No. 6: Shortstop prospect Franklin Arias
Franklin Arias didn't come out of nowhere in 2024, but he definitely came from the shadows. There were quite a few names ahead of him that had Arias on the back burner. He leapfrogged most of them with ease.
The right-handed hitter started the year in the FCL. He slashed .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, and six home runs in 51 games. Arias recorded 28 RBI, 41 runs, and 30 steals at the level. Seriously.
That ridiculous performance led to a promotion to Single-A. There, Arias made an impressive affiliate debut. He slashed .257/.331/.378 with nine doubles and three home runs. Arias recorded 26 RBI, scored 18 runs, and stole five bases.
It's important to stress that Salem is a torture dome for hitters. Putting up those numbers in Single-A is impressive. I've said it before. Look at Roman Anthony's Single-A numbers. Then, look what he did immediately after being promoted.
Another important factor is age. The 18-year-old was 2.5 years younger than the average age of players in the league. Arias only had four plate appearances in Single-A against pitchers younger than him.
The Red Sox also have an obviously high view of Arias. He spent a heavy majority of his time in the field at shortstop (437 1/3 innings compared to 158 2/3 innings at second base). Meanwhile, he was exclusively hitting out of the leadoff spot.
Arias finished the year slashing .309/.409/.487 with 25 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs between the FCL and Single-A. He recorded 54 RBI, 59 runs, and 35 steals in 87 games. He drew 50 walks in 372 plate appearances (13.4% BB rate) and struck out 65 times (17.5% K rate). Both are fantastic numbers, especially for someone his age.
Arias can hit for contact and draw walks. He can hit the ball to all fields and gets pretty consistent hard contact. He should always be able to hit for average.
His power isn't elite, but there's certainly pop. Listed at 5'11", 170 lbs, he could add some mass and muscle. That would add to his decent raw power. Right now, he projects as a 20-ish homer bat. That could be improved if he adds muscle.
Arias has good speed and is great on the base paths. He shows good instincts and aggressiveness. Then again, he might lose some speed if he bulks up. He was the Red Sox minor league baserunner of the year. Steals should be a semi-decent part of his game.
Arias impressed me a lot in the field. Shortstop is a difficult position, one that leads to a lot of errors. That's especially true for young prospects in the minor leagues. It doesn't help that the first baseman won't bail them out as much as Major Leaguer will.
Arias looks like a natural at shortstop, though. He makes the routine plays, and he limits errors. Meanwhile, he made highlight-reel plays commonplace at the position. Arias has good range, nice footwork, and a good glove. He has a plus arm to round everything out nicely.
Franklin Arias is young, raw, and far down in the minor leagues. However, his 2024 season put him on the map as a legitimate shortstop of the future option. The Red Sox have a lot of talented middle infield prospects.
Arias is nearly unmatched in the superstar potential department, though.
Hit: 55
Power: 50
Run: 55
Arm: 60
Field: 65
Overall: 55
No. 5: Pitching prospect Luis Perales
Luis Perales suffered an injury that required Tommy John surgery at the end of June/beginning of July. That injury robbed us of what was looking like a phenomenal season.
The right-handed pitcher carved up High-A for his first seven starts of the season before being promoted to Double-A. He made an incredible first impression there, and then the injury happened.
Perales posted a 2.94 ERA, .250 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP in nine starts between High-A and Double-A. He struck out 56 batters compared to just 12 walks in 33 2/3 innings. Perales dominated in his first Double-A start, but the injury interrupted his second start.
There's a strong chance the 21-year-old doesn't pitch in 2025, which is a gut punch. Even with that delay, Perales is the "ace" of the minor league system. If anyone is going to be the No. 1 in a Major League rotation, this is the guy.
Perales saw his game take another step forward in 2024. He has a live fastball in the mid-90s that can sit in the high-90s often and regularly flirts with 100 MPH. He still doesn't have the best command, but he saw major improvements this season. The pitch leads to plenty of whiffs up in the zone.
Perales also has a slurve that causes havoc for hitters. It works in the low-to-mid-80s with a sweeping break that snaps on the hitter. Perales has good control of the pitch. It tends to leave batters looking foolish.
Finally, he has a changeup. It plays in the mid-80s and features a late dip. The pitch is definitely his most inconsistent, but looks devastating when he has it working properly. If it takes another step forward, Perales will be absolutely terrifying.
Likely not getting to see Luis Perales again until 2026 feels like it should be illegal. Don't forget how good he is, though. Getting to witness him handle Double-A hitting so well (albeit in a short span) has to have people within the organization excited.
Fastball: 70
Slurve: 60
Changeup: 45
Control: 45
Overall: 55