Franklin Arias Portland Sea Dogs Shortstop

       
 
Age: 19
Born: November 19, 2005
Birthplace: Caracas, VZ
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
   
Drafted: Not draft eligible
How Acquired: International free agent (Jan. 2023)
ETA: Mid 2027

Photo © Kelly O'Connor
Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor
Pronunciation: -
First Pro Contract: January 15, 2023
Signing Scout: Alex Requena
Signing Bonus: $525,000
Rule 5 Draft Eligible: December 2027
MLFA Eligible: November 2029
   
Pro Debut: June 8, 2023 (DSL)
Added to 40-man: -
MLB Debut: -
Service Time (1/25): 0 days
Options Remaining: 3 (0 used)
Contract (2025): MiLB contract
   
Twitter: -
Instagram: @franklin.arias.19

 
 
 
 
 
     
  Scouting Report & Links      
         
  Physical Description: Average frame. Has the frame to add some strength as he matures, but not overly projectable. Average athlete.

Hit: Starts open with his hands high and has a quiet load. Leg lift timing device. Quick hands, but only fringy bat speed. Smooth, line drive-oriented swing. Keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. Strong feel for contact and barrel control. Makes a lot of contact. Approach needs refinement and can get overly aggressive. Likes to attack fastballs early in the count and spray line drives to all fields. Has shown some ability to adjust to secondary offerings, but does not get into many deep counts where he sees the best off-speed pitches opponents have to offer, Slightly elevated chase rate, but elite in-zone contact skills. Potential plus hit tool.

Power: Fringe-average raw power. Not a major part of his game at this point, but does produce solid exit velocities for his age. Swing is more designed for line drives in the gaps than over-the-fence power and does not project to add significant strength to allow him to tap into more power. Below-average power potential.

Run: Below-average speed. Speed has regressed considerably in 2025. Consistently puts up below-average run times to first base. Can go first-to-third on a single and use his instincts to steal some bases, but will not be a major speed threat as he continues to mature.
  Field: Smooth actions and soft hands. Has shown solid range and is comfortable playing all angles when charging the ball. Confident fielder who can make difficult plays look closer to routine. Athleticism plays better in the field and lack of foot speed does not show. Consistent fielder with a good chance to stick at shortstop. Potential above-average defender.

Arm
: Above-average arm strength. Capable of making all the throws from shortstop.

Career Notes: Received the second-highest bonus in the Red Sox 2023 IFA class. Seen as a glove-first shortstop when he signed, surprised the organization with strong underlying batted ball data in his pro debut. Played in 2024 Spring Breakout game. Received glowing reports from scouts who saw him in the Florida Complex League in 2024, where he was named the circuit's top prospect. Entered 2025 ranked on multiple top 100 prospect lists. Played in the 2025 Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South games.

Summation: Potential everyday regular at shortstop. Ceiling of a quality regular who provides value with his glove and contact ability. Hit tool is a standout tool, but lack of power and speed limits upside. Defensive profile provides him a solid floor. High baseball IQ; actively seeks to learn more and improve. Needs to get stronger and continue to physically mature to reach his potential.

Links

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    Hitting Stats                                          
  year team lg level org age g ab r h 2b 3b hr rbi tb bb so sb cs avg obp slg ops
2023 DSL Red Sox DSL Rk Bos 17 37 137 32 48 9 1 1 15 62 19 14 3 2 0.350 0.440 0.453 0.893
2024 FCL Red Sox FCL Rk Bos 18 51 166 41 59 16 2 6 28 97 34 36 30 4 0.355 0.471 0.584 1.055
2024 Salem Red Sox Car A Bos 18 36 148 18 38 9 0 3 26 56 16 29 5 2 0.257 0.331 0.378 0.710
2025 Salem Red Sox Car A Bos 19 19 78 15 27 4 0 0 9 31 6 12 4 1 0.346 0.407 0.397 0.804
  2025 Greenville Drive SAL A+ Bos 19 87 355 43 94 21 1 6 49 135 32 35 7 7 0.265 0.329 0.380 0.709
2025 Portland Sea Dogs East AA Bos 19 10 46 4 12 2 0 2 8 20 0 6 1 1 0.261 0.250 0.435 0.685
2026 Portland Sea Dogs East AA Bos 20     stats                            
   
     
  Advanced Stats & Splits
   
     
  Awards   SoxProspects.com Awards  
  Florida Complex League Player of the Week (June 24-30, 2024)
Red Sox Minor League Baserunner of the Month (June 2024)
Red Sox Minor League Hitter of the Month (July 2024)
2024 Florida Complex League MVP
2024 Florida Complex League Top Prospect
2024 Florida Complex League All-Star
2024 Red Sox Minor League Baserunner of the Year
South Atlantic League Player of the Month (May 2025)
Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Month (May 2025)
  SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (May 13-19, 2024)
SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (June 24-30, 2024)
SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (July 15-21, 2024)
SoxProspects.com Player of the Month (July 2024)
2024 SoxProspects.com All-Star 
2025 SoxProspects.com Pre-Season All-Star 
SoxProspects.com Player of the Week (March 31 - April 6, 2025)
2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star
 
   

   
     
 
 
 
     
 
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