Sep 24, 2026 7:24 PM
Updated Sep 24, 2026 7:45 PM

The Red Sox honored their standout prospects on Thursday afternoon.

RedSoxRoundtable's Zach Coe discusses the Red Sox minor league award winners, which were announced on Thursday afternoon, including Offensive Player of the Year, Franklin Arias. Be sure to join our FREE community over on RedSoxRoundtable.com! More Videos

With the minor league season now in the rearview across the Boston Red Sox organization, the team announced its minor league award recipients on Thursday afternoon, including Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and more.

Here’s what you need to know: 

Offensive Player of the Year: Franklin Arias 

It's no surprise that Arias, the No. 1 prospect in the system, takes home Offensive Player of the Year. The award comes just days after the 20-year-old shortstop was named Player of the Year in Double-A’s Eastern League on Monday. 

Arias broke out in a massive way at the plate thanks in part to a newfound power stroke. He began the season in Double-A Portland, where he quickly established himself as one of the best players at the level, hitting .318/.407/.587/.994 with 19 home runs in 75 games, surpassing his 2025 home run total of eight in his first 34 games. 

After 3.5 months of tearing up the Eastern League, Arias was promoted to Triple-A Worcester on July 23, picking up right where he left off in Portland. In 42 games with the WooSox, Arias hit .331/.388/.506/.894, all while being the second-youngest player at the level. However, he did see his power dip, hitting only six home runs. 

Across both levels, the 20-year-old hit .323/.400/.557/.957, hit 25 home runs and 28 doubles, drove in 91 runs, and posted a WRC+ of 145, tying for the 18th-best mark among all minor league hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. 

After his massive season, Arias jumped from the No. 46 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America, to the sport's second-best prospect. 

Pitcher of the Year: Dylan Brown 

The Red Sox selected the 6-foot-5 left-hander in the eighth round of the 2025 draft out of Old Dominion University, signing him for $229,000. After spending the remainder of the 2025 season in Ft. Myers working with the Red Sox player development staff, the 22-year-old was assigned to Single-A Salem to begin the 2026 season. In five starts for the RidgeYaks, Brown allowed 11 runs (six earned) on 15 hits, striking out 32 and walking 13 in 23.1 innings before being promoted to High-A Greenville on May 5. 

In 17 appearances with the Drive, Brown posted a 3.78 ERA with opponents hitting .250 off him. While the surface numbers don’t jump off the page, the 22-year-old posted incredible strikeout numbers while limiting walks. His 32 percent strikeout rate ranked in the 85th percentile of High-A pitchers, while his walk rate of 6.9 percent fell in the 86th percentile.

Brown was especially good at getting hitters to chase pitches out of the zone, with a 38.2 percent chase rate that ranked in the 97th percentile. 

According to SoxProspects.com, Brown is a “Tall left-hander with a pitchability-over-stuff profile, but the type of arm the Red Sox have had success elevating as of late.” He is currently ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the organization. 

Defensive Player of the Year: Gerardo Rodriguez 

It was a strong season for catchers in the Red Sox organization, between Franklin Primera’s breakout campaign and the emergence of Kleyver Salazar as a Single-A All-Star. The 20-year-old Rodriguez now joins that group, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the organization. 

Rodriguez signed with the Red Sox organization for $50,000 out of Venezuela as part of the 2023 international free agent class, making his United States debut in 2024. In his first two stateside seasons, Rodriguez split time with the Florida Complex League Red Sox and Salem. However, he spent the 2026 season with Greenville, where he hit .255/.333/.363/.695 with eight home runs and 12 doubles. 

According to SoxProspects' scouting report on Rodriguez's defense, the 20-year-old is a "capable receiver and blocker," with a "strong arm with a quick release. Consistently records pop times around 1.9 seconds." 

He is currently ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the organization. 

Lou Gorman Award: Wyatt Olds

The Red Sox established the Lou Gorman Award to honor players who have "demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles while working their way to the major league team." After being drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Olds made his major league debut with the Red Sox on Aug. 17, tossing a scoreless inning of relief against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 27-year-old right-hander became a valuable part of the Boston bullpen as it dealt with a string of injuries to key high-leverage arms, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, and Tyron Guerrero. In 13 appearances spanning 15 innings, Olds allowed only two earned runs on 11 hits, striking out 20 and walking only seven, making a late push to be included on the Red Sox' postseason roster. 

Baserunner of the Year: Andrews Opata

A 2025 undrafted free agent signee out of Division II North Georgia, Opata made his professional debut in 2026, spending the entire season with Salem. In 103 games with the RidgeYaks, the 22-year-old outfielder hit .257/.374/.404/.778 with 11 home runs, 15 doubles, and three triples, while stealing 54 bases in 62 attempts. 

He is currently unranked in SoxProspects organizational top 60. 

Latin American Position Player of the Year: Joskairo Ramirez

The 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic joined the Red Sox organization in January, signing for $800,000 during the 2026 international free agent signing period. He made his professional debut with the Red Sox "Red" team in the Dominican Summer League, where he hit .320/.443/.553/.996 with five home runs, 14 doubles, and three triples in 45 games en route to being named a DSL All-Star.

According to SoxProspects' scouting report of Ramirez, he is an "Athletic left-handed center fielder. Smaller frame. Solid bat-to-ball skills with a good batting eye. Fringe-average power and speed. Gets great jumps in center and reads the ball well."  

If the team decides to bring him stateside, Ramirez will certainly be a name to watch in 2027.

Latin American Pitcher of the Year: Emanuel Jimenez 

A 20-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic, Jimenez signed with the Red Sox in March for just $10,000, joining the Red Sox "Blue" team in the DSL for the 2026 season. In 33 innings in 2026, the 6'1" Jimenez allowed 10 earned runs on 22 hits, good for a 2.73 ERA, while striking out 43. He did, however, struggle a bit with command, walking 24 batters. 

Given that he was already on the older side for the DSL, he will likely head to the United States in 2027 to join the FCL Red Sox. 

Meanwhile, back in Boston

The Red Sox will look to win the series against the Cleveland Guardians in Thursday night's rubber match from Fenway Park. A win over Cleveland would lock the Red Sox into the No. 5 seed in the American League playoff picture and secure a trip to New York for a Wild Card matchup with the Yankees. Ranger Suarez (8-4, 3.27 ERA) will get the start for Boston opposite Daniel Espino (0-0, 4.73) for Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET. 

1
Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy