Over the past few years Red Sox fans became quite familiar with the top names in Boston’s farm system.

For a while it was Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel who reigned as the “Big Three,” then Kristian Campbell took Teel’s place after Teel was dealt in the Garrett Crochet trade. Once all of them reached the majors, several pitchers separated themselves from the pack as well, most notably Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, the latter rising all the way from High-A to the majors in his first professional season.

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Now, the Red Sox farm system is entering a new era.

For the first time in recent memory, the majority of the club’s top prospects are pitchers, not position players. Baseball America recently published its updated Top 10 for the Red Sox system, and it had six pitchers against four position players. SoxProspects.com has an even bigger split, with seven pitchers against three position players in its latest Top 10.

The recent trades of right-hander Luis Perales and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia also signaled the departure of two of the best known remaining prospects the Red Sox had. But that doesn’t mean the system isn’t still loaded with talent.

Heading into 2026 fans can expect to become familiar with a new wave of talented youngsters working their way up through the system. Some will be making their professional debuts, while others have spent a couple of years in the organization.

Here are some names to know entering the new season. For our purposes, we’ll be setting aside those who have already made their MLB debuts, like Mayer, Early and Tolle.

Teenage shortstop Franklin Arias has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Red Sox minor league system this year. (Courtesy of the Salem Red Sox)

Franklin Arias, SS

The highest ranked position player prospect in the Red Sox system after Mayer, Arias is listed at No. 48 on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects rankings and will have a chance to enjoy a significant jump in 2026.

Originally signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2023, Arias immediately set himself apart in the Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League and by 2024 became one of the youngest players with any full-season minor league affiliate.

Still only 20 years old, Arias finished the 2025 season at Double-A and batted .278 with eight home runs, 66 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a .723 OPS over 116 total games. He dominated initially at Low-A Salem, batting .346 in 19 games to start the season, and held his own at High-A Greenville, notably drawing nearly as many walks (32) as strikeouts (35) despite being one of the youngest players in his league.

Arias will likely start 2026 in Portland, giving New England-based fans their first extended opportunity to see him play. He likely won’t make a serious push to the majors this season, but if he performs well a summertime promotion to Triple-A could be in the cards.

Juan Valera, RHP

For all of the pitching talent that the Red Sox have added to their system in recent years, Valera remains one of the most fascinating.

Signed for just $45,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, Valera burst onto the scene in 2024 and posted a 1.99 ERA in 18 outings, finishing the year at Low-A Salem. He turned heads during spring training this past year, notably hitting 100 mph during the Futures at Fenway South prospect showcase at JetBlue Park. Valera then started the season as the second youngest player in High-A behind only then-Padres prospect Leo de Vries.

Valera’s season didn’t go smoothly from there, as he posted a 5.45 ERA in 10 starts for Greenville while missing several months due to elbow soreness. But still just 19, Valera is well ahead of schedule and should have a great chance of reaching Double-A early in the 2026 season.

Red Sox draft picks Marcus Phillips, Kyson Witherspoon and Anthony Eyanson speak to the media at Fenway Park. (Mac Cerullo/Boston Herald)

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP

Last season Tolle established himself as one of the breakout prospects in all of baseball, going from High-A to the majors in his first full professional season.

Now Witherspoon will try to follow in his footsteps.

Selected No. 15 overall out of the University of Oklahoma in last summer’s MLB Draft, Witherspoon is the top prospect in the Red Sox’s incoming class. The 6-foot-2 righty already slots in at No. 62 on Baseball America’s Top 100 list and was considered a steal for Boston given his top-10 status on many pre-draft rankings.

Witherspoon has yet to pitch in a minor league game, but last season he pitched brilliantly as a junior for the University of Oklahoma. He went 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 95 innings, and most encouragingly he cut his walk rate nearly in half, going from 11.2% in 2024 to 5.9% in 2025.

The 21-year-old boasts a fastball that has topped out at 99 mph as well as two quality secondary pitches, his cutter and slider. Between his advanced arsenal and impressive control, Witherspoon projects as someone who could rise quickly through the minors.

Marcus Phillips, RHP

Two years ago the Red Sox traded former first-round pick Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh for right-hander Quinn Priester. Then, last spring, the Red Sox flipped Priester to Milwaukee for a package headlined by the Brewers’ competitive balance pick, which wound up being the No. 33 overall selection.

Finally, the Red Sox used that pick to draft Phillips, a 6-foot-4, 246-pound mountain of a righty out of the University of Tennessee.

Phillips fits the archetype that the Red Sox have sought since Craig Breslow took over, namely gigantic physical specimens with the tools to handle big innings and big velocity. This past season at Tennessee Phillips posted a 3.90 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 83 innings, and like Witherspoon he significantly cut down his walk rate, going from a gruesome 16.3% to 9.4%, which is still slightly below average but a big step in the right direction.

Only 21 years old, Phillips’ fastball topped out at 100.8 mph in college and his slider has potential. His ability to continue developing secondary pitches and improving his command will determine whether he sticks as a starter or winds up moving to the bullpen.

Red Sox draft pick Anthony Eyanson was the winning pitcher in LSU’s College World Series clinching Game 2 victory over Coastal Carolina. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Anthony Eyanson, RHP

Regarded as a top-50 prospect entering the draft, Eyanson fell to No. 87 overall, allowing the Red Sox to scoop him up with their third-round pick. He’ll join Witherspoon and Phillips to form a new Big Three among the club’s incoming pitching class.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, Eyanson isn’t as imposing as some of Boston’s other recent draft picks but his resume and metrics rank among the best. Last season Eyanson helped lead LSU to the 2025 College World Series title, pitching 6.1 strong innings to earn the win in the clinching Game 2 victory over Coastal Carolina. He finished the season third in Division 1 with 152 strikeouts in 108 innings, and he also posted a 3.00 ERA while going 12-2 for the Tigers.

In terms of pitch mix, the 21-year-old’s fastball plays better than its mid-90s velocity, which bodes well considering the strides other pitchers have made increasing their velo in Boston’s pitching program. He also owns a devastating slider and a promising curveball, so his ability to harness and refine his arsenal will warrant close watching in the years to come.

Henry Godbout, INF

Boston’s top position player prospect from last year’s draft class, Godbout appeared in 13 games at High-A Greenville towards the end of the season and performed brilliantly, batting .341 with a .950 OPS and more walks (9) than strikeouts (6).

Now the 22-year-old infielder will have a chance to further establish himself in his first full pro season.

A second-round pick out of the University of Virginia, Godbout possesses elite contact skills and projects as someone who could stand to benefit from Boston’s bat speed training program. Prior to being drafted Godbout was a three-year starter who batted .321 with a .929 OPS in his college career, and his best season came as a sophomore in 2024, when he batted .372 with a 1.117 OPS.

Defensively, Godbout isn’t a standout and primarily played second base in college, but the Red Sox have indicated they will give him a chance to develop as a shortstop, at least to start off.

Justin Gonzales, OF

Of all the prospects who stood out in last year’s Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South showcases, Gonzales may have been among the most impressive. Stepping to the plate right at the end of the Fenway South game, the 18-year-old slugger launched an absolute moonshot of a homer clear over JetBlue Park’s Green Monster.

The teenage slugger has continued to impress every step of the way since.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds but clearly much bigger in reality, Gonzales spent the majority of 2025 at Low-A Salem, where he batted .298 with an .804 OPS despite being one of the youngest players in the league. Prior to that he was recognized as the Red Sox’s Latin Program Player of the Year in 2024, and he finished 2025 with a brief 11-game cameo in Greenville.

With Jhostynxon Garcia gone Gonzales is Boston’s top remaining power-hitting prospect, and now that he’s no longer playing in Salem’s famously pitcher-friendly park, 2026 could potentially be the year things really click.

Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP

The Red Sox swung a couple of hugely impactful trades last offseason, most notably the blockbuster acquisition of Crochet and the under-the-radar steal of Carlos Narvaez. But the comparatively unheralded swap of left-hander Cam Booser for teenage pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo may wind up being nearly as big.

Signed by the White Sox as an international free agent out of Venezuela, Fajardo immediately established himself as the best pitcher on Boston’s Florida Complex League club this past spring and quickly earned a promotion to Low-A Salem. He made himself at home there as well, finishing the season with a 2.25 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 72 innings in 19 appearances (17 starts) across both levels.

The 19-year-old now ranks as Boston’s No. 9 prospect according to both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com. Like Gonzales he’s a long way from the majors, but given the Red Sox’s wealth of pitching talent he could represent a valuable trade chip, which is remarkable considering the relatively small price the club paid to get him.