Fenway Farm - Red Sox Prospect Report: August 4, 2026
By James Collins ·
The Floor Keeps Rising: Franklin Arias Arrives at Triple-A
Franklin Arias (AAA, SS, Rank: 1) has been among the best prospects in baseball this season, and last week showed just how ready he may be for the next step. After being promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester on July 24, Arias went 7-for-26 with 2 homers, 6 RBI, and 4 walks in his first week at the Triple-A level. The power has been the story all year: he owns a 60 hit tool and plus glove at shortstop, and his bat-to-ball profile was never supposed to generate such over-the-fence production. But with 21 home runs combined between Double-A and Triple-A, the power surge is no longer a fluke to be explained away. His season line of .310/.398/.578 across 82 games is legitimately outstanding for a 20-year-old, and the strikeout-to-walk ratio remains clean, with 52 strikeouts against 41 walks in 367 plate appearances.
The realistic concern heading into Worcester was whether the contact quality would hold against better spin and velocity, and the early returns are mixed but encouraging. His last-30-day numbers at Double-A show a .213 average with a spike in strikeouts during the transition window, which is a normal adjustment pattern. What matters is that the walks stayed, the power showed up (4 home runs over that same 30-day stretch), and he did not sell out his approach chasing early Triple-A success. His 55-grade arm and plus defensive instincts give him the floor of a second-division regular even if the bat pulls back slightly against AAA arms. If the contact quality holds anywhere near his Double-A peak, he is a legitimate everyday shortstop on the short side of the timeline.
Ramirez Is 17 and Reading the DSL Like a Textbook
Joskairo Ramirez (R, OF, Rank: 51) had the week's top Performance Index among Boston hitters, going 8-for-21 with a homer, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, and 4 walks against just 3 strikeouts. For context, he is 17 years old and currently slashing .322/.440/.552 with 5 home runs, 24 walks, and only 24 strikeouts in 175 plate appearances at the Dominican Summer League level. The walk-to-strikeout balance is the detail that stands out most: it suggests genuine plate discipline rather than the aggressive free-swinging that often inflates rookie-level numbers. He has a 50 hit tool with a center-field profile and enough athleticism to project beyond a speed-and-defense role, with his left-handed contact ability drawing positive early evaluations. His last 30 days have been equally strong, posting a .481 on-base percentage over 77 plate appearances.
The honest caveat is that DSL pitching is the lowest competitive rung in pro ball, and numbers produced there need to survive a significant level jump before they carry real weight in projection. Ramirez has a 45-grade power projection currently, and the question will be whether his contact-oriented swing can generate enough loft and damage as he faces harder velocity up the ladder. Still, a 17-year-old who controls the zone this well and plays center field with athletic actions is what an organization looks for in an international investment. He is ranked 51st in the system right now, which feels like a floor rather than a ceiling if the production translates.
Quick Hits
Dylan Brown (A+, LHP, Rank: 28) · struck out 9 over 6 innings of one-run ball, allowing just 3 hits and 1 walk. The 60-grade changeup is the engine of his arsenal, and it showed up here: his last 30 days at High-A feature a 3.18 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 22.2 innings, the best sustained stretch of his first full pro season. The combined ERA across both levels sits at 3.43 through 84 innings.
Yophery Rodriguez (A+, CF, Rank: 11) · piled up 9 hits in 19 plate appearances, with 4 doubles and 3 RBI. It was his best single week of the season and a meaningful uptick from a difficult 2025 in which he hit .221/.316/.341 across 104 games at the same level. He is now at .246/.322/.456 with 13 home runs on the year, and the power numbers represent genuine improvement; his projected exit velocity profile was always ahead of the production. The strikeout rate remains the thing to watch: 79 punchouts in 323 plate appearances, though he draws enough walks to keep the on-base number reasonable.
Gerardo Rodriguez (A+, C, Rank: 48) · collected 8 hits in 21 plate appearances, adding 3 doubles and 4 walks against only 2 strikeouts. He has been running a .282 average with a 10:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last 30 days, which is strong contact efficiency for a 20-year-old backstop. His season line of .251/.323/.369 is not flashy, but the 55-grade arm and receiving profile provide a legitimate defensive floor as he develops.
