It seems like every step along the way, Franklin Arias has exceeded expectations.
Originally signed as a 17-year-old international free agent out of Venezuela in 2023, Arias was viewed as a glove-first shortstop prospect whose defense would be his calling card. Then he showed up and dominated both the Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League, crushing the ball at both levels and earning himself a quick promotion to Single-A.
His meteoric rise continued last season, as Arias rose three levels from Low-A to Double-A and finished the year as the club’s top position player prospect.
Now after another red-hot start, Arias has reached a point where it no longer seems far-fetched that he could reach the majors this year.
The 20-year-old Arias now ranks among the game’s elite young players, and currently is MLB’s No. 13 prospect according to Baseball America. Arias has been among the most productive hitters in the Eastern League despite starting the season as the Double-A league’s youngest player, batting .336 with eight home runs, 24 RBI, a 1.026 OPS and nearly as many walks (14) as strikeouts (17) through his first 32 games.
If he continues hitting at that rate a promotion to Triple-A shouldn’t be far off, putting the shortstop one step away from realizing his big league dream.
Though Arias has hit at every level of the minors he’s reached so far, the right-handed hitter did face a bit of adversity late last season when he was originally called up to Double-A. He batted .261 with two home runs and a .685 OPS over 10 games to end the season in Portland, but since then he said he put on 10 pounds of muscle to reach 180 pounds. That added size allowed him to maximize the gains he made in the batting cages over the offseason and during the spring.
“I give credit to the work that was done in the offseason and also during spring training, the work I was putting in with the hitting group,” Arias told the Herald last week in Hartford, via interpreter Justin Frometa. “Obviously making adjustments, trying to get better and getting the results we knew were always in there.”
Brian Abraham, the Red Sox senior director of player development, said that besides his physical gains Arias has also made the most of the pitches he’s seen in Portland.
The quality of the pitching in Double-A is better, yes, but guys also tend to throw in the zone a lot more than at the lower levels.
“The strength, the athleticism is there, but really what I think he’s been able to do is with the strike zone narrower he’s able to swing at pitches he can drive, and his ability to do that,” Abraham said. “He’s been putting the bat on the ball consistently hard, so that’s been a huge factor for him.”
Boston Red Sox rookie infielder Franklin Arias is interviewed during Rookie Development Day at Fenway Park in January. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)
Beyond his ability to drive the ball, Arias is also good at avoiding swing-and-miss. He boasted a 10% strikeout rate last season and is currently at 12.6% this year, both ranking among the best of any player with a full-season minor league affiliate. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report also describes him as a reliable defender with range to both sides and good arm strength, all of which suggests he could become a well-rounded big leaguer who can impact the game in a variety of phases.
For Arias, there’s one clear role model he aspires to be like: New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.
“I don’t feel like I’m Francisco Lindor right now but I feel like I’m working toward trying to be a version of Francisco Lindor at some point in my career,” Arias said of the five-time All-Star.
If Arias becomes anywhere near the player Lindor has been throughout his career, he could be a game-changer for the Red Sox. But in the meantime, Arias said he’s keeping things in perspective as he looks to take the next step toward playing in Boston.
“You’ve got to get to Triple-A before you get to the big leaguers,” Arias said. “So in the short term get to Triple-A and then the long-term goal, I’ve said all year, play in the big leagues.”
Cespedes breaking out
When Arias signed for $525,000 in January of 2023, he earned the second-highest bonus of the Red Sox international free agent class. The highest bonus went to infielder Yoeilin Cespedes, who signed for $1.4 million, but the Dominican Republic native’s professional career didn’t get off to quite as strong a start.
That may finally be starting to change.
Now 20 years old, Cespedes has gotten off to a tremendous start this season, batting .309 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 14 doubles and an .899 OPS through his first 35 games at High-A. He’s ranked among the Greenville Drive’s top hitters and as one of the most productive players in the South Atlantic League.
That’s quite a change from 2025, when he spent the entire season at Low-A Salem and batted .227 with 10 home runs, 54 RBI and a .668 OPS in 110 games.
Abraham said Cespedes has benefited from a couple of adjustments. Physically he’s improved his athleticism and mobility, which has enabled him to play better defense and move better in the batter’s box, and he’s also doing a better job swinging at pitches he can hit.
“Similar to Franklin I think swinging at strikes, swinging at pitches he can do damage with,” Abraham said. “He has a ton of power, a ton of bat speed, a lot of ability to impact the baseball but swinging at the right pitches and doing damage on those pitches. He’s been able to do that consistently and that’s been a huge factor.”
Delzine one to watch
Sadbiel Delzine, the Red Sox’s highest-paid pitcher from last year’s international free agent signing, has emerged as an intriguing arm to watch.
The 18-year-old right-hander from Venezuela recently made his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League and through his first three outings has allowed one earned run on three hits over 9 1/3 innings. He’s also struck out 11, walked four and on May 12, helped contribute to a combined no-hitter for the FCL Red Sox.
His fastball also hit 99.8 mph during that outing, according to the Red Sox Player Development Twitter/X account.
3.1 hitless innings of work for Sadbiel Delzine yesterday. pic.twitter.com/2T4n1KrYSc
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) May 13, 2026
Louis Andujar, a Dominican infielder who signed for $20,000 in the 2025 international class, has also emerged as a potential standout. The 18-year-old had a strong season in the Dominican Summer League last year and is currently batting .395 with two home runs, 11 RBI and a 1.167 OPS through 12 games in the FCL. He was just named FCL Player of the Week after going 9 for 18 (.500) in five games from May 11-17.