SoxProspects News

Cup of Coffee: Castro walks it off in Worcester; Gonzales, Godbout go back-to-back

2026-05-08T07:00:00.359-04:00

5/8 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 2-4 on a very busy Thursday. Allan Castro (pictured) delivered some late-game heroics in extras for Worcester. Will Turner homered as Portland was swept by New Hampshire in a doubleheader. Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout clubbed back-to-back homers to kick start Greenville's lineup in Greensboro. And in an otherwise quiet offensive showing for Salem, Ilan Fernandez had an interesting night at the plate.

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 8 (12 innings)

In a game that took over four hours and required three extra innings, Worcester came out on top. Allan Castro played hero by going 2 for 5 with one double and a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th. He scored three runs in total and added a stolen base and a walk. Anthony Seigler and Matt Lloyd both went deep as well for their first homers of the season. Seigler went 2 for 4 with a solo shot, three runs scored, and two walks. Lloyd went 1 for 4 with a solo blast, two RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Nick Sogard singled twice, drove in one run, scored another, and drew one walk. Braiden Ward drew two walks, stole two bases, and scored two runs.

Seth Martinez got the start for Worcester and went the first two innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits (including one home run), two walks, and one strikeout. Eduardo Rivera also gave up a run before Kyle Keller, Devin Sweet, and Tayron Guerrero combined for 3 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. Cade Feeney got roughed up for four runs (three earned) over three innings in his Triple-A debut, while Nathan Hickey put up a zero in the top of the 12th to ultimately take home the winning decision.

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 4, Portland Sea Dogs 2 (Game 1)

Blake Wehunt got the start for Portland in Game 1 and went three innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Max Carlson pitched well in relief, yielding just one unearned run on two hits, no walks, and three strikeouts over four innings. At the plate, Marvin Alcantara and Brooks Brannon each had two hits, with the former doubling and the latter tripling. Nelly Taylor and Ahbram Liendo each drew one walk and scored one run.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 7, Portland Sea Dogs 5 (Game 2; 10 innings)

Caleb Bolden got the start for Portland in Game 2, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Joe Vogatsky and Caden Rose (who took the loss in his first professional appearance on the mound) combined to give up five additional runs (two earned) across 6 2/3 innings of relief. Offensively, Franklin Arias went 2 for 4 with one double, one run scored, and one walk. Will Turner drew one walk and drilled a two-run home run for his lone hit of the night. Ronald Rosario and Max Ferguson each had two hits, with the former scoring one run and the latter recording one RBI, one stolen base, and one walk.

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Greenville Drive 6, Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 4

Seven members of Greenville's lineup recorded multiple hits on Thursday. Justin Gonzales doubled and homered as part of a 2-for-5 night. Henry Godbout went 2 for 4 with one home run, two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk. Yoeilin Cespedes, Gerardo Rodriguez, and Freili Encarnacion each went 2 for 5, with Cespedes and Encarnacion scoring one run apiece. Yophery Rodriguez and Jack Winnay both went 2 for 4 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk.

Austin Ehrlicher, making his first appearance since April 19, got the start and went 1 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on no hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Brandon Neely took over and notched his first professional win, yielding three earned runs on five hits, no walks, and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Danny Kirwin and Matt McShane combined for eight strikeouts across four scoreless frames to close things out.

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Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 6, Salem RidgeYaks 2

Christian Foutch went 3 1/3 innings in his start, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits (including one home run), four walks, and three strikeouts. Jose Bello and Griffin Kilander combined to surrender three additional runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings of relief. Offensively, Salem was held to five hits as a team. Kleyver Salazar went 1 for 2 with one run scored and three walks. Skylar King singled in one run for his lone hit of the night. Anderson Fermin singled, scored one run, and drew one walk. Ilan Fernandez did not register an at-bat, as he walked in each of his four trips to the plate.

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FCL Rays 9, FCL Red Sox 1

Berny Ortiz got the start and fared well in his stateside debut, allowing only one unearned run on no hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over two innings. Christopher Cordero, Yoelvin Chirino, and Rony Calderon combined to surrender eight runs in five innings out of the bullpen. At the plate, Harold Rivas went 1 for 4 with one run scored and one stolen base. Conrad Cason and Jorge Rodriguez each had singles as well, while Hector Ramos drew two walks.

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Player of the Day: Allan Castro gets the nod for lifting Worcester to an extra-innings victory on Thursday night. The switch-hitting 22-year-old outfielder now has hits in five of his last six games, over which he is batting .292 (7 for 24) with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, seven runs, three stolen bases, two walks, and seven strikeouts. As of this writing, he is ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the organization.

Photo Credit: Allan Castro by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Ronny Hernandez has blast of a debut in Greenville homer-fest

2026-05-07T07:00:00.009-04:00

5/7 Cup of Coffee: It was a tough night for pitchers down on the farm, as the three affiliates in action combined to give up 28 runs on a Wednesday sweep. Greenville lost in a walk-off despite slugging eight home runs. Ronny Hernandez blasted two of those in his Drive debut, as Yophery Rodriguez (pictured) and Natanael Yuten also went deep twice. Worcester fell in extra innings following a late comeback, while Salem was not able to dig all the way out of an early deficit.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 9, Worcester Red Sox 7

The WooSox blasted three homers against a top Yankee prospect but fell in extra innings. Nate Eaton took Carlos Lagrange deep in the first inning for a solo shot to give Worcester the early advantage. Nathan Hickey and Mickey Gasper followed with two-run homers in the fourth and fifth innings. Hickey later scored the tying run on a Nick Sogard sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game into extras.

Justin Slaten began his rehab assignment, drawing the starting nod. He allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning, striking out a pair. Erik Rivera fought through some wobbly control in his Triple-A debut, walking five batters against three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings but allowing only two runs on one hit. Wyatt Olds took the loss, surrendering four runs (three earned) in two innings.

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Portland Sea Dogs vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR), postponed

Rainy weather rendered Hadlock Field unplayable, so Portland will host a Thursday doubleheader.

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Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 13, Greenville Drive 12

The Drive squandered an 8-4 advantage in a wild back-and-forth contest in which they homered eight times. Catcher Ronny Hernandez made his mark in his organizational debut. A day after his activation by Greenville, Hernandez was 4 for 4, blasting a solo home run in the seventh inning and a game-tying solo shot in the ninth. He scored four runs and drove in two. Yophery Rodriguez also went deep twice, setting a new career hight with eight round trippers. Natanael Yuten joined the multi-homer party with two of his own, driving in a team-leading four runs. Mason White and Yoeilin Cespedes accounted for the other two long balls.

First-round pick Kyson Witherspoon cruised through the first four innings, allowing a run on one hit while striking out five. He came on for the fifth but did not retire a batter in that frame, surrendering a single and issuing his first free pass before being lifted, with both runners coming on to score. Greensboro touched up Jay Allmer and Joey Gartrell for an eight-run seventh inning rally, then plated the winning run in the ninth off of PJ Labriola.

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Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 6, Salem RidgeYaks 4

Salem saw its rally fall short after falling into an early 5-0 hole. Kleyver Salazar led the offense, going 2 for 3 with a double, walk, RBI, run scored, and two stolen bases. Luke Heyman also was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk for the RidgeYaks. Ethan Walker made his first professional start after five appearances out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on four hits in two innings, striking out one. Nicolas De La Cruz followed with three runs allowed (two earned) in three frames. Madinson Frias moved from his typical spot in the rotation to a piggyback role, where he pitched well, going five innings, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out a pair without issuing a walk.

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Player of the Day: A quad strain delayed the Greenville debut of Ronny Hernandez, but he quickly made his presence felt. Hernandez was acquired from the White Sox in the offseason in a deal for left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy, where he'd hit .251/.344/.336 with Kannapolis of the Low-A Carolina League. In one game with the Drive he already has half of his 2025 home run total, blasting two and scoring four runs in Greenville's slugfest loss.

Photo Credit: Yophery Rodriguez by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Campbell homers in WooSox win; Godbout reaches base four times

2026-05-06T07:00:00.093-04:00

5/6 Cup of Coffee: On a night when the Red Sox scored ten runs, the bats were on fire throughout all stops in the system (except Portland) on Tuesday night. The WooSox scored six runs and blasted two homers against a three-time All-Star. Three Greenville hitters recorded three or more hits, though the Drive pitching staff was hit hard in a loss. Enddy Azocar and Luke Heyman blasted back-to-back home runs and delivered big games in a blowout win for Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 6

The WooSox lineup put together a strong performance against lefty Carlos Rodon, pitching in his third and potentially last rehab appearance before rejoining the Yankees. Worcester grabbed a pair of early runs on a two-run homer by Mickey Gasper in the first inning, though the bats fell quiet in the middle innings. After falling behind 6-3 in the sixth, the WooSox rallied over the last few innings of the game. Kristian Campbell blasted a 423-foot solo home run in the sixth inning, his second of the season. The WooSox pulled ahead for good on an RBI single off the bat of Allan Castro in the eighth.

Five pitchers appeared in a bullpen game for Worcester, with Devin Sweet opening the game with two innings of one-run ball. Noah Song followed him with two innings, in which he struck out four batters but allowed three runs to raise his ERA to 8.00. Angel Bastardo threw two innings and allowed two runs. However, Worcester's final two relievers were able to lock down the win as Kyle Keller threw two scoreless innings and Tommy Kahnle earned the save with a shutout ninth.

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New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 3, Portland Sea Dogs 2

The Sea Dogs were the only affiliate where the bats were held in check, as a pair of solo home runs supplied all the offense on the night. Nate Baez hit his third home run of the year in the fourth inning and Johanfran Garcia added his fourth home run in the seventh inning. Gage Ziehl started on the mound and struck out seven batters in 4 1/3 frames, giving up two runs on seven hits. Patrick Halligan was electric over 2 2/3 shutout innings, striking out five batters while allowing just a hit. Cooper Adams allowed one run and walked two batters in two innings.

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Greensboro Grasshoppers (PIT) 11, Greenville Drive 9

Though the Drive were able to record 15 hits and put nine runs on the board, they were unable to win their series opener in Greensboro. Henry Godbout laced a two-run homer in the fifth inning as part of an excellent performance, as he went 2 for 4 with two walks on the night. Center fielder Isaiah Jackson went 4 for 5, collecting an RBI single in the third and a two-run single in the eighth. Freili Encarnacion went 3 for 5 with a double and drove in a pair of runs. Yoeilin Cespedes was 3 for 6, raising his slash line to .311/.378/.594 this season.

Alex Bouchard struggled in his first start of the season for the Drive, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 3 2/3 innings, though he did strike out seven. Ben Hansen followed him and allowed three runs in 2 1/3 innings. Steven Brooks finished the game with two strong innings, fanning two hitters and allowing no baserunners.

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Salem RidgeYaks 12, Delmarva Shorebirds (BAL) 4

The RidgeYaks took the lead in the fifth inning on back-to-back homers by Enddy Azocar and Luke Heyman and never looked back, going on to score three more runs in the inning and take a commanding lead against Delmarva. Azocar was 3 for 5 on the night, continuing his recent hot streak and bumping his season line to .295/.348/.533. Heyman's home run was his fourth of the season and he was 2 for 3 with a walk. D'Angelo Ortiz was 2 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs on a single in the third. Andrews Opata was 0 for 1 but reached base four times on walks.

Myles Patton earned his third win of the season, as the 2025 seventh-rounder gave up three runs in five innings. He allowed three hits, walked one batter, and struck out five. Jacob Mayers was outstanding in three innings of relief, striking out six batters while walking two and allowing no hits or walks. Harry Blum allowed one run in an inning out of the bullpen.

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FCL Red Sox 8, FCL Braves 2

Dorian Soto helped to lead a pair of early rallies for the FCL Sox, delivering RBI singles in the first and third innings in a 2-for-4 day. Harold Rivas had a productive game out of the leadoff slot in the lineup, going 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk, and three runs scored. Hector Ramos went 2 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk. Sadbiel Delzine started on the mound and allowed just one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings, striking out four batters. Juanyerlin Duran walked three batters and gave up a run in 2 2/3 frames of relief. Yander Bonaci closed out the win with two scoreless innings.

