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Here’s ESPN’s latest Red Sox top 10 prospect ranking
With former top prospects like Roman Anthony and Marcelo reaching the big leagues, Boston’s farm system rankings look different nowadays.
The Boston Red Sox have made it clear that the organization isn’t afraid of undergoing change.
It’s been less than a week since the mass firing of several major-league coaches, including manager Alex Cora, went down. It’s been less than a year since the front office let veteran leader Alex Bregman walk in free agency and less than a year since it traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.
On a less dramatic note, the Red Sox’ farm system has changed, as is natural with the prospect graduations of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. It’s been less than a year since they, along with names like Kristian Campbell and since-traded Jhostynxon Garcia, headlined various outlets’ Boston farm system rankings.
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Entering May, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel shared his latest Red Sox top 10 prospect ranking, and it features plenty of fresh names. Here’s his list:
1. Payton Tolle, LHP
Red Sox fans are perhaps the most familiar with the No. 1 name on ESPN’s ranking in southpaw Payton Tolle. The 23-year-old is a firecracker on and off the mound as a member of the big-league club dating back to his debut on Aug. 29, 2025.
Tolle has made nine career MLB appearances since then, but still possesses prospect status. He will likely graduate sometime this month when he accrues the necessary amount of major-league service time.
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Tolle, the No. 50 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, made three starts with Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2026 season before being recalled by Boston last week in wake of Sonny Gray’s injury.
Since Tolle’s call-up, he’s made two big-league starts and has performed well despite his 0-1 record. He owns a 3.38 ERA against two American League foes in the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays and has accumulated 15 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Batters are hitting .162 with one home run against Tolle, who also owns a 1.03 WHIP.
Tolle and his high fastball velocity, and command, have been a welcome addition to a struggling Red Sox rotation, even though he struggled a bit in his most recent outing at Toronto.
2. Franklin Arias, SS
20-year-old Franklin Arias has lit up Double-A Portland, to say the least. Arias is batting .375 with a .432 on-base percentage and a staggering 1.196 OPS through 20 games (72 at-bats).
The shortstop has already hit eight home runs and driven in 20 RBI this season. He has yet to reach double-digit strikeouts (9) entering Friday.
Arias, who came to the Red Sox’ system as an international free agent for $525,000 in 2023 from Venezuela, rose through Boston’s farm system last year, as has been the case for many of the organization’s recent top prospects. He began 2025 with the Low-A Salem RidgeYaks, where he played 19 games, before getting the promotion to the High-A Greenville Drive (87 games) and reaching Portland, where he played his final 10 games of the year.
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MLB.com describes Arias as having “advanced bat-to-ball skills” and compares him to Mayer when he was 20.
Arias is certainly a name to follow in 2026, who could become Boston’s consensus top prospect in no time.
3. Juan Valera, RHP
19-year-old Juan Valera diced up batters in his three starts for Greenville before finding himself on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation.
Valera, who missed three months last year with right elbow soreness, tossed 9.1 innings of dominant ball to kick off his 2026 campaign with hopes of staying healthy. Valera owned a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 17 strikeouts, holding batters to a measly .125 average.
The hard-throwing right-hander signed for just $45,000 from the Dominican Republic in 2023. Valera has touched 100 miles per hour with his fastball in the past, consistently throwing 96 MPH.
“Valera throws harder than most players his age, operating at 96-98 mph and touching 100 with natural cutting action, and he improved his ability to create carry at the top of the zone in 2025,” per MLB.com. “He also stands out with his mound presence and work ethic, adding to his chances of pitching in the front half of a rotation.”
It’s unclear how much time Valera will miss this season. He recently underwent an MRI on his elbow and reportedly will receive a second opinion on his injury, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.
4. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP
Also a young, right-handed pitcher, Kyson Witherspoon is a name to keep an eye on.
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Witherspoon, the No. 15 pick in last year’s draft by the Red Sox, is an Oklahoma product with plenty of upside. He’s a visibly athletic individual, standing 6-foot-2-inches and 206 pounds. His fastball is his best pitch, which has reached 99 MPH.
