We went through each level of the minor leagues for the Boston Red Sox and determined a breakout pitching prospect. Now it’s time to do the same thing for the position players.
We’ll be trying to determine where they’ll either finish their season or spend the majority of their time. It’s not always easy to figure out, as trajectories and injuries are hard to predict. Other than that, it’s simply about identifying which prospects could raise their stocks in 2026 and how they’ll do it.
One Red Sox position player prospect poised for a breakout at each level in 2026
Triple-A (Worcester Red Sox): Marvin Alcantara (INF)
Worcester is a little light on potential breakout stars. Mikey Romero can’t really “breakout” unless he becomes an elite-tier prospect. Nathan Hickey is who he is: good power, decent glove at first, will strike out. There’s also a lot of veteran talent on the team in case Boston needs some reserves.
So we look at people who could make an impact as the year goes on and land on two people, Allan Castro and Marvin Alcantara — the nod goes to the latter for a few reasons.
Alcantara slashed .238/.303/.307 with 19 doubles, one triple, and three home runs between High-A and Double-A. He drove in 47 runs, scored 48 more, and stole eight bases. Those numbers aren’t sexy, but Alcantara has a lot of positives.
He’ll be 21 for the entire 2026 season, and the right-handed hitter doesn’t strike out much (15.4% K rate). Alcantara has good speed and is phenomenal defensively at shortstop, third base, and second base. He’s gotten praise for his work ethic and defense by teammates and coaches alike.
Alcantara might not put up gaudy numbers offensively, but he’s going to turn heads with his defense, base running, and leadership while never hurting the team with his bat. That’s going to make waves.
Double-A (Portland Sea Dogs): Maximus Martin (INF)
Maximus Martin was a 10th-round pick in the 2025 MLB draft by the Red Sox. I was immediately happy with the selection, as he’s an athlete with serious power potential.
Martin made me look smart (which is a massive accomplishment) with his performance in his short run in the minor leagues before the end of the season. The right-handed hitter slashed .270/.381/.371 with six doubles and a home run in 25 games between Single-A and High-A. He drove in 14 runs, scored 13 more, and stole six bases.
Martin needs to cut back on the strikeouts, but he works counts and has plenty of gap power with 25-plus homer potential. The Red Sox have a lot of talent in the middle infield throughout their minor league system. Martin’s ability to play second base, shortstop, and the outfield will help to keep him in the lineup on a nightly basis, even with those logjams.
Meanwhile, his offensive ability could see him start the year hot in High-A and force the Red Sox to move him up to Double-A before long.
High-A (Greenville Drive): Starlyn Nunez (INF)
Starlyn Nunez was one of the most electric pieces of the Salem lineup in 2025. He showcased some pop, good speed, and seemed to always be the spark when needed.
There were some issues. His fielding at shortstop, second base, and third base created quite a few highlights, but he also made a fair few errors. Meanwhile, Nunez only drew 27 walks in 444 plate appearances (6.1% BB rate).
The switch-hitter slashed .249/.306/.407 with 24 doubles, eight triples, and eight home runs. Doing that in a very pitcher-friendly park is impressive. He drove in 52 runs, scored 54 more, and stole 21 bases. Nunez struck out 91 times for a decent 20.5% K rate.
Nunez flew under the radar thanks to some bigger names moving through Single-A (such as Franklin Arias and Justin Gonzales). However, it will be easier for him to grab some headlines in High-A (especially as a 20-year-old).
Single-A (Salem RidgeYaks): Skylar King (OF)
Skylar King was the 15th-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2025 MLB Draft. King is an absolute wizard in the outfield. So much so that after just 25 games in Single-A, he was already being praised and named with the likes of Nelly Taylor and Miguel Bleis as defensive experts.
King made multiple highlight plays in his short sample size. That defense is going to take him far. However, it wasn’t just defense with King. The left-handed hitter slashed .258/.359/.382 with two doubles, three triples, and one home run. He drove in nine runs, scored 15 more, and stole seven bases.
King is an elite defender, possesses ridiculous speed, and isn’t a slouch with his bat. He might get stuck in Single-A for longer than he should be (like Taylor before him) due simply to Boston’s ridiculous outfield depth in the minor leagues. That won’t stop him from becoming a name fans see a lot, though.