After a dismal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox may need help from their farm system sooner rather than later. We all know the Red Sox love their youth movement, with Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Payton Tolle being just a few of the top Red Sox prospects to be called up in recent years.
As it sits today, the Red Sox are 11 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East. It seems ownership thought the firing of longtime Red Sox manager Alex Cora would light a fire under this team, but the team currently sits with an 11-10 record under interim manager Chad Tracy. Boston will need to continue to look from within for a desperate call to save the 2026 season. Here are the top Red Sox prospects to look to continue the youth movement, helping to save the 2026 season and beyond.
Top Red Sox Prospects Who Could Help Save Their Season
Franklin Arias
There is no question that the Red Sox need help in the lineup. Currently, the Red Sox rank 29th in runs scored per game and 29th in total home runs. That just simply won’t cut it for a team with postseason aspirations. Here’s where Franklin Arias steps in. As Boston’s No. 1 prospect and the 11th overall prospect in all of baseball, Arias has surprised many within the Red Sox organization this season.
Already known for his elite defense at shortstop, Arias has taken a step forward with his bat, which was originally thought to be just average. However, Arias has been on fire with Double-A Portland this season. Through 32 games with the Sea Dogs, Arias is hitting .336 with a .422 on-base percentage and a surprising eight home runs, after hitting eight total home runs in all of 2025.
INF Franklin Arias (GG #1) with Double-A Portland yesterday:
2-for-4, RBI
After cooling off a bit, the 20yo is “only” rocking a 1.026 OPS and 159 wRC+ through 32 games this season. SLG is borderline doubled compared to last year’s.
Such a special talent. ? pic.twitter.com/FYnIbtI3yv
— G.G. (@ggeiss_mlb) May 20, 2026
Though he is only in Double-A, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Arias crack the big leagues this season. We have seen the Red Sox rush to call up their top prospects in the past when they’ve noticed offensive woes throughout the season. Rafael Devers played just nine games in Triple-A before being called up to make his major league debut in Seattle in 2017. Andrew Benintendi skipped Triple-A completely after being called up from Double-A in 2016. Just recently this year, the Red Sox had a prospect called up straight from Double-A, when pitching prospect Eduardo Rivera was told he would be bypassing Triple-A. Don’t be surprised if Arias is the next to get that call.
Anthony Eyanson
We have seen the Red Sox be quick to call up big league-ready arms despite being drafted just the year prior. Payton Tolle is a perfect example of the Red Sox doing just that. Despite the Red Sox already having one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, it is hard to ignore what top pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson is doing.
After being drafted with the 87th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Eyanson has dazzled in his first professional season, already playing in Double-A. This season, Eyanson has seen his fastball velocity sit around 96mph, peaking at 100mph. That is up tremendously from his previous season at LSU, where his average fastball velocity was 92.5mph. Pair that with an above-average wipeout slider, Eyanson has everything he needs to be a big league contributor.
Anthony Eyanson twirls five hitless frames in his second outing for the Double-A @PortlandSeaDogs ?
MLB’s No. 72 prospect (@RedSox) has a 0.61 ERA and 0.58 WHIP through his first seven professional starts: pic.twitter.com/kCovEBWSDt
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 19, 2026
This season, through seven starts, Eyanson has posted a 0.61 ERA, along with 42 strikeouts and just seven walks in 29 1/3 innings pitched. The strikeout-to-walk ratio is something that will translate well to the major leagues, so long as his command can stay where it is. Batters are hitting just .108 against Eyanson to begin the year. Even though the Red Sox have plenty of rotational depth, look for Eyanson to be someone who can come in and be thrown into the bullpen right away, and even make spot starts in 2026.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
