Who's hotter than this guy? Red Sox No. 2 prospect continues Double-A HR deluge
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No one can stop Franklin Arias right now.
Arias, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 prospect -- and the Red Sox's No. 2 prospect -- homered in his third consecutive game for Double-A Portland on Friday night. The 20-year-old shortstop launched a no-doubt shot over the batter’s eye in straightaway center field in Portland’s 5-3 loss to Altoona at PNG Field.
Arias hit just eight home runs in 116 Minor League games last season and did not club his first until his 93rd at-bat of the season. But he’s shown off his power early and often thus far in 2026.
Arias entered the night leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .542 batting average and a .613 on-base percentage, and his .875 slugging percentage ranked third. Batting atop the Sea Dogs’ lineup, he also drew a walk to lead off the game, reaching safely for the ninth straight game to begin the season.
Arias -- who is just 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds -- will look to continue his power surge next time out on Saturday. For context, in the Majors this season, the Angels' Mike Trout is the only player to hit a home run in four consecutive games.