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Player of the Day: On a night in which he squared off against an established major league starter, Kristian Campbell came through with a huge game for the WooSox. He went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and two runs scored. Campbell's homer was clocked at an exit velocity of 102.7 mph and his double at 104.6 mph. He is now hitting .291/.397/.398 through 28 games with Worcester, as Campbell has been getting on base but his power has been absent so far this season. Last night's power display could be a step in the right direction for the 23-year-old.

Photo Credit: Kristian Campbell by Kelly O'Connor

Minors Notes: Bennett debuts in Boston, Eyanson makes quick rise to Portland

2026-05-05T12:00:00.187-04:00

With the dust settling a week after the coaching changes that took headlines across the sport, the Boston farm system saw plenty of highlights this week, capped off by a pair of promotions within the organization. Jake Bennet (pictured) made his Major League debut last week at Fenway Park and Anthony Eyanson was rewarded for his hot start in Greenville.

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Jake Bennett Makes Big League Debut

With Boston in desperate need of pitching reinforcements due to injury, the left-hander was promoted to the Red Sox and made his first MLB start on Friday against the Houston Astros. Bennett earned the win in his five innings of work, allowing a lone run from a home run off the bat of Carlos Correa. He also struck out three and walked one. As the Boston rotation remains in flux, it is unsure how long Bennett will stay with the club.

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Eyanson Promoted to Portland

In his first taste of professional baseball, Anthony Eyanson looked nothing short of dominant in Greenville in April. The right-hander who the Red Sox selected in the third round of last year's draft posted a 0.44 ERA and 0.49 WHIP over 20 1/3 innings with the Drive. He also struck out 34 and walked three hitters, all coming in his fifth start of the year. Just a season after Payton Tolle made a meteoric rise through the farm system on his way to a Boston debut last August, Eyanson hopes to replicate the same trajectory.

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April Players of the Month

With the first month of the season in the books, now-teammates Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson were named the SoxProspects' Players of the Month.

Through April, very few hitters had as good of a month as Arias. The Portland infielder slashed .375/.432/.764 with eight home runs and 20 runs driven in while sporting a 5:9 walk-to-strikeout ratio over 77 plate appearances. After hitting eight home runs in 116 games last season, Arias has already matched that total in 2026 and seems to have unlocked more power that with without a doubt raise his prospect status as the season progresses.

As previously mentioned, no pitcher looked as good as Eyanson in the opening month of the year. Not only did the right-hander's increased velocity overwhelm hitters at the High-A level, but his impressive control allowed him to keep hitters off the bases.

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FCL Season Underway

On Saturday, the Florida Complex League season kicked off as the Red Sox dropped its opener to the Twins. As the campaign begins down south, there are a handful of prospects that Boston fans should keep their eyes on. In his stateside debut, SoxProspects' ninth-ranked prospect Dorian Soto went 1 for 3 with a walk. Along with Soto, Hector Ramos (17th) and Harold Rivas (18th) are among those making the leap from the DSL. Also on the team, two-way prospect Conrad Cason, who missed most of his first professional season last year with injury, hit a pair of home runs in his season debut.

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New Podcast Episode

Ian Cundall and Mike Andrews sit down in Episode 412 of the SoxProspects Podcast to break down all of the Red Sox coaching staff changes including how they think Chad Tracy will fare as the new manager. They also talk about Payton Tolle's start against the Yankees and Franklin Arias' torrid start to 2026.

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Transaction Updates

Outside of Eyanson's promotion to Portland, it was a quiet week in terms of movement within the system. While the Red Sox were making residual moves to their Major League coaching staff, Portland catcher Drew Ehrhard retired from playing to take a position as a bullpen catcher for Boston. The backstop finishes his professional career with 104 games played across four seasons, slashing .233/.306/.376 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs.

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Where Are They Now

After getting off to a strong start in Double-A, Braden Montgomery was promoted to Triple-A within the White Sox organization over the weekend. The outfielder that was selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Red Sox has slashed .313/.429/.606 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 27 games to open the season. Montgomery was the top prospect traded to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet deal.

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Players of the Week April 27-May 3

Vinny Capra, INF, Worcester Red Sox

5 G, 9-19, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, .474/.524/1.053

After not playing in Worcester's first game of its series against Rochester and registering an 0-for-2 line in game two, the infielder recorded four consecutive games with multiple hits. His best game of the week came on April 30 when he went 3 for 5 with a solo home run.

Myles Patton, LHP, Salem RidgeYaks

1 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K 0.80 WHIP

Patton appeared in one game last week but was masterful in it. On April 28, the left-hander held Wilson scoreless over five innings in Salem's 6-0 win, striking out six and scattering two hits and two walks in his outing. He also threw 48 of his 76 pitches for strikes. After a rough performance the start before, Boston's 7th-round pick from last season's draft seemed to get back on track.

Photo Credit: Jake Bennett and Vinny Capra by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Rodriguez homers as FCL Red Sox suffer second straight walk-off loss

2026-05-05T07:00:00.112-04:00

5/5 Cup of Coffee: The 2026 Florida Complex League season resumed on Monday, and the FCL Red Sox were once again on the wrong side of a heartbreaker. Despite the loss, Jorge Rodriguez (pictured) homered as part of a two-hit effort. Three other players collected extra-base hits as well.

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FCL Braves 7, FCL Red Sox 6

For the second time in three days, the FCL Red Sox lost in walk-off fashion to fall to 0-2 on the young season. Angelo Ladera got the start and went three innings in his stateside debut, allowing two earned runs on four hits, no walks, one hit by pitch, and one strikeout. Merlin Bido went the next three innings and yielded an additional run. Denison Sanchez and Jeison Payano were each charged with blown saves as they combined to surrender four runs over the contest's final three frames.

Jorge Rodriguez stood out at the plate by going 2 for 4 with one double, one home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored in his 2026 debut. Harold Rivas, who drove in one run, also had two hits. Hector Ramos went 1 for 3 with one double, one RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Franklin Primera singled in one run and drew one walk. Conrad Cason doubled for his third extra-base hit in two games. Tavano Baker went 1 for 3 with an RBI double, one run scored, and one walk. Josue Brito, who stole his first base of the year, and Dorian Soto combined for three walks and two runs scored.

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Player of the Day: Jorge Rodriguez gets the nod for clubbing his first home run in his first game of the season on Monday. The Venezuelan backstop is back in the Florida Complex League to start his 2026 after slashing .289/.359/.410 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 28 games (92 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox last year. He is not currently ranked among the organization's top 60 prospects.

Photo Credit: Jorge Rodriguez by Kelly O'Connor

April Players of the Month: Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson

2026-05-04T12:00:00.207-04:00

The first full month of the minor league season is complete. With that, it is time to present the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month for April to infielder Franklin Arias (pictured, left) and right-hander Anthony Eyanson (pictured, bottom right). After standing out in spring training, both prospects placed within the top six of our Opening Day rankings. They each showed why they deserve such recognition by getting their 2026 campaigns off to scorching starts.

Arias, the No. 2 prospect in the organization behind only lefty Payton Tolle, is a SoxProspects.com Player of the Month honoree for the second time after tearing the cover off the ball in April. In 20 games for Portland, the right-handed hitting 20-year-old batted .375/.432/.764 with four doubles, eight home runs, 20 RBIs, 15 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and nine strikeouts over 81 plate appearances. During that torrid season-opening stretch, he homered six times in seven games from April 14-23. He also came through in the clutch with a pinch-hit walk-off homer on April 25 and a game-tying blast on April 30.

Overall, Arias is slashing .359/.433/.731 through 22 games (90 plate appearances) for Portland this season. Sixteen of his 20 starts have come at shortstop, as he leads the Sea Dogs in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.164), isolated power (.372), strikeout rate (11.1%), hits (28), home runs (8), RBIs (20), and runs scored (16). Given his performance, it feels like only a matter of time before the former top international signee out of Venezuela earns a promotion to Worcester.

Eyanson, the No. 6 prospect in the organization, is a SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Month honoree for the first time. Selected with the 87th overall pick in last summer's draft out of Louisiana State, the 21-year-old righty made a positive first impression before even making his professional debut by starring in the Spring Breakout game on March 20. He broke camp with Greenville a few weeks later and put together a dominant April, allowing just one earned run on six hits, no walks, and 27 strikeouts over four starts (16 2/3 innings) for the Drive.

In five starts for Greenville overall, Eyanson has posted a 0.44 ERA with 34 strikeouts to three walks across 20 1/3 innings in which opponents have batted .104 against him. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound California native has put up these numbers while featuring a 95-98 mph fastball that can reach triple digits, an 86-89 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 87-89 mph changeup. Taking all that into consideration, he is reportedly being promoted to Portland for a new challenge ahead of the Sea Dogs' upcoming series against New Hampshire.

Photo Credit: Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Mullins strikes out 10 behind a rehabbing Slaten

2026-05-04T07:00:00.014-04:00

5/4 Cup of Coffee: Portland was the only team to walk away victorious as they were led by Justin Slaten and Hayden Mullins (pictured). Worcester could not capitalize on a strong game from Anthony Seigler, while Ilan Fernandez had a career day for Salem.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 6, Worcester Red Sox 3

The Red Wings pulled away late as they doubled up the WooSox. Seth Martinez tied his season-high by going three innings while allowing one run as the opener. Most of the damage came off of Jack Anderson who allowed four runs on nine hits over three innings. Two players did their best to carry the offense. Anthony Seigler went 3 for 4 with a double, RBI, and stolen base, while Vinny Capra went 2 for 4 with a double and scored a run. Kristian Campbell missed his third straight game, with unconfirmed reports noting he is dealing with an illness.

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Portland Sea Dogs 11, Somerset Patriots (NYY) 4

Portland's pitching staff shined in a rout of Somerset. The opener was Justin Slaten who started a rehab assignment as he works back from a right oblique strain. He struck out two and allowed one hit in his lone inning of work. Hayden Mullins was excellent behind him striking out 10 over six frames while allowing two runs. He walked one after walking five last time out. The offense provided more than enough support, with Johanfran Garcia leading the way. He went 2 for 5 with a home run and a double. Nelly Taylor also went deep, while Caden Rose went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a walk, and a stolen base.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 7, Greenville Drive 5

The Drive dropped their fourth straight as Hub City pulled ahead late. Starter Marcus Phillips cruised through the first three innings, but was touched up in the fourth and fifth. He finished allowing five runs over 4 2/3 innings with three walks and five strikeouts and he also hit two batters. The loss went to Luis Cohen who allowed two runs in his two innings. A two-run home run off the bat of Mason White tied the game at 5 in the sixth, and Isaiah Jackson went 2 for 4 with a double.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 4, Salem RidgeYaks 3 (10 innings)

Wilson got a walk-off two-run home run in the 10th to sink Salem. Wuilliams Rodriguez was on the mound starting his second inning of work when the Warbirds walked it off. Starter Leighton Finley did not surrender an earned run but did give up two unearned runs while striking out one and walking three over five frames. Jason Gilman kept his ERA at 0.00 by blanking Wilson over three innings. The only Salem batter to record an RBI was Enddy Azocar who went 1 for 4 with a walk and a two-run double. Hitting ninth, Ilan Fernandez had a career day going 4 for 4 with three doubles.

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Player of the Day: Ilan Fernandez was a long shot to win this award entering the day as he came in with a line of .146/.295/.229 over 48 at-bats. That line jumped to .212/.338/.346 after he went 4 for 4 with three doubles. The 19-year-old infielder out of Venezuela has shown good feel for the strike zone in his two seasons playing rookie ball but he has hit for minimal power. He had six extra-base hits in 38 games last year. He accumulated half of that total in one game on Sunday.

Photo Credit: Hayden Mullins by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Cason goes deep twice in FCL opener, Gonzales has busy day at the plate for Greenville

2026-05-03T07:00:00.079-04:00

5/3 Cup of Coffee: Amid a winless night across the Boston affiliates on Saturday, some exciting season debuts occurred with the beginning of the Complex League season kicking off. Conrad Cason homered twice in his return to the field, Franklin Arias picked up another extra-base hit in Portland's loss, and Justin Gonzales reached base three times in Greenville's game.

