Nick John

The fourth week of the Arizona Fall League has come to a close and the Mesa Solar Sox had what may have been their best overall week of the season; they went 3-2 to bring their overall record to 9-11-1. Despite that, they still sit firmly in fifth place, a good three games back of the Peoria Javelinas who are in first place. Offensively, the team did better than anyone could have expected, having two games where they scored double-digit runs, including a 21-5 win against the Salt River Rafters. Overall, the prospects from the Boston Red Sox did pretty well as they were led by the consistent hitting of Antonio Anderson. The young infielder now has a nine-game hitting streak. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Anderson continues to shine under the Arizona sun as the switch-hitter now has a hit in nine straight games. This week, he appeared in four games where he went 6-for-18 with a home run and seven RBIs. He also walked four times and struck out four times. In his first at-bat of the week, Anderson took an 88.7 mph slider that was on the inner third of the plate and deposited it into right field for a two-run home run, his third of the AFL season. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph and came off of Brooks Auger, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 28th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. Auger made 17 starts at High-A in 2026. His second hit of the week came in the top of the sixth against the Glendale Desert Dogs in the same game. Facing right-hander Samuel Carpio of the Miami Marlins organization, Anderson took a 2-1 fastball that caught too much of the middle of the plate and shot it into left field for a two-run single. The exit velocity off of his bat was 94.6 mph. Carpio pitched all of 2026 in Low-A. Anderson’s third hit came against the Scottsdale Scorpions where he hit a single back to the pitcher. On an 0-1 count, he reached for a changeup off the outer edge of the plate and managed to make contact. The hit came against Marcus Johnson, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 29th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. The right-hander made 10 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2026. In Mesa’s huge 21-5 win against Salt River, Anderson’s first hit was a pop-up single that the Rafters’ second baseman couldn’t come up with. Hitting a 90.4 mph fastball that was down in the zone, Anderson ended up with some luck to get his fourth hit of the week along with another RBI. The hit came against Luke Craig, a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Much like his first hit in the game, Anderson’s second hit (and fifth of the week) was a blooper. Getting jammed with a 93.1 mph fastball up and in, he managed to muscle it out to right field to drive in a run. The hit came against Cleiber Maldonado, who is in the Minnesota Twins organization. His final hit of the week came in the first inning against the Scottsdale Scorpions. Ahead in the count 2-0, Anderson took a down and in 80 mph slider and drove it out to left field. Thanks to some aggressive baserunning, he managed to take second base. The hit had an exit velocity of 81.3 mph and came against Maddox Long of the Detroit Tigers organization. Overall on the season, Anderson has played in 15 games and is hitting .333/.472/.579 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs. He also has 15 walks to 19 strikeouts and leads the team in slugging, OPS, home runs and RBIs. He’s also second on the team in batting average, on-base percentage, and walks. Mason White 2B/SS To say it was a rough week for White would be an understatement. The middle infielder appeared in three games while going 1-for-11 with a triple, two RBIs, a walk and four strikeouts. One positive for the young infielder is that despite his batted balls not landing for hits, he still managed to put the ball in play. His lone hit of the week was a triple to give Mesa a 4-3 lead in the top of the 8th inning. Facing an 0-1 count, White took a slider (a good sign, considering his struggles agains the pitch historically) that was in the bottom third of the strike zone and pulled it to right field. The exit velocity was marked at 94.3 mph and came against Joshua Quezada of the Milwaukee Brewers. Overall, he’s appeared in 14 games and is hitting .163/.311/.265 with one triple, one home run and five RBIs. He also has 10 walks and 19 strikeouts. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF Zanetello appeared in just three games this week for Mesa, going 1-for-10 with a triple, three RBIs, four walks and four strikeouts. His lone hit of the week came during the team’s fourth game of the week against Salt River. Hitting in the top of the third with one out and runners on first and second, Zanetello worked a 1-1 count. He drove a changeup that was middle-middle, into right field at 96.5 mph for a one-out triple and driving in both runners. Defensively, Zanetello played one game at second base, one game at third base and one game in center field. Overall on the season, he’s hitting .156/.356/.311 with two triples, one home run, seven RBIs, 14 walks and 21 strikeouts in 14 games. Harry Blum Blum made two appearances this week, having two vastly different outcomes. Pitching a total of 1⅓ innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out four batters. His first outing came in the first game of the week, entering the first inning against Glendale after the starter failed to make it through the inning. Unfortunately, he was met with hard contact as he allowed back-to-back hits in the form of a single and double to open the inning. He then followed that up with a strikeout before being pulled to start the second inning. Overall, he threw 11 pitches, with nine of them going for strikes. He topped out at 95.2 mph and generated one whiff. His second outing was much better, tossing a perfect inning while striking out the side. Coming into the game in the top of the 9th inning, Blum made things look easy as he tossed 13 pitches, with 10 of them going for strikes. In this outing, he appeared to focus on his cutter, tossing it for seven of his 13 pitches. He topped out at 95.3 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s appeared in six games and has an 0-1 record. He’s tossed 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and six walks. He’s also struck out 11 batters. Madinson Frias Frias made one appearance this week, providing length out of the bullpen as he pitched three innings. During that stint, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters. Entering in the bottom of the 4th inning, Frias was greeted with a line drive single from Jett Williams who promptly stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error. He would be brought home by the next batter as Zyhir Hope singled to center field. After that, Frias appeared to settle down as he retired four straight batters until Nick Monistere singled with one out in the fifth. After that, not another hitter reached base as he got a double play before striking out the first two batters in the bottom of the 6th and getting Hope to fly out. Frias topped out at 96 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games with an 0-1 record and tossed 10⅓ innings. He’s allowed five runs on 12 hits (one being a home run) and seven walks. He’s also struck out 10 batters. Caden Vire Vire made two appearances this week, pitching a total of 1⅔ innings where he allowed two hits, one walk and struck out three batters. In his first outing, Vire entered with one out in the second inning with Glendale ahead 8-3. He allowed an infield single to the first batter he faced which put runners on the corners before getting out of the jam with two straight outs. In total, he threw 17 pitches with 11 of them being strikes. His velocity topped out at 95.3 mph with his sinker and he generated two whiffs. His second appearance was even better, as he tossed one inning and allowed just one walk while striking out three. Entering the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, he struck out the first batter before walking Nathan Flewelling. Vire followed that up with back-to-back strikeouts of Williams and Hope. He tossed 21 pitches with nine of them being strikes. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 3⅓ innings while allowing one run on two hits and four walks. He's also struck out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice had one of his better outings this week, appearing in one game and tossing 1⅓ scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked a batter as well. Entering with two outs in the top of the 8th inning, Judice had the bases loaded when he allowed a single that scored two runs and put Scottsdale ahead 11-4. He immediately got the next batter out with a pop-up before getting two quick outs in the top of the 9th inning. A two-out walk was followed by a fly out. In total, he threw 19 pitches with 11 of them for strikes, while his velocity topped out at 90.1 mph and he generated two whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 5⅓ innings. He’s allowed four runs on five hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell did not appear in a game this week. So far on the season, he’s tossed five innings across three games and allowed three runs on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five batters. View full article

Honestly I doubt either returns to Boston. Gray will probably cost too much to bring him back (not that I'm against him returning) and the Red Sox could probably find a serviceable enough #5 starter for much cheaper. Sandoval I would be surprised after how he pitched most of the time, but you never know with Breslow.

