The Boston Red Sox have one of the more fruitful farm systems the franchise has seen in a long time, arguably, since the mid-2010's under Amiel Sawdaye's drafting tenure.
As we head into the fifth month of the season, now is the perfect time to update the top 30 prospects in the Red Sox's system, organized by total potential. If their potential is similar, their performance this season will determine their spot. If neither makes a difference, or the player(s) haven't played yet, age will be the determining factor.
Without further ado, let's get to July's updated prospect rankings.
Red Sox's Top 30 Prospects (Updated July 29th)
1. Franklin Arias (SS) ETA: 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
2. Justin Gonzales (OF/1B) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
3. Juan Valera (RHP) ETA; 2028 (High-A Greenville; Tommy John in May)
4. Henry Godbout (SS/2B) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
5. Jake Schaffner (SS) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
As the Red Sox's 20th overall selection in this year's MLB Draft, fellow UNC Tar Heel shortstop Jake Schaffner was a bit of a shocker despite his obvious pedigree. Many teams and fans had expected Schaffner to go in the second round, ranked as the 75th overall prospect in the draft. But Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow took a big swing on him.
It's clear what's good about him, and it's a lot of good. Think of a lefty Henry Godbout, where he doesn't have much power, but that's not part of his game. He's the gritty contact hitter who can field and steal bases. He's one of the better contact hitters in the draft, who doesn't swing and miss frequently.
His batting stance is pretty simple, where he crouches a bit with his knees, and the bat hovers over his shoulders. His front foot is slightly behind at the start, pretty stiff when he stands. But when he strides, he has a short and stout one, similar to those of Jacoby Ellsbury and Freddie Freeman. He moves forward to the ball instead of holding back and planting the weight on his back leg, and he's quick to the ball. He's a line-drive hitter, and his front-foot hitting style allows him to hit balls into the gap for doubles and triples.
The one thing about him is his arm, which is on the fringe side. He makes up for it by running forward to the ball and using the momentum to carry his throws. However, this won't pan out at higher levels, and he'll have to take some reps at second base during his time in Greenville, where he can commit later to play the position full-time in Double-A.
6. Franklin Primera (C) ETA: 2028 (Low-A Salem)
7. Yoeilin Cespedes (2B) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
8. Dorian Soto (SS) ETA: 2029 (FCL Red Sox)
9. Sadbiel Delzine (RHP) ETA: 2029 (Low-A Salem)
10. Owen Hull (OF) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
In the second round, the Red Sox drafted Schaffner's teammate (and roommate), outfielder Owen Hull. There's a lot to like about this kid, with his excellent bat-to-ball skills, hard contact, and great speed. He fits well in center field, as he's able to cover ground really well.
But scouts are concerned about his swing, calling it "unorthodox" and "rigid". He produced well for UNC, hitting .393/.500/.615 with nine home runs and 87 RBIs in his only season for the Tar Heels as a junior. For a player his size, standing at 6'4", 215 lbs, his offensive profile should've been able to produce more than just nine home runs a season.
The problem is that he tends to hit the ball into the ground more often than not, and that will limit his ceiling until he breaks out of that and makes some much-needed swing adjustments. Still, he's one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system right now because of his promise. High-A is the time for swing adjustments, and if he does so successfully, he'll be a top-5 prospect next year.
11. Mikey Romero (IF) ETA: 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
12. Jack Winnay (3B/1B) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
13. Blake Wehunt (RHP) ETA: 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
14. Mason White (IF) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
15. Jace Mataczynski (SS) ETA: 2029 (Exp. in Low-A Salem)
Drafted in the third round out of Hudson High School in Wisconsin, Jace Mataczynski is a very promising shortstop the Red Sox are building on. Right now, he has the upside of a 20-20 player with his great speed and his overall athleticism on the field. His fielding is stellar as well, despite standing at 6'4". It's already established that he's one of the more athletic players they've drafted this year at just 18 years old.
But just like Hull, he has some swing concerns that need patching up. He has a very long swing, and scouts are uncertain about just how smooth it truly is, especially when facing quality pitching. Despite his advanced bat speed topping at 89.5 mph and his exit velocity topping at 105.2 mph, he needs to adjust his swing path.