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 7, Worcester Red Sox 5

It was a tough day on the mound for Michael Sansone, allowing six runs in his 5 1/3 innings of work on Saturday. The left-hander also struck out five but surrendered a pair of home runs in his outing. Worcester took a brief lead after trailing 4-0 thanks to a two-run home run by Allan Castro in the fourth, a solo home run by Nathan Hickey in the fifth and two runs scoring thanks to a fielding error off the bat of Hickey in the sixth to make it 5-4 WooSox before Rochester took the lead in the bottom half for good.

Jacob Webb followed Sansone on the mound as the only other pitcher to appear in the game, tossing 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run with a hit, two walks and two strikeouts on his line. Outside of Castro and Hickey's productive days at the plate, Vinny Capra recorded a multi-hit day to boost his OPS on the season to 1.072 in 23 games.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 11, Portland Sea Dogs 0

An eight-run fourth inning by Somerset put the Sea Dogs away early as Portland dropped its third in a row. Despite allowing just one of the 11 runs on the evening, Jedixson Paez took the loss with his 2 2/3 innings of work in his second start of the season. After Paez, Shea Sprague recorded four outs but allowed eight runs on seven hits (three home runs) and a pair of walks. Calvin Bickerstaff pitched three innings of two-run ball in his Double-A debut, and Caleb Bolden pitched a scoreless eighth with a hit allowed.

Offensively it was a quiet night for the Sea Dogs, with only five hits scattered throughout the night. Franklin Arias stayed hot at the plate with his fifth double of the year and Brooks Brannon went 2 for 4 with a double of his own.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 6, Greenville Drive 2

Greenville led the game 2-1 entering the late innings, but the Drive pitching staff allowed a run in the seventh, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth to drop its third straight. Devin Futrell continued his hot start since earning a promotion from Salem with 5 1/3 innings with a run allowed on three hits. He walked two and struck out five while throwing 56 of his 84 pitches for strikes to lower his High-A ERA to 1.26 across 14 1/3 innings.

While Futrell was dealing, Henry Godbout doubled home Justin Gonzales after the right fielder tripled to open the bottom of the first and Gerardo Rodriguez plated Gonzales again in the fifth on a single to left field. Leading 2-1 entering the late innings, Danny Kirwin, who eventually took the loss, allowed four runs (two earned runs) in his two innings on the mound on four hits with a walk and strikeout. Matt McShane followed him and allowed the run in the ninth while recording four outs in his appearance.

Gonzales' day at the plate featured the aforementioned triple, a walk, a hit by pitch as well as scoring the only runs for Greenville. Godbout hit a pair of doubles and stole a base to up his OPS on the season to .872, and Rodriguez followed the Drive shortstop with his own two-hit performance.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 10, Salem RidgeYaks 0

Salem was held hitless through the first six innings and only mustered a pair of knocks in the contest. While the team did walk seven times as well, it went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position to keep them off the scoreboard. Dalvinson Reyes took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned runs) in 3 1/3 innings along with four hits, a home run, three walks and three strikeouts. Barrett Morgan was a bright spot on the mound as Boston's 11th-round pick from last year's draft held Wilson scoreless over 3 2/3 frames with seven strikeouts to lower his season ERA to 0.96. Adam Bates followed in the eight and gave up five runs of his own on four hits.

Starlyn Nunez, Ilan Fernandez and Anderson Fermin each reached base multiple times, with Fernandez walking twice and recording a single.

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FCL Twins 8, FCL Red Sox 6

The Red Sox dropped its first game of the Florida Complex League in heartbreaking fashion, allowing five runs to score in the bottom of the seventh after leading 6-3 entering the final half-inning. Yoelvin Chirino took the loss along with a blown save after he could not record an out and allowed five runs on two hits with a pair of walks.

The unfortunate ending overshadowed a promising day for a handful of notable prospects. On the offensive side, Dorian Soto went 1 for 3 with a walk in his stateside debut, Harold Rivas walked twice and scored a run, and Conrad Cason slugged a pair of home runs in the defeat. After only appearing in two games last season, Cason showcased some power that makes him an intriguing two-way player. On the mound, Carter Rasmussen was the star pitching in relief. In his two innings of work, Boston's 14th-round pick from last year's draft struck out three while walking three in the process.

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Player of the Day: Although the Red Sox fell in its FCL opener, Conrad Cason quickly reminded Boston fans why the organization was so high on him entering last season. Cason hit a pair of solo home runs, his first two as a professional, in a 2-for-4 day. While the two-way player is not pitching this season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the 19-year-old's bat is very much a weapon on its own. Cason is currently ranked the 38th-ranked prospect at SoxProspects.com

Photo Credit: Conrad Cason by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Gasper leads Worcester comeback; Eyanson dominates in Greenville

2026-05-02T07:00:00.133-04:00

5/1 Cup of Coffee: The calendar flipped to May, but many of the same themes continued from April: Mickey Gasper (pictured) is still getting on base, Yoeilin Cespedes is still piling up the doubles, and Anthony Eyanson is still mowing down South Atlantic League hitters. Gasper had four hits to lead Worcester to the system's only win of the day. Eyanson fanned seven and continued his scoreless streak in Greenville's loss. It was a May Day to forget for Portland and Salem, who both suffered blowout defeats.

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 5

A five-run rally in the seventh propelled the WooSox to the come-from-behind victory. Mickey Gasper was the offensive catalyst, going 4 for 5 with three runs, two RBI, a steal, and a solo homer. Vinny Capra homered and doubled as part of his 2-for-5 evening, and Nick Sogard also had two hits while driving in a pair.

The Red Wings reached starter Isaac Coffey for five runs in four innings, but the Worcester bullpen was dominant. Eduardo Rivera went three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five without issuing a walk. He threw 32 of his 45 pitches for strikes. Kyle Keller struck out one and walked one in a hitless eighth, and Tommy Kahnle closed out the win with a scoreless inning. The major league team will have to make a decision on Kahnle, who reportedly exercised his assignment clause after the game. The clause means he would need to be added to the 40-man roster and, because he is out of options, he would also need to be added to the major league roster.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 13, Portland Sea Dogs 3

John Holobetz had a rare rough start as the Sea Dogs fell for the fourth time in five games this series. A first-inning grand slam hurt Holobetz, who allowed ten runs (seven earned) on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out two. Joe Vogatsky pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, but the Patriots added three insurance runs off of Reidis Sena, whose control wobbled with five walks in two frames. All of the Portland scoring came via the long ball. Johanfran Garcia hit his second home run of the year, a two-run blast in the sixth. Will Turner had an eighth-inning solo shot.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 7, Greenville Drive 1

Flipping the calendar to May did little to slow down Anthony Eyanson. Last July's third-round pick struck out the first four batters he saw before doing something he had not done all season: Anthony Eyanson walked a batter. He finished 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings going back to his first appearance of the season. He struck out seven batters while walking three. Brandon Neely took the loss in relief, giving up six runs in two frames. At the plate, Yoeilin Cespedes ripped his minor-league leading 12th double, giving him at least one extra-base hit in four straight games. Antonio Anderson was 2 for 4 with a double of his own, driving in Greenville's lone run.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 11, Salem RidgeYaks 2

It was a tough night in the Carolina League as Salem managed only three hits off a trio of Wilson hurlers. One of those hits was the fourth home run of the season for Skylar King, a fourth-inning solo shot that knotted the game at 2-2. From that point on, it was all Warbirds. Starter Christian Foutch went the first three innings, surrendering two runs on two hits, striking out seven against three walks. Jose Bello took the loss, giving up five runs (two earned) in 2 1/3. It is the 11th loss in the last 16 games for the RidgeYaks.

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May 1 marks the final day before the complex leagues begin, as the FCL Red Sox will kick off their schedule on Saturday afternoon. The team will feature ninth-ranked Dorian Soto and several other players from a strong-looking 2025 international class. Check out the squad over on the SoxProspects.com Team Rosters page.

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Player of the Day: Mickey Gasper opened up May by keying the system's only victory of the day. The 30-year-old has continued to be an on-base machine in his second stint in the Red Sox system, raising his OBP to .442 on the year in 120 plate appearances. Gasper spent 2024 in the system after being selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, making his major league debut on August 12. Boston dealt him to Minnesota in the deal for Jovani Moran, but was able to claim him on waivers in February from the Nationals.

Photo Credit: Mickey Gasper by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Nunez homers twice to lead Salem comeback; Arias goes deep again

2026-05-01T07:00:00.399-04:00

5/1 Cup of Coffee: While the big club was off, Boston's affiliates went 3-2 on a busy Thursday. Behind home runs from Matt Thaiss, Vinny Capra, and Braiden Ward, Worcester swept its doubleheader against Rochester. Franklin Arias, Miguel Bleis, and Brooks Brannon all went deep in Portland's walk-off loss to Somerset. Justin Gonzales and Yoeilin Cespedes stayed hot at the plate in Greenville's loss to Hub City. Starlyn Nunez (pictured) starred in Salem's come-from-behind victory over Wilson.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3 (Game 1)

Alec Gamboa picked up his first win of the season, as he allowed two earned runs on four hits (including one home run), one walk, and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. He threw 73 pitches (51 strikes) and generated 10 whiffs. Jack Anderson followed out of the bullpen and gave up an additional run (on another homer) in 1 1/3 innings but held on to notch the save.

At the plate, Matt Thaiss provided the biggest hit for Worcester in Game 1 by going 1 for 3 with a solo home run (his second of the year) off old friend Luis Perales. Kristian Campbell drove in one run, scored another, and drew one walk. Allan Castro and Vinny Capra each had RBIs as well. Nick Sogard went 1 for 2 with one run scored and two walks. Tsung-Che Cheng went 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

Worcester Red Sox 7, Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 3 (Game 2)

Devin Sweet got the start in Game 2 and went three innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He threw 52 pitches (33 strikes) and generated seven whiffs. Angel Bastardo struck out three over two scoreless frames of relief, while Wyatt Olds was tagged for two runs in the sixth before putting up a zero in the seventh to end it and secure the doubleheader sweep.

Offensively, Capra led the way by going 3 for 5 with two doubles, his third home run of the season, one RBI, and two runs scored. Braiden Ward also homered for the first time this year for his lone hit of the contest. Anthony Seigler went 2 for 2 with one double, one triple, two RBIs, one run scored, and two walks. Mikey Romero went 1 for 3 with one RBI and one walk. Castro and Jason Delay drove in runs as well, with the former adding one run and one stolen base and the latter adding one run and two walks. Campbell drew one walk and scored one run.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 9, Portland Sea Dogs 6

Patrick Halligan went 2 2/3 innings in his first start for Portland, allowing two earned runs on three hits (including one home run), one walk, and six strikeouts. He threw 53 pitches (37 strikes) and generated 13 whiffs. Erik Rivera and Cooper Adams combined to surrender seven runs on eight hits (including two homers) over 5 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Adams was charged with the loss after giving up a walk-off three-run shot with one out in the ninth.

At the plate, three different Sea Dogs hitters left the yard. Franklin Arias went 2 for 5 with a game-tying two-run home run (his eighth of the season) in the ninth. Brooks Brannon and Miguel Bleis each went 1 for 3, with the former clubbing a three-run blast in the eighth and the latter taking the rehabbing Carlos Rodon deep with a solo shot in the fifth. In addition to hitting their second home runs of the year, Brannon and Bleis both drew walks as well. Nate Baez went 2 for 5 with one run scored. Nelly Taylor stole one base to bring his 2026 total up to four.

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Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 6, Greenville Drive 2

Kyson Witherspoon went 2 2/3 innings and took the loss in his start for Greenville, surrendering four earned runs on two hits (including one home run), five walks, one hit by pitch, and six strikeouts. Only 32 of his 66 pitches landed for strikes, though he did generate 11 whiffs. Steven Brooks and Jay Allmer combined for four strikeouts across 6 1/3 frames of two-run ball out of the bullpen.

Offensively, Justin Gonzales went 2 for 2 with one double, two runs scored, and one walk out of the leadoff spot. Yoeilin Cespedes also doubled as part of a 2-for-5 night. Gerardo Rodriguez drove in one run and drew one walk, while Jack Winnay drove in one run and drew two walks. Henry Godbout was responsible for his side's only other hit.

