As the Boston Red Sox's top prospects near MLB debuts, the hype for their farm system is only growing.
Baseball America released its updated top 100 prospects list on May 7 and Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer took up their usual spots at the top (subscription required). Anthony claimed the No. 1 spot again after he was previously dethroned by Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, Kristian Campbell holds the No. 3 spot and Marcelo Mayer ranks No. 9. Franklin Arias, Boston's No. 4 prospect, also ranked in the top 100 at No. 68.
Red Sox fans have seen how well Campbell has performed in the big leagues and Anthony and Mayer are up to their usual antics in Triple-A. Anthony is slashing .294/.410/.495 with a .905 OPS over 30 games. Mayer is batting .267/.326/.483 with a .809 OPS and 34 RBI, which ties the major league lead.
The most interesting Red Sox names on BA's list ranked towards the bottom. Pitchers and 2024 draft picks Payton Tolle and Brandon Clarke earned top-100 recognition after just a month in pro ball. Both have been mowing down batters with High-A Greenville.
Red Sox pitching prospects Payton Tolle and Brandon Clarke rank in Baseball America's top 100 prospects list after just one month in pro ball
Payton Tolle delivers 12 strikeouts across five scoreless innings for the High-A @GreenvilleDrive 🔥
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 4, 2025
The @RedSox 2024 second-rounder over his past three starts:
13 IP | 7 H | 1 R | 2 BB | 26 K pic.twitter.com/NoIi8WC6Mo
Tolle, No. 94 of 100, began his season on a sour note. He was rocked for six runs on five hits over 1.2 innings on April 8, but he's looked like a completely different pitcher since. Tolle's ERA is down to 4.30 after his fourth appearance, and he's racked up a staggering 29 strikeouts over 14.2 innings.
Clarke has been similarly successful in his short professional tenure — BA ranks him at No. 98 after just four starts. The fifth-round pick began his season in Single-A and already earned a promotion to join Tolle in Greenville's rotation. Clarke has pitched to a 0.63 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 14.1 innings. The 22-year-old flashed triple-digit velocity in spring training and has already been called the steal of the 2024 draft.
Tolle and Clarke's quick ascents into top-100 status are promising for a few reasons. Not only has Boston added considerable depth to its crop of homegrown pitchers in recent years, but Craig Breslow's eye for quality pitching prospects may be unmatched. Tolle and Clarke were taken in later rounds but have rotation potential. If the Red Sox keep drafting as well as they have in the last few seasons, their farm system could retain elite status even after their current top prospects make it to the big leagues.