Franklin Arias joined an ultra-exclusive group on Saturday. In fact, it’s actually more of a duo.
MLB’s No. 3 prospect built on his impressive age-20 season, belting his 25th big fly of the year in Triple-A Worcester’s 4-3 loss to Durham at Polar Park. The only other Red Sox prospect to reach that mark at that age or younger since at least 2005? Three-time MLB All-Star Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo crushed 25 homers in 136 games during the 2010 Minor League season. He split time between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, slashing .260/.334/.480. The campaign netted Rizzo a share of Boston’s Minor League Co-Offensive Player of the Year Award and was a harbinger of his successful career.
With one game left in his regular season, Arias’ numbers stack up nicely to the four-time Gold Glove winner. Following Saturday’s showing -- which included the homer off righty Jesse Scholtens and an RBI single later in the contest -- the Red Sox No. 1 prospect is slashing .323/.400/.557 in 117 games. He leads Red Sox full-season Minor Leaguers in home runs, average, RBIs (91), hits (145), extra-base hits (54), total bases (250) and OPS (.957).
COMPLETE RED SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE
The Venezuela native’s numbers stand out on their own, but they become even more rare when his competition in factored in. Arias has played about a third of the season (42 games) as the youngest player in the International League. The list of players 20 or younger to trot around the bases 25 times and reach the Minors’ highest level in the same season? Well, that’s another elite list.
Along with Arias, seven other players have notched at least 25 jacks under the same conditions: Bryce Eldridge in 2025, Jhonkensy Noel and Francisco Alvarez in 2023, Tyler Soderstrom in 2022, Dylan Carlson in 2019, Cody Bellinger in 2016 and Jay Bruce in 2007.
That group features a former No. 1 overall prospect in Alvarez, a National League MVP in Bellinger, a 14-year MLB veteran in Bruce and a couple promising young talents in Eldridge and Soderstrom. But one thing that it didn’t have before Arias was a shortstop.
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Arias was signed in 2023 as a glove-first player. His defense projected to be elite, but there were questions about his bat, namely if he’d have any power at all. After combining for 18 dingers in his first three professional seasons and showing strong bat-to-ball skills, Arias unlocked a new level in 2026. He slugged seven homers during a nine-game stretch in April and ended with 19 homers in 75 Double-A games prior to his promotion to Worcester.
With the WooSox, the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder has further proven to be the full package as a prospect. He still displays smooth actions at the six, while also making strong swing decisions at the dish. His 14.2 percent strikeout rate across both levels would be the 21st best in the big leagues, sandwiched between the Phillies’ Alec Bohm and Twins’ Luke Keaschall. His 53 walks compared to 74 strikeouts would be in a similar spot.
Arias sports plus hit and fielding tools, along with above-average power and a 55-grade arm. His speed is below average, but few players have attributes as strong as his, especially at a premium position.
Boston has navigated most of the 2026 season without a stable shortstop or second baseman. Thanks to his breakout, Arias will likely be one of the candidates to lock down a middle-infield spot next season.