The Boston Red Sox are facing a rostering crunch right now, which is made only more difficult with the desire to protect various prospects and impending minor-league free agents. One player facing that ticking clock right now is switch-hitting outfielder Allan Castro. Castro, who could be in consideration of being placed on the 40-man roster to avoid minor-league free agency, was signed by the Red Sox in 2019. A player who has struggled at times offensively, he has also flashed immense potential. Making it to Triple-A Worcester in 2026, Castro led the WooSox in both home runs and RBIs with 15 and 77, respectively. He was second on the team in stolen bases with 20 while being third on the team in walks with 51. Overall, he appeared in 119 games for Worcester, hitting .252/.325/.397. September was where he really showcased his offensive prowess, hitting .300/.371/.650 with three doubles, six home runs and 19 RBIs while striking out just eight times in 15 games. “The game keeps putting him in spots to kind of deliver like that,” WooSox acting manager Iggy Suarez explained about Castro following a seven-RBI game. “It’s a huge boost for him just because of the grind he’s been going through. Seeing the growth, he started from the beginning of the season, even from spring training, you could say he was struggling. But to end it on a high note, you want that for guys.” The start of the season was a definite struggle for Castro, as the 23-year-old slashed just .185/.255/.283 in 24 March and April games. He concluded that span with far more strikeouts (33) than he had hits (17). Following that, he slowly improved, breaking out in June when he hit over .300 while driving in 14 runs. While he dropped off slightly in the following months (.257 and .261 bating average for July and August), the quality of his at-bats rarely wavered. “He realized what they’re trying to do to him. He’s going the other way more with some pop instead of selling out. He’s realizing he can still do some damage over there. To be able to have the confidence and patience to not chase outside of his comfort zone, but also realizing that when they go on the outer third, he can do damage to that pitch,” Suarez said on Castro’s turnaround. “I see how he’s reacting when he’s not getting results and you think, is this gonna take four or five at-bats for him to get back into it? But the window is very short now. It’s a growing moment for young players, especially him.” With young players, adjustments are always a part of the game, especially once the league figures them out. Castro finally began responding to that varying attack plans, taking that next step that separates big leaguers from organizational depth. Now potentially a free agent, he should have plenty of teams calling for a chance at his services, even if on a minor-league contract. When it comes to Castro, the switch-hitting outfielder will likely never become a starting outfielder—at least not on a playoff team. His hit tool is the one that would keep him from being a starter in Boston. High velocity still gets him, and some work is needed when it comes to his pitch recognition. However, he will still make contact with pitches in the zone, and with his power he could carve out a role in the majors as a fourth outfielder, especially against left-handed pitchers. Defensively, he’s likely to be nothing more than an average outfielder, though in Boston they could hide him in left field thanks to the Green Monster. With that in mind, should the Red Sox add Castro to the 40-man roster, there’s a good chance that spells the end of Jahmai Jones' time in Boston. Brought in to be a lefty killer off the bench, Jones hit .308/.408/.585 with four doubles, one triple, four home runs and nine RBIs in 37 games. He was used almost exclusively against left-handed pitchers and as a designated hitter. In total, he played left field three times. Castro provides a younger player who could be similar to Jones in the role of a lefty killer off the bench but with more room to grow. Likely a better fielder and runner than Jones, it makes sense for the Red Sox to see what they have in Castro as a potential fourth outfielder, especially if the team decides to move on from Jarren Duran. Castro also has something that can be very enticing to the Red Sox in the form of minor-league options. The caveat to Castro is his lack of a track record; 2026 was his best season in the system but even that had its growing pains. While the Red Sox could send Castro back to Worcester if he had a prolonged struggle, it would leave them searching for a bench outfielder. All of these things must be considered before the rostering deadline later today. Regardless of their decision, Castro should have a fascinating career ahead of him following his long-awaited breakout. View full article

The Boston Red Sox's major strength entering the 2026 season was their rotation. Even after an offseason that saw Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Kyle Harrison among others traded, the organization had plenty of depth, to the point where where both Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle began the season in Triple-A. A rotation headlined by a three-headed monster of Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez was nothing to scoff at. Add in Connelly Early and Brayan Bello, and it was clear the group was destined for greatness. However. injuries and inconsistent pitching in the first month meant that, for the rest of the season, the plans had to be fluid. Crochet made just six starts while Bello was inconsistent to the point a demotion to Worcester was in order. Thankfully, Tolle and Bennett stepped up and provided quality innings for the majority of their time in the rotation, giving the team the confidence to trade Early. Despite all that shuffling, saying the rotation was dominant would be an understatement. They had the fourth-best ERA (3.92) in the American League. The group also took on notable volume, pitching 837⅔ innings while striking out 813 batters. Opponents hit just .252 against them. With the 2026 season over, the rotation might be one of the few areas of stability within the organization. Patrick Sandoval, who became the team’s fifth starter after missing nearly two years with injury, along with Gray will be the only free agents from this crop. Even if the Red Sox fail to replace either of them, their depth (while not as impressive as it was a year ago pre-trades) can still get the job done. As of right now, the team has the following pitchers on the 40-man roster for the 2027 season that could slot into the rotation: Garrett Crochet Ranger Suárez Payton Tolle Jake Bennett Brayan Bello Kutter Crawford Johan Oviedo Tanner Houck That group consists of three All-Stars in Crochet, Suárez, and Houck, along with two young pitchers in Tolle and Bennett who flashed immense potential in their respective rookie seasons. Even Bello as the number five starter would be incredible if he pitches like his second-half self; any team would love to have an arm give up just 12 earned runs in 51 innings during a playoff push. Not included in that batch is Alec Gamboa, who started the season in Worcester’s rotation before being moved to the bullpen for a role in Boston. The left-hander could be slotted back into the rotation at Triple-A should the organization feel he would be best utilized in a depth role sans Gray. When healthy, that’s an incredibly talented group of pitchers. Health is the key issue, however, as Crochet will have to prove he’s fully healthy in 2027 after missing nearly all of this past season. Likewise, between Crawford, Houck, and Oviedo, the team's top depth made just two appearances in 2026. Crawford also has made just one rehab appearance over the last two seasons due to an assortment of injuries. Those three are also in a unique situation when it comes to options, as only Crawford would be eligible to be sent to Worcester. Otherwise, if Houck and Oviedo fail to make the rotation out of spring training, they would need to be in the bullpen, a move that could cause problems if they were needed to be stretched out quickly. Suárez is another question