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Salem RidgeYaks 10, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 5

Madinson Frias went 3 2/3 innings in his start for Salem, yielding three unearned runs on five hits, two walks, one hit by pitch, and five strikeouts. He threw 83 pitches (50 strikes) and generated 10 whiffs. Ethan Walker took over out of the bullpen and gave up two earned runs on four hits (including two home runs), one walk, and nine strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings to notch the winning decision. He threw 74 pitches (48 strikes) and generated 14 whiffs.

At the plate, the top-third of the RidgeYaks lineup did most of the damage in this one. Leadoff man Staryln Nunez went 4 for 5 with two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. Enddy Azocar went 3 for 5 with two runs scored. Luke Heyman went 2 for 5 with a three-run home run for his third big fly of the season. Ty Hodge also went deep and drove in two additional runs as part of a 2-for-4 showing. Andrews Opata and Kleyver Salazar scored one run and stole one base apiece.

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Player of the Day: Starlyn Nunez gets the nod for putting together his first professional two-homer game. The switch-hitting 20-year-old had been mired in a slump as of late, but he broke out of it by racking up four hits and 10 total bases on Thursday. He is now batting .235/.313/.424 with three doubles, two triples, three home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, seven stolen bases, nine walks, and 32 strikeouts through 21 games (96 plate appearances) for Salem this season. Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic for $52,500 in January 2023, Nunez is currently ranked as the No. 50 prospect in the organization.

Photo Credit: Starlyn Nunez by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Cespedes homers twice in Drive walk-off

2026-04-30T07:00:00.011-04:00

4/30 Cup of Coffee: It was a Wednesday split don on the farm, with two wins, two losses, and one rain out. Yoeilin Cespdes (pictured) and Justin Gonzales continue to stand out for Greenville, who came from behind in an extra-inning win. Salem squandered a solid start from Dylan Brown, while Portland managed to salvage a split in a doubleheader despite being outscored by 11 runs on the day.

Worcester Red Sox @ Rochester Red Wings (MIN), postponed

The WooSox were scheduled to face off with old friend Luis Perales, but the weather had other ideas. The two squads will play a doubleheader on Thursday instead.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 13, Portland Sea Dogs 1 (Game 1)

A Will Turner solo home run brought the opener of Wednesday's doubleheader within two before a barrage of 10 consecutive Somerset runs. Franklin Arias singled.

Portland Sea Dogs 6, Somerset Patriots 5 (Game 2)

Johanfran Garcia and Max Ferguson connected for homers off of a rehabbing Gerrit Cole, and a three-run seventh-inning rally earned a split for the Sea Dogs. It was the first home run of the season for Garcia, who returned to the Portland lineup after an extended spring training tuneup. Ferguson also added a double, scoring twice and driving in a pair. Blake Wehunt went three innings, with a solo homer accounting for the only run he allowed. He struck out four and walked one. Caleb Bolden contributed three innings and allowed two runs to get credit for the win.

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Greenville Drive 8, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 7

It was a wild comeback win in the 10th inning by the Drive, led by red-hot Yoeilin Cespedes. After bringing a 5-3 lead into the ninth, Greenville surrendered two runs in the ninth and two more in the 10th. Leading off the bottom of the 10th, Cespedes delivered a two-run game-tying homer on the very first pitch that he saw. The 20-year-old had already blasted a solo homer in the third, singled twice, and reached on an error.

Greenville won when Freili Encarnacion came up with first and third and one out. He bounced a grounder back to the pitcher, who got the lead runner at second base, but an errant relay through that looked like Encarnacion might have beaten anyway allowed Gerardo Rodriguez to score the winner. Encarnacion got credit for his second RBI of the night, having previously homered. Adonys Guzman also went deep for the drive, while Justin Gonzales nudged his batting average over the .300 mark with a 3-for-5 effort.

On the mound, starter Ben Hansen went two innings, allowing two runs on two hits, striking out three, and walking one. Alex Bouchard was excellent in relief, giving up just one run on five hits across 5 1/3 frames. He struck out four against one walk and has a 1.65 ERA through four outings. Hub City reached Danny Kirwin for a pair of runs in his 1 2/3 innings of work, while Matt McShane picked up the win after giving up two runs (one earned) in the 10th.

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Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 5, Salem RidgeYaks 1

Salem was held to just three hits in its morning contest in Wilson. One of those was a game-tying solo homer in the eighth inning by Ty Hodge, the first of his professional career. Enddy Azocar doubled, walked, and stole a base, and D'Angelo Ortiz singled for the other Salem hit. Dylan Brown turned in a strong start, giving up one unearned run on three hits across five innings. He struck out seven while walking three, and has fanned 32 batters in 23 1/3 innings. Wuilliams Rodriguez surrendered a pair of runs in the eight and was saddled with the losing decision.

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Player of the Day: Yoeilin Cespedes picks up his second straight Player of the Day as he continues his outstanding start to 2026. His 4-for-5 effort on Wednesday included two home runs, giving him four in his last four games and six on the season. His slash line for the season is up to .314/.394/.640, and he is 12 for 29 with 27 total bases in his last seven contests.

Photo Credit: Yoeilin Cespedes by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep #412: Red Sox Fire Alex Cora, Hire Chad Tracy

2026-04-29T17:36:00.000-04:00

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Editor-in-Chief Mike Andrews to break down all the Red Sox coaching staff changes. They start by giving their reaction to Alex Cora’s firing and the other changes to the major league staff. They then go in-depth on Chad Tracy and discuss if he is ready for the job. After that, they break down the other coaching staff changes on the major league and minor league side, before a brief discussion of Payton Tolle’s start against the Yankees. Finally, they check in on each affiliate, with more praise of Franklin Arias, and then wrap the show up by answering your emails!

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Cup of Coffee: Drive hit four home runs in pivotal eighth-inning rally

2026-04-29T07:00:00.186-04:00

4/29 Cup of Coffee: The WooSox and Sea Dogs had quiet nights on Tuesday, scoring just one run apiece. However, strong performances in the lower levels of the minors made up for it as Greenville exploded for five home runs (including three in a row) in a slugfest win and the RidgeYaks hit three homers of their own while twirling a shutout on the mound.

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Rochester Red Wings (WAS) 10, Worcester Red Sox 1

Though they quickly grabbed the first run of the game on an RBI groundout off the bat of Anthony Seigler in the first inning, the WooSox were completely blanked for the rest of the game. Kristian Campbell was the only Worcester hitter to record multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a double. Mickey Gasper was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. Starting pitcher Seth Martinez allowed four runs (three earned) in a three-inning start. Noah Song was hit hard in 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks. With the game out of reach, Tayron Guerrero threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames and the WooSox turned to first baseman Nathan Hickey to pitch the final inning. Making his third appearance on the mound this season, Hickey allowed a hit and a walk but escaped with a scoreless inning.

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Somerset Patriots (NYY) 2, Portland Sea Dogs 1

While the Portland bats were similarly unable to generate much offense on Tuesday night, the Sea Dogs benefited from a better pitching performance than their Triple-A counterparts. Gage Ziehl pitched seven impressive innings and allowed just two runs, both of which came on solo home runs by Patriots second baseman Marco Luciano. Ziehl struck out three batters and walked none, lowering his ERA to 5.59 through four starts. Cooper Adams threw one scoreless inning out of the bullpen. The Sea Dogs scored their only run on an RBI single by Franklin Arias (who else?), who went 2 for 5 on the night, lowering his batting average to .407 this season.

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Greenville Drive 12, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 6

A seven-run eighth inning for the Drive turned this game from a tight, back-and-forth contest into a blowout. Greenville started the inning with a bang (or three, rather), as Yophery Rodriguez, Justin Gonzales, and Henry Godbout blasted back-to-back-to-back home runs to begin the frame. Later in the inning, Freili Encarnacion gave the Drive some insurance as he crushed an opposite-field grand slam, his fourth home run of the season. Godbout was 3 for 5 and Gonzales was 2 for 5 with a walk on the night. Second baseman Yoeilin Cespedes (pictured) went 2 for 4 with a walk and a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

Starter Jojo Ingrassia tossed the first three innings of the game, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks. Luis Cohen was impressive in three shutout innings of relief, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out two. Calvin Bickerstaff allowed four runs in three innings but took the win, as he was the pitcher of record while the Drive put together their winning rally.

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Salem RidgeYaks 6, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 0

A pair of 2025 draftees threw a combined shutout, as seventh-rounder Myles Patton started the game with five scoreless frames. Patton struck out six batters while allowing two walks and two hits, lowering his ERA to 4.41 in 16 1/3 innings this season. Ninth-round pick Jacob Mayers was electric in four innings of relief, striking out four and allowing just a hit and a walk. The RidgeYaks bats got off to a fast start as catcher Luke Heyman drove a two-run homer to center field to give Salem the lead in the first inning. Salem kept the long balls coming as the game moved along, as Enddy Azocar hit a solo shot in the fifth and Andrews Opata added a two-run homer in the eighth. Azocar was 2 for 5 with a pair of runs scored and he is now hitting .271/.315/.506 with four home runs to start the season.

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Player of the Day: While his three-run homer did not come as a part of Greenville's game-winning rally, Yoeilin Cespedes played a major part in the Drive's win on Tuesday night. Cespedes was 2 for 4 with a walk, two runs scored, and three RBI. After struggling with Salem in his first taste of full-season baseball last year, Cespedes is off to a great start in Greenville as he is now hitting .284/.372/.556 with four home runs and 10 doubles through his first 20 games of the year.

Photo Credit: Yoeilin Cespedes by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Cora's firing leads to organizational shuffle; Eduardo Rivera debuts

2026-04-28T15:00:00.003-04:00

The headlines this week were dominated by the firing of manager Alex Cora and several coaches, a move that had implications for the minor league staffs. Several coaches were reassigned, including a number of ex-prospects. Not to be overshadowed were several player moves, which included the debut of Eduardo Rivera (pictured, left) and the return to the major leagues for Payton Tolle.

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Coaching Carousel

Less than one month into his eighth season as Red Sox manager, the team relieved Alex Cora of his duties. Cora had a 620-541 record during his stint in Boston, but a lackluster 10-17 start during which he seemed to be at odds with the front office doomed him. Also let go were hitting coach Pete Fatse, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and Hitting Strategy Coach Joe Cronin. Jason Varitek was to be reassigned from his position as game-planning and run-prevention coach, but it is unclear at this time what his new assignment will be and whether he'll be inclined to accept it.

Chad Tracy, who has helmed the Worcester Red Sox since 2022, is 2-0 since taking over as interim manager. Promotions among the major league coaching staff included:

Jose David Flores, who spent three years with Tracy in Worcester before being promoted to the major league staff last season, will slide into the bench coach role. He had been serving as first base coach most recently.
Chad Epperson takes over as third base coach in his 25th season in the Red Sox organization. He had served as Portland's manager since 2022, and previously spent 12 years as the minor league catching coordinator. He coached and managed at several levels in the system before that, and was in the organization as a player from 1997 through 1999.
John Soteropulos has kept the title of assistant hitting coach, but is serving as de facto lead coach in the interim.
Collin Hertzler, who worked with Soteropulos at Driveline, has also been added as an assistant hitting coach.
Pablo Cabrera moves into Flores' old role as first-base coach. He was promoted from a minor league infielder/outfielder coordinator role
Jack Simoetty is the youngest member of the staff, as the 26-year-old takes another of the hitting assistant roles.
Nelson Paulino, a 29-year veteran of the organization, is expected to be added as the third hitting assistant.
Drew Ehrhard retired as a player to take a role as the major league bullpen catcher. Ehrhard was on the active roster for Double-A Portland, playing as recently as Thursday. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tampa in July 2023, Ehrhard saw playing time in 104 games over the last four seasons. He finishes his pro career with a .233/.306/.376 slash line.

The major league moves created several minor league spots that were backfilled.

