Red Sox Prospects Flood Baseball America’s Updated Top 100 List
The Boston Red Sox still have a pretty good thing going down on the farm.
Baseball America released its update top prospect list on Wednesday, and in a surprise to absolutely no one, the local club could be found throughout the Top 100. The Red Sox had six representatives on the list: Roman Anthony (No. 1), Marcelo Mayer (No. 8), Payton Tolle (No. 49), Franklin Arias (No. 57), Brandon Clarke (No. 74), Jhostynxon Garcia (No. 88). Luis Perales likely would have made the cut if not for injury, while James Tibbs III fell out after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants.
Not bad!
Anthony and Mayer are obvious choices, with both currently serving as foundational pieces in Boston. Garcia is another name many people probably expected to see, as he’s tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A Worcester and was recently selected to play in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Tolle, Arias and Clarke, on the other hand, might be unfamiliar to the casual fan.
I (along with the help of the folks at SoxProspects) can help you learn a thing or two, though.
Tolle, 22, was selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and quickly moved his way through the low minors before absolutely shoving in his debut with Double-A Portland on July 1. Tolle notched nine strikeouts and allowed just one hit over five innings, showcasing better movement on his secondary pitches. It’s expected that he will develop into a middle-of-the-rotation starter,
Arias, 19, is a former international signing who has long been viewed as a potential everyday player in the bigs. The Red Sox will take their time with him, as physical maturity needs to take place before they can accurately assess him, but he’s an exciting prospect who will continue to show up on these lists.
Clarke, 22, is perhaps the most surprising entry, as he hasn’t done much to this point in the minor leagues. Boston will develop him as a starting pitcher and hope to have another elite left-handed option in the rotation at some point in 2027.