The Boston Red Sox, even after their recent call-ups of the big three and the trade deadline, still have an amazing farm system with tons of talent left to make an impact. One of them is their now #1 prospect, 19-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias.
When he was scouted out of Venezuela, Arias was heavily touted as a defensive shortstop at 17 years old, and the Red Sox signed him for $525,000. However, with many coaches working on Arias' bat speed and adding more strength to his swing, he's become a Marcelo Mayer-type hitter with "advanced swing decisions" for his age, according to MiLB.com.
Franklin Arias Has Earned His Promotion With Recent Performance
He stands at 5'11 and weighs 170 lbs, but as a shortstop nowadays, it's the new norm. Plus, he's only 19, and as he gets older, he'll be able to fill out his 5'11 frame. Regardless of his size, his baseball IQ is off the charts, and he is one of the smartest players on that High-A Greenville infield.
The problem is he hasn't been called up yet, and this season, he's proven his worth to get that promotion. He's batting .286, has 40 RBIs, and 18 doubles in 67 games. The only reason that could possibly come up with about how he hasn't been promoted to AA Portland would be that they still want him to gain some power in his bat.
Whether or not he should be called up is a matter of public opinion, but the stats alone suggest that he's worth getting the call-up to the Sea Dogs. However, with Mikey Romero being called up to AAA Worcester (who was a starting SS/3B there), it may just be Arias' time to shine...or at least it should be. If he keeps performing the way he has been lately, there will be no doubt that he will be teammates with Peyton Tolle and Luis Perales.