Iggy Suarez (pictured, right, as a player in 2007) takes over as Worcester manager. The 44-year-old Suarez has been with the Sox since he was drafted in the 24th round of the 2003 draft, except for a three-year run as a player in the independent Atlantic League. Suarez joined the Worcester coaching staff under Tracy last season after previously having served eight years as a minor league manager: with the Lowell Spinners in 2016 and 2017 and the Greenville Drive from 2018 through 2024. Suarez was in the organization as a player from 2003 through 2009. He advanced as far as Triple-A as a player and was twice named the Sea Dogs Citizen of the Year.
Kyle Sasala slides into Epperson's old role as Portland manager. He joined the staff in 2024 as the team's Defensive Coach after previously working at Grove City College.

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Rivera and Tolle called up

On Tuesday, it was announced that Eduardo Rivera would be promoted from Portland to Worcester. A few hours later, he learned that the promotion would actually be all the way to the majors. With the bullpen depleted after the Patriots Day weekend series, Rivera made his major league debut on Tuesday against the Yankees, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings of much-needed long relief in a 4-0 loss. Despite the effort, he was optioned back to Worcester the following day.

Rivera's stay in the majors was short by design, meant to fill the gap before Payton Tolle could make Thursday's start. The system's top prospect was dominant, allowing a run on three hits in six innings, striking out 11 batters against just one walk. A Yankee rally in the seventh meant that Tolle was left with a no-decision, but he stands to take at least a couple more turns in the major league rotation, at least until Sonny Gray is ready to return.

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Transaction updates

Two players who were returned to the Red Sox after being selected in the Rule 5 draft took steps forward. Angel Bastardo, selected by the Blue Jays in December 2024 with the knowledge that he would be out all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery, failed to make Toronto's major league squad out of spring training. Bastardo was activated by the WooSox on Tuesday and pitched in two games out of the bullpen. He struck out five and walked three in three innings without allowing a hit. Jedixson Paez did make the White Sox out of camp but was returned to Boston after three major league appearances. Originally assigned and officially activated by Portland two weeks ago, he pitched one inning on April 18th out of the bullpen, allowing one run on a solo homer in one inning. He started on April 25th, again just going one inning, striking out one and surrendering one hit.

Additional Moves:

Catcher Johanfran Garcia was activated by Portland after spending the first three weeks of the season on the development list. He is currently ranked 52nd in the system
Along with Rivera's call-up on Tuesday, the Red Sox recalled Tyler Samaniego from Worcester and added Sonny Gray to the 15-day IL. To make room for Rivera, they optioned Jack Anderson back to Triple-A and moved first baseman Triston Casas to the 60-day IL.
The promotion of Tolle was followed by a series of pitching roster moves down the ladder. Michael Sansone, continuing to flex between Portland and Worcester, rejoined the WooSox. PJ Labriola, who was used regularly in major league spring training, joins the Sea Dogs for the first time. Brandon Neely moves up from Salem after the 2024 third-rounder struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings with the RidgeYaks. Finally, Jason Gilman joined Salem from extended spring training. Gilman, Boston's 16th-round pick in 2025, made his pro debut on Saturday with two hitless innings, striking out five.

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Where Are They Now

Pitcher Alex Hoppe was recalled by the Mariners over the weekend and made his major league debut on Monday. The right-hander was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 draft and routinely registered with the highest average fastball velocity in the system. He peaked in the rankings at number 28, but struggled at times with control and consistency. Rule 5 eligible headed into 2026, Boston dealt him to Seattle before the roster deadline in an exchange for catcher Luke Heyman, and the Mariners promptly protected him by adding him to the 40-man. He had been dominant with Triple-A Tacoma before the recall, allowing just one unearned run in eight innings across eight appearances, striking out 12.

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Players of the Week April 20-26

Yophery Rodriguez, OF, Greenville Drive

5G, 7-17 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, .412/.545/1.000

Once again, a Greenville trip to Asheville produces a player-of-the-week performance. Yophery Rodriguez took advantage of the friendly conditions at McCormick Field to post 17 total bases in just five games. This continues the strong play for Rodriguez, who struggled some in an aggressive assignment to Greenville as a 19-year-old in 2025. Through 17 games this year, the former Brewer farmhand is hitting .317/.286/651 and has already matched his home run total from last year. He is currently ranked 56th in the organization.

Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Greenville Drive

1 GS, 4 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, .071 OBA

The aforementioned friendly hitting conditions in Asheville only serve to make Eyanson's line all the more impressive. Boston's 2026 third-round pick allowed just one hit in 4 1/3 innings in Saturday's start against the tourists, striking out nine of the 14 batters he faced and generating 19 swinging strikes. Eyanson has yet to walk a batter in 16 2/3 innings across four starts, and he has struck out 27. This week's effort dropped the organization's sixth-ranked prospect's ERA to 0.54.

Photo Credit: Eduardo Rivera, Iggy Suarez, both by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Portland tosses combined no-hitter; Gonzales powers Greenville

2026-04-27T07:00:00.058-04:00

4/27 Cup of Coffee: A combined no-hitter in Portland and a clutch grand slam from Justin Gonzales (pictured) were the highlights on Sunday. Nate Eaton carried Worcester past Syracuse, while Hayden Mullins did the bulk of the work in Portland's no-hitter. Gonzales paced Greenville, and Salem had no answers for Fredericksburg.

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Worcester Red Sox 6, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 2

Three hits, including a three-run home run, from Nate Eaton led the WooSox to a series victory. Eaton went 3 for 3 with a double in addition to the long ball. Braiden Ward went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, Vinny Capra went 2 for 3 with a walk, and Kristian Campbell went 1 for 2 with a walk, sacrifice fly, and stolen base. Two players who made their last appearance in Boston threw the majority of the innings. Jack Anderson started with four shutout frames with four strikeouts, and Eduardo Rivera struck out six but allowed two runs over three innings.

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Portland Sea Dogs 3, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 2

Portland salvaged a tie in the series with one of the more unconventional no-hitters you will see. A third inning error by first baseman Ronald Rosario was originally ruled a hit, so many fans might not have been thinking about the no-hitter initially. That error allowed two runs to score, with Hayden Mullins being the beneficiary of those runs going from earned to unearned. Mullins walked five and struck out five while keeping Hartford out of the hit column. Caleb Bolden and Reidis Sena left no doubt over the final four innings, with the only runner to reach base doing so via catcher interference. Bolden struck out three in his two frames, while Sena punched out four.

The top story in Portland is typically Franklin Arias, but he had a relatively quiet game by going 1 for 4 with a single and a run scored. Nate Baez tied the game in the sixth with a two-run home run, and Rosario made up for his earlier defensive miscue by driving in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.

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Greenville Drive 10, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 7 (10 innings)

A game-tying grand slam from Justin Gonzales in the top of the eighth propelled Greenville to a come-from-behind win. Gonzales finished 3 for 5 with five RBI. The other big hit came from Stanley Tucker who launched a two-run home run in the 10th inning. Henry Godbout went 1 for 4 with a double and two walks, Isaiah Jackson went 1 for 2 with two walks, and Freili Encarnacion went 1 for 1 with a double and three walks. Marcus Phillips worked around four walks in his 3 1/3 innings to hold Asheville scoreless. He did not allow a hit while striking out five. The Tourists got to Joey Gartrell for five runs in his lone frame, but Harry Blum settled things down over the final three innings. He struck out five without allowing a hit while earning the victory.

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Fredericksburg Nationals (WAS) 7, Salem RidgeYaks 0

It was a forgettable Sunday in Salem as the Nationals cruised to victory. Dalvinson Reyes could not follow up a solid debut as he was tagged for three runs in 2 1/3 innings. It was a similar story for Barrett Morgan and Nicolas De La Cruz as they both allowed two runs. Griffin Kilander was the only pitcher to keep Fredericksburg off the board as he twirled two hitless innings. A 2-for-3 day from Anderson Fermin and a single from Enddy Azocar was the only offense Salem could muster.

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Player of the Day: It does not get much more clutch than hitting a grand slam with your team down by four runs in the eighth. Justin Gonzales did just that for the Drive. The 19-year-old drove in five runs on the day while notching three hits. The home run was his third of the season, and it helped raise his OPS to .784. Gonzales is still learning how to tap into his plus-to-better raw power, but in flashes he shows that he is one of the highest-ceiling bats in the system.

Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Arias a walk-off hero in Portland, Eyanson holds Asheville hitless in start

2026-04-26T07:00:00.044-04:00

4/26 Cup of Coffee: Amid a seismic swing of moves at the big league level, the Boston farm system had plenty of stars shining across the affiliates. In Portland, Franklin Arias' powerful start to 2026 continued with a walk-off homer. Anthony Eyanson dazzled yet again on the mound in Greenville, and Worcester had plenty of traffic on the bases in their win against Syracuse.

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Worcester Red Sox 9, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 2

The WooSox offense used 12 hits and 13 walks to power them to victory on Saturday with eight of the nine hitters in the lineup reaching base in the contest. Nick Sogard reached base five times with two hits and three walks along with a pair of RBIs. Tsung-Che Chang walked three times, scored twice and swiped two bases as well. Mickey Gasper, Nate Eaton, and Kristian Campbell joined Sogard as players with multi-hit performances in the win.

The Worcester pitching staff comprised of five pitchers allowed just a pair of unearned runs in the eighth inning while striking out 10. Isaac Coffey earned the start and held Syracuse scoreless through the first three frames with five strikeouts on his line. Angel Bastardo took home his first win of the year after pitching the fourth and fifth with a pair of strikeouts. Devin Sweet and Kyle Keller earned holds with their respective outings, with Keller allowing the two runs to score on two hits. Tommy Kahnle came on in the ninth to close out the win with a strikeout and hit on his ledger.

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Portland Sea Dogs 4, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 3

Franklin Arias was the hero yet again for Portland, belting a two-out, two-run walk-off home run. With the Sea Dogs trailing 3-2 entering the final frame, Brooks Brannon struck out and Nelly Taylor grounded out to put Portland down to its final out. After Will Turner was hit by a pitch, Arias took an at bat in place of Ahbram Liendo and crushed a home run to right-center field. The homer was Arias' seventh of the season and gives him 17 RBIs through his first 15 games. Brannon also hit a home run in the contest, his first of the season.

Jedixson Paez pitched a scoreless first in his second appearance, followed by three scoreless innings by Joe Vogatsky, who struck out four and allowed just a pair of baserunners. Erik Rivera was charged with a blown save after surrendering the lead with three runs (two earned runs) in 3 2/3 innings before P.J. Labriola took home the win in his first outing with the Sea Dogs since earning a promotion from Greenville.

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Greenville Drive 11, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 5

A back-and-forth game started with another strong outing on the mound from Anthony Eyanson. The 2026 third-round pick allowed a single hit, struck out nine hitters and generated 16 whiffs over 4 1/3 innings, bringing his ERA to 0.54. While Eyanson was dealing, Greenville jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings. Henry Godbout followed his 3-for-3 outing Friday night with a home run in the first and Isaiah Jackson slugged his third home run of the season with a two-run shot in the fourth. Danny Kirwin followed Eyanson and allowed a pair of runs on a hit with three walks, and Brandon Neely struggled in his Greenville debut. The right-hander walked four and gave up three runs of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Trailing 5-4 in the eighth, the Drive plated six runs as Jackson drew an RBI walk, Yophery Rodriguez continued his torrid start with a run-scoring single, Antonio Anderson plated a run on a single, a wild pitch that saw Rodriguez cross home and Justin Gonzales capping the rally with a two-run single. Greenville added one more run in the ninth on Yoeilin Cespedes' third home run of the season. Steven Brooks earned the win, pitching the final 2 2/3 innings while not allowing a run on two hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

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Fredericksburg Nationals (WSH) 11, Salem RidgeYaks 4

It was a tough day for the Salem staff with eight hits and eight walks allowed. Jose Bello looked solid in his third start of the season. The right-hander went three innings, allowed a home run but struck out four while throwing 29 of his 43 pitches for strikes. Christian Foutch and Adam Bates struggled following Bello, allowing 10 runs over the next four innings with seven hits, seven walks and just three strikeouts. Foutch ended up being tagged with the loss. Jason Gilman pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth.