If he does, which shouldn't be hard to fix, he'll undoubtedly be a top-10 prospect in two years. But for right now, he'll stand at No. 15, just above another 18-year-old prospect.
16. Johanfran Garcia (C) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
17. Harold Rivas (OF) ETA: 2030 (FCL Red Sox)
18. Dawvris Brito (SS) ETA: 2031 (DSL Red Sox)
19. John Holobetz (RHP) ETA: 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
20. Martin Shelar (OF) ETA: 2029 (Exp. in Low-A Salem)
Shelar, ranked 175th overall on the draft prospect list this year, fell all the way down to the Red Sox's lap at 274th overall in the ninth round.
Drafted out of Marist High School in Atlanta, GA, the 18-year-old outfielder has already proven himself to be one of the more promising players in this draft, despite falling down the board. He hit 19 home runs while batting over .500 in High School. He's also over 200 lbs, building into his 6'2" frame already at his age.
The reason behind his fall in the draft is his overaggressiveness at the plate, where he tries to swing for the fences. He definitely has that power, with a max exit velocity of 115 mph, but he'll need to tap into his discipline at the plate. If he can fix that mindset, he's going to go up this list dramatically in less than a season.
In every other category, he's excellent. He has great fielding, though he will need to work on his routes in center field to track balls more accurately. If not, he'll work nicely in right field. He has great baserunner instincts and above-average straight-line speed. Overall, his athleticism is NOT the issue whatsoever, and he is above-average in that regard for his age.
Even with the lack in a category, Shelar was a shocking fall down the board. Many scouts and journalists wanted their respective teams to pick him, but the Red Sox are the ones taking this high-risk, high-reward prospect.
21. Marcus Phillips (RHP) ETA: 2027 (High-A Greenville)
22. Garielvin Silverio (OF) ETA: 2031 (DSL Red Sox)
23. Isaiah Jackson (OF) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
24. Hayden Mullins (LHP) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
25. Brooks Brannon (1B/3B) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
Who should be called up to Triple-A Worcester? Brooks Brannon, that's who.
Formerly a catcher, Brannon has made significant strides since being drafted by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. This year, he's hitting 18 home runs in Double-A Portland, while hitting .270/.356/.559 with an OPS of .915. He's been one of the best hitters this year with one of the highest exit velocities in the Red Sox farm system.
He has a very old-school batting stance, where he rests the bat under his back elbow, with his body leaning forward over the plate, almost in front of the catcher. He takes a short stride and moves the bat back over his shoulder, turning his front foot inside towards his back leg. That turn in the front leg is his way of getting his timing down. Then, when he identifies the pitch, he turns the foot back to its normal position, where he begins his swing.
His swing can get long, but he's gained better control of it since last season, resulting in a breakthrough. Now, it's only a matter of time before he gets the promotion. With the recent promotion of Henry Godbout, Portland has exceeded its 28-man roster limit and will need to move somebody up. Right now, Worcester needs two more men, with only 26 players on the roster and 28 to reach the limit.
26. Yophery Rodriguez (OF) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
27. Angel Bastardo (RHP) ETA; 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
28. Joskairo Ramirez (OF) ETA: 2032 (DSL Red Sox)
29. Conrad Cason (DH) ETA: 2029 (FCL Red Sox)
30. Gage Ziehl (RHP) ETA: 2026 (Triple-A Worcester)
Recently promoted to Worcester, Ziehl has been much better in recent months.
Acquired in the Jordan Hicks trade this past offseason, he was placed in Double-A Portland to start the season. His strikeout numbers were high, totaling 96 strikeouts at that level; however, he was still giving up 23 earned runs throughout the first two months. Once June came around, he gave up only four earned runs in 21 2/3 innings, striking out 23 batters that month. He had only a 1.66 ERA that month, while lowering his season ERA from 5.54 to 4.12.
Except for that one bad start against the Fisher Cats on July 9, Ziehl posted an estimated 1.90 ERA in his last 19 innings with Portland, striking out 28 batters in those four starts. He was promoted on August 5 and made his Worcester debut on Saturday, August 8. He struck out eight batters after 5 2/3 innings with newly acquired catcher Adley Rutschman catching him while on a rehab assignment.
So far, Ziehl is fitting in nicely, but let's see how he is afterwards. If all goes well, he'll most likely be an emergency phone call for the Red Sox bullpen.
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