Franklin Arias just can't stop hitting home runs. Even when he gets a day off and sits on the bench for eight innings, he still finds a way to go yard.
Such was the case Saturday. MLB's No. 26 overall prospect and the Red Sox's No. 2 belted a pinch-hit, walk-off home run to the opposite field to extend his homer tear and lift Double-A Portland past Hartford, 4-3, inside Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field.
Despite homering in six of his previous eight games, Arias was on the bench to start Saturday's contest. His rest ended in the ninth, however, when he was called upon to bat with two outs in a one-run game and while representing the winning run. The 20-year-old then drove a 1-2 offering right-hander Fidel Ulloa well beyond the right-field fence.
So, make it seven homers in the past nine games for Arias, who leads Double-A with a .420 average and owns a preposterous 1.412 OPS through 15 contests this season.
It's pretty safe to say that Arias is going to surpass his career-best in homers this year. His high point is nine across 87 games in 2024. At this rate, he'll blow past that number by some point next week.