Sadbiel Delzine (A, RHP, Rank: 14) · made his Salem debut after being promoted from the FCL, going 4.1 innings with 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The 18-year-old carries a 93-95 mph fastball and a changeup that flashes above-average, and his combined ERA stands at 2.63 across 48 innings this season. Getting full-season ball reps at this age is the developmental priority, and the stuff-to-command profile already projects toward a mid-rotation ceiling with room to grow.
Eduardo Rivera (AAA, LHP, Rank: 19) · was optioned to Worcester from Boston on July 23, and immediately showed why he deserves another look, going 3.1 innings with 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. The MLB stint was rough: 6.30 ERA across 10 innings, mostly the result of persistent walk issues with a 40-grade command profile. The stuff is legitimate, a 96-98 mph fastball paired with a 55-grade slider, and his AAA ERA sits at 2.61 through 41.1 innings. When the command is on, he misses bats in any environment. When it isn't, the free passes compound quickly.
Jake Schaffner (A+, SS, Rank: 3) · went 3-for-11 with a double, a triple, 4 RBI, 2 walks, and a hit by pitch in his first two games at High-A after signing. Those are a small 2-game sample, but a 55 hit tool with above-average speed and a disciplined, high-OBP approach is a profile that should translate. I'd take the over on his current bench projection given those tools.
Isaiah Jackson (A+, OF, Rank: 46) · drove in 6 runs on 5 hits, including a homer, while drawing 5 walks across 19 plate appearances. His last 30 days show a .559 slugging percentage with 4 home runs and an 11:12 walk-to-strikeout ratio, a stretch of production that is starting to give the 40-grade hit tool projection something to argue against. He is at 15 home runs and 52 RBI on the season. The hit tool concerns are real, but the power and patience combination gives him a path to an everyday corner role if the contact rates stabilize.
John Holobetz (AAA, RHP, Rank: 17) · was quietly efficient in his first Triple-A start, going 5.2 innings with 4 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He carries a 60-grade fastball with an elite movement profile and has punched out 25 batters over his last 17.2 innings at Double-A with a 2.55 ERA in that stretch. The secondary development remains the central question, but the command and fastball combination is already a workable big-league foundation.
Nelly Taylor (AA, OF, Rank: 25) · went 4-for-13 with 2 doubles and 3 walks in a partial week. His season batting average at Portland sits at .189, but the 22 stolen bases and 44 walks reflect the dual carrying tools: plus speed (65 grade) and an ability to get on base through patience rather than contact. The hit tool (40 grade) has not developed at the pace needed to project an everyday role, and with a .234 average over his last 30 days, he remains a tantalizing-but-frustrating profile.
Blake Wehunt (AAA, RHP, Rank: 29) · was promoted to Worcester from Portland on July 21 and delivered 5 innings of one-run ball with 4 strikeouts in his first Triple-A outing. His last 30 days at Double-A were his best stretch of the season, a 2.37 ERA over 19 innings with 23 strikeouts. The combined season ERA of 3.32 represents a legitimate step forward from his 5.68 mark at the same level in 2025. The fastball-slider foundation is workable; the third pitch and command consistency are still the ceiling limiters.
Luke Heyman (A+, C, Rank: 45) · recorded 7 hits in 21 plate appearances with 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 walks, and a hit by pitch. His combined season line of .235/.359/.453 with 16 home runs shows a catcher with genuine 55-grade power and a patient approach at the plate; the 55 free passes in 348 PA are the main reason the on-base number stays respectable despite a below-average batting average.
Franklin Primera (A, C, Rank: 4) · went 6-for-21 with a homer, a double, 2 RBI, 2 walks, and 2 hit by pitches in his latest week at Salem. The 19-year-old is slashing .359/.468/.547 over his last 30 days at the full-season level, which is the most important data point in his file: the production is not just a FCL artifact. His combined season line of .372/.496/.606 is absurd for a teenage catcher, even with level context baked in. I'd bet heavily on his current bench projection being underselling him.