Liam Carroll was the manager of the Boston Red Sox Single-A team (the Salem Red Sox) in 2024. In the offseason, he was promoted and is now the High-A (Greenville Drive) manager.
That gives Carroll a very unique perspective. Coaches in the low levels of the minors don't usually get to spend much time with players, especially elite prospects. Those prospects tend not to spend more than a few months in Single-A or High-A before moving on to the next level.
Franklin Arias is the perfect example of this. One of the top prospects in Boston's system, Arias only played 55 games in Single-A before being promoted to High-A. However, 36 of those games were in 2024.
That means that Carroll got to work with Arias for a few months last season, and now gets to work with him again in 2025 at the next level up.
The right-handed hitting shortstop has been fantastic this season. He slashed .346/.407/.397 in Single-A and is slashing .269/.316/.394 since being promoted to High-A.
High-A Greenville manager Liam Carroll gives his thoughts on top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias
Top #RedSox prospect Franklin Arias has collected six hits in his last four games, including a homer and a walk-off single on Wednesday.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/IWlw0wTmHO
— Greenville Drive (@GreenvilleDrive) August 5, 2025
Arias has 22 doubles, one triple, and five home runs combined between the two levels this year. He's driven in 49 runs, scored 45 more, and stolen 11 bases. All that has been done while playing a fantastic defense up the middle.
Arias was dealing with a slightly prolonged slump, but had a massive week to finish out July/begin August. Hopefully, that gets him back on the right track.
The Red Sox didn't move Arias at the trade deadline. He is one of the most valuable assets in the minor leagues. It feels like a major vote of confidence that he has plenty more growth in him to keep him around. His value should continue to rise as he gets closer to the majors.
Carroll gave his thoughts on the 19-year-old prospect on the "Pesky Report" podcast.
"Not only is he incredibly talented, but he's incredibly driven, he's incredibly curious. He does not settle. He gets really angry at himself when he makes mistakes. So, he's kind of the perfect person to have that good relationship with because we can continue to push the envelope."
Arias is one of the top prospects in Boston's system thanks to his ridiculous talent on the baseball field. Natural ability isn't the whole story, though. Aspiring big leaguers need to have the drive to be better if they want to make the majors. It's easy to feel confident that Arias will continue improving thanks to a work ethic that has impressed his manager.