It was a relatively quiet night for the RidgeYaks offense, who didn't score half of its runs until the bottom of the ninth inning. Enddy Azocar, Arvinson Pinto and D'Angelo Ortiz were responsible for the team's RBIs, with Azocar and Ortiz singling in their runs and Pinto plating the other on a sacrifice fly. Andrews Opata continued his hot start to his professional career with a pair of walks and a run scored to push his OPS on the season to 1.002 over 60 plate appearances.

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Player of the Day: It is becoming repetitive at this point, but no one has been able to hit Anthony Eyanson the entire month of April. The right-hander's recent dominant outing puts his ERA on the season at 0.54 with a staggering 0.36 WHIP through 16 2/3 innings. Eyanson is currently the sixth-ranked prospect at SoxProspects, but has all the makings to climb up the list with his start to 2026.

Photo Credit: Anthony Eyanson by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Godbout, Rodriguez power Greenville victory

2026-04-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

4/25 Cup of Coffee: Most of the system's good news on Friday came out of Greenville, where the offense reached base 19 times in the organization's only win. Henry Godbout (pictured) led the offensive attack, and Yophery Rodriguez blasted a decisive home run. The other three affiliates combined for just 10 hits while getting outscored 22 to five.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 3, Worcester Red Sox 0

After combining for 42 runs in the first three games of the series, Friday's contest was a sharp turn. The Syracuse staff no-hit Worcester into the eighth inning, settling for a combined six-man two-hit shutout. Worcester starter Michael Sansone went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits in a losing decision. Seth Martinez followed with 1 2/3 hitless frames. Noah Song pitched around one hit and two walks in his two shutout innings, and Wyatt Olds punched out two in a scoreless ninth. Anthony Siegler singled to lead off the eighth inning to foil the no-hit bid. He was the only WooSox batter to reach base twice, also drawing a second-inning walk. Mikey Romero had a ninth-inning single for the other Worcester knock.

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Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 1

Portland's offense generated little more than Worcester, getting held to one hit. The Sea Dogs scored a run in the second when Miguel Bleis walked, stole second, and came around to score on a Ronald Roasario base hit. Max Ferguson had a double and a pair of walks to lead, while Marvin Alcantara singled for the other Portland hit. Hartford was able to hold the scorching-hot Franklin Arias in check, as he went 0 for 4 after he homered in the first three games of the series. It was only the second start this season in which Arias did not reach base. On the mound, John Holobetz went six innings, with four runs coming on a pair of two-run homers. The right-hander sruck out three and walked one. Cade Feeney allowed a run on one hit in three innings of relief, striking out a pair without issuing a walk.

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Greenville Drive 9, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 6

The Drive pounded out 11 hits and drew seven walks to prevail in Friday's slugfest. Henry Godbout reached base five times, going 3 for 3 with two walks and a run scored. Yeoilin Cespedes ripped his 10th double of the season, pulling him into a tie with old friend James Tibbs to lead all minor league players in that category. Mason White delivered a solo homer in the fourth inning but was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fifth. Yophery Rodriguez also went deep with a two-run eighth inning shot that snapped a 6-6 tie. Antonio Anderson snapped out of his 1-for-30 season-opening skid, going 2 for 3 with a double, walk, and two runs scored.

Kyson Witherspoon cruised through his first two innings but ran into trouble with his command in the third and fourth. He finished with five runs allowed (three earned) on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking four. Devin Futrell was excellent in a piggyback role, with a solo home run the only blemish in 4 2/3 frames. He scattered four hits, struck out five, and did not walk a batter as he earned the winning decision. Matt McShane fired a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save, striking out two.

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Fredericksburg Nationals (WAS) 14, Salem RidgeYaks 4

It was a long night at Carilion Clinic Field as Fredericksburg scored eight runs in the final two innings to turn the matchup into a blowout. The Nationals reached Salem starter Madinson Frias for six runs runs (five earned) on seven hits, including three homers, in four innings. Ethan Walker was rolling in relief with three straight hitless frames before his control abandoned him in the eighth inning. Four walks, an error, another two walks, and a sacrifice fly led to five Fredericksburg runs without a base hit. Wuilliams Rodriguez came on to get through the inning without further damage but allowed three runs in the ninth. Griffin Kilander retired the final two batters for a merciful finish. Andrews Opata scored two of Salem's four runs, going 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. Avinson Pinto doubled and Frederik Jimenez had a triple for the RidgeYaks.

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Player of the Day: Henry Godbout led the way in the system's only victory on Friday. He had three hits and drew two walks and now has seven hits in his last three games after going just 5 for 33 to open the season. Godbout, who saw most of his time at second base while at the University of Viriginia, has played exclusively shortstop when he's been in the field in 2026. Selected with the second-round pick that Boston received for losing Nick Pivetta in free agency, Godbout is currently ranked 11th in the system.

Photo Credit: Henry Godbout by Kelly O'Connor

Podcast Ep #411: Pitching Debuts And Franklin Arias Power Surge

2026-04-24T10:38:00.000-04:00

Ian Cundall is joined by SoxProspects Feature Writer Andrew Parker to discuss the latest Red Sox major league and minor league news. They discuss the Red Sox offensive struggles and why they’ve had to tap into their prospect pitching depth so early including Eduardo Rivera and Payton Tolle. After that they dive into the minor league side of things and go through all the latest transactions, including Juan Valera’s injury. Finally they check in on each affiliate and highlight a few players who have caught their eye including Franklin Arias. They then wrap the show up by answering your emails!

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to SoxProspects on Patreon for the details.

A special thank you to The Ludlow Thieves for our intro/outro song, All the Money. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us at podcast@soxprospects.com.

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Cup of Coffee: Arias, Ferguson come through in clutch, lift Portland to walk-off win in extras

2026-04-24T07:00:00.353-04:00

4/24 Cup of Coffee: While top pitching prospect Payton Tolle wowed in his return to Fenway Park, Boston's affiliates went 3-1 on Thursday. Nate Eaton and Vinny Capra were among the standout performers in Worcester's win over Syracuse. Franklin Arias (pictured) homered yet again, and Max Ferguson delivered in the clutch in Portland's walk-off win over Hartford. Gerardo Rodriguez went deep for the first time this season in Greenville's walk-off loss to Asheville. Stanley Tucker and Skylar King both left the yard in Salem's win over Fredericksburg.

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Worcester Red Sox 10, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 4

Nate Eaton enjoyed a productive afternoon at the plate, going 2 for 3 with one triple, one RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Eaton was not alone in that department, as Vinny Capra went 1 for 3 with one double, two RBI, two runs scored, and two walks. Nick Sogard drove in two runs, scored once, drew two walks, and stole one base. He also threw out a runner at second base from right field. Mickey Gasper, Allan Castro, Matt Thaiss, and Nathan Hickey all had RBI as well. Altogether, the WooSox recorded more walks than strikeouts as a team.

On the mound, Alec Gamboa got the start and went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits (including one home run), one walk, and six strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches (57 strikes) and generated 16 whiffs. Jacob Webb, who was credited with the winning decision, Tayron Guerrero, who reached triple digits with his fastball, and Tommy Kahnle, who retired the only three batters he faced, combined for 4 2/3 scoreless frames of relief to end it.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 4 (10 innings)

Franklin Arias took center stage yet again for Portland, going 2 for 5 with a double and a game-tying two-run home run in the ninth inning. It was his third homer of the series and the sixth in his last seven games. Nate Baez also doubled as part of a 2-for-5 night. Caden Rose went 2 for 3 with one walk. Max Ferguson came off the bench and went 2 for 2 with a pair of hits, including a walk-off single to win it in the 10th. Tyler McDonough singled, drew two walks, and stole one base. Marvin Alcantara, Miguel Bleis, and Johanfran Garcia combined to score three runs.

Dalton Rogers made his third start of the season and went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 83 pitches (53 strikes) and generated nine whiffs. Patrick Halligan surrendered two runs in his lone inning of relief, while Cooper Adams scattered three hits, walked two, and struck out four over four scoreless frames to secure the win.

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Asheville Tourists (HOU) 7, Greenville Drive 6 (10 innings)

These two teams needed extras for a second straight night, with Asheville emerging victorious this time around. Ben Hansen got the start for Greenville and went 1 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits (including one home run), three walks, one hit by pitch, and four strikeouts. Only 24 of his 53 pitches landed for strikes. Alex Bouchard gave up one run in his 3 1/3 innings of relief, while Calvin Bickerstaff struck out six and generated 14 whiffs over four scoreless, no-hit frames. Steven Brooks then took the loss after surrendering an unearned run on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th.

Offensively, it was a relatively quiet night for the Greenville bats. Gerardo Rodriguez got on the board with his first home run of the season as part of a 1-for-3 showing in which he drew two walks. Natanael Yuten doubled and scored one run. Yoeilin Cespedes drove in one run, scored another, and drew one walk out of the leadoff spot. Jack Winnay and Isaiah Jackson also had RBI, while Yophery Rodriguez and Antonio Anderson each drew two walks and scored one run.

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Salem RidgeYaks 10, Fredericksburg Nationals (WAS) 4

Dylan Brown went 5 2/3 innings in his start for Salem, allowing four runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He threw 83 pitches (56 strikes) and generated 19 whiffs. Harry Blum and Nicolas De La Cruz struck out four more over 3 1/3 combined scoreless frames of relief. At the plate, Avinson Pinto led the way by going 2 for 3 with one triple, two runs scored, and one walk. Batting behind him, Stanley Tucker went 1 for 3 with a two-run home run, a stolen base, and a walk. Skylar King also crushed a solo shot for his only hit and third homer of the year. Starlyn Nunez and Enddy Azocar combined for five RBI, while Anderson Fermin and D'Angelo Ortiz combined for three runs and two walks.

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Player of the Day: It was a banner night for the top two prospects in the organization. While Payton Tolle struck out 11 Yankees over six dominant innings on the mound in Boston, Franklin Arias stayed red-hot at the plate in Portland. Following Thursday's performance, the 20-year-old infielder is batting .444/.519/.933 with four doubles, six home runs, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and four strikeouts through 13 games (54 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs to begin the 2026 season.

Photo Credit: Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Jackson, Gonzales highlight Drive comeback, plus another Arias blast

2026-04-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

4/23 Cup of Coffee: Whatever offensive challenges are affecting the major league club at the moment do not appear to be afflicting the minor leaguers, as the four affiliates combined for 32 runs across a crazy slate of Wednesday action. Both Worcester and Greenville had stunning comeback wins. The WooSox rallied for a ninth-inning walkoff, while an Isaiah Jackson (pictured) grand slam sent the Drive to extra innings before Justin Gonzales put them ahead with a two-run double. Salem came all the way back from a 6-0 deficit to send its contest to extra innings only to fall in the 10th. The only game that did not come down to the last at-bat was in Portland, where yet another Franklin Arias longball was not enough to keep up with a 13-run Yard Goat attack.

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Worcester Red Sox 7, Syracuse Mets (NYM) 6

Kristian Campbell played the hero in a wild Worcester walkoff. Down 6-5 in the ninth, Jason Delay and Nick Sogard drew walks. A Nate Eaton double plated Delay to tie the game, but Sogard was thrown out at the plate for the inning's second out. Campbell then pulled a slider into left for the walk-off base hit. It was his second hit in four plate at bats to go with a walk, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Sogard was on base four times with two singles and two walks, scoring twice. Eaton and Mikey Romero also had two hits apiece as every Worcester starter reached base at least once.

Jake Bennett was solid once again on the mound, allowing a run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings He struck out four and walked one as his ERA rose to 0.68. Wyatt Olds earned the victory with his 1 1/3 scoreless to finish the contest to put the WooSox in position for the comeback.

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Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 13, Portland Sea Dogs 8

The giant "Days Since a Franklin Arias Home Run" sign remains set at zero. The 20-year-old shortstop wasted little time in delivering his fifth homer in his last six games, leading off the bottom of the first with a ball over the Maine Monster. Arias added a double and another RBI but saw his his OPS tumble 69 points from 1.500 to 1.431.

