The Boston Red Sox wouldn’t have made it through the 2025 season without help from the minor league system.
Not every prospect is an expected debut like Roman Anthony, though. Sometimes, prospects not considered the best-of-the-best in the organization break through to help the team (and they sometimes end up being heroes).
Here are a few unexpected, non-top 10 prospects who could reach the big leagues to help the Red Sox in 2026.
5 prospects outside of the top-10 who could help the Red Sox in 2026
Yovanny Cruz (RHP)
Yovanny Cruz is a fascinating arm. The right-handed pitcher struggled with injuries and consistency since making his professional debut back in 2017. However, he looked fantastic in his first season in the Boston Red Sox organization in 2025.
Cruz posted a 3.03 ERA, .171 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP in 34 appearances in Double-A. He struck out 72 batters and walked 44 in 59 1/3 innings. A few blowup outings and walks hurt his overall numbers, but Cruz looked dominant for a hefty majority of the time. The star of the show is his fastball that hits 102 MPH.
The Red Sox could use some flamethrowers in their bullpen. Don’t be shocked if Cruz makes it onto the roster at some point next season.
Tyler Uberstine (RHP)
Tyler Uberstine didn’t pitch in 2023 and threw a total of 4 2/3 innings in 2024, not getting past High-A. Despite that, he started the year in Double-A and ended in Triple-A.
Uberstine didn’t just get to Triple-A; he cooked there. The right-handed pitcher posted a 3.58 ERA, .244 BAA, and 1.26 WHIP in 25 appearances (21 starts) between Portland and Worcester. He struck out 137 batters and only walked 41 in 120 2/3 innings.
There were calls for Uberstine to get a shot to help Boston at the end of the year. Since the Red Sox protected him from the Rule 5 Draft, it wouldn’t shock me to see Uberstine get a chance to fight for a spot as early as spring training.
Allan Castro (OF)
Allan Castro is the biggest wildcard here. Castro is an outfielder, and the Red Sox aren’t really in need of outfield help at the moment. However, this offseason could get wild.
There are scenarios where the Red Sox move on from Masataka Yoshida, some where they move on from Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu as well. Rob Refsnyder signed with the Mariners and Jhostynxon Garcia was traded to the Pirates. Castro could start the year in Triple-A and suddenly not have many players blocking him.
The switch-hitting outfielder slashed .268/.353/.400 with 20 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs in 92 games with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs in 2025. He drove in 37 runs, scored 43 more, and stole 15 bases.
Castro has intriguing raw power, but he seemed to focus more on putting the bat on the ball in 2025, and it led to a jump in average. He has solid athleticism, draws walks, and can play a fine corner outfield. If the Red Sox find themselves in need of an outfielder later in the season, Castro could get the call.
Tyler McDonough (UTIL)
Tyler McDonough is reminiscent of Nick Sogard in the sense that he’s a utility man who can do a bit of everything offensively and defensively, but still isn’t going to get much attention.
McDonough’s ability to play all over the infield and outfield makes him a useful tool to have in the shed. The switch-hitter slashed .254/.328/.369 with 12 doubles, two triples, and five home runs in 79 games in Triple-A in 2025. He drove in 27 runs, scored 32 more, and stole six bases.
McDonough wouldn’t be the big exciting promotion that would get fans talking, but you’d see a lot of people with knowledge of the organization interested in what he could do. Again, similar to Sogard, he might not make a huge splash, but he’ll be extremely valuable. If the Red Sox need depth and versatility, McDonough should get a look.
Jeremy Wu-Yelland (LHP)
Jeremy Wu-Yelland is incredible. First of all, he's one of the nicer dudes in the organization. Second, he’s a left-handed reliever who is an electric factory on the mound.
JWY has dealt with numerous injury issues since being drafted in 2020. Due to that, he only had 113 1/3 professional innings under his belt entering 2025. The Hawaii product started the year in High-A, but finished it dominating in Double-A.
Wu-Yelland posted a 3.15 ERA, .201 BAA, and 1.07 WHIP in 25 appearances between the two levels. He struck out 71 batters compared to just 16 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings.
You can never have too many left-handed relievers. Wu-Yelland has interesting potential and a good mix of pitches. If he’s not selected in the Rule 5 draft, he could start 2026 in Triple-A (or knocking on the door) and find his way to Boston by July.