mark, as he has never made more than 29 starts in a season. During his first season in Boston he was as good as advertised (after a few problematic outings in April), making the All-Star team and emerging as the No. 2 starter in the rotation. However, he still missed time with various injuries, including a span of 20 days with a left groin strain. Upon returning, it took a few outings for the left-hander to return to his former dominant self. Even their minor-league depth isn’t as deep as last year. There are no pitchers currently in Worcester that are as talented as Tolle or Bennett, but should the team need a spot start or two, there are three pitchers who could supply the innings; Blake Wehunt, Gage Ziehl and John Holobetz will all be called upon to provide rotational depth for the organization. Eduardo Rivera is also a potential option, but the team mainly used him as an opener or out of the bullpen. It seems unlikely he would be moved back into a rotational role. As of right now, the team has options, but if injuries occur like in 2026, they could be in trouble. The depth at the upper minors they built up over the previous seasons has either graduated to the majors or been traded. Outside of the trio in Worcester, Hayden Mullins would be the next likely candidate to get major-league innings, but he’s pitched a total of three innings in Triple-A and is more likely to move into a bullpen role. Despite a clear need for a little additional depth, it’ll be a surprise if the team spends on the rotation at this point with all the money already invested in it. Between Crochet, Suárez, and Bello, the team is looking at an outlay of more than $50 million for just three starters. Both Tolle and Bennett will be on pre-arb contracts. but with the team needing to fill other areas they may not look to spend on rotational help. Instead, they may turn to minor-league contracts for help on the depth front. It's a big "if," but if the team can get healthy seasons from every member of the projected rotation, they could be looking at the best starting five in the league. View full article

Just one day after the World Series concluded, Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox got back to work as they completed a trade with the Athletics as first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The trade is also the first by new A's president of baseball operations Taylor Smith since being hired from the Red Sox. The familiarity between Breslow and Smith likely played a key factor in a trade coming together so quickly. Being shipped out is speedy outfielder Nate Eaton as the Red Sox make the first of what is expected to be multiple moves to free up 40-man roster spots. Eaton, who signed as a minor-league free agent prior to 2025, appeared in 65 games across the past two seasons and hit .244/.329/.336 while mainly playing against left-handed pitchers and being utilized for his speed. In return, the Red Sox will receive 18-year-old Jareth Rayo, a right-handed pitcher who played in the Dominican Summer League in 2026 according to Francys Romero. Rayo made 11 appearances last year and tossed 36 innings, striking out 36 batters. The move frees up a 40-man roster spot. The club will now need to clear up at least three more by the end of Monday before free agency officially begins. View full rumor

The third full week of the Arizona Fall League is officially in the books as the Mesa Solar Sox went 2-3. They currently have a 6-9-1 record, saddling them at fifth place in the standings, just 3.5 games back of the first-place Scottsdale Scorpions. If the season were to end today, Mesa would be matched up against the Salt River Rafters in the first round of the playoffs. Though, when it comes to the AF, people are less interested in the playoffs and more interested in how their favorite team’s prospects are doing out in the Arizona heat. This week we saw some Boston Red Sox representatives perform consistently, while others continued to either fall into a cold streak or struggle. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH The top performer from the Red Sox appeared in three out of his team’s five games while continuing his steady offensive performance. Despite his numbers technically dropping overall on the season, he still managed to put up a stat line of .300/.462/.500 with a triple and one RBI. He also displayed his understanding of the strike zone by walking three times. His only extra-base hit of the week came in the form of an RBI triple in the first inning of Mesa’s October 19 game against the Surprise Saguaros. Not waiting around, Anderson jumped on a 94.9 mph fastball from Texas Rangers’ 17th-ranked prospect Jacob Johnson. The hit drove in the first run of game and had an exit velocity of 98.8 mph. His second hit of the week was a line drive single hit at 103 mph off his bat. He hit a 95-mph fastball from the Kansas City Royal’s 16th-ranked prospect Hiro Wyatt. Anderson’s final hit came in the first inning of Mesa’s October 22 game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. In a 2-1 count, he took an 86.6 mph changeup that was down and away and singled. The hit had an exit velocity of 95.8 mph. The hit came against the Atlanta Braves’ eighth-ranked prospect Briggs McKenzie. So far on the fall season, Anderson is slashing .333/.480/.615 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 11 games. Mason White 2B/SS White made three appearances this week, playing shortstop twice and second base once while having his best week offensively. He hit .222/.385/.222, going 2-for-9, though both of White’s hits came in the first game of the week against Surprise. He also drove in two runs, walked once, and stole a base. His first hit came against Johnson, taking an 88-mph cutter that was on the inner third of the plate and dropping it into left field for a single. The hit had an exit velocity of 71.1 mph. His second hit came from a 91.9 mph cutter that was hit off of Rangers prospect Alejandro Chiquillo. The hit was a ground ball single to right field and had an exit velocity of 80.8 mph. Sandwiched in between the two hits was a sacrifice fly where he took a 93.6 mph fastball on the outer part of the plate and drove it out to left field. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 85.2 mph and came against Philadelphia Phillies prospect Keegan Batka. Overall, White is hitting .184/.347/.263 with one home run and three RBIs. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF Zanetello appeared in three games this week, looking better at the plate as the season moves along. Going 2-for-7, he finished the week with a slash line of .286/.500/.286 as he also walked three times and stole a base. He scored three runs for good measure. Zanetello’s first hit of the week came in Mesa’s October 20 game against Surprise. In the eighth inning, the utility player took a 3-1 fastball on the outer third of the plate and deposited it into left field. The fastball had a velocity of 93.7 mph, and his exit velocity was 103.6 mph. The hit came off of San Francisco Giants’ prospect Alexander Fuentes. His second hit of the week came on October 24 against the Peoria Javelinas in the second inning. Taking a 97.4 mph sinker, Zanetello hit it to the second baseman at 92 mph. It came against the San Diego Padres’ 30th-ranked prospect, Kannon Kemp. Defensively, Zanetello made all three of his appearances at second base. Overall, he has appeared in 11 games and is hitting .171/.356/.314 with one triple, one home run, and four RBIs. He has also stolen three bases. Harry Blum Blum made one relief appearance for Mesa this week, pitching a scoreless inning while working around a hit and a walk. He also managed to strike out three batters. Unfortunately, he allowed an inherited runner to score. Entering the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and third, Blum immediately struck out his first two batters. The first out came on a 90.8 mph cutter and the second out on a 91.9 mph cutter. After surrendering the two-out double, he followed it up with a walk before getting his third strikeout of the game on a 91.1 mph cutter. Blum’s velocity peaked at 95.7 mph and