Red Sox Farm System Updates: Breaking Down TalkSox's New Top 20 Prospect List

It’s that time of the year again, when TalkSox updates our Top 20 prospect rankings for the Boston Red Sx. Both staff and readers voted and after tabulating the votes, the reveal of the list is now ready. The Top 20 saw some notable changes from the preseason, including the addition of two new prospects which we will break down. Let’s jump into it below.

Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospect List

1. Payton Tolle LHP MLB (40-man) (previously #1)
2. Franklin Arias SS AA (previously #3)
3. Kyson Witherspoon RHP A+ (previously #4)
4. Anthony Eyanson RHP AA (previously #10)
5. Justin Gonzales OF/1B A+ (previously #7)
6. Juan Valera RHP A+ (previously #5)
7. Jake Bennett LHP AAA (40-man) (previously #12)
8. Mikey Romero INF AAA (previously #6)
9. Marcus Phillips RHP A+ (previously #9)
10. Dorian Soto INF FCL (previously #8)
11. Henry Godbout 2B/SS A+ (previously #14)
12. Tyler Uberstine RHP AAA (40-man) (previously #17)
13. Yoeilin Cespedes 2B/SS A+ (previously #15)
14. John Holobetz RHP AA (previously #20)
15. Enddy Azocar OF A (previously unranked)
16. Miguel Bleis OF AA (previously #11)
17. Yophery Rodriguez OF A+ (previously #16)
18. Johanfran Garcia C AA (previously #13)
19. Hayden Mullins LHP AA (previously unranked)
20. Conrad Cason TWP FCL (previously #19)

The list retains many players from the previous Top 20, with Connelly Early and Nelly Taylor Jr. being the only players removed — Early due to his graduation from prospect status, while Taylor has struggled mightily in Double-A with Portland to the tune of a stat line of .098/.202/.195.

The biggest rank improvements belong to Anthony Eyanson who went from 10th to 4th, Jake Bennett climbing from 12th to 7th, Tyler Uberstine rising from 17th to 12th, and John Holobetz who went from 20th to 14th. Their rise is a sign of the improvements that Craig Breslow made on the pitching development side of things. Though, it wasn’t just pitching that improved, as both Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout saw their rankings improve, as well as the addition of Enddy Azocar to the Top 20.

The biggest rank decreases belonged to catcher Johanfran Garcia falling from 13th to 18th and Miguel Bleis who went from being just outside of the top 10 at 11th down to 16th. Both players have shown flashes of their talent that has generated buzz and hope that they can reach their potential, but a combination of injuries and inconsistency has stifled the duo.

The ranking is dominated in two specific areas. The first being that pitching very much makes up most of the Top 10 on the list. Of the 10 players, six are pitchers, including number one prospect Payton Tolle and the big three pitching prospects of Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Marcus Phillips all whom were drafted in 2025. Eyanson specifically has generated comparisons to a Tolle-esque season thanks to his hot start in Greenville (20 1/3 innings, seven hits, one earned run, three walks, 34 strikeouts) that led to a promotion to Portland after just five starts.

The second area that dominates this list is that Greenville makes up the most players on the list with seven prospects. Portland finished second with six prospects, while Salem had the least with just a single prospect. Greenville at the start of the season was viewed as an exciting, young, team that could be showcasing the future of the franchise thanks to its pitching staff containing the likes of Eyanson, Witherspoon, Phillips, and Juan Valera along with their offense containing players like Rodriguez, Gonzales and Godbout. Yoeilin Cespedes’ great start to the season was a welcomed surprise too, as he’s beginning to showcase the offensive production that once made him a top prospect within the organization.

Let's review the two new additions to our list to round things out.

Enddy Azocar, OF (Single-A Salem): No. 15

Azocar is an interesting prospect, as he’s just 19 years old and breaking out in Salem. When signed as an amateur, Azocar was viewed as having good contact skills along with projections viewing him as eventually being a good hitter. However, he struggled in 2024 with just three extra-base hits while moving from the infield to the outfield full time. Entering 2025, the outfielder put on 25 pounds of muscle and increased his quality of contact which led to a quick promotion to Single-A where he was one of the youngest players in the league.

