We’ve reached the end of the season for the High-A Greenville Drive and the Single-A Salem Red Sox. That signals the winding down of the Boston Red Sox prospect watch.
Boston struggling to find wins since Roman Anthony went down with an injury certainly doesn’t help to lift the spirits of a dwindling minor league season, either. No reason to get too negative, though. We still have plenty of baseball to talk about, including a pair of pitching prospects who could still make an impact in the Majors, a top prospect hitting in Double-A, and more.
No. 1 Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias rises to the occasion, Tyler Uberstine and Connelly Early make their cases for promotion
The Red Sox are in desperate need of some pitching. Luckily, there are a number of intriguing options in Triple-A.
One of those options is Tyler Uberstine. The right-handed pitcher allowed two runs on six hits over six innings this week. He walked one batter and struck out eight batters, tying a season-high.
Uberstine has a 3.90 ERA, .252 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP in 23 appearances (19 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A. He has 125 strikeouts compared to 39 walks in 110 2/3 innings between the two levels.
Uberstine needs to be placed on the 40-man roster this offseason unless the Red Sox are comfortable losing him in the Rule 5 Draft. Why not add him now and get some innings out of him in September? The only issue could be his innings. Uberstine’s 110 2/3 innings in 2025 are 106 more innings than he’s thrown in the last two seasons combined. They’re 6 2/3 innings more than he’s thrown in his entire professional career (dating back to 2022). Fatigue could be a legitimate problem.
Connelly Early gave up three hits over six one-run innings. He struck out a career-high 10 batters without walking any. The left-handed pitcher has a 2.60 ERA, .197 BAA, and 1.11 WHIP in 21 appearances (18 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A. He has 132 strikeouts compared to 40 walks in 100 1/3 innings.
Early doesn’t need to be placed on the 40-man roster until after the 2026 season. However, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the minor leagues this year and could be a top-100 prospect soon. Early feels like the best bet to give the Red Sox big-time starts down the stretch from all the options available.
In Double-A, Franklin Arias made his debut this week. The right-handed hitting shortstop went 6-for-20 with a double and a home run. He drove in four runs and scored three more.
It was encouraging to see Arias have a strong week at the plate. The fact that he did it in his first week with Portland is an added bonus. He’s a phenomenal defensive shortstop, and his contact skills are phenomenal. However, he was slumping a bit in High-A. It was great to see Arias look ready for the challenge of Double-A. He’ll get a few more games there before the end of the season.
Greenville’s season ended with an incredible run from Maximus Martin. The 2025 draftee had at least one hit in 10 of the 11 games he appeared in at the High-A level. Martin slashed .325/.426/.400 with three doubles for the Drive. The right-handed hitting utility drove in nine runs, scored five more, and stole two bases.
Justin Gonzales struggled a bit after being promoted to High-A, highlighting the one big weakness for him right now. He’s putting the ball on the ground too much. However, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Gonzales. A monster-sized human with elite power potential and a phenomenal eye.
The 18-year-old slashed .186/.265/.186 in 11 games with Greenville. He drove in four runs, scored five more, and stole one base. Gonzales was much better in Single-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, and four home runs in 81 games. He drove in 27 runs, scored 45 more, and stole 11 bases.
With Salem’s season over, the biggest surprise was Gerardo Rodriguez’s bat. The right-handed hitting catcher had shown zero power up until his second run in Single-A. He certainly showcased it for the last month, though.
Rodriguez slashed .297/.372/.500 with four doubles, one triple, and three home runs in 22 games with Salem. He drove in 11 runs, scored nine more, and stole one base. Already viewed as a fantastic defensive catcher, a spark of offense catapults him nicely in the prospect rankings.