he generated seven whiffs. So far on the season, Blum has appeared in four games and has an 0-1 record with a 2.08 ERA. He’s tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and six walks while striking out seven. Madinson Frias Frias made one appearance during the week and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings while working around several baserunners. In the outing, he allowed two hits and four walks but also struck out three batters. Entering the game in the top of the fourth inning, Frias provided length for Mesa as he pitched into the sixth inning. His first inning of work also saw him pitch out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam as he struck out Peoria’s Brandon Eike and preserve a 3-2 lead at the time. In the fifth, Frias tossed a 1-2-3 inning. His velocity peaked at 96.9 mph on his sinker. He also generated five whiffs. On the season, Frias has appeared in three games, making one start. He has an 0-1 record with a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. He’s allowed four runs on nine hits (one being a home run) and seven walks while striking out seven. Nicholas Judice Judice made one appearance for Mesa this week as he allowed one run on two hits and a walk in one inning. The right-hander got the first batter he faced out before a single was followed by a wild pitch. With a runner on second and one out, Judice induced a ground ball to shortstop and got the second out of the inning before things started to get busy on the basepaths. A two-out walk was followed by a single to center field to score Chase Harlan from second base. Judice buckled down after that and got the final out of the inning. His velocity topped out at 93.3 mph on his sinker and he generated four whiffs. Judice has made three appearances on the season and has a 9.00 ERA in four innings. He’s allowed four runs on four hits (one being a home run) and two walks while striking out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell provided Mesa with a scoreless inning while working around a walk and striking out two. Entering in the eighth inning, the right-hander got two quick outs before allowing a walk to Wyatt Sanford. He followed that up with his second strikeout of the inning. O’Donnell topped out at 94 mph on his fastball and generated three whiffs. So far on the season, he has made three appearances and has a 5.40 ERA in five innings. He’s allowed three runs on three hits (one being a home run) and two walks while striking out five. Caden Vire Vire did not get into a game during the third week of the season. This is the second straight week he did not make an appearance. Vire has made two appearances on the season and has a 5.40 ERA in 1 2/3 innings. He’s allowed one run on one hit and three walks while striking out one batter. View full article

During the season Nick had a chance to sit down and talk with Woosox acting manager Iggy Suarez, talking about his time in the system starting with what his draft experience was like to him rejoining the organization as a coach. Now having won 500 games in the Boston organization since joining them as a coach, 2026 has been a special season for Suarez. View full video

Franklin Arias was thought to have broken out in 2025 when he played at three minor-league levels, concluding his season with the Portland Sea Dogs. That season he hit .278/.335/.388 with 27 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 66 RBIs in 116 games. But that was just the beginning for the Red Sox number one prospect as he put on a show in 2026. Opening the season with Portland, the shortstop played 75 games at Double-A, dominating as he slashed .318/.407/.587 with 17 doubles, one triple, 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. The power surge was a welcome surprise, as his 19 home runs were one more than the 18 he had hit since making his debut back in 2023. “He said he was working really hard in the off-season. He put all the work in, especially on his body and nutrition side. And at the complex in Fort Myers, they worked really hard with him. He’s really grateful that he put the work in as well so he can show up and have power as well,” Arias explained through Juan Montero back in July when asked about how power at the plate became a bigger part of his game. The manner in which he was handling pitching and putting together quality at-bats quickly began a discussion about if he would be in Boston before the end of the season. In Portland, he started pulling pitches more while displaying a more patient, mature approach; he swung on just 43.4% of the pitches thrown to him but managed to make contact on nearly 90% of pitches in the zone. Then, on July 24, he was one step closer to the Show, getting promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Despite how well he was playing, the young infielder was not thinking about any promotion, admitting that he was just trying to help Portland win as many games as they could while showing his abilities on the field. “It’s something I've been dreaming of since I was a little kid,” Arias told the media through Montero. “Now that I'm here, I'm living my dream. Being one call away [from Boston], I'm really happy and grateful for the opportunity.” With Worcester, he continued to play hard, appearing in 42 games at Triple-A where he hit .331/.388/.506 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBIs. But despite the success, there were still learning moments for the top prospect. “It was a matter of time before he hit a couple balls hard and kind of got rolling,” acting manager Iggy Suarez explained following a 7-for-22 stretch in Norfolk that included two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. “When you face older pitchers, when they start spinning the baseball at you, they want to see how you handle it. He was expanding the zone a little bit and then dialed it back. He let a couple pitchers know that he wasn’t going to swing at it and then forced guys to come in the zone and that’s when he was doing damage. “He ambushed Chris Bassitt on the first pitch and that went out in a hurry. That’s when he started to get spin, started chasing and that’s when he realized what they were doing. It’s good to see that process going on in his head.” Arias is well-known as a fastball punisher, though his skills against off-speed and breaking balls remain a work in progress. He’ll have to make an adjustment heading into 2027 if he and the organization plan for him to be a serious contributor at the major-league level. Sliders were thrown to him 23.8% of the time, yielding an expected batting average of .255 against the pitch. Fastballs, on the other hand, saw him have an xBA of .291 while whiffing just 11.11% of the time. The story remained the same for most similar offerings. Sweepers (.217 xBA) and changeups (.098) neutralized him quite well, while sinkers (.413) and cutters (.381) could barely contain him. Still, Arias played well despite the plan of attack from pitchers. In September, now fully adjusted to Triple-A pitching, the infielder went off in 14 games as he hit .407/.456/.576 with four doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs. It was a spirited effort on his part, trying to will the WooSox into the playoffs. “He’s an All-Star for sure,” Suarez explained about Arias during the final week of the season. “A freak of an athlete. You see the wiry frame and the impact he provides on the baseball. To be able to slow the game down and not let it speed up on him, I think he knew what was waiting for him here. Had a little bit of a couple bumps in the road here, but I think he’s adjusting to pitchers adjusting to him. Pretty impressive. He’ll chase but then he’ll recognize he’s chasing and adjust very quickly. I’m glad I have the front row seat to seeing it all.” “He’s very slow, observant. The baseball IQ at such a young age, man, he’s smart. He sees a lot of the game and hearing him talk through things, I told him he has instincts. That’s hard to teach. For a 20-year-old in Triple-A knowing the whole hype and the lights he’s under, it’s awesome.” Even with all the hype surrounding his name, there's still room to grow for Arias. In Worcester, he was less of the power hitter he was in Portland and closer to the elite contact hitter he was in 2024 and 2025. This was due in part to not pulling the ball as much, his pull-air rate dropping to 12%. The change in approach could have been due to how pitchers attacked him in Triple-A, but he still managed to flash some power down the stretch. Next year will be telling for Arias as to what kind of hitter he could truly be at the major-league level. Amidst all of these developments, one thing is certain: After a second consecutive breakout campaign for the young infielder, Arias is on the fast track to the major leagues. In 117 games in 2026, he finished the season slashing .323/.400/.557 with 28 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs and 91 RBIs. The team thought about calling him up to Boston for the playoffs, sending him to Fort Myers with the other taxi squad players, but he was never added to the roster. Regardless, the Red Sox has a special talent on their hands, and 2027 will be a fun year to follow his progression whether in in the minor or major leagues. View full article