Witherspoon has struggled out of the gate this season, though. In five starts (17.2 innings) in Greenville, he holds a 7.13 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. He’s 0-2 on the year, but has recorded 20 strikeouts. He has yet to pitch five full innings in a start; his most recent outing on April 30 lasted just 2.2 innings.
Much like the MLB Red Sox, Witherspoon is clearly struggling early. He’s fresh out of college and getting acclimated to a brand new lifestyle and workload with new coaches, but his work ethic appears to be top-tier, similar to Valera’s.
5. Anthony Eyanson, RHP
Following the righty theme, 21-year-old Anthony Eyanson boasts striking similarities to Witherspoon. Eyanson was selected No. 87 overall by Boston in last year’s draft and stands 6-foot-2-inches, 208 pounds.
Eyanson is pitching alongside Witherspoon in Greenville to begin their professional careers. The Louisiana State product has made four starts for Greenville, but has had much more luck on the mound than Witherspoon.
Eyanson owns an astounding 0.54 ERA and 0.36 WHIP across 16.2 exceptional innings out of college. He’s racked up a whopping 27 strikeouts and has yet to allow a single walk. He has allowed just one earned run, which came back on April 4 in his first start.
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It’s clear that whatever Eyanson is doing is working. His fastball, curveball, and slider are all elite pitches. His changeup is a work in progress, per MLB.com, but he’s doing just fine nonetheless.
Much like every other name on this list, keep an eye on Eyanson’s development this year.
6. Dorian Soto, SS
Dorian Soto is just 18 years old, but has consistently found himself named a top Red Sox prospect since signing as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic for $1.4 million in 2025.
A wrist injury shortened his first pro season with the Dominican Summer League, but Soto is a highly-touted prospect for a reason. The shortstop is a power hitter, the main reason why he was a hot commodity when he signed at just 17 years old.
Soto hit two homers last year through 47 games, but he is so young and his upside is so high, pointing that out as a concern feels unnecessary. He batted .307 with a .790 OPS in 2025 and drove in 18 runs, as well as drew 18 walks.
Soto will begin 2026 with the Florida Complex League. Its season begins Saturday.
7. Marcus Phillips, RHP
Another RHP taken in last year’s draft, 21-year-old Marcus Phillips is a huge guy. He stands 6-foot-4-inches and weighs 246 pounds, and possesses a dominant fastball.
Phillips’s fastball has topped out at 100 MPH, but he has struggled with command dating back to his days at Tennessee.
Through four games (three starts) for Greenville, Phillips has a 4.22 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Batters are hitting .195 against him with one home run, though, but have drawn nine walks.
8. Jake Bennett, LHP
25-year-old Jake Bennett will make his MLB debut for the Red Sox against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park Friday. Bennett came to Boston in a swap with the Washington Nationals for fellow top pitching prospect Luis Perales over the winter.
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Bennett made five starts for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox before getting called up Friday. He tossed 21 innings and boasted a measly 0.86 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
Bennett is a big guy like Phillips at 6-foot-6-inches, 234 pounds. His entire pitch arsenal is strong and effective, with his changeup being his strength.
9. Yoeilin Cespedes, 2B
20-year-old Yoeilin Cespedes is not known to be related to Yoenis Cespedes despite having similar names.
The Red Sox organization’s Cespedes signed for $1.4 million from the DR in 2023, and is a beast at the plate. He’s batting .319 with a 1.031 OPS through 22 games for Greenville and has crushed six homers already. He’s driven in 20 runs and has scored the same number of times.
10. Justin Gonzales, RF
Justin Gonzales is only 19 years old, but he is a unit, as catcher Carlos Narvaez said earlier this year (via MassLive). Standing at 6-foot-5-inches and weighing 210 pounds, he poses a serious power threat at the plate.
Gonzales, who signed for $250,000 from the DR in 2024, has hit four homers and driven in 18 runs to kick off his third year in Boston’s farm system. He’s hitting .318 with an .818 OPS and five doubles.
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