March 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM
2025 SoxProspects Pre-Season All-Stars Pt. 1 - Position Players
For the first part of SoxProspects.com's 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, we start with the position players. This group of nine includes six of the organization's top 25 prospects and three others who are also ranked. Stay tuned for the pitching portion of the 2025 Pre-Season All-Stars list, slated to be published later Friday.
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Brooks Brannon: Catcher, Greenville Drive
Brannon, who turns 21 in May, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time and is currently ranked as the No. 43 prospect in the organization. The former 2022 ninth-round draft pick missed the first seven weeks of the 2024 campaign while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and reported to Salem in early June after rehabbing in the Florida Complex League. The right-handed hitter then batted .251/.326/.396 (114 wRC+) with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 22 runs scored, five stolen bases, 23 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 54 Carolina League games (230 plate appearances). He also earned All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League by slashing .309/.347/.456 with two homers and six RBIs in 16 games (72 plate appearances) for the Mesa Solar Sox. He is expected to break camp with Greenville this spring and could see more playing time at first base as opposed to behind the plate.
Justin Gonzales: First Baseman, FCL Red Sox
Gonzales, 18, is another first-time Pre-Season All-Star. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000 last January, Gonzales put together an impressive debut season in the Dominican Summer League. The right-handed hitting slugger was recognized as a DSL All-Star and the 2024 Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Position Player of the Year after batting .320/.391/.517 with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 29 RBIs, 29 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 47 games (192 plate appearances) between DSL Red Sox Blue and Red. He is currently ranked as the organization's No. 25 prospect and is set to open the 2025 campaign in the Florida Complex League.
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Romero, 21, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the first time after being named SoxProspects.com's 2024 Comeback Player of the Year. The former 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft began last season on the injured list while recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back that cut his 2023 short. Upon completing a brief rehab assignment in the FCL in mid-May, the left-handed hitter proceeded to slash .265/.306/.508 (125 wRC+) with 23 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 52 RBIs, 51 runs scored, one stolen base, 18 walks, and 83 strikeouts in 75 games (350 plate appearances) between Greenville and Portland. He has carried that momentum over into spring training and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 13 prospect. It is expected that he will return to Portland out of camp.
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Blaze Jordan: Third Baseman, Portland Sea Dogs
Jordan, 22, is a Pre-Season All-Star for the second consecutive year. The former 2020 third-round draft pick is currently ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the organization after spending all of last season in Portland. In 89 games, the right-handed-hitting corner infielder batted .261/.305/.388 (98 wRC+) with 22 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 61 RBIs, 35 runs scored, two stolen bases, 18 walks, and 46 strikeouts over 380 plate appearances. He was sidelined from May 12 to June 12 with a fractured left ring finger and from August 10-27 with a head contusion after being hit in the face by a 97 mph fastball. He is in line to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 campaign.
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Mayer, 22, is now a four-time Pre-Season All-Star and is coming off a stellar spring in which he received his first invite to major league camp. Last year, the left-handed hitter batted .307/.370/.480 (142 wRC+) with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 77 games (335 plate appearances) for Portland. He played in the All-Star Futures Game for the second straight year and was promoted to Worcester on August 12 but did not appear in a game the rest of the season due to a lumbar strain that never improved. As such, the organization's No. 3 prospect will open the 2025 campaign in Triple-A and will look to add to his versatility by playing around the infield as opposed to just playing shortstop.
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Jhostynxon Garcia: Outfielder, Portland Sea Dogs
Like Mayer, Garcia took part in his first major league camp this spring. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old is a first-time Pre-Season All-Star after being added to Boston's 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes back in November. That decision was made after Garcia rose through three levels and slashed .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, an organizational-leading 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 99 strikeouts in 107 games (459 plate appearances) between Salem, Greenville, and Portland. He was named to MiLB's 2024 First Team Prospect Team and is currently ranked as the organization's No. 12 prospect. Aptly nicknamed "The Password," Garcia is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 campaign.
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Taylor, 22, is a first-time Pre-Season All-Star after being recognized as the 2024 Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in his first full professional season. In addition to what he did in the outfield, the left-handed hitter out of Polk State slashed .233/.337/.376 (113 wRC+) with 26 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 54 RBIs, 74 runs scored, 33 stolen bases, 63 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 111 games (475 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville. The former 2023 11th-round draft selection is currently regarded as the No. 26 prospect in the organization. He is slated to return to Greenville when camp breaks next week.
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Bleis, who turned 20 earlier this month, is a pre-season All-Star for the fifth time. The Dominican-born outfielder is entering his fifth professional season after originally signing with Boston for $1.5 million in January 2021. He showed flashes of his potential early on, particularly when playing in the Florida Complex League in 2022, but has struggled to find consistency since then. After undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder subluxation in June 2023, the right-handed hitter batted .220/.303/.354 (94 wRC+) with 16 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 56 runs scored, an organizational-leading 38 stolen bases, 39 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 95 games (429 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville last year. He is still ranked as the organization's No. 6 prospect and is expected to return to Greenville out of the gate this season.
Franklin Arias: Utilityman, Salem Red Sox
Arias, 19, is a first-time Pre-Season All-Star and is looking to build off a successful 2024 campaign that saw him make his stateside debut. In 87 games between the FCL and Salem, the right-handed hitting infielder slashed .309/.409/.487 (150 wRC+) with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 54 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 35 stolen bases, 50 walks, and 65 strikeouts over 372 plate appearances. Among other accolades, he was named an FCL All-Star, the FCL's MVP and Top Prospect, and the Red Sox' Minor League Baserunner of the Year. Originally signed out of Venezuela for $525,000 in January 2023, Arias currently slots in as the No. 5 prospect in the organization. He will be returning to Salem once spring training ends.
Photo Credit: All by Kelly O'Connor