The second week of the Arizona Fall League is officially complete. The Mesa Solar Sox played slightly better this time around, going 2-2 on the week along with one game being canceled. Overall, their record now sits at 4-6-1, 3.5 games back of first place. We're not here to discuss fall league standings, though. Let's check in on how each member of the Boston Red Sox organization did during the second week of the AFL. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Last week, Anderson was one of the best hitters in the AFL, so expectations were high heading into the second week. The corner infielder appeared in three of his team’s four games, making two appearances at first base and one as designated hitter. While he wasn't quite as hot this time, Anderson still went 3-for-10 with two doubles, two RBIs and three walks. He did strike out five times, however, showcasing a major hole in his game despite the decent showing at the plate. At the end of two weeks in Arizona, the slugging corner infielder is hitting .345/.486/.655. Anderson currently leads all Mesa batters in several offensive categories such as home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging and OPS. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/OF Zanetello impressed during the first week despite a stat line that would have people wanting more if you just looked at the numbers. That same trend continued into the second week, as the utility player appeared in just two of the team’s games including an appearance at third base alongside his regular position of second base. In those two games, Zanetello put up mixed results despite going hitless. Overall he would go 0-for-8 with two RBIs, a walk and five strikeouts. In his first game of the week, he went for 0-for-5 but put the ball in play three times while driving in two runs. In the top of the seventh inning, despite flying out, Zanetello managed to take a 93-mph fastball up and away and drive it out to right field at 96.1 mph. In his final game of the week, Zanetello didn’t fare too well, striking out in all three of his at-bats. After two weeks, he’s batting .143/.314/.321 with seven walks, showing an ability to get on base even if his batted balls aren’t falling in for hits. Mason White 2B/SS White, an Arizona native, appeared in three games for Mesa this week and continued his trend of putting the ball in play even if they didn’t fall in for hits. During the week, the middle infielder went 2-for-11 with two walks and four strikeouts. Offensively, you would like to see a little bit more from White considering he finished the season in Double-A.. Through eight games played, he’s struck out just 12 times, helping to offset it by walking seven times. Overall, he’s hitting .172/.333/.276. Harry Blum Blum managed to get into one game this week, continuing to look well out in Arizona despite some command issues. In his lone appearance, the right-hander tossed one inning, allowing one hit and two walks but preventing the Surprise Saguaros from scoring. He also struck out a batter. He tossed 19 pitches in his lone inning with just eight of them going for strikes. Velocity-wise, he topped out at 94.9 mph on his four-seam fastball. Overall, he generated two whiffs. Blum got off to a quick start, retiring the first two batters he faced before he walked the next batter which was followed up by a single and his second walk. He got out of the bases-loaded jam by getting a strikeout with his sinker. Through two weeks, he has a 0-1 record with a 2.70 ERA in 3 1/3 innings pitched. He’s allowed five walks while striking out four. Madinson Frias Frias got the start for Mesa on Saturday and while he provided some length (pitchers don’t tend to go long in the AFL), he struggled at keeping the Salt River Rafters off the board. Tossing 2 2/3 innings, the right-hander allowed three runs on five hits, one being a home run, and a walk. He also struck out two batters while tossing 50 pitches. Of them, 26 went for strikes. Frias pitched better than his stat line suggested, as the first run of the game he allowed came on a fielding error in the first inning. After that, he didn’t allow another run until the third inning when he began to tire. Notably, his fastball topped out at 96.1 mph and he generated four whiffs. Overall on the fall season, he has a 0-1 record with a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings pitched. He’s allowed four runs on seven hits, one being a home run, and three walks while also striking out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice returned to Mesa this week after taking a short leave to get married and pitched in one game where he struggled. Lasting just 2/3 of an inning, Judice allowed three runs on a walk and two hits, including a home run. In his lone outing of the week, the right-hander tossed 28 pitches with only 14 of them for strikes. Judice was welcomed into the bottom of the first rudely, giving up an RBI single to his first batter before following it up with a bases-loaded walk. He looked ready to limit the damage after a pop-up made it two outs, but then allowed a grand slam to Sebastian Walcott before finally getting out of the inning. Velocity-wise, he topped out at 90.7 mph and generated two whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s tossed three innings with a 9.00 ERA and allowed three runs on two hits and a walk. He’s also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell struggled in his lone inning of work this week. Coming into the game with a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, he allowed three runs on three hits, one being a home run, while striking out a batter. He would end up with a blown save, but thanks to some extra-inning magic, the Solar Sox wound up winning the game. O’Donnell needed 22 pitches in the outing but was in the strike zone often with 17 strikes. The outing started off rough as the right-handed allowed a double right away. After a fly-out for the first out, it was followed by a triple and then a home run to make it 8-7. He would settle down after that and get the next two batters out. His fastball topped out at 92.3 mph and he generated four whiffs. Overall on the season, he has a 6.75 ERA in four innings. Caden Vire Vire did not get into a game during the second week of action. Overall, he’s tossed 1 2/3 innings with a 5.40 ERA. He’s allowed one run on one hit and three walks while also striking out one batter. View full article

