Three Red Sox prospects to watch in the Florida Coast League this spring
The Red Sox have a number of intriguing young infield prospects littered in the lower levels of their minor league system. One of those players is Franklin Arias, who made his Florida Coast League debut on Saturday, just one year removed from playing in the Dominican Summer League.
The Venezuelan infielder is 2-for-13 (.154) with one double, three total bases, and four strikeouts with a .154 on-base percentage through three games.
Arias, 18, is considered to be raw offensively with room to add strength to his frame and power to his hit tool, according to Baseball America. Outside of his offensive upside, the young infielder is a smooth fielder with a sound glove that has the ceiling of a potential everyday shortstop.
The Caracas native originally signed with the Red Sox last January for $525,000 and was assigned to the DSL Red Sox Red team in June. In 37 games, he hit .350 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer, 15 RBI, 19 walks, .440 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage, and an .893 OPS.
On the defensive side of the ball, The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder logged a team-leading 260 1/3 frames at shortstop, committing nine errors in 121 chances (.926 fielding percentage) while also turning 16 double plays.
Arias is currently regarded as the No. 21 prospect by Baseball America and No. 22 by SoxProspects.com. If Arias fills out his body and adds more power, he could soar through the prospect rankings in the coming years.
Starlyn Nunez
Infielder Starlyn Nunez has played in one game in the FCL and hit a home run while driving three RBI. He played third base, a position he played 25 games at in 2023 while seeing time at second base (20 games) for the DSL Red Sox Blue team.
The athletic 6-foot, 155-pound played 210 1/3 innings at the hot corner in 2023 and made 11 errors.
Nunez signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent last January for $52,500. In 49 games for DSL Red Sox Blue, the switch-hitter batted .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts over 215 plate appearances.
With his debut in the FCL in the books, Nunez is currently ranked as the No. 48 prospect on SoxProspects website, jumping up four spots from the last released rankings.
Nicholas Judice
The Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Nicholas Judice from the Yankees last December in the Alex Verdugo trade.
Judice has not yet made his professional debut after he was selected by the Bronx Bombers in the eighth round of last year’s draft.
The Louisiana native will start in the FCL but should only spend a short period of time there before heading to the Salem Red Sox.
The 6-foot-8, 230-pounder throws from a three-quarters arm slot and relies mostly on two pitches: a low-90s fastball that has reportedly touched triple digits and a whiff-inducing, mid-80s slider, according to Baseball America. He also offers a changeup, which is rarely used.
It will be interesting to see if he adds any additional pitches to his arsenal while in rookie ball before trying it out in Low-A. Given Judice’s size, he should add more velocity to his pitches. With Boston’s focus on throwing fewer fastballs, Judice can use his secondary offerings while mixing in his heater as he grows into a pitcher in the organization.
