August Players of the Month: Franklin Primera and Dylan Brown

The fifth full month of the minor league season is complete. With that, it is time to present the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month awards for August to catcher Franklin Primera (pictured, left) and left-hander Dylan Brown (pictured, bottom right). Both prospects are currently ranked within the organization's top 25, having each climbed more than 30 spots since Opening Day.

Primera, the No. 3 prospect in the system behind only Franklin Arias and Justin Gonzales, is a SoxProspects.com Player of the Month honoree for the second time this season. The right-handed hitting 19-year-old batted a stout .382/.535/.592 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 15 RBI, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and eight strikeouts in 22 August games (101 plate appearances) for Salem. He was recognized as the Carolina League Player of the Week for August 10-16, then drove in a career-high seven runs on August 18.

For the season, his first in the United States, Primera is slashing .365/.500/.576 with 16 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 64 runs scored, six stolen bases, 47 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 75 games (327 plate appearances) between the Florida Complex League and Salem. As part of his breakout campaign, the 2024 international signee out of Venezuela has made 47 starts behind the plate, throwing out 29 of 175 would-be base stealers. He has also made eight starts at first base and 19 starts at DH.

Brown, meanwhile, is a SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Month honoree for the first time in his first full professional season. Ranked as the organization's No. 25 prospect, the 22-year-old lefty posted a 2.66 ERA with 31 strikeouts to four walks in five August starts (23 2/3 innings) for Greenville, holding opponents to a .186 batting average. His workload was somewhat limited, as his starts on August 15 and 21 -- in which he tossed three scoreless innings each time -- were both shortened by rain.

Overall, Brown -- Boston's eighth-round pick in last year's draft out of Old Dominion -- has pitched to a 3.38 ERA with 135 strikeouts to 37 walks in 21 outings (20 starts) and 101 1/3 innings between Salem and Greenville this season. Opposing hitters are slashing .229/.305/.320 in 420 plate appearances against him. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound southpaw features a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 88-89 mph cutter, an 81-85 mph slider, and an 82-84 mph changeup.

Photo Credit: Franklin Primera and Dylan Brown by Kelly O'Connor

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