While the major-league club struggled at times to produce offense, those climbing through the Boston Red Sox's minor-league system have provided a positive outlook for the future of the franchise. With that being said, it’s worth looking at the top minor league performances across the system this season. Talk Sox’s Best Red Sox Minor League Hitters of the Season (2026) Honorable Mention: Henry Godbout 2B/SS, Talk Sox #4 Prospect Season Stats: 61 games played, .291/.402/.530, 11 2Bs, 15 HRs, 35 RBIs Godbout was having a fantastic season prior to a broken left-hand injury from a hit by pitch. Undergoing surgery on June 8, the middle infielder would not return to action until July 31 when he started a rehab assigning with Low-A Salem. Prior to the injury, he had been hitting .277/.410/.492 and showcasing an important improvement in the power department. He also got better at putting the ball in play, displaying a strong understanding of the strike zone. His strikeout rate was 16.8% while he walked at a 13.7% rate, the result of frequent favorable counts. He was also a player that quickly took to the Red Sox's philosophy of trying to pull the ball in the air, doing so at a 27.9% rate which helped with his power in 2026. Upon his promotion to Portland in mid-August, Godbout continued to play well, elevating the ball often as he pulled it in the air at a 25.8% rate and hit the ball on the ground at a 30.8% rate, one of the best (e.g., lowest) in Double-A Portland during his time there. He does have some adjustments to make coming into 2027, however, as his strikeout rate rose to 25.8% while his walks cratered to just 5.2%, a likely effect from facing more advanced pitching. Despite that, he only whiffed on 21.5% of the pitches he swung at, showing an ability to still make consistent contact. #3: Franklin Primera C, FCL/Low-A Salem, Talk Sox #3 Prospect Season Stats: 78 games played, .367/.499/.581, 16 2Bs, 1 3B, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs Primera burst onto the scene in 2026, but his offensive potential was on display since the 2025 season when he hit .333/.465/.430 in the Dominican Summer League. Upon coming stateside, Primera began the season in the FCL where he slashed an outrageous .427/.549/.718 in 32 games and quickly earned a promotion to Salem, where his hitting only continued despite being nearly a year and a half younger than the average competition. Just 19 years old, the catcher quickly rose through various prospect rankings to become one of the top prospects in the system. Containing great bat-to-ball skills along with an understanding of the strike zone, Primera constantly put the ball in play while also flashing some power with Salem despite playing in a pitcher-friendly home ballpark and league. During his time with Salem, the catcher struck out just 11.2% of the time while walking in 12.6% of his at-bats, putting his remarkable maturity on full display (though he was caught chasing at a 27.16% rate). When he swung, however, he often made contact as shown by his zone-contact rate of 90.36% along with a whiff rate of just 18.4%. It won't be a surprise if the young catcher opens 2027 with Salem, as it allows him a chance to improve upon some areas of his game while not rushing the top prospect. However, should he replicate his 2026 success early on, don’t be surprised if he gets a quick promotion to High-A Greenville. #2 Justin Gonzales OF/1B, High-A Greenville/Double-A Portland, Talk Sox #2 Prospect Season Stats: 107 games played, .266/.385/.449, 14 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 19 HRs, 69 RBIs Everyone who’s followed the Red Sox's minor-league system this season knows about Gonzales in some shape or form. The 6-foot-7 giant has brought excitement and hype over the past few seasons thanks to his exit velocities when he makes contact. This year was no different, as the 19-year-old showcased his talents once more. Splitting 2026 between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, Gonzales put on a show with the Drive as he was one of their top players offensively. In 89 games with Greenville, the slugging outfielder had 12 doubles, two triples, and 17 home runs, making mincemeat of the competition. Still, there were still some areas he had to work on; while he only struck out at an 18.7% rate, he had a habit of chasing, doing so at a 31.8% rate. Despite that, he still showed a good eye by walking in just over 13% of his at-bats and making contact on just under 85% of the pitches he swung at in the strike zone. Thanks to his performance in Greenville, Gonzales got promoted for the last few weeks of Portland’s season. He ended up pulling the ball less, down to 8% of the time while he started striking out with a little more frequency. However, he counterbalanced that with an inclination to take more free passes as well. It's hard to be too upset about a 19-year-old struggling in his first taste of Double-A. The outfielder will open the season with Portland barring an unforeseen move by the organization and should be able to adapt to the pitching in a manner similar to how he adjusted to High-A after struggling in his first taste of the level. #1: Franklin Arias 2B/SS, Double-A Portland/Triple-A Worcester, Talk Sox #1 Prospect Season Stats: 117 games played, .323/.400/.557 28 2Bs, 1 3B, 25 HRs, 91 RBIs There should be no debate as to who had the best season in the system. After a breakout campaign in affiliate ball in 2025, Arias took it one step further in 2026 thanks in part to a display of power not previously foreseen. In fact, his 25 home runs this season were seven more than the 18 he had hit combined between 2023 and 2025. However, it was his impressive bat-to-ball skills that helped vault him up Top 100 prospect boards. During his time in Worcester, he sported a 15.1% strikeout rate that was helped in part to a 17% whiff rate and a 91% zone-contact rate. Those numbers were in line with his Double-A performance, as he had a 13.9% strikeout rate and 19.1% whiff rate to go along with an 89.9% zone-contact rate. But the contact skills aren’t much of a surprise as Arias showcased them since his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League back in 2023. Long viewed as an advanced hitter that would drive the ball into the gap, Arias instead increased his offensive (and overall) potential thanks to a change in approach at the plate. During his time with Greenville in 2025, Arias had a ground-ball rate of 46.8% while only pulling the ball in the air at a 10.2% rate. Fast-forward to 2026 with Portland, and those numbers changed to a 39.4% ground-ball rate to go along with a pull-air rate of 21.2%. As of the end of the 2026 season, Arias appears to be the next top prospect in a system that has been flush with them recently. Just 20 years old (he’ll turn 21 on November 19), there are still parts of his game that he needs to work on before we can dream on his MLB debut. Fortunately, the Red Sox have time to develop him -- with a little luck, a 2027 ETA isn't out of the question. View full article

The 2026 Gold Glove finalists were announced today, and the Boston Red Sox were represented well as they had three finalists between the 10 positions (utility player was added in 2022). The defensive recognition for the team should come as little surprise as the organization stated going into 2026 they were focused on run prevention after failing to bring in the power bats the lineup truly needed. While the team struggled at times, three players on the team shined the entire year on the defensive end. They were constantly coming up with big plays or affecting the game with their gloves. Thanks to that, Caleb Durbin, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela were all named Gold Glove finalists for their respective positions. This is Durbin’s first time being named a finalist, the third baseman being acquired in the offseason from Milwaukee. Upon first arriving in Boston, it was undecided if he would be the starting second baseman or third baseman before being named to man the hot corner early in spring training. Defensively, he finished the season with 11 errors (six fielding and five throwing) and a .972 fielding percentage. More importantly were his +7 Outs Above Average and a Fielding Run Value of +6, both of which had him near the top of the league. For Abreu, this is his third straight season of being a finalist as the elite outfielder looks to take home his third straight award. Despite making the most errors of his career with nine (four fielding and five throwing) and finishing tied with the worst fielding percentage of his career at .971, he was still one of the most valuable outfielders in the game. Defensively, he saved +28 runs for the Red Sox while patrolling right field this season and finished with an OAA of +2 and a FRV of +5. While lower than his previous season, they were still some of the best marks in the league for outfielders. Finally, Rafaela was named a finalist for the second consecutive season as he wowed fans and his fellow players alike with his defense in center field. Despite starting off slow in the outfield to begin the season, Rafaela only committed two errors all season (one fielding and one throwing) while finishing with a .994 fielding percentage, the highest of his career for full seasons (he had a 1.000 fielding percentage in 20 games in 2023). While his OAA and FRV were lower than in 2025 (+16 for both compared to +22 for both in 2025), he was worth more Defensive Runs Saved in center field with +21 compared to +20 in 2025, while his arm was worth seven runs compared to five in 2025. The Red Sox have a very good chance of bringing home all three awards thanks to the defensive level their players performed at across the season. There is an argument to be made that Rafaela could even make another run at being named the Platinum Glove award winner after being snubbed in 2025. The winners will be announced on Nov. 1. View full rumor

The first full week of the Arizona Fall League has come to a conclusion as the eight prospects that the Boston Red Sox sent managed to get their first taste of what the AFL is truly like. A developmental league that takes place across six weeks, some teams send prospects they want to get more work in before the winter while others use it to allow players who missed significant time with injury to regain some of that lost time. For the past couple seasons the Red Sox have leaned towards the latter and for the 2026 AFL season that is no different. Of the eight players chosen this year, all but three missed significant time. The eight players selected this season are as follows: Position Players: Antonio Anderson: .273/.373/.453 with 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 46 RBIs across 85 games in High-A. Mason White: .251/.353/.480 with 18 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 55 RBIs across 101 games between High-A and Double-A. Nazzan Zanetello: .254/.365/.500 with eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 19 RBIs across 36 games between Rookie Ball and High-A. Pitchers: Harry Blum: 66 innings across 40 games with a 6.41 ERA, 61 walks and 76 strikeouts. 39 of those games were with Low-A and one game with High-A. Madinson Frias: 31 innings across eight games, six starts, with a 6.68 ERA, 19 walks and 23 strikeouts. All eight appearances were with Low-A. Nicholas Judice: 12 1/3 innings across eight games with a 9.49 ERA, 15 walks and 13 strikeouts. All eight games were with Low-A. Trennor O’Donnell: 37 2/3 innings across 15 games, four starts, with a 6.69 ERA, 16 walks and 35 strikeouts. He made three starts with Rookie Ball, made three appearances including one start with Low-A and nine appearances out of the bullpen with High-A. Caden Vire: 14 2/3 innings across 13 games, one start, with a 11.66 ERA, 25 walks and 20 strikeouts. He made one start for Rookie Ball and 12 appearances for Low-A. For the second time in three seasons (last year they were part of the Salt River Rafters), the Red Sox are one of five teams that are making up the Mesa Solar Sox. Alongside the Los Angeles Angels, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, these five teams have each sent eight players to take part in this learning experience. Following one week of play, the Solar Sox are sitting fifth in the league with a 2-4-1 record (in the AFL if the score is tied after 10 innings, the game is called as a tie), but it isn’t because of a lack of effort from the members of the Red Sox organization. Now, we’ll break down how each of the eight have fared through the first six games. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Anderson may have fared the best out of every position player on the Solar Sox through the first six games. Appearing in five of them, Anderson saw time at first base and designated hitter and slashed .368/.500/.737 along with a double, two home runs and seven RBIs. Overall, he sported a 1.237 OPS as he’s been a force atop the Mesa lineup. On Friday afternoon against the Scottsdale Scorpions, Anderson stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth with Mesa trailing 9-6 and the bases loaded. What followed next was a grand slam that flew off his bat at 115 mph and traveled 403 feet. While Mesa would end up losing the game 11-10 on a walk off, Anderson continued his hot hitting into the next game on Saturday afternoon. Entering the bottom of the sixth having gone 0-for-2, Anderson launched his second home run of the AFL roughly 390 feet (there was not Statcast at the field it took place in). The young slugger looks to continue his hot hitting into the second week of the fall season, and the Red Sox should feel optimistic for the slugger’s future after his play down the stretch of the minor league season and now to begin the AFL. Mason White 2B/SS White, who has also appeared in five games, hasn’t gotten off to quite as hot of a start as Anderson. Despite the hits not falling in, though, he has still looked decent at the plate. Hitting just .167/.348/.333, White has one home run and one RBI while also showing an ability to get on base with five walks. The middle infielder hasn’t looked overmatched while playing close to home (White grew up in Tucson and had friends and family to cheer him on during Saturday’s game that took place there). Defensively, he may not have made any flashy plays, but the young infielder has shown a leadership while on the field whether by communicating with teammates where they should be positioned or making the routine plays (because in the AFL, sometimes the routine play is harder to make than it should be). He has appeared at shortstop four times and second base once. Offensively, White has put together decent at-bats despite the lack of numbers to back that up. While he still struggles at time with movement (of his eight strikeouts, six have been from off-speed or breaking pitches), when given a fastball, he’s been able to put it in play with solid contact. Entering the second week, the hope is that his batted balls will start to find their way into hits instead of outs. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/OF/DH It’s been a rough start to Zanetello/'s professional career. After two seasons where he struggled offensively, the middle infielder missed significant time in 2026. Now playing in the AFL with Mesa, Zanetello has appeared in six games where, much like White, he has played much better than his numbers would show. So far, the infielder is slashing .200/.385/.450 with a triple, a home run and two RBIs. He’s also walked six times and stolen two bases. Zanetello has also shown some swing and miss in his game, but that was always expected from him. The promising sign is how he’s been handling the pitching. On Friday afternoon, the young infielder made great contact with a fastball up and in, hitting it 105.1 mph off the bat. The ball was a line drive into the left field corner and should have been a double. However, using his speed and baserunning IQ, he managed to turn it into a triple. Going back to October 4, Zanetello launched a slider 106.9 mph off his bat and deposited it 401 feet into left field to tie the game 3-3. Defensively, he’s appeared at second base three times, in the outfield once, and as the designated hitter twice. Drafted as a shortstop, Zanetello mainly played second base while getting some reps in the outfield while healthy. His time at shortstop may be officially over as the team has drafted multiple middle infielders since he made his debut in 2023. Despite that, the young utility player has yet to make an error through 34 1/3 innings in the field. Harry Blum Blum has appeared in two games so far, pitching a total of 2 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits. The control issues that he dealt with in the minor-league season have continued as he’s walked three so far, but he's balanced that