MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospect rankings list for the Boston Red Sox heading into the 2026 season has been released.
There weren’t many wild surprises. Mikey Romero was a little disrespected at No. 13, but not much else was that noteworthy (he'll likely graduate from prospect status before getting to take a big rankings jump, anyway). However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see major movement throughout the year.
Who could be the biggest movers in 2026? Which prospects already in the top 30 could see the most monumental jumps this season?
We already know we’ll see some movement with a few of the top names likely graduating this season (No. 1 Payton Tolle and No. 3 Connelly Early lead the way). With that in mind, we’ll try to only point to prospects that could take jumps outside of the guaranteed movement that comes with graduations.
5 Red Sox prospects who could move further up in Pipeline’s top 30
Outfielder/first baseman Justin Gonzales (No. 6)
The Justin Gonzales hype train has gained incredible steam this spring. First, he reported to camp measured at a massive 6’6”, 277 lbs. Then he smoked a single 117.3 MPH in a game. People were already expecting a big jump from the 19-year-old, and he’s only stoking those flames.
The right-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman slashed .298/.381/.423 last season with 23 doubles, two triples, and four home runs in Single-A. Gonzales drove in 27 runs, scored 45 more, and stole 11 bases with Salem.
Someone with the size and power of Gonzales is expected to have issues with swing-and-miss, which hasn't been the case for him. The Dominican Republic native struck out just 14.6% of the time with Salem (9.8% walk rate).
Where Gonzales can raise his stock is by showing that in-game power now that he’s out of Salem. In High-A with Greenville, he has a much more hitter-friendly park to play in. Hopefully, those condos in left field have window insurance, because he’ll be hitting them quite a bit.
It might be lazy to put the number six prospect on a “potential risers” list. Where could he really go up, you ask? Here’s my bold prediction: Gonzales will be the number one prospect in the system by the end of the season.
Shortstop Henry Godbout (No. 11)
Henry Godbout was the 75th overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Red Sox had to be thrilled with the early returns.
Godbout slashed .341/.473/.477 with six doubles in 13 games in High-A last season. The right-handed hitting shortstop drove in five runs, scored six more, and stole one base. He also walked more times (nine) than he struck out (six).
Godbout is a strong defender with great contact ability. He is someone who many feel can benefit from Boston’s hitting program. If they can get his line drive swing to create a little more power and get him to have 20-plus home run potential, things will get scary.
Even without that, Godbout has a clear path to making it up to Double-A this season. If the 22-year-old can continue to draw walks, limit strikeouts, rack up doubles, and hit for a high average, prospect rankers will take notice.
Outfielder Allan Castro (No. 25)
Allan Castro has had a phenomenal spring training early on. With so many outfielders heading to the World Baseball Classic, we've seen a lot more of him.
The switch-hitting outfielder slashed .268/.353/.400 with 20 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs in Double-A last season. He drove in 37 runs, scored 43 more, and stole 15 bases.
Most of those numbers were down from the previous year. Importantly, he saw a major boost in batting average (.229 to .268), a decent rise in on-base percentage (.343 to .353), and a huge cutback in strikeout percentage (23.4% to 20.4%).
Those numbers tell a bigger story than not hitting as many home runs as the previous year. Castro has plus raw power, strong plate discipline, a decent glove, and good athleticism.
We already saw a breakout campaign back in 2023. Don’t be shocked if the 22-year-old does it again in 2026.
Catcher Johanfran Garcia (No. 28)
The Red Sox did a fantastic job of bolstering their minor league catching depth this offseason. Prospect-wise, they added Luke Heyman, Adonys Guzman, Ronny Hernandez, and Raudelis Martinez.
Garcia was actually a higher-rated prospect than his older brother (Jhostynxon, now a Pittsburgh Pirate) heading into the 2024 season. It looked to continue, as Johanfran started the year scorching-hot in Single-A (.385/.467/.596 in 14 games). A significant knee injury meant that Garcia’s last affiliate game was May 2, 2024, until he appeared in a game in High-A over a year later on June 10, 2025.
Garcia hardly missed a beat. The right-handed hitter slashed .249/.327/.428 with four doubles and nine home runs with Greenville. He drove in 28 runs, scored 27 more, and stole one base.
Garcia had a bit of a strikeout problem, but it was his first time in High-A, with not much Single-A experience, andcoming off a major injury. He was clutch, showcased serious power, looked good defensively at catcher, and played the position a lot (which is something people were worried he wouldn’t be able to do coming off the injury).
The 21-year-old enters the 2026 season with experience in High-A and a healthy offseason (which means he’ll be in better shape and won’t be playing catch-up during the year). There was significant buzz surrounding Garcia prior to his injury, and that’s going to pick up seriously again this year.
Two-Way player Conrad Cason (No. 30)
Conrad Cason just made the cut, landing in the final spot of Pipeline's rankings. The Red Sox drafted him in the eighth round in 2024, and we’ve seen almost none of him since then.
The two-way player pitched in one game in the FCL and was the designated hitter in one game in the FCL last season. Cason went 1-for-4 with an RBI at the plate, while tossing two scoreless (and hitless) innings, striking out five batters while walking one. It was electric, but short-lived, as an injury ended his year after just two games.
That injury led to Tommy John surgery, which means we won’t be seeing Cason pitch this year. However, he’ll get to hit (and I’d wager play shortstop). Likely starting the year in extended spring training and the FCL, we probably won’t see the 19-year-old in Single-A until late May or early June.
That’s still plenty of time for Cason to turn heads, though. He’s extremely fast and has some pop. We could see him fly around the bases in a bigger ballpark like Salem, loading up on doubles and triples.
That athleticism will get those following the system talking, even if he’s limited in what else he can do on the field while he recovers.
Cason likely won’t get any massive national buzz until he’s completely healthy and testing out his two-way abilities again. He could shoot up to the No. 15-range in Boston’s rankings at some point this season, though.