It was a breakout season at the plate for Brooks Brannon.
It was a fantastic day to be a current or former member of the Boston Red Sox’ Double-A affiliate as Minor League Baseball named Double-A award winners and All-Star teams, including three Portland Sea Dogs.
Among the three players named an All-Star was power-hitting first baseman Brooks Brannon, who put together a career year in his fourth full season in the Red Sox organization.
About Brannon
The 22-year-old was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, signing an overslot deal worth $712,500 to forgo his commitment to the University of North Carolina.
After missing significant time thanks to both injuries and personal reasons in his first two seasons, Brannon put together his first season of full health in 2025, hitting .251/.308/.393/.701 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles, and 47 RBI in 93 games with High-A Greenville and Portland. He followed up a solid 2025 campaign with a breakout season in 2026, playing 93 games with Portland, where he hit .280/.355/.560/.915. Among 47 qualified Eastern League players, Brannon hit the seventh-most home runs (22), the fourth-most doubles (28), posted the second-highest OPS, and led the league in slugging percentage.
Despite a strong season, several concerns remain about Brannon’s profile. Like many prolific power hitters, he struggles with swing-and-miss, posting a 33.8 percent whiff rate and a 32.4 percent chase rate, which led to a 28.9 percent strikeout rate that ranked in the 27th percentile. His zone contact rate of 79.8 percent also leaves a lot to be desired. However, as noted by his SoxProspects scouting report, “When he makes contact, [he] hits the ball very hard and has recorded exit velocities that are among the best in the system.”
Despite his flaws, after putting up back-to-back healthy seasons, Brannon saw a real rise in organizational rankings, jumping from the No. 53-rated prospect in the system to No. 38, per SoxProspects.
In other Red Sox prospect news
Brannon was joined on the Eastern League All-Star team by shortstop Franklin Arias, who was also named the Player of the Year, and former Red Sox top pitching prospect, Anthony Eyanson, who took home Pitcher of the Year honors.
The trio of Sea Dogs joined infielder Mason White (High-A Greenville) and catcher Kleyver Salazar (Single-A) among the Red Sox prospects named to minor league All-Star teams.
Up next for the Sox
After clinching a playoff berth on Sunday, the Red Sox have their final off day of the regular season on Monday before opening up a six-game homestand on Tuesday as they welcome the Cleveland Guardians to Fenway Park for a three-game set. Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.02 ERA) will get the start opposite fellow rookie left-hander Parker Messick (12-9, 2.57 ERA) for Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.