out with three strikeouts. His first appearance went very well as he tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings while working around a hit and two walks. His fastball topped out at 96.8 mph and managed to generate six whiffs. His second outing could have gone better. Entering in the ninth inning of a tied game, Blum was tasked with getting the game to extra innings. Instead, he allowed the winning run to reach base with a one-out double before striking out the next batter and allowing a two-out walk to Kevin Bazzell. Then, he allowed the game-winning hit to Kyle West, giving the Salt River Rafters a 4-3 walk off win. In that outing, his fastball peaked at 95.3 mph and he managed to generate four whiffs. Madinson Frias Frias has appeared in just one game so far, tossing two innings and allowing one run on two hits and two walks. He also struck out two batters. Unfortunately, the outing didn’t start off well for him as a wild pitch to his first batter allowed the Scottsdale Scorpions to take a 4-1 lead. The right-hander managed to get his fastball to top out at 96.9 mph and generated two whiffs in the outing. At one point, Frias managed to retire four straight batters before things started to unravel in the fourth inning. He managed to work around a leadoff single by retiring the next two batters, but a two-out walk was followed by an infield single to load the bases and end Frias’ day. Nicholas Judice Like Frias, Judice has appeared in just one game where he tossed 2 1/3 perfect innings while striking out four batters. The outing was a great sign, as he struggled at times with his control in his limited showing during 2026. However, in his lone outing in the AFL so far, Judice tossed 31 pitches with 22 of them being strikes. He topped out at 91.2 mph with his sinker while also getting six whiffs total. Following the outing, Judice left the team temporarily to attend his wedding on October 9 in Louisiana. He should return to the team at some point in the near future. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell joins the list of Red Sox pitchers who have made one appearance, having tossed three scoreless innings in his lone outing. In that same outing, he walked one and struck out two. The right-hander tossed 40 pitches with 23 of them going for strikes. He topped out at 92.1 mph and generated three whiffs. Where he seemed to be more impressive was with his secondary offerings, using them well over 50% of the time. Caden Vire Vire is the final member of the Red Sox organization to play in the AFL and is one of the few pitchers to appear in more than one game. Making two appearances, Vire tossed 1 2/3 innings across the first week of the season. He allowed one run on one hit and three walks while striking out one batter. In his first outing, Vire tossed 2/3 of an inning, walking one batter and striking out one. His fastball topped out at 95.8 mph and he generated two whiffs. His second outing was a bit of a mixed bag. Tossing one inning, he allowed one run on one hit and two walks, and the outing could have been worse if not for some defensive help View full article

When Andruw Monasterio appeared on the on-deck circle in the middle of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, the immediate thought turned to Roman Anthony. The star outfielder had missed most of the season due to a finger injury and during the finale of the regular season on Sunday, he appeared to have grimaced after a check swing. The team’s leadoff hitter (along with one of their more impactful bats when healthy) was forced out of the game and the remainder of the series with a hand injury that includes a reaggravation of that midseason issue. The offense cannot afford a major loss like that, especially right after Mickey Gasper and Masataka Yoshida succumbed to injury while key offensive players Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela are still working back to full health. Alas, the team will have to prepare for a do-or-die situation without Anthony as they stare down Max Fried from the batter’s box. Anthony wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire since his return, but he was showing signs of improvement. In his last six games of the regular season, he was slashing .333/.391/.571 with three doubles and a triple from the leadoff spot in the lineup. Since his return, he hit .262/.321/.476 with six doubles, two triples, four home runs and 10 RBIs. For a team that was struggling to score runs in September, he was a sight for sore eyes. Against Cam Schlittler, the young superstar had gone 0-for-2 with two strikeouts prior to his removal. Despite the less-than-ideal performance his presence alone makes the lineup feel much deeper. Now, he might be gone for the remainder of the playoffs. Where the offense will come from will come down to a handful of players, most of all Jahmai Jones. The outfielder came over to Boston in a trade with Detroit to serve as a bat off the bench that would crush left-handed pitchers. Even prior to Anthony’s injury, he was destined to be in the lineup against Fried as he slashed .316/.426/.632 with four doubles, a triple, four home runs and eight RBIs against left-handed pitching with the Red Sox. Along with him, the team will need Contreras to return to his usual self. The slugger missed a large portion of September as he dealt with various injuries, but since returning to action in Game 162, Contreras has gone 0-for-6 with four strikeouts, including a rather uncompetitive at-bat against Cam Schlittler in the top of the first inning of Game 1. It may be a miracle for Contreras to be back as early as he is, especially after taking a pitch off his hand like he did, but the first baseman needs to improve on his approach. If this Red Sox team has any shot, they can’t have their big offensive weapon be this ineffective. Prior to the injury he had been scuffling, hitting just .217/.330/.386 with three doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBIs in the month of August. Though during that time, he was attempting to play through several injuries he was dealing with since the All-Star Break along with a stint in the concussion protocol after being hit in the head during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Contreras is unable to come through, then the rest of the team needs to step up, especially someone like Wilyer Abreu. During the regular season, Abreu was a middle-of-the-lineup slugger who, for the third consecutive season, delivered new career highs in home runs and RBIs with 24 and 76, respectively. He also showed an improved eye at the plate, walking 71 times to help set a new career high on-base percentage of .327. However, as is usual with Abreu, he has been a streaky hitter in 2026. Over his last 24 games entering the playoffs, the right fielder slashed .211/.290/.322 with seven doubles, one home run and six RBIs. Even more concerning were the 23 strikeouts to 10 walks. September as a whole was his second-worst month of the season as he hit just .207/.286/.329 during a time that the offense was struggling to score runs. However, he took a massive leap forward against left-handed pitching this season; he hit .295/.375/.479 with 15 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 27 RBIs while striking out just 36 times in that split. With Fried on the mound for Game 2. the team will need Abreu to look more like that player. [There's also the unexpected return of Curtis Mead worth mentioning here, though no one should expect to see him play a serious role after such a long hiatus following his own wrist injury back in July. Anything he can provide in this series should be considered a bonus.] The loss of Anthony will be tough, but the Red Sox showed throughout the season that they are able to win without him. The team will just need to have players they relied on during Anthony’s absence to step up once more. Whether they manage to do so will determine if the season continues or ends with a sweep at the hands of their rivals. A superstar can easily help sway a game in their team’s favor, but there’s a reason baseball rosters are made up of 26 players. View full article