Brock Beauchamp

When the Red Sox signed Franklin Arias as an international free agent, they did so with the thought of him evolving into a Gold Glove shortstop. Since then, he’s consistently surprised the organization with his ability to put the ball in play, turning himself into a top prospect within the organization. The 2025 season took his outlook to a whole other level. Playing as a 19-year-old, Arias showcased his abilities out of the gates, opening the season with Salem before becoming one of the youngest players in High-A with Greenville. His performance there allowed him to finish the season with Double-A Portland, roughly 4.5 years younger than the average player. In 116 games between the three levels, Arias hit .278/.335/.388 with 27 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 66 RBIs, all while playing elite defense at shortstop. Arias’ ability to make contact is thanks in part to his quick hands and a swing that is line-drive oriented. The young infielder also has great barrel control and a feel for contact. Despite all those positives, however, he does not have the best bat speed and needs to improve his approach at the plate, as he can get too aggressive. Arias has a habit of attacking fastballs early in an at-bat as he tries to hit the ball all over the field. With secondaries, he sometimes has difficulty recognizing the pitch out of a pitcher's hand, leading to high chase rates, though some of that is balanced out by strong in-zone contact skills. Power-wise, he has meager over-the-fence pop and it’s not a big part of his game. He can, however, produce great exit velocities for his age. Arias is a gap hitter due to his line-drive approach and scouts have described his power as below average. Speed is also not a big part of his game, as he’s viewed as having below average speed. While he can go first to third on a single or second to home, he will never be viewed as a speed threat. He does make up for his lack of speed with quality baserunning instincts, but he won't derive a lot of his value on the basepaths. Defense is what Arias is best known for. The infielder is mainly a shortstop but has also seen some time at second base. He has great range and is comfortable playing all angles when charging the ball. He also has the ability to make difficult plays look rather routine. Still just 20 years old, he’s viewed as one of the best middle-infield gloves in all of the minor leagues. Arias’ value will be determined by how his hit tool continues to develop. Already he’s shown that he can handle shortstop at an elite level, but should his bat not continue to develop, he might peak as a defense-first utility infielder. If his offense continues to improve, he can become a quality starting shortstop despite his lack of power and speed. Arias will open the season with Portland, where he’ll man the six. In 2025, he only got to play 10 games there and the organization will want to see how he handles a prolonged exposure to higher-level pitching. Given his youth, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he spent the entire season with Portland. If he gets promoted, it would likely be in a similar situation to his schedule last year — a late season showcase against the next minor-league level.

Alex and Maddie sit down and celebrate the 14-game win streak. They review Brayan Bello’s return to the majors and his limited usage out of the pen. With the trade deadline nearing and the team's sudden turnaround, they discuss Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman as potential trade candidates. Finally, they unpack the latest Jarren Duran drama. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox

Delzine has shot up prospect rankings this season, as he went unlisted on not just the TalkSox list but nearly every major prospect ranking coming into 2026. That quickly changed once the FCL season began in early May, as he has put on a show with his pitching. A strong, tall right-hander, Delzine stands at a towering 6-foot-5 on the mound and still has room to grow as he enters his late teens (he won’t turn 19 until 2027). In his first taste of stateside baseball, Delzine has dominated in his seven appearances. Tossing 27 1/3 innings, he’s allowed just seven runs, six of them earned, while striking out 32 batters. Delzine, who signed with the Red Sox in January of 2025, is already viewed as a high-upside arm throughout the system thanks to his size and athleticism that he’s shown during his time in Florida. Even before this season, the Red Sox were high on him, as the right-hander received the largest bonus of any pitcher signed by the Red Sox in their 2025 international free agent class. On the mound, Delzine starts on the first base side of the rubber before throwing from a three-quarters arm slot. With a high leg kick and a quick arm, Delzine has shown an ability to repeat his delivery early on in his career. Thanks to his large body and the belief he’ll only grow more, Delzine has the body of a starter and will be developed as such. He already has a four-pitch arsenal, with three of them already in game-ready form. His best pitch is his fastball, while he uses a changeup and curveball to supplement it. Delzine also has a slider, but it’s behind his other two secondaries. The fastball averages around the low-90s, topping out as high as 94 mph at times and is viewed as having room to add velocity as he grows. Despite being his best pitch so far in his career, it might be his changeup that becomes his best pitch in the future thanks to the bat-missing ability it’s already showcasing. His curveball is one that breaks 11-to-5 and some have said that at its best, it showcases a tight rotation that allows him to bury it down in the zone and can throw it away from right-handed batters. There isn’t much on his slider, as it’s still being developed. Overall, he’s viewed as a high-upside prospect that should be able to handle the strain of starting games along with having the mental aspect needed due to his competitive nature. Should Delzine develop consistently and avoid injuries, there may be a new arm joining the likes of Eyanson, Witherspoon and Phillips when it comes to the most hype in the system.