If you looked at just his stats, you would think that there wasn’t much to like with Azocar, as he hit just .202/.273/.314 in 71 games. In that same span he had nine doubles, a triple, six home runs and 26 RBIs. Despite those numbers, there was a lot to like in the underlying data, including 90th percentile exit velocity. In the majors, a 90th exit velocity of 107 mph or higher is considered elite. Azocar’s 105.4 mph was the highest for all players of his age across the minors. To add to his power, he also showcased solid contact ability thanks to an in-zone whiff rate of just 18%.

Azocar starts with a leg lift timing device while hitting and has showcased average bat speed so far in his young career. He can be aggressive at times but will make contact with pitches in the zone and does not chase often. He still needs to work on developing his pitch recognition for secondary pitches, but should that happen, he should take off as a prospect. He currently has average raw power, but as he fills out as he ages that should increase, as shown in 2026 (six home runs through 28 games vs. six home runs in 71 games in 2025).

Azocar has been viewed as having slightly above average speed which helps in the outfield when paired with his plus range in center field. Often, he shows solid instincts on balls hit to the outfield while taking good routes to the ball. While he is likely capable of playing all three outfield positions at an above-average level, he is likely to stick in center field long term. His arm is also viewed as being above-average, which will only help his development.

Overall, he should be viewed as an athletic, defensive outfielder with power potential. At the moment, his hit tool is what will determine if he truly breaks out into a great prospect or not, but the improvements have been seen so far in 2026. His outcome is anywhere from a starting outfielder to a minor-league bench role, a huge range laden with tantalizing upside.

Hayden Mullins, LHP (Double-A Portland): No. 19

For some, it’s a surprise that Mullins remained in the organization after his 2025 season that saw him go 8-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) between Greenville and Portland. He tossed 101 2/3 innings while striking out 123 batters. For his dominance, (7-2 record, 2.44 ERA, 84 2/3 innings, 96 strikeouts), he was named the 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year.

Entering the Rule 5 Draft, there was a lot of concern that Mullins could be selected after his 2025 season, especially as many felt that his stuff could play well out of the bullpen a role. Instead, he was not selected and returned to the Boston organization for the 2026 season where he’s looked rather good so far including being part of a no-hitter on April 26.

Mullins throws from a three-quarters slot and starts on the third base side of the rubber. His motion tends to involve a high leg kick and rotates his hips. He’s also viewed as having good extension, which we all know Craig Breslow loves. He has a five-pitch arsenal that is made up of a four-seam fastball, slider, sweeper, changeup and cutter.

His fastball tends to average around 92 to 95 mph and can show life up in the zone. It’s been shown to have bat-missing ability so far through his minor-league career despite the command and control still being a work in progress. If he were in the bullpen, the velocity could potentially increase for shorter outings, which would place it in plus territory.

The slider tends to be between 81 and 85 mph with a high spin rate. He has an advanced feel for it and when at a lower velocity, it sometimes takes on a shape similar to a sweeper. He can land it in the zone or throw it down and outside of the zone if he is hoping to get the batter to chase.

The sweeper averages between 77 and 80 mph and has been a work in progress for Mullins. In 2025, he managed to make it more into its own pitch and has shown bat missing ability.

The changeup and cutter are his weakest pitches, as the changeup sits between 81 and 83 mph. When the changeup is on, it flashes a late drop and thrown with an arm speed that makes it deceptive. When it isn’t on, the pitch doesn’t work as well and because of that it’s viewed as very inconsistent. The cutter is a pitch that he hasn’t used as much since 2024 but is viewed as having average traits.

Mullins has battled injuries in his career, and even before his career started as he was drafted shortly after having Tommy John surgery. As such, being drafted in 2022, he would not make his organizational debut until August of 2023 and that would take place in the Florida Complex League. Last year, he also deal with a bout of shoulder fatigue that had him miss most of May. Due to the injury concerns and his command issues, there is belief he could work best out of the bullpen in a one- or two-inning role, especially if he focuses on a fastball/slider combination. However, due to a deep arsenal that can work against both left-handed and right-handed hitters, the organization will look to develop him as a starter until he struggles in that role.

Interested in learning more about the Boston Red Sox's top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!