Brooks Brannon was 1 for 3 with a double, two walks, RBI, and a run scored in his Double-A debut. He had missed the first three weeks of the regular season following spring training hamate surgery. Tyler McDonough also went deep for the Sea Dogs, and Ronald Rosario was 2 for 4 with a double and pair of runs scored. Blake Wehunt returned to the Portland mound for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on opening day. The big right-hander went two innings, allowing a run on two hits, striking out three and walking one. It was a rough afternoon for the bullpen, as a trio of relievers combined to surrender 12 runs in seven innings.

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Greenville Drive 11, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 10

The Drive scored five in the ninth and two in the 10th to complete their combeback victory. With Greenville down to its final out, Isaiah Jackson blasted a game-tying grand slam that would send the contest into extra frames. Jackson also added a single and an RBI on the day. Justin Gonzalez ripped a two-run double the put the Drive ahead in the top of the 10th. He finished 3 for 5 with a walk. Yeoilin Cespedes continued to enjoy his resurgent season, doubling two as part of his 3-for-5 effort. He scored three runs as he raised his season slash line to .290/.353/.532. Gerardo Rodriguez added a pair of hits while Freili Encarnacion hit his third homer of the season.

On the mound, Luis Cohen fought some wobbly control as he allowed five runs in three innings. He walked five against two strikeouts. Joey Gartrell allowed two runs (one earned in 3 1/3 innings of long relief. Jay Allmer surrendered two runs in 2 1/3, while PJ Labriola went the final 1 1/3 to get the win.

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Fredericksburg Nationals (WAS) 7, Salem RidgeYaks 6

Like Worcester and Greenville, Salem was able to overcome an early deficit, but the RidgeYaks ultimately fell in the 10th. Fredericksburg opened up an early 6-0 lead, as Myles Patton surrendered those six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Jake Mayers was excellent in relief, going 4 1/3 scoreless frames, scattering four hits as he struck out three and walked one. Adam Bates was saddled with the tough-luck loss, allowing the automatic runner to score on a 10th-inning single, the only baserunner he allowed in his two innings.

Salem had only five hits on the day but took advantage of seven walks. Luke Heyman was 2 for 3 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored. Kleyver Salazar blasted a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Frederik Jimenez sent the contest to extra innings with his game-tying solo blast in the bottom of the ninth.

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Player of the Day: There were several strong candidates on an action packed Wednesday slate, but Isaiah Jackson gets the nod on the strength of the game-tying grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that allowed his Greenville Drive to prevail in extra innings. The outfielder was selected in the eighth round of the 2025 by the Angels and came to Boston in exchange for Vaughn Grissom. After a slow 4-for-27 start, Jackson has gone 7 for 22 during a five-game hitting streak with home runs in his last two games. He is currently the 40th-ranked prospect in the system.

Photo Credit: Isaiah Jackson by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Arias homers again; Rodriguez rips clutch home run for Greenville

2026-04-22T07:00:00.169-04:00

4/22 Cup of Coffee: As the major league team dropped a shutout loss to the Yankees, the Red Sox affiliates went 2-2 on Tuesday night. The WooSox and Sea Dogs lost their series openers, though Franklin Arias (pictured) continued his torrid start to the season with another home run. The Greenville and Salem lineups slugged their way to victory in a strong night for the A-ball affiliates.

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Syracuse Mets (NYM) 12, Worcester Red Sox 3

The WooSox bats were unable to get anything going against Mets standout prospect Jonah Tong, who struck out nine WooSox hitters through 5 1/3 impressive frames. Nick Sogard was one of few WooSox hitters to swing the bat well, going 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Mickey Gasper also had a productive night, picking up a pair of RBI singles in a 2-for-5 game. Mikey Romero was 1 for 5 with an RBI single.

Isaac Coffey started for the WooSox and threw 3 2/3 solid innings to begin the game, striking out six batters and allowing two runs on four hits. However, the bullpen was hit hard by Syracuse as both Seth Martinez and Reidis Sena allowed four runs in an inning and 1 1/3 innings, respectively. Making his first appearance since rejoining the Red Sox organization, Angel Bastardo struck out the side but walked two batters in a scoreless inning. Noah Song allowed two runs in two innings to finish the game.

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Hartford Yard Goats (COL) 9, Portland Sea Dogs 7

The Sea Dogs got off to a fast start in their series opener against Hartford but were unable to hang onto their early lead. Miguel Bleis put Portland on top with an RBI single in the first inning and Franklin Arias continued his electric start to the season with a two-run blast in the second. Arias was 2 for 5 in the game and is now slashing .457/.545/.857 with four home runs through 11 games to start the season. Max Ferguson was also an offensive standout for the Sea Dogs, going 2 for 4 with a walk and a two-run home run. Tyler McDonough was 2 for 3 with a solo homer, his first home run of the season.

Gage Ziehl started for Portland and threw the first five innings of the game, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk while fanning six batters. Cade Feeney struggled out of the bullpen, giving up three runs in 1 2/3 frames while walking two batters. Erik Rivera struck out four batters and allowed just an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

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Greenville Drive 8, Asheville Tourists (HOU) 4

The Drive rode a thrilling late-inning rally to the win on Tuesday night. Down 3-1 in the eighth inning, Yophery Rodriguez blasted a three-run homer to give Greenville the lead. The Drive went on to add four more runs in the ninth inning on an RBI single by Jack Winnay and a three-run bomb off the bat of Isaiah Jackson. Shortstop Henry Godbout was 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored.

Jojo Ingrassia threw the first 3 2/3 innings of the game for Greenville, striking out four batters and allowing two hits and two walks without giving up a run. Shea Sprague tossed 4 2/3 innings of bulk relief, allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out five batters. Matt McShane closed out the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

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Salem RidgeYaks 12, Fredericksburg Nationals (WAS) 2

The Salem lineup could not be stopped on Tuesday night, as seven RidgeYaks recorded multiple hits. Skylar King got the scoring started with a two-run single in the third inning, going 2 for 5 with a double on the night. After a two-homer game on Saturday, Enddy Azocar delivered another strong performance last night, ripping an RBI double in the fourth inning and a solo home run in the sixth as part of a 2-for-5 game. Left fielder Andrews Opata was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and a walk. D'Angelo Ortiz drove in three runs and was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Making the third start of his professional career, Leighton Finley put together five impressive innings of one-run ball, striking out five and allowing no walks. Griffin Kilander followed him with 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, striking out five batters and allowing just one unearned run. Gilbel Galvan struggled with his control, walking three batters, but he escaped with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

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Player of the Day: Yophery Rodriguez was the star of an exciting win for the Drive, as he delivered a huge go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. Rodriguez reached base in all four of his plate appearances on the night, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a double, and a hit by pitch. In his first 13 games this season, Rodriguez is now hitting .327/.365/.633 with three home runs as he has gotten off to an excellent start with Greenville.

Photo Credit: Yophery Rodriguez by Kelly O'Connor

Minor Notes: Arias continues his breakout campaign; Valera diagnosed with elbow soreness

2026-04-21T12:00:00.225-04:00

Last week's Minor Notes column discussed a spectacular performance from Juan Valera as well as the beginning of rehab assignments for Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford. Much like the weather in New England last week, the updates on all three players have turned from hot to cold. One player who was highlighted last week who continues to set the minors ablaze is Franklin Arias (pictured, left). Through 10 games he has been the best player in the Eastern League, with the underlying metrics backing up the stats.

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Valera injured

Fans were fearing the worst after Juan Valera was pulled abruptly from his last start after suffering an apparent arm injury. Fortunately it appears the worst-case scenario was avoided as reports are that he will not need to go for an MRI or X-ray. He is currently expected to be shut down for two weeks due to elbow inflammation and has been placed on the seven-day injured list. The talented right-hander had just joined Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list.

Crawford and Sandoval dealing with new injuries

Both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are navigating through new injuries as they work to get back to the big leagues. The news seems a bit more ominous on Crawford as he was returned from his rehab assignment without being activated due to forearm soreness. Sandoval's rehab assignment is still active, but he is suffering from biceps tightness. He was scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday is back in Boston for testing.

Anderson added to 40-man roster

With Johan Oviedo being transferred to the 60-day injured list, the Red Sox added Jack Anderson to the 40-man roster and recalled him from Worcester. Tyler Samaniego got optioned to the WooSox to make room for him in Boston. Selected by the Red Sox in the minor league portion of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, the 26-year-old had a solid showing in Double-A last season. He had some success this spring pitching for Great Britain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and he was just coming off a game where he fired six shutout innings for Worcester. So far in the majors he has allowed two runs over six innings.

Rivera promoted to Worcester

Though not yet official, all signs point to left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rivera being promoted to Worcester. Rivera is an imposing presence listed at 6-foot-7, and he has had a tremendous start to the year. Through two starts with Portland he has allowed just one run over 10 innings with 16 strikeouts and three walks. Rivera has been a phenom in winter ball the last couple of years in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Combined over the last two years he has gone 3-1 while pitching to a 1.67 ERA over 54 innings while collecting 75 strikeouts. This does not include his postseason play, where he led Santurce to a championship this past season. This move sends a strong signal that Payton Tolle's next start will be with Boston.

Injuries and other transactions

Right-hander Tyler Uberstine was placed on the seven-day injured list with right shoulder soreness. Uberstine made his major league debut on April 5, but his last two appearances have come with the WooSox.
Elsewhere, Matt McShane and Max Ferguson were activated from the injured list, while Matt Lloyd is now on the seven-day injured list with an unspecified injury.
A slew of promotions has happened early in the season, with some due to performance and some due to roster needs. Worcester added Michael Sansone and Isaac Coffey from Portland, Portland added Jay Allmer from Greenville, Greenville added Devin Futrell and Gilbel Galvan from Salem, and Salem added Dalvinson Reyes from extended spring training.
Spring training star Braiden Ward was placed on the suspended list on Sunday. Ward was hit by a pitch in the head and reacted by throwing his bat in the direction of the pitcher.

Where are they now?

Some tough injury news for familiar faces this week, led by Richard Fitts who is done for the season after undergoing surgery to address a lat strain. One of the key pieces in the Sonny Gray trade, Fitts had a chance to win a rotation spot with the Cardinals this year, but was optioned to the minors near the end of spring training.
Right-hander Nick Pivetta is set to miss "weeks and maybe months" after an MRI revealed a flexor strain in his right elbow. Pivetta turned a fantastic year in 2025 with the Padres into a 4-year, $55 million contract with the team this offseason.
Former MLB All-Star Jackie Bradley Jr. was named the Banana Ball Player of the week. Playing for the Indianapolis Clowns, Bradley hit for the cycle against Charleston.

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Players of the week April 14-19

Franklin Arias, SS, Portland Sea Dogs

4 G, 13 AB, 4 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, .308/.471/1.000

To recognize how hot Arias has been to start the year, this week actually dropped his batting average and on-base percentage on the season. He is sitting at .467/.564/.833 over 10 games entering play on Tuesday. The highlight this week was the power surge that saw him hit a home run in three straight games, including one that went 440 feet. He is doing all this as the youngest position player in the Eastern League. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe had some more notable stats on Arias in his recent Minor Details post. Speier notes that Arias has increased his bat speed by 1.5 mph year-over-year, while producing a low chase rate and a low whiff rate. This level of performance is not sustainable, but Arias is certainly trending up despite already being a consensus top-50 prospect in baseball.

John Holobetz, RHP, Portland Sea Dogs

1 G, 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K, 1.29 ERA

The Sea Dogs sweep the awards this week after a dominant outing from Holobetz (pictured, right). He had retired the first 13 batters he faced before a solo home run broke up the streak in the fifth. He followed that up by retiring eight of the next nine batters, with a two-out walk being the only blemish. He did this while setting a career-high with 11 strikeouts and the performance was good enough for him to be named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. The player-to-be-named later in the Quinn Priester trade, Holobetz has done nothing but produce since coming over from Milwaukee. The 23-year-old was a 2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star, and he is in the conversation as the best pitcher in the system so far this year. His ERA is a miniscule 1.13 while striking out 23 over 16 innings.

Photo Credit: Franklin Arias and John Holobetz by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Mullins strikes out eight; Phillips and Gonzales lead Greenville

2026-04-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

4/20 Cup of Coffee: It was another disappointing day for the major league squad, but there were nothing but victories down on the farm. Michael Sansone and Nate Eaton helped Worcester get back on track, while Hayden Mullins (pictured) was electric for Portland. Marcus Phillips missed plenty of bats in his start for Greenville, and Dalvinson Reyes made his debut for Salem.

