Franklin Arias Grows Into Power In Breakthrough Season For Red Sox
Franklin Arias displayed a number of impressive traits in his pro debut in 2023. As a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League, he showed the fluidity and range of a true shortstop while also flashing excellent contact skills and a discerning eye.
But while his all-fields, line-drive approach established a solid baseline, power wasn’t at all a part of his game. That changed in 2024, when Arias dominated in the Florida Complex League by hitting .355/.471/.584 with six home runs in 51 games before a solid 36-game showing at Low-A Salem.
That, in tandem with his strong defensive profile, has the 19-year-old Arias zooming up prospect rankings.
“It’s a huge step,” Arias said of his 2024 improvement. “I didn’t expect such a big jump.”
The righthanded-batting Arias entered pro ball with an approach suited to hitting line drives to right-center field—an approach that served him well in terms of his pitch recognition and contact. But he had added considerable lean muscle since signing at 5-foot-11, 145 pounds.
He had grown to 170 pounds by the 2024 season.
That added strength, in combination with bat-speed training and cage work that better positioned him to take risks pulling the ball in the air, positioned Arias to start slugging the ball.
That newfound ability was most evident during an extraordinary 27-game stretch in which he hit .434/.527/.736 with six homers and 22 steals—a run that earned him MVP honors in the FCL.
Arias—whose impressive defensive footwork and balance on both sides of the ball reflect his soccer-playing upbringing in Venezuela—hit the ball hard with surprising frequency given that he’s a shortstop with plenty of room to fill out. His 90th percentile exit velocity in 2024 was 102.6 mph, while his max was 109.5 mph.
Those marks point to a profile that now projects to feature average or better grades for all five tools, positioning Arias as a standout prospect.
SOX YARNS
— Shortstop Marcelo Mayer will get exposure at both second base and third base in spring training and this season as the Red Sox explore different ways in which he can provide major league depth.
— Conrad Cason, drafted in the eighth round by the Red Sox in 2024, will be developed as a two-way player at both shortstop and on the mound.
