June 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Minor Notes: Primera brought up to Salem, Arias continues to swing a hot bat
It was a "next man up" mentality in the Boston affiliates, and the week ended with a notable promotion from the FCL. The organization also added to the system with a Minor League free agent signing.
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Primera promoted to Salem
After a torrid start to the season down in the FCL, catcher Franklin Primera (pictured, right) earned a promotion to Low-A affiliate Salem on Monday. Through his first 32 games down on the complex, the backstop slashed .427/.549/.718 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs along with a 22:13 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He was also stellar defensively behind the plate. Primera has climbed from 36th to 13th on the SoxProspects' top 60 list and has garnered national attention for his start to the season.
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Pair of WooSox helping Boston in a big way
With injuries continuing to plague the major league club, the reinforcements have stepped up when needed most. Since being recalled from Worcester on June 20, Anthony Seigler has filled in at second base. He has slashed .333/.394/.500 while adding his first career home run off Gerrit Cole on Saturday. Seigler was integral in helping Boston sweep New York over the weekend with a crucial RBI single in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday. Also part of that rally, Tsung-Che Cheng picked up a pair of firsts this week. Cheng recorded his first career hit and RBI on Friday and followed it up with a game-tying sacrifice fly on Sunday.
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New Podcast Episode
Ian and Mike are back for episode 419 of the SoxProspects podcast as they discuss the state of the organization with just one month before the MLB trade deadline. The duo also breaks down Marcelo Mayer's injury and why Anthony Eyanson's velocity downturn is nothing to be concerned about. They also answer listener questions regarding Garrett Crochet and Franklin Primera.
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Portland shortstop Franklin Arias (pictured, left) continued what has been one of the best seasons in Minor League Baseball with a hot week. The Portland infielder recorded five multi-hit outings, including a three-hit game against Hartford on June 23. Arias also continued to tap into his power with a go-ahead two-run home run on Saturday in an eventual 5-2 win for the Sea Dogs. Now hitting .328/.407/.594 with 16 home runs on the year, Arias seems poised for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester at any time. Interestingly, after playing nothing but shortstop for most of the season, he has seen one game at second base each of the past few weeks, which is likely designed to help him be more ready to move around if needed for potential opportunities in the Majors down the road.
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Other Transactions
Outside of Primera's promotion to Salem, the lone other move in the Boston system was a Minor League signing. Andrew Knizner inked a deal and joined Worcester on Tuesday. The catcher spent the first half of 2026 in the Rockies organization, hitting .279 with a .961 OPS in 33 games with the club's Triple-A affiliate. Knizner has Major League experience, playing in 326 games over seven seasons. With the Cardinals, Rangers, and Giants, he has hit .211 with 19 career home runs.
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Players of the Week June 22-28
Antonio Anderson, 3B, Greenville Drive
6 G, 11-22, 2 2B, 3 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, .500/.542/1.000
The promotion of Jack Winnay to Portland opened up a spot in the Greenville lineup for Anderson, and he answered the bell with authority. After missing a week and a half, presumably with an undisclosed injury, Anderson led a strong crop of hitters on the week to take home his first-ever SoxProspects Player of the Week honor in addition to winning South Atlantic League Player of the Week. It has been a tough go of things in the pros for Anderson, who received a $1.5 million signing bonus as a 2023 third-round pick, but had mostly been getting backup first base reps for the Drive this season until this week. With a chance to play every day, hopefully Anderson can continue to take advantage.
Dylan Brown, LHP, Greenville Drive
1 G, 1-0, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K
Brown's lone start of the week was magnificent for the Drive on Wednesday, allowing just a pair of baserunners in seven shutout innings while setting a career high for strikeouts in a start. The left-hander threw 53 of his 75 pitches for strikes. It was the best start in a low-level breakout season for Brown, who is currently 31st in the SoxProspects.com rankings.
Photo Credit: Franklin Primera and Franklin Arias by Kelly O'Connor