Red Sox prospect Arias makes major leap in ESPN rankings

The Crimson Sox’ prime blue-chip prospect, Franklin Arias, is rising up the charts as one of many premier younger skills in baseball.

The 20-year-old shortstop made the leap from No. 36 to No. 6 general in ESPN’s newest prime 50 prospect rankings — due largely to his torrid begin to the 2026 season with Double-A Portland.

​“Arias is without doubt one of the extra notable arrow-up gamers within the early going; his ninetieth percentile exit velos are up 3 mph from final season and he’s lifting the ball extra whereas not sacrificing contact,” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel wrote in the rankings post.  “These exit velos are 55-grade amongst huge leaguers and Arias remains to be 20 years outdated, so there’s potential for 20- to 25-homer upside if he retains this up and the weather click on collectively within the coming years.​

“Regardless, he has crammed out his profile to challenge as an impactful huge league shortstop whereas we wait to see how his energy manifests the remainder of this season.”

Arias has soared up the charts of a number of prospect rankings in latest weeks — going from No. 50 on Baseball America’s Prime 100 listing to No. 16 overall earlier this month. MLB Pipeline’s newest rankings have him as the No. 11 prospect in the game today.

Signed as a world free agent out of Venezuela in January 2023, Arias was thought of a high-floor prospect as a result of his profile as a plus defender at shortstop with a excessive contact price. However, his offensive surge in latest months has seen his inventory soar as a possible All-Star-caliber infielder on the big-league stage​.

By means of 33 video games this season with Portland, Arias is batting .328 with eight house runs and 25 RBI, hanging out simply 19 instances over 119 at-bats.

“Except having much less energy, Arias’ instruments resemble Marcelo Mayer’s on the identical age,” MLB Pipeline wrote. “He overcomes below-average velocity with a excessive baseball IQ that permits him to steal an occasional base and canopy floor at shortstop. He’s a dependable defender with vary to either side and strong arm energy.”​

Arias could possibly be a long-term fixture in Boston’s infield transferring ahead, be it at shortstop or second base alongside Mayer.

Given his age, the Crimson Sox received’t essentially be in a rush to push him by the minor leagues. However, the gifted shortstop might make the leap to Triple-A Worcester sooner or later this season if he continues to string collectively high quality at-bats on the plate.

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author protecting the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Crimson Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.