Monday, April 20

BOSTON -- If highlights have been sparing at the Major League level for the Red Sox at this early juncture of the season, there’s been a lot to like on the farm.

In particular, at shortstop for Double-A Portland. Franklin Arias, the club’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been lighting it up at the plate.

The 20-year-old has always been known for his elite glove at the most important position in the infield. But his offense is starting to catch up, especially in the power department.

In his first 10 games and 30 at-bats, Arias has a line of .467/.564/.833 with two doubles, three homers, nine RBIs, five walks and just three strikeouts.

Arias, a right-handed hitter who impressed Red Sox manager Alex Cora in cameos with the big league club during Spring Training, has done nothing to dissuade the notion that he could be the shortstop of the future in Boston.

For more insight into the hot start for Arias, who was signed as an international free agent by the Sox out of Venezuela on Jan. 15, 2023, I reached out to Brian Abraham, Boston’s senior director of player development.

MLB.com: What are key offensive adjustments Arias has made that have helped lead to his hot start?

Abraham: He’s done a good job adding weight and strength, which has translated into more consistent impact on the baseball -- bat speed, more barrels and overall louder contact. The other key focus has been improving his pitch selection, targeting the right pitches he can drive in the air to the pull side. While the goal is for him to be a complete hitter, we know more impact comes when he’s pulling the ball in the air for damage.

MLB.com: What type of hitter does he have the potential to develop into?

Abraham: As described, he profiles as a complete hitter -- someone who gets on base, makes consistent contact and demonstrates strong pitch selection. He has the ability to use the entire field, with his greatest damage coming when he’s able to pull the ball in the air. Overall, he’s the type of player who can impact the game in a variety of ways and do a little bit of everything at the plate.

MLB.com: Arias has always been known for his great defense at shortstop. How have you seen that evolve so far this season?

Abraham: It’s only been a short amount of time, but we continue to see him not only make the routine play, but continue to improve his range and out conversion. He prides himself on being a strong defender up the middle and his added strength and already strong athleticism have allowed that to continue to progress.

MLB.com: What are his key areas of development that remain as he pushes toward becoming a big leaguer?

Abraham: Continuing to get bigger and stronger, both to improve his on-field performance and to eventually handle the demands of a full 162-game season at a premium position -- especially given his age and opportunity for continued physical development. That added strength should translate to improved durability, more consistent defense and greater impact at the plate. With his work ethic, consistency and strong baseball instincts, there’s a lot of excitement about where he’s headed and the growth still to come.

•  The toughest development for the farm system this week was when No. 5 prospect Juan Valera left his most recent start for High-A Greenville in the second inning with discomfort in his right elbow. Valera crouched down on the mound in frustration.

The club won’t make a decision on how to proceed with Valera until the inflammation calms down. The hard-throwing righty is currently on the 7-day injured list. 

The 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic had a 1.93 ERA in three starts, walking four and striking out 17.

• In positive pitching news, righty Anthony Eyanson, the third of the three SEC pitchers the Sox took early in last year’s MLB Draft and the club's No. 10 prospect, continues to dazzle. Eyanson impressed the organization by adding several miles per hour to his fastball in the offseason, and it is paying off.

The former LSU star has allowed just one run over his first three starts for Greenville. Over 12 1/3 innings, he has no walks and 18 strikeouts.

Cora is hardly dumbfounded by the fact his team is 8-0 when the starting pitcher goes six innings and 0-13 when the starter goes fewer than six.

He is surprised that the rotation, which is supposed to be the hallmark of the team, hasn’t been more consistent. 

Garrett Crochet has had two good starts and three subpar ones. Sonny Gray has had two good ones and two mediocre ones. Connelly Early, the team’s No. 3 prospect, was good in two starts and so-so in two others. Ranger Suarez, the team’s $130 million acquisition in December, struggled mightily his first two starts and rebounded dramatically the last two times out. Brayan Bello has been off his game in three out of four starts.

“I've been saying this since December,” said Cora. “We pitch, we’re going to play in October. This is the way we decided to go in the offseason, run prevention, and I think our rotation is a really good one, and we got some guys in Triple-A that are capable of coming here and being good. And right now, the numbers show our DNA, right? We pitch, we win; we don't, we lose.”

One thing that might give some Red Sox fans some solace is that this isn’t the first time Crochet has been off to a shaky start.

In 2024, his final season with the White Sox, he started 1-4 with a 5.97 ERA in his first seven starts. By July, he was on his way to the All-Star Game. 

“I remember it. I’ve been bringing it up,” said Crochet. “I’ve been like, ‘Now I just have to have a 0.90 ERA in May and then I’ll be good.' It was a similar stretch with what I’m going through right now. Can’t find the zone and when I come into the zone it gets hammered.”

Toward that end, Crochet said his process between starts will remain the same and he’s confident his work will pay off with a similar resurgence.

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