Roughly a month into the season, the Red Sox have continued to struggle in just about every aspect. Sure, people can point fingers at the pitching, seeing as it was hyped up to be the best in the majors. And it’s been a disappointment for sure. But the bigger issue is the hitting. There are only three players on the team who have a batting average of .260 or higher. They’re tied for last in home runs—the team as a whole ranks 27th in the league in batting average. Something needs to change fast in their lineup, and with the way a certain prospect is playing right now, it could happen very soon.
This Red Sox Prospect is On Fire: Expected Call Up Time for Franklin Arias
Franklin Arias’ Recent Tear in Portland
Franklin Arias entered the season as the second-best prospect in the Red Sox system, as well as the 26th-best in all of baseball. Seen as one of the best shortstops in the 2023 international free agent class, Arias rose quickly through the minors last year. He started the year in Low-A Salem and ended it in Double-A Portland. Throughout last year, he put up a slash line of .278/.335/.388 to go with eight home runs and 12 stolen bases.
Going into this season, expectations were obviously decently high. And it’s safe to say he’s living up to them. The 20-year-old just hit another homer in Thursday’s game, making it his sixth in seven games. He’s got 15 RBIs to go along with it, as well as more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). His slash line is .444/.519/.933 shows that he could be moving on from Portland very soon.
Going into that free agency international pool, the highlight was on his defensive ability. As a current shortstop, he’s only had two errors in 89 innings. And although he’s played far less time at second base than the position he was signed at, he has the same number of errors at second in his minor league career thus far.
Where He Could Fit
With the Red Sox this year, it’s also no secret that one of their biggest problems is the middle of the infield. Trevor Story has had a lopsided season for sure, driving in 17 runs, but batting .186 on the season. He also led the American League in errors last year and led all shortstops with four errors this year. And the options at second base aren’t doing well either:
- Marcelo Mayer: .203
- Andruw Monasterio: .194
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa: .179
Mayer is also second on the Red Sox with two errors. After rumors of players like Ketel Marte or CJ Abrams joining the team (although defensively, Abrams wouldn’t be much of a difference), the results of the current infield construction have been disappointing.
To be honest, something has to be done with Story. This may be an overreaction, but between Mayer, Arias, and Mikey Romero, there’s a logjam of shortstops in the pipeline. Kiner-Falefa’s making six million, Mayer and Monasterio are less than a million, and Story’s making roughly 25 million a year for three more years. Salary-wise, it makes sense to move him.
When Is Arias Expected to Come Up?
Given how rare it is for a prospect to jump from Double-A to the majors, and given that one Red Sox prospect has already, it’s unlikely that Arias makes that same jump. MLB has its estimated call-up in 2027. However, given an injury or a hot bat in Triple-A, it’s very possible that Arias could be a September call-up. He certainly has the tools to.
While it is early in the season, it is clear that the Red Sox are struggling. And while there’s no clear solution, Arias is worth a shot at some point during this season. This would be at a later date to give him enough time to develop. But he’s worth a shot.
Main Photo Credits: Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
