The Boston Red Sox farm system has become one of the deepest in baseball, and while much of the attention is focused on High-A and Double-A, several players in Low-A Salem have already shown that they're ready for the next level.
Jacob Mayers, Leighton Finley, and Andrews Opata have all made strong cases for promotions to High-A Greenville before the season reaches its midway point.
RHP Jacob Mayers
Mayers has been one of Salem's most electric bullpen arms. The 22-year-old right-hander, who was selected in the ninth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of LSU, has been very dominant with his elite velocity. Throughout his first 36 innings of the season so far, he posts a 2.50 ERA while striking out 52 hitters, good for an eye-popping 13 K/9.
The biggest question surrounding his entering the pros was his command, but he's shown enough progress to warrant a tougher assignment. If he continues missing bats like this, he's more than due for High-A.
RHP Leighton Finley
Finley has quietly developed into one of Salem's most dependable starters. Boston's sixth-rounder out of Georgia last year has posted a 3.32 ERA across over 40 innings while consistently giving quality starts.
Although his walk rate still leaves room for improvement, Finley has a four-pitch mix and the durability that organizations look for before moving a starter up a level. He can limit hard contact while continuing to pile up innings, which could mean that High-A hitters could provide a better developmental test for him.
OF Andrews Opata
Opata has arguably been Salem's most intriguing everyday player. Signed by Boston last summer, the 22-year-old outfielder has stolen 30 bases (only behind Braiden Ward in all affiliates with the most SBs) while hitting four home runs and driving in 22 runs with eight doubles and two triples as well this season, showing that he can impact games in multiple ways.
He covers plenty of ground in the outfield with his speed, which gives him the Jackie Bradley Jr. value even when his bat starts to cool off. With almost 200 plate appearances under his belt, it's becoming increasingly clear that Greenville may just be the next stop for this kid.
The Red Sox have some intriguing prospects in Low-A
Not all of these players may be promoted soon, but they're definitely worth evaluating and are the top choices as well. If you were thinking Louis Andujar should be on this list, so far, he's batting .095 in 74 at-bats. He'll need to adjust, but since he's only 18, he has plenty of time to do so. Same thing with Skylar King, who's shown great power with eight home runs on the season, but has a batting average of just .211.
Player development in Low-A ball is more about finding the next challenge rather than just dominating at a level. They need refining, and they have four more levels to do that. Mayers, Finley, and Opata have each demonstrated they're ready for tougher competition, and promoting them to High-A would give the Red Sox a better evaluation of where they fit into the organization's long-term plans.
Also, all of these players were drafted just last year, which means that they have already refined their stuff over the past few years. Adjusting to professional pitchers and hitters, along with honing their craft, were all they truly needed to do in Low-A.
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