Franklin Arias is a 19-year-old shortstop talent mature beyond his years on and off the diamond

Boston Globe

16-04-2025

'He was always really mature for his age. He was 15 years old, but his mind was like an older gentleman — maybe five years older,' recalled Pino. 'He looked like a professional from the first time I saw him. He's the most mature kid I've seen in 14 years of scouting in Latin America.'
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Arias — signed by the Sox to a $525,000 bonus in January 2023 — remains uncommonly mature, helping him to remain grounded even as he rapidly emerges as a significant prospect in the Red Sox system, as well as across the game.
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The 19-year-old — now 5-11 and 170 pounds — has put together an impressive early season highlight reel. Defensively, he's showed solid range at short (an area of emphasis for his development) that has played up thanks to his anticipation, first step, and quick hands. Some evaluators see him as the best pure defensive shortstop in the Sox system.
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Checking in with Salem for a look at Franklin Arias this week!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev)
Offensively, he's combined plate discipline with a line drive approach — his focus is up the middle, going from gap to gap — to produce a .410/.477/.487 line through 10 games.
Arias, who was named MVP and top prospect in the Rookie Level Florida Complex League in 2024 after hitting .355/.471/.584 with 24 extra-base hits and 30 steals in 51 games, described his two-way performance in ho-hum fashion.
'I definitely want to be the best player I can be. [But] I try to take it day-to-day and try not to look too far in the future,' Arias said through a translator. 'I feel that's what helped me get that MVP last year, and I think if I can take that day-to-day approach this year, I can have some similar results.'
There are, in fact, markers that Arias is continuing to improve. After a solid performance in a 36-game, season-ending look in Salem at the end of 2024 (.257/.331/.378), he's lowered his chase rate to 23 percent — an outstanding number for his age and level.
Even with his up-the-middle approach, he's also shown an improved ability to pull the ball in the air — something that has led to suggestions of 15-20 homer potential. Strong instincts in the field and on the bases contribute to the sense that Arias has a chance to be a talented, well-rounded player.
'He knows what he can do on the field,' said Salem manager Ozzie Chavez. 'He controls the game.'
That said, Arias is still young enough — and at a sufficiently early career stage — that it remains premature to say what kind of player he'll become.
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Salem hitting coach Nelson Paulino is in his 28th season as a coach in the Sox system. He's seen virtually every young player who's come through the system, and offered praise for both the ability and aptitude of Arias — but added a measure of caution.
Paulino and Chavez saw Arias hit a pair of opposite-field homers after his arrival in Salem last year, and likewise saw him turn on a 96 m.p.h. fastball to pull a homer in 2024.
'I said, 'Oh! He's got some juice,'' recounted Chavez.
There's a chance that power becomes a part of his game, but not a certainty. The balance between his pure hit tool and his eventual power has yet to be defined. Nonetheless, there are early signs of a promising combination of skills.
'He's a good player. He's going to be a major league player, but we have to see [what kind of player],' said Paulino. 'It's too early to identify right now what kind of player he'll be. We need to see a little bit more.'
Arias seems to favor such a view of his potential. While he's earned national recognition as a top-100 prospect (Baseball America had him at No. 72 to open the year), he's less interested in rankings than improvement.
'I'm definitely happy to hear that everyone's talking about me [as a top-100 prospect]. Obviously, my main goal isn't to draw that attention,' said Arias. 'My main goal is to just be here and play well, and if the result is that people are starting to notice that, then that's good. That means I'm doing the right thing.'
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Salem Red Sox shortstop Franklin Arias, though just 19 years old, is driven to get on a fast track to the majors.
Alex Speier/Globe Staff
That measured approach does not mean, however, that Arias is without ambition. To the contrary, he wants to prove that he is worthy of being challenged on a fast track towards the big leagues.
In 2023, Roman Anthony became the first Red Sox teenager since Xander Bogaerts to reach Double-A. Arias hopes to follow suit.
'I definitely have really big dreams,' said Arias. 'When I was in the [Dominican Summer League in 2023], I wanted to finish in Double-A. So definitely this year, I'd like to see myself finish in Double-A or Triple-A. I'm always thinking of the big picture. I have really big dreams for myself. I don't care if it sounds crazy. That's what I want to do.
'[The dream is] to get to the major leagues,' he added. 'I hope to be the same kind of player I am here now, but in the big leagues.'
Three up
▪ Roman Anthony, 20, is destroying the ball in Triple-A. Through Monday, he led Triple-A hitters in average exit velocity (99.6 m.p.h.), was tied for fourth at the level with 18 balls in play with an exit velocity of at least 100 m.p.h., and ranked first — by a lot — among 201 Triple-A players with a .473 xwOBA.
▪ Outfielder Yophery Rodriguez, the 19-year-old acquired from the Brewers in the Quinn Priester trade, made a solid debut in High-A Greenville, going 4-for-14 with a double, triple, and four walks in 18 plate appearances.
▪ Lefthander Brandon Clarke, 22, made a tremendous pro debut, logging four perfect innings for Single-A Salem with five strikeouts, topping out at 99 m.p.h. Clarke is using a six-pitch mix in Salem (four-seam, two-seam, cutter, sweeper, curveball, changeup). If he continues to pound the strike zone, he may move quickly to Greenville.
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Three down
▪ While righthander Hunter Dobbins, 25, looked excellent in his big league debut, he's struggled in a pair of Triple-A appearances, allowing eight runs on four homers with four walks and four strikeouts in 6⅔ innings.
▪ Outfielder Allan Castro, 21, a player seen by some as a sleeper prospect with everyday potential, has been on Double-A Portland's injured list with a left hamstring strain. The same injury had slowed him in spring training.
▪ Catcher Brooks Brannon, 20, has considerable power potential but will need to improve his swing decisions to tap into it. He had one walk and 10 strikeouts through 26 plate appearances.
Alex Speier can be reached at