive a promotion to Portland at some point this winter or fall, he would join Roman Anthony (2023) and Xander Bogaerts (2012) as the two most recent Red Sox prospects to reach the Double-A level as teenagers.

In Greenville, Arias is slated to join a middle infield mix that already includes the likes of Marvin Alcantara, Nazzan Zanetello, Fraymi De Leon, and Justin Riemer (on the injured list). It would not be terribly surprising if he emerged as the Drive’s primary shortstop moving forward, though he could spend additional time at second base to get others reps at short.

Clarke, meanwhile, is not yet ranked by Baseball America as one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, though that will likely be changing soon. The 22-year-old left-hander was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (148th overall) of last summer’s draft out of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. He forewent his commitment to transfer to South Carolina by signing for $400,000, but did not pitch for an affiliate after putting pen to paper.

Clarke, instead, waited until April 10 of this year (his 22nd birthday) to make his professional debut. The Virginia native then posted a 0.93 ERA (1.20 FIP) with 17 strikeouts to just two walks in his first three starts (9 2/3 innings) for Salem. He only gave up two hits in that stretch as two of his three outings to kick off the 2025 campaign were both scoreless and hitless.

Among the 118 Caroline League pitchers who entered Sunday with at least nine innings under their belts early on, Clark ranked first in FIP and xFIP (1.55), second in strikeout rate (47.2 percent) and groundball rate (68.8 percent), batting average against (.061), and WHIP (0.41), third in line-drive rate (6.3 percent) and swinging-strike rate (21.3 percent), 13th in ERA, and 17th in walk rate (5.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Clarke stood out in spring training not just because of his large stature, but because of his arsenal as well. As highlighted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic lefty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 96-99 mph fastball that tops out at 100 mph, an 87-90 mph slider, an 81-85 mph sweeper, and an 87-89 mph changeup that is still considered a work in progress.

Much like Arias, Clarke is in line to face more advanced competition at the High-A level with this promotion. Presumably taking the place of fellow southpaw Hayden Mullins (promoted to Portland) in Greenville’s starting rotation, Clarke will join a talented pitching staff headed by 2024 second-round draft pick Payton Tolle, Juan Valera, and Jedixson Paez. He will likely make his Drive debut in the team’s upcoming series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field.

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

Red Sox OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia recognized for productive week with Double-A Portland

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was named to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week for April 14-20 on Monday.

Garcia, Boston’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, appeared in five of Double-A Portland’s six games on the road against the Hartford Yard Goats this past week. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-19 (.474) with two doubles, one home run, five RBIs, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and two strikeouts.

Batting out of the three-hole in all five games he got into at Hartford’s Dunkin’ Park, Garcia doubled and drove in two runs on Tuesday, recorded three hits and drove in two runs on Wednesday, singled twice on Thursday, sat on Friday, went hitless on Saturday, and homered for the first time this season in Sunday’s series finale.

Through his first 11 games for the Sea Dogs in 2025, Garcia is batting .308/.429/.462 with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 11 strikeouts over 49 plate appearances. Among 84 qualified Eastern League hitters, he ranks eighth in on-base percentage, ninth in walk rate (18.4 percent) and batting average, 10th in wOBA (412), 12th in OPS (.890) and wRC+ (156), 15th in line-drive rate (28.6 percent), 20th in slugging percentage, 29th in swinging-strike rate (10.1 percent), 32nd in strikeout rate (22.4 percent), and 34th in isolated power (.154), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia has seen all his playing time to this point in the season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder has logged 99 errorless innings in center for Portland thus far, recording one outfield assist in the process of doing so. He also has past experience in the corners, with MLB Pipeline grading his field tool as a 50 and his arm tool as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native was a lesser-known prospect at this time a year ago, but he put together a breakout 2024 campaign that saw him soar from Low-A all the way to Double-A while clubbing an organizational-leading 23 home runs in 107 games.

Garcia, the older brother of Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia, was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft and subsequently took part in his first major league camp this spring. Though he was not competing for an Opening Day roster spot, the elder Garcia still had the chance to showcase himself (at the Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South games) and impress manager Alex Cora in Fort Myers.

“Good swing,” Cora said of Garcia when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) back in February. “He moves in the outfield, too. He’s a big dude, but he moves. … So he’s impressive.”

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told Smith in camp that his goal for the season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.” For as lofty as that may seem, it could become feasible if Garcia continues to produce with Portland and forces his way up to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)