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Worcester Red Sox 4, Nashville Sounds (MIL) 2

Playing against old friend Shane Drohan, the WooSox salvaged the final game of the series after dropping the first five. Michael Sansone set the tone with six shutout innings after coming up from Portland earlier in the week. The save went to Tayron Guerrero who struck out two in the ninth. The offense was led by Nate Eaton who hit a solo home run off Drohan while also adding a double as part of a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Tsung-Che Cheng filled up the box score as he went 2 for 2 with a walk and sacrifice fly while scoring a run, driving in a run, and stealing a base. The strong day pushed his OPS over 1.000 to begin the year.

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Portland Sea Dogs 5, Altoona Curve (PIT) 3

A delayed start did not slow down Hayden Mullins as he turned in his best outing of the year. He matched Sansone with six scoreless frames, while striking out eight and walking one. Cooper Adams recorded a two-inning save as he slammed the door without allowing a hit. Portland scored all five runs in the fourth inning as they sent 10 men to the plate. Miguel Bleis opened the scoring with an RBI single, and he finished the day 2 for 4 with a double. The double was just his second extra-base hit in 33 at-bats. Tyler McDonough went 1 for 3 with a double, walk, and stolen base. The 27-year-old was having a similar power outage to Bleis this year as this was his second extra-base hit in 41 at-bats.

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Greenville Drive 4, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 3

Marcus Phillips continues to trend in the right direction as he settles into the season. The 21-year-old struck out seven over 3 2/3 scoreless innings as he seems fully recovered from a poor first start. The win went to Calvin Bickerstaff who kept the Hot Rods off the board in 3 1/3 frames of long relief, and P.J. Labriola got his first save by recording the final two outs. Two of Greenville's four runs were driven in by Justin Gonzales as he went 2 for 5 with a two-run single. Mason White notched the team's lone extra-base hit as he went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

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Salem RidgeYaks 4, Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 2

Four players posted multi-hit games as Salem finished off the sweep for the affiliates. Luke Heyman, Avinson Pinto, Stanley Tucker, and D'Angelo Ortiz all had two hits, with Heyman and Tucker lacing a double and Ortiz collecting an RBI. The big hit of the game was a two-run triple in the seventh by Starlyn Nunez that proved to be the difference. Barrett Morgan got the start and worked 2 2/3 shutout frames. A trio of pitchers followed, highlighted by Dalvinson Reyes who made his season debut. He blanked the Crawdads over three innings while striking out three.

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Player of the Day: There were several options to pick from as every starting pitcher kept the offense off the board. But the eight strikeouts by Hayden Mullins gave him the nod. The 25-year-old left-hander has now struck out 15 over his last 10 innings after a rocky first start that saw him struggle with his control. The 2025 Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year has had his career slowed by injuries, but he has shown a really strong ability to miss bats when he is on the mound. His fastball has had some of the highest whiff rates for any fastball in the system.

Photo Credit: Hayden Mullins by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Holobetz continues hot start in Portland, Eyanson and Futrell combined for a shutout in Greenville

2026-04-19T07:00:00.051-04:00

4/19 Cup of Coffee: Although it was a 1-3 evening across the Boston farm system, there were plenty of highlights among the games. In Portland, John Holobetz followed up his nine-strikeout game last week with another masterpiece. Anthony Eyanson and Devin Futrell combined to give Greenville a shutout win, and Enddy Azocar slugged his first two home runs of 2026.

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Nashville Sounds (MIL) 2, Worcester Red Sox 1

After Reidis Sena allowed a first-inning run, Worcester scratched across its only run of the game as Allan Castro singled, stole second, and came home to score on a single by Matt Thaiss. After Sena tossed the first two frames on the mound, Noah Song struck out five while holding Nashville scoreless to keep the game tied. Wyatt Olds took the loss with a run allowed in 2 1/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Kyle Keller followed and pitched a scoreless eighth with a hit and strikeout.

Mickey Gasper led Worcester by reaching base three times with a hit and pair of walks on his line, Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell each managed to get a hit and walk as well.

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Altoona Curve (PIT) 2, Portland Sea Dogs 0

John Holobetz was the tough loser in the shutout loss as the right-hander allowed a single hit- a home run in the fifth inning- and walked one batter while striking out a career-high 11 across seven innings of work. Holobetz tossed 54 of his 74 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 1.13 over his first 16 frames this season. Jedixson Paez relieved Holobetz in the eighth for his first appearance back with the Boston organization since being returned from the White Sox as part of the Rule 5 draft rules. Paez allowed a home run but also struck out a batter.

The Portland offense scattered seven hits across the contest but went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Nelly Taylor had the lone multi-hit effort for the Sea Dogs while Franklin Arias finally cooled off with an 0-for-4 outing, snapping a five-game hitting streak.

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Greenville Drive 4, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 0

It was a pitching showcase in Greenville as Anthony Eyanson and Devin Futrell covered all nine innings in the shutout victory. Eyanson continued his amazing start to his professional career by firing five scoreless frames with a pair of hits being the only baserunners the right-hander allowed. He threw 39 of his 55 pitches for strikes and now sports an eye-popping 0.73 ERA and 0.41 WHIP across his first 12 1/3 innings. Futrell came on after Eyanson for his first appearance back in Greenville since earning a promotion from Salem. The left-hander took home the win with four shutout innings of his own with a hit and walk along with three strikeouts. Futrell appeared in five games for the Drive last season and recorded a 1.09 ERA in 24 2/3 frames.

Greenville struck in the sixth inning with three runs to grab the lead for good. Jack Winnay doubled home a run and later came home to score on a wild pitch, and Yophery Rodriguez drove in Mason White with a run-scoring double to cap off the inning. The club added another run in the following inning on a Yoeilin Cespedes RBI single that plated Justin Gonzales, who doubled to open the bottom of the seventh. Gonzales and Cespedes each recorded a pair of hits to lead the offensive attack.

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Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 13, Salem RidgeYaks 7

Leading 7-3 entering the late innings, Salem's bullpen could not hold onto the lead and allowed 10 runs across the seventh and eighth innings to fall on Saturday. Jose Bello started and allowed a run on two hits with two walks while recording five outs. Christian Foutch relieved Bello and pitched the next three innings, allowing a run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. While Foutch was in command on the mound, Salem got a pair of home runs off the bat of Enddy Azocar. The outfielder connected on his first of the season in the top of the third and slugged his second just an inning later as part of a 3-for-5 outing to raise his OPS this season to .820 in 59 plate appearances. Frederik Jimenez was the only other RidgeYaks player to record an RBI as he drove in a run on a single in the fourth.

With Salem Leading, Adam Bates picked up a hold in relief with 2 1/3 innings pitched, although he allowed four runs and did not strike out a hitter. Harry Blum was the final pitcher of the night for Salem and eventually took the loss, surrendering six runs (five earned runs) on four hits with three walks while also allowing a home run in the effort.

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Player of the Day: It's not often that the player of the day comes in a losing effort, but John Holobetz becomes an exception on Saturday. Despite taking the loss in Portland's defeat to Altoona, the 23-year-old has looked unstoppable early on this season. Along with his aforementioned 1.13 ERA, he has struck out 20 hitters over his last two outings, spanning just 11 innings. Holobetz is currently ranked as the 14th prospect according to SoxProspects.com

Photo Credit: John Holobetz by Kelly O'Connor

Cup of Coffee: Guzman leads Drive; Arias homers again

2026-04-18T07:00:00.010-04:00

4/18 Cup of Coffee: It was a busy Friday night down on the farm, with Worcester playing a de facto double-header on top of a full slate of games. Greenville got the system's only win tonight, matching the major league squad with a 10th-inning walkoff win. Adonys Guzman (pictured) led the Drive as Kyson Witherspoon shook off some early issues to settle in for a solid start. Franklin Arias went deep yet again in Portland's loss while Salem dropped an early lead. The WooSox were swept, dropping the completion to Thursday's suspended game before falling in the nightcap.

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Nashville Sounds (MIL) 4, Worcester Red Sox 2 (Game 1)

Thursday's game was suspended in the top of the fourth with the score knotted at zero. Jake Bennett had thrown three scoreless frames before the pause, scattering three hits. Seth Martinez took over when plan resumed, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits. Devin Sweet surrendered a pair of runs and was saddled with the loss. Tayron Guerrero saw his scoreless streak come to an end, giving up a run in the ninth. Nate Eaton was 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Anthony Siegler doubled for the WooSox' only extra-base hit.

Nashville Sounds 4, Worcester Red Sox 2 (Game 2)

The regularly scheduled contest ended with the same result as the earlier completed one. Isaac Coffey got the starting nod and matched Bennett's three shutout frames. He allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out four. Tyler Samaniego and Tommy Kahnle surrendered two runs apiece out of the bullpen, with Kahnle taking the losing decision. Allan Castro was 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Mikey Romero ripped his sixth double of the young season. There were some fireworks after Braiden Ward was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat. Ward, who had also been plunked in the earlier game, tossed his bat onto the field, causing the benches to clear. However, fisticuffs were avoided and Ward and Nashille pitcher Tate Kuehner shook hands to end the brouhaha.

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Altoona Curve (PIT) 5, Portland Sea Dogs 3

The wait is over for Altoona, who picked up its first win of the season after an 0-12 start. Franklin Arias did his best to keep the streak going, blasting another home run, his third in his last three games. The shortstop also reached on a walk and a hit batsman. Ronald Rosario was 2 for 4 with a solo homer. Dalton Rogers surrendered two runs on two hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Curve reached Jay Allmer for three runs, handing the loss to the right-hander. Max Carlson kept things close with a pair of hitless innings, but Altoona held on for the victory.

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Greenville Drive 8, Bowling Green Hot Rods (TB) 7

The Drive snapped a four-game losing streak with a 10th-inning walk-off. Adonys Guzman delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly to cap an overall strong evening for the backstop. He singled twice, walked, and scored a pair of runs. Natanael Yuten blasted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning. Freili Encarnacion also went deep as part of his two-hit evening. Hudson White, pressed into pitching duty three times in the early season, made the most of his first appearance in the Greenville lineup on the year. Getting the start at DH, White was 2 for 3 with a double, run scored and two RBI.

Bowling Green jumped on Kyson Witherspoon early, scoring three runs before two outs were recorded in the first inning. However, he caught a break when what would have been an obvious single struck a base runner going from first to second, leading to a man on first with two outs rather than first and second with only one out. The 2025 first-round pick settled in thereafter, pitching into the fifth without allowing any additional damage. His final line had him at three runs on five hits in 4 1/3, striking out three and walking two. Both scores surrendered by Ben Hansen came on a sixth-inning two-run homer, as he went 3 2/3 innings, striking out four. PJ Labriola got the credit for the win with a scoreless ninth.

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Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 7, Salem RidgeYaks 5

Salem jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but surrendered seven unanswered runs to fall on Friday evening. Starlyn Nunez led off the game with his first home run of the year, and Avinson Pinto followed with a two-run blast in the second, also his first of 2026. Andrews Opata continued to be Salem's early season surprise, ripping a two-run double as part of a 2 for 4 night. An undrafted free agent last July, Opata is 13 for 34 (.382) with three doubles, two triples, a homer, and five steals through nine games. On the mound, Madinson Frias cruised through the first two innings but surrendered two-run homers in the fourth and fifth innings. He finished with four runs (three earned) allowed in four plus frames, striking out three and walking three. Ethan Walker took the loss, giving up three runs (one earned) in 3 1/3.

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Player of the Day: Known as a defense-first catcher, Adonys Guzman has shown a potent bat as well in the early going. After keying the Greenville win with two hits and a sac fly, the 22-year-old catcher is up to .296/.394/.444 on the year, hitting safely in four straight. Guman was a fifth-round pick of the Pirates in the 2025 draft, coming to the Red Sox as part of the five-player deal that sent Jhostynxson Garcia to Pittsburgh in exchange for Johan Oviedo.

Photo Credit: Adonys Guzman by Kelly O'Connor