Red Sox 20-year-old catching prospect Johanfran Garcia showed impressive home run power in his return this season from major knee surgery.

Garcia missed more than a year after tearing ligaments in his knee in a game for Low-A Salem on May 1, 2024.

“Hitting is the most fun part of his game,” his brother, top Red Sox prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, recently said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez.

Jhostynxon said Johanfran Garcia undoubtedly can hit the ball as hard as he does.

“With how strong he is, every time he hits the ball you know it’s going to go far,” Jhostynxon said. “So every time he comes up to bat, it’s a fun one to watch.”

Garcia finished tied for eighth in home runs (12) among Red Sox minor leaguers this season, an impressive feat considering he played in only 58 minor league games. His season started late as he rehabbed in Fort Myers for almost eight weeks before beginning a rehab assignment on May 20.

He hit three home runs in 12 rehab games for the Florida Complex League Red Sox. He blasted nine home runs at High-A Greenville in 46 games after being activated from the 60-day injured list on June 10.

He also showed the clutch gene. He blasted a 107.4 mph walkoff two-run home run in Greenville’s 4-3 win over Hub City on July 22.

On Aug. 10, he hit a rocket RBI walkoff single off the left field wall to lead Greenville to a 2-1 win over Rome in 10 innings.

He also crushed a 99.9 mph three-run walkoff homer in the 10th inning in the Drive’s 8-5 win over Bowling Green on Aug. 29.

His power came as no surprise. He was ranked No. 14 on Baseball America’s Red Sox Top 30 list before his season-ending knee injury in 2024. He crushed two 420-foot home runs in the same FCL game as an 18-year-old in 2023. That year, an NL scout raved about Garcia to MassLive, saying, “Bat can be a Gary Sanchez-type power producer, with sound hitting actions, and the type of strength to drive the ball to the big part of the field. Projects as an above-average skill-position player, supplying a 5-hole bat.”

After missing so much time, Garcia needs to keep playing in games and receiving more reps. He will get that additional work in the Arizona Fall League, which begins Oct. 6 and runs for approximately five weeks.

“He worked really hard,” Jhostynxon said. “As you know, the knee is one of the most important parts of the body and also he had to work really hard in the offseason to manage his weight because with his knee, he couldn’t do too much. But I’m happy with the way he worked out. He went after it.”

Both Garcia brothers were playing for Salem when the injury occurred. Red Sox officials were impressed with the work the brothers did at the Fort Myers complex that offseason to get in better shape.

While Johanfran recovered, Jhostynxon went from unranked on Baseball America’s Red Sox Top 30 prospect list to Boston’s No. 5 prospect.

“It wasn’t an easy moment for me to see him go down, even more after the hard work that we put in in the offseason, the two or three months of really hard work,” Jhostynxon said. “At the time he got injured, we were playing together in Salem. So for me to watch him go down, it was a very difficult moment. But I’m happy he’s already back and he’s already playing and doing his job.”

Perales also headed to Arizona Fall League

Luis Perales, a 22-year-old Red Sox pitching prospect returning from Tommy John surgery, also will play in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters. Like Garcia, Perales needs to make up for lost time. He has pitched in just 34 ⅔ innings the past two seasons.

Perales was up to 100 mph for Double-A Portland on Saturday in his first outing since surgery.

He will start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Tolle’s extension

Through three major league starts this season, 22-year-old rookie Payton Tolle ranks in the 99th percentile in extension (7.5), per Baseball Savant.

The extension he gets makes the lefty’s fastball, which has averaged 96 mph so far, harder to hit.

“It’s got to. I think all that stuff plays into facing hitters,” Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino said. “Hitters can tell you guys that are deceptive, guys like (Garrett) Whitlock that have super long extension. … People’s stuff plays up depending on how you hide it. And I think getting closer to the hitter is essentially kind of hiding it.”

Holobetz finishes 2025 strong at Double A

John Holobetz was up to 96.3 mph in another strong outing for Double-A Portland on Sept. 13. He allowed just one run, three hits and one walk while striking out seven in six innings against Binghamton.

Boston acquired Holobetz, a 23-year-old righty, from the Brewers on May 5 as the player to be named later in the Quinn Priester trade that happened April 7. Holobetz was a Brewers’ 2024 fifth round pick out of Old Dominion.

He allowed just one run in 12 innings (two outings) during September. He recorded a 2.39 ERA in six outings (five starts) for Portland after being promoted Aug. 6 from High-A Greenville where he had a 3.43 ERA in 12 outings (11 starts).

Prospect from Devers trade showing promise

Jose Bello, a 20-year-old righty who Boston acquired from the Giants in the Rafael Devers trade June 15, finished off his 2025 season with a strong performance for Low-A Salem.

Bello was up to 95.6 mph while allowing just one unearned run in five innings against Fayetteville on Sept. 7. He gave up three hits and two walks while striking out four. He posted a 3.09 ERA in seven outings (four starts) for Salem.

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