Three Red Sox Prospects Named Player Of The Month For Their Respective Leagues

[Nick John]

The Red Sox organization continues to bring in awards at the minor league level. Last week, it was announced that a pair of prospects had been named Player of The Week for their respective leagues, and now, it’s been announced that a trio of prospects were named Player of The Month for their respective leagues.

Blaze Jordan, Franklin Arias and Freili Encarnacion were all named Player of The Month for their respective leagues after each player had unbelievable stats for the month of May. Each player put on a showcase in the month of May, allowing fans to see what talent is still in the minors as Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer get ready to graduate from prospect status and Roman Anthony not much further behind them.

Jordan, the former third round pick in the 2020 draft, exploded onto the scene in May after a rather less than ideal April. After struggling to a stat line of .235/.321/.324 through 18 games in April, the right-handed hitter appeared to turn a corner in May. Through 26 games in May, Jordan delivered as he hit .390/.490/.671 to go along with six home runs and 24 RBI. The slugger also added 14 walks while striking out only 11 times. In total, Jordan’s performance reengaged conversation about his presence as a prospect in the organization. The outstanding offensive performance forced a promotion to Triple A where he’s only continued to hit in his first two games. With the Red Sox thin at first and third base, there’s a chance Jordan could continue to force the Red Sox hand when it comes to a future promotion to Boston.

In the month of May Jordan led all qualified Eastern League hitters in hits, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. He was also tied for fourth in runs scored, tied for second in home runs and tied for seventh in walks as he put up a well-rounded offensive approach across the month.

Arias, the former international free agent, has been putting on quite the show all season. After opening the year in Salem, the 19-year-old infielder forced his way up to Greenville and has only become a better hitter since then. In the month of May alone he created a conversation about whether he was ready for Double-A Portland already as he hit a torrid .404/.438/.576 in 23 games. The infielder who was signed originally for his defense has impressed immensely with the bat since coming over stateside and looks to be a future star in the making. To go along with such a high batting average was nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI while also walking six times and striking out in seven at-bats. Despite being 19 years old there are already people wanting to move him to Portland and see how he handles the advanced competition. Currently he is on a 14-game hitting streak and has shown no signs of slowing down in Greenville.

When compared to other South Atlantic League players who appeared in at least 20 games in the month of May, Arias led them in batting average, OPS, hits and doubles. He was also third in slugging, fifth in on-base percentage and tied for third in RBI. Should Arias’ bat continue to develop, he might be the organization’s next number one prospect after Anthony’s graduation.

The final player, Encarnacion, was signed as an international free agent in 2022 and was just recently called up to Greenville at the start of June after a monstrous May. Another infielder just like the other two, Encarnacion is 20 years old and has spent most of his time this season split between first and third base while also playing a few games at second base while with Salem. Moving around the infield didn’t affect his bat, however, as he went on a tear in May. Across 23 games the right-hander hit .333/.402/.655 and also hit seven home runs, seven doubles and drove in 15 runs. For the entire month he also had 29 hits and scored 20 times. His best skill is his raw power and that was on display with his seven home runs across the month of May. Should he find consistency with his hit tool, those numbers may climb even higher.

For the month of May, Encarnarcion led all players who appeared in at least 20 games in home runs, slugging and OPS. He was also near the top in several other categories for players who appeared in at least 20 games as he finished third in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, tied for second in doubles, second in hits and fourth in runs scored.

The Red Sox continue to show an ability to develop hitters, and the month of May showcased the results as three hitters in three different leagues earned Player of The Month honors. It’s unknown whether these three players will have a future with the Boston Red Sox, but their growth is a good sign to trust the minor league process and believe in the prospects that are being developed.

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