Jace Mataczynski, like many cold-weather prospects, exploded onto the scene in a hurry and has remained in the cross hairs of the scouting community ever since. The Auburn commit out of Wisconsin displays premium athleticism and twitch, present in both his offensive and defensive profiles. At the plate, it’s a right handed swing that could still stand to add a touch more refinement. He starts in a wide base with a higher handset, close to his ear. From there it’s a drift back into his load before a small jabbing step into his swing. Mataczynski’s wide base helps him get into his legs well and there’s plenty of present bat speed. I’d envision some of the mechanical rawness working itself out via his impressive athleticism. Defensively, he has a good chance to stick at short. He’s a fluid mover with smooth actions and a decisive first step. His hands are soft and there’s a really quick arm there, too (he’s been clocked up to 98 mph in the infield). This is the type of talent, and twitch that can end up looking like a draft steal. If Mataczynski’s offensive game continues to trend in the right direction, he’ll check most of the boxes you’re looking for in a projection-reliant shortstop profile.

Owen Hull is a sharp riser on the college side of the draft after an impressive postseason run as part of North Carolina’s CWS squad. After spending his first two collegiate seasons at George Mason, the 6’4 outfielder made the transition to the ACC look seamless, and has set himself up as a likely day one pick as a result. Hull hits from the left side, and has a bit of an unorthodox looking swing. There is some swing and miss in the profile, but the damage on contact is impressive. He controls his at-bats well and takes plenty of walks, rarely expanding the zone in collegiate ball. Hull has a chance to stick in center field with plus speed. It’s a fringe-average arm, but the range and glove will play in center, at least during the onset of his professional career. Hull hit .393/.500/.615 with 9 home runs (38 extra base hits), a 14.8 BB%, a 15.1 K%, and a 146 wRC+ in 2026.

Schaffner is an infielder who played shortstop for North Carolina in 2026 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at NDSU. He's carried over an impressively similar level of production in 2026 against much stiffer opposition. Schaffner hits from the left side. It's an offensive profile predicated on exceptional bat-to-ball skills. His overall contact rate in 2026 sits at ~88%, with a 94% rate in zone. There's some pop in the profile, with six home runs, and 42 extra-base hits. All of this is backed up by a strong approach, as Schaffner doesn't chase much and has walked over 13% of the time in 2026. He is a good up-the-middle defender. There's an average arm in there, and while he may move off shortstop eventually, he should be able to stick on the dirt, most likely at second base. Throw in above-average speed and savvy as a baserunner (25 stolen bases in 2026 at 89%), and there's a promising infield utility profile.

Selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of Louisiana State University, Anthony Eyanson may end up being one of the biggest steals for the Boston Red Sox in recent years. Eyanson completed his junior season at LSU by winning the national championship, ultimately garnering attention as a top-50 draft prospect. As the Saturday starter for LSU, Eyanson made 20 appearances, 18 of them starts, and went 12-2 with two saves across 108 innings. He was dominant on the mound, allowing just 36 earned runs. Things would not work out perfectly for Eyanson, however, as the right-hander slid to the third round, where the Red Sox selected him at the 87th pick. Eyanson is a very intriguing pitching prospect, one who continues to fit in with Craig Breslow’s desire to acquire pitchers who are big (he stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds) and have good extension (6.41 feet). The right-hander has a polished arsenal made up of a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup, and he's got strong control of each of those offerings. His fastball routinely sat between 92 and 94 mph in college, occasionally topping out at around 97 mph. However, in his first week of spring training, the right-hander managed to get it up to 98 mph. His slider has more vertical break to it instead of horizontal (i.e., more traditional power slider than a modern sweeper) and despite a lower spin rate, it can miss bats. It also manages to generate a high chase rate despite not landing in the zone all that often. In college, the slider managed to produce a 52% whiff rate and could become his main "out pitch" in professional baseball. Eyanson’s curveball is thrown competitively, but despite a good amount of vertical depth, it fails to miss as many bats as would be expected. It is used more often against left-handed batters. Finally, his changeup may be his weakest pitch, as he fails to consistently land it in the strike zone, and he may need to adjust the low-80s offering as he graduates various levels in the system. In college, Eyanson showed an ability to rack up strikeouts, finishing the 2025 season with 152 in just 108 innings. There is no reason to believe that should change once he gets his first taste of minor league baseball thanks to his fastball, slider and curveball. Early on in spring training, he has looked good on the backfields while throwing live at-bats. One of Eyanson’s best traits is his ability to limit free passes. While his strikeouts were well documented (33.9% rate), he managed to walk just 36 batters with LSU, good for an 8.0% walk rate. Thanks to this, Eyanson already has a high floor and comes with little reliever risk. Should he manage to maintain the increased velocity he’s showing with his fastball across the entire season, he would project as a mid-rotation arm. Eyanson is likely to open the year in High-A Greenville, but thanks to his strike-throwing ability along with his already-polished arsenal of pitches, he could be promoted to the upper levels of the organization quickly. The right-hander is confident in his own abilities and is entering 2026 with a determination to prove he should have been taken within the first two rounds of the draft. He’ll be an interesting pitcher to watch, especially if he can find an arm-side pitch to throw to left-handed hitters.

Primera was signed by the Red Sox out of Venezuela in September of 2024 and was sent to the Dominican Summer League in 2025 at the age of 18. The young catcher immediately dominated the league, as he slashed .333/.465/.430 with 10 doubles, one home run and 27 RBIs while being added to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement. Primera would go on to win the game’s MVP after hitting a home run in his lone at-bat. Following his great season, the team had him play in the 2026 Spring Breakout game along with being on the roster for their annual Futures at Fenway South game. The team then decided he was ready for the FCL and had him open the season in Florida instead of spending more time in the DSL. Through his first 27 games this season, Primera has made that decision look smart, as he’s hit .464/.589/.821 with six doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBIs all while playing outstanding defense. Measured at 6-foot-0, Primera still has some room to grow, especially in his upper body, but he should manage to stick behind the plate without worry about his size. He does, however, need to get stronger if he wants to improve various aspects of his game. As a hitter, Primera has a compact swing that is short and allows him to find the barrel consistently. However, he does not see many pitches as he will look to attack early in the count, something that more advanced pitchers could take advantage of as he moves up the minor-league levels. He will need to work on developing how he attacks pitchers along with recognizing different pitches. He has pull-side power, but if he wants to really tap into it, he’ll have to add strength so that he can impact the ball with higher exit velocities. His speed is well below average, however, and should not be viewed as a part of his game. Defensively, he is strong and should remain behind the dish barring a major injury. His ability to block baseballs in the dirt is great thanks to his ability to move well behind the plate. He also has plus receiving and framing skills despite being just 19 years old. His arm is also viewed as above average and should only increase as he improves his strength and conditioning. Overall, there’s a lot to like about Primera, as his defensive upside alone should give him a quicker path to the majors than most backstops. His ceiling and floor will all be based on how his hit tool develops, and he could either be a serious catching prospect or nothing more than upper-minors depth. Despite that, the Red Sox have a fun prospect to keep an eye on for the next couple seasons as the organization tries to figure out what they have in their catching department.

Alex and Maddie sit down to bestow mid-season awards to the Red Sox. They discuss Willson Contreras’ Home Run Derby performance. Finally, they speculate whether the team’s somersault into the All-Star break affects the front office's mentality at the trade deadline. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox