The lower levels of Minor League Baseball open their season a week after the big league-year begins. So far, we’ve projected the Opening Day lineups for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. We’re moving one more rung down the ladder.
Today, we’re going to try to project the opening day roster for the Boston Red Sox High-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, and make some predictions along the way.
High-A Greenville Drive 2026 roster projections and predictions: 4 pitching prospects reach top 100 status
Catchers: Johanfran Garcia, Ronny Hernandez, Luke Heyman
Johanfran Garcia returned from injury last season after missing more than a calendar year. The right-handed hitter looked great offensively and defensively, so it wouldn't be shocking if he’s only in High-A for a month to start the year.
Ronny Hernandez was brought in this offseason to bolster the catching depth in the minor leagues. Hernandez doesn’t have a tool that jumps out above the rest, but he’s produced well in his career.
Luke Heyman is another new addition this offseason. He showcased serious power in college. With the Red Sox adding so many catchers this offseason, Heyman could take up first base or a corner outfield slot at some point.
First base: Antonio Anderson
Antonio Anderson had a strange 2025 season. The switch-hitter humiliated pitching in Single-A for the first month. He was promoted to High-A and took up first base (previously played third base). But by the end of the year, he was essentially in a platoon with Albert Feliz.
Anderson is still just 20, and even with the struggles in High-A, the 2025 season was a positive step forward. He should get an extended look in 2026.
Second base: Mason White
Mason White was a fourth-round pick in 2025. The right-handed hitter was seen as someone the team could work wonders with, thanks to his swing. He showed flashes in 2025, and with a full offseason, he should be intriguing, at the very least.
Third base: Freili Encarnacion
Freili Encarnacion could also play first base, and might split time with Anderson there while they shuffle people around to get everyone ABs. However, we'll put him at third base for now just as a formality.
The right-handed hitter needs to draw some walks and strike out less if he wants to move up in the prospect world. He possesses legitimate power (hit 18 home runs last season), and if that continues to improve, no one’s going to care too much if he doesn’t have the best plate discipline.
Shortstop: Henry Godbout
Henry Godbout was the 75th overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. He was praised for his quality of contact, and we’re seeing the wonders of the hitting program as he’s come into spring training showing off some added power.
The right-handed hitter could fly into top 100 prospect conversations quickly if the power is legitimate, as he already possesses great bat-to-ball skills, a good eye, and strong defense.
Outfield: Justin Gonzales, Isaiah Jackson, Natanael Yuten, Will Turner
Justin Gonzales is probably the main attraction of the lineup. The 6’7”, 270-pound prospect is still just 19 with more room to grow.
Gonzales could play a decent amount of first base this season. He has terrifying power, great athleticism for his size, fantastic plate discipline, and doesn’t strike out too much. The only issue has been not elevating the ball. If he figures that out (and he has a lot of time to), Gonzales is a Herculean prospect.
Bold prediction: Gonzales hits 20 homers this season and flirts with 500 feet.
Isaiah Jackson is a new addition this offseason. He’s fantastic defensively and has plenty of speed with intriguing pop.
Natanael Yuten was in Single-A the last two years and played more than well enough to be called up much sooner. Hopefully, he gets a shot in High-A this year.
Will Turner dealt with injuries last season, so we still haven’t gotten to see much of him. The left-handed hitter draws plenty of walks and has good speed, but has struggled to hit in his small sample sizes.
UTIL: Maximus Martin, Starlyn Nunez, Stanley Tucker, Nazzan Zanetello
Maximus Martin should play basically every day, I just don’t know where. They could put him at shortstop, second base, or in the outfield. There’s some serious power that could make him a big mover in 2026.
Starlyn Nunez was the spark plug of Salem last year, and with good speed and power, he could do the same in Greenville.
Stanley Tucker missed last season due to injury, but was an AFL all-star. He can play just about everywhere on the field and could swipe a ton of bags.
Nazzan Zanetello has struggled since being drafted, but we’ve seen glimpses of the raw tools. There’s legitimate power and speed to his game. If he can cut back the strikeouts, the Red Sox have something.
Starting pitchers: Juan Valera (RHP), Kyson Witherspoon (RHP), Anthony Eyanson (RHP), Marcus Phillips (RHP), Leighton Finley (RHP), Brady Tygart (RHP), Brandon Neely (RHP)
Goodness, this rotation is ridiculous. Juan Valera was at one point a top 100 prospect last year. He’s a teenager who throws 100 MPH. Kyson Witherspoon had no business falling to the Red Sox in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Anthony Eyanson’s secondaries are great, and in the spring breakout game, he shocked many by finding 100 MPH on his fastball. Marcus Phillips has an electric fastball and is still raw. Seriously, just an absurd group.
My big prediction here is that all four of those names are top 100 prospects at the end of the season.
Brady Tygart looked great in his limited playing time last season. Brandon Neely and Leighton Finley have yet to pitch in the system, but were both high picks in their respective drafts (Neely was taken in the third round in 2024 and Finley was a sixth-rounder in 2025).
Relief pitchers: Jojo Ingrassia (LHP), Austin Ehrlicher (RHP), Calvin Bickerstaff (RHP), Devin Futrell (LHP), Griffin Kilander (RHP), Cade Feeney (RHP), Jay Allmer (RHP), Steven Brooks (RHP)
Jojo Ingrassia has dealt with some injuries, which is frustrating because the stuff is filthy. If he can be healthy, I could see him emerging as a dominant reliever in 2026. Devin Futrell is looking to build off a strong end to 2025 and has a decent amount of buzz.
A lot of these guys can go multiple innings, so it will be really interesting to see how Greenville handles so many talented arms.