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 factor.
Without further ado, let's get to September's updated prospect rankings.
Red Sox's Top 30 Prospects (Updated September 3)
1. Franklin Arias (SS) ETA: 2027 (Triple-A Worcester)
2. Justin Gonzales (OF) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
3. Franklin Primera (C) ETA: 2028 (Low-A Salem)
4. Jake Schaffner (SS) ETA: 2027 (High-A Greenville)
5. Henry Godbout (SS/2B) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
Godbout has quickly risen this season to become one of the top five prospects within the Red Sox farm system. He started the season in High-A Greenville, where he played until May 30, when he injured his left hand and broke his wrist after being hit by a pitch. He underwent successful surgery on June 8 and came back on July 31 for his rehab assignment in Low-A Salem.
He played five games and returned from the IL. This time, it was going to be a return via promotion, heading to Double-A Portland, as predicted in previous C&C Top 30 Prospect Rankings.
"...don't be shocked that when he returns from injury later this summer, they'll start him in Double-A right away."
So far, he's reaching the sky and then some. He has a slash line of .306/.348/.624 with a .972 OPS, and has hit eight home runs and driven in 19 runs so far. His K/BB ratio is a little higher, but he's been on a roll over his last 10 games. He's batting .344/.470/.591 with an OPS of 1.061, and has hit six of his eight home runs in that stretch, tapping into his potential 15-20 home run power.
He's been getting better every game in Double-A, and he'll be starting next season in Triple-A with a likely call-up in the summer of 2027 (if baseball is played).
6. Juan Valera (RHP) ETA: 2029 (High-A Greenville; IL: Tommy John Surgery)
7. Sadbiel Delzine (RHP) ETA: 2029 (Low-A Salem)
8. Owen Hull (OF) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
9. Yoeilin Cespedes (IF) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
10. Jace Mataszynski (SS) ETA: 2029 (Exp. 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.
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.
He hasn't played a game yet and will most likely start in Low-A Salem by 2027.
11. Blake Wehunt (RHP) ETA: 2027 (Triple-A Worcester)
12. Johanfran Garcia (C) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
13. Dorian Soto (SS) ETA: 2029 (FCL Red Sox)
14. Carlos Gutierrez (OF) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
15. Martin Shelar (OF) ETA: 2029 (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.
He made his professional debut on August 19th, and right now, he's not doing so hot. He has a slash line of only .189/.283/.302 with an OPS of just .585 in 53 at-bats, and that's because of his swing. He sacrifices a short, uppercut swing that sacrifices batting average for home runs. He needs to fix it, and that will happen as soon as the offseason.
But even if the numbers don't show it, the kid can be special, and that's why he's fifteenth on this list. He'll get better with age, but it has to happen before he can move up this list.
16. Mason White (IF) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
17. John Holobetz (RHP) ETA: 2027 (Triple-A Worcester)
18. Jack Winnay (3B/1B) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
19. Dawvris Brito (SS) ETA: 2030 (DSL Red Sox)
20. Dylan Brown (LHP) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
Making his debut on this list, left-handed prospect Dylan Brown has been amazing in his first professional season. He was selected in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Old Dominion. Brown, 22, should have more eyes on him than he does, and that's alarming.
In his first season, Brown soared through Low-A Salem, starting only five games. He struck out 32 batters, walked 13, and gave up only 15 hits in 23 1/3 innings pitched. He maintained just a 2.32 ERA at the level before getting promoted to High-A Greenville. He's excelled so far, striking out 111 batters while walking only 24 in 83 1/3 innings pitched. He's posted a 3.78 ERA so far, while not as good as his minimal five games at the previous level, he's still holding his own in a big way.
Expect Brown to start next season in Double-A, given his age and how he's performed in High-A this year. He may not soar through the minors like Anthony Eyanson, Henry Godbout, or even Payton Tolle, but there's a lot to like about him.
He's not the typical 100-mph-throwing lefty, even if he has a 6'5", 230 lbs frame. He has topped 95 mph on his fastball, reportedly a couple of mph faster than in college. He's a deceptive and control-type pitcher, and that's great for his size. His best pitch is arguably his low-90s two-seam fastball, which has a great armside run. Along with that and his low-80s slider and changeup combo, he can dazzle hitters and also get them to hit more groundballs than they'd want.
A lot of promise for Brown, and he's proved it so far. He'll be a Top-15 prospect, but if he ever adds more spin on his breaking pitches, preferably that slider, he'll be even better.
21. Luke Heyman (C) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
22. Hayden Mullins (LHP) ETA: 2027 (Double-A Portland)
23. Angel Bastardo (RHP) ETA: 2027 (Triple-A Worcester)
24. Marcus Phillips (RHP) ETA: 2028 (High-A Greenville)
25. Brooks Brannon (1B/3B) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
Staying on this month's list as a Top 30 prospect, Brooks Brannon still waits for his inevitable promotion to Triple-A Worcester. The 22-year-old designated hitter has a slash line of .285/.363/.568 with an OPS of .931, while hitting 21 home runs, 27 doubles, and 68 RBIs.
Why hasn't he been promoted yet? It's only because there's a line of prospects in Triple-A themselves who are stuck waiting for a promotion. It's an unfortunate logjam, and this is why he's still stuck in Portland. There was an opportunity last month to do something, but it just hasn't gone his way. So for now, this'll just have to do. He'll start next year in Worcester, yes, so let's hope he adjusts to the pitching at that level so he'll get a chance for an MLB call-up.
26. Eduardo Rivera (LHP) ETA: 2026 (Made MLB Debut; Triple-A Worcester)
27. Garielvin Silverio (OF) ETA: 2030 (DSL Red Sox)
28. Isaiah Jackson (OF) ETA: 2028 (Double-A Portland)
29. Conrad Cason (DH) ETA: 2029 (FCL Red Sox)
30. Kleyvar Salazar (C) ETA: 2028 (Low-A Salem)
As a new member of the Top 30 prospects list, Kleyvar Salazar has put himself in a terrific season this year. Over the past three seasons, the 20-year-old catcher was struggling to launch. But this year, he's taken off, having a slash line of .293/.403/.479/.882 with 12 home runs, 25 doubles, and 69 RBIs, similar to another comrade on this list, Brooks Brannon.
Right now, Low-A Salem has the best prospects at catcher right now, as Salazar is the bench platoon player under Franklin Primera, who will most likely start next year in Double-A. As for Salazar, he'll probably stay in Low-A for 2027, but don't be surprised that if he keeps this performance up; he'll get promoted to High-A within that first month.
If he does do better, this will help his chances of getting higher on this list as 2027 goes on. Personally, the odds of that happening are high to me.
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