Double-A Notebook: Scouting Reports From a Week With Franklin Arias

Throughout the past two seasons, I’ve been doing a series of stories breaking down the top players and most interesting prospects I saw come face the Altoona Curve, my hometown minor league affiliate. In these stories, there have been several fascinating takeaways from top prospects around the league, and so far, this year has been no different.

Last week, I was lucky enough to watch Just Baseball’s No. 39 prospect, Franklin Arias, up close with the Portland Sea Dogs, the Boston Red Sox‘s Double-A affiliate. Out of all the prospects I’ve gotten live looks at over the past few years, I can confidently say Arias put together one of the most impressive stretches I’ve seen.

With Arias being so highly regarded, I expected his tools to stand out immediately. After all, most top prospects who come through stand out immediately, as it’s clear their tools are different from those of the average Double-A player. However, Arias truly went above and beyond, creating a positive lasting impression with a tremendous showing.

Naturally, I wanted to recap what stood out to me the most about Arias after watching him for a full week, and what his ceiling may look like in the near future.

Let’s dive into the breakdown.

Taking a Look at Arias’ Production

Last season, Franklin Arias put together a strong overall season across three levels. He became one of just nine teenage position players with at least five games played in Double-A, joining an elite group that included multiple superstar prospects on our top 100 list.

However, the one thing Arias didn’t have in common with some of these other players is elite production. He turned in a 109 wRC+ with 36 extra-base hits, leading some to wonder if he truly possessed the same type of upside as these other blue-chip prospects. In 2026, he’s answered those questions and more, as he’s producing at a pretty spectacular level.

Through his first 10 games of the season, Arias is slashing .467/.564/.833 with five extra-base hits and a 242 wRC+ (through 04/18). Most notably, Arias finally seems to have found some more power within his bat, as he’s already hit three home runs this year. This production continued last week in Altoona, where Arias tore apart the Curve’s pitching staff at nearly every opportunity he had.

During the four games Arias played in Altoona last week, he slashed .308/.471/1.000, hit all three of his home runs this season, and posted a 239 wRC+. For good measure, Arias also notched just one strikeout while walking three times throughout this span.

Impressively, it took him 11 PA to notch his first strikeout of the week, which came on Friday.

Arias’ production last week reminded me a lot of when Aidan Miller came into town during the latter part of 2025. He seemingly hit everything the Curve’s pitchers threw him, and just like Miller, it felt like a huge accomplishment when they were able to keep him from reaching base.

Arias’ first home run of the week was one of the more magnificent shots I’ve seen a player hit in Altoona over the past few seasons. He sent a 93 mph fastball down and in from electric righty Khristian Curtis over the right-center field wall. Not many right-handed hitters who come through Altoona are capable of going deep to the opposite field, which is why this one really stuck out to me.

He followed up this impressive shot with another blast the very next day. This time, Arias crushed a changeup low and inside from Connor Wietgrefe deep to left field, showing off his pull-side power on the second pitch of the game. Arias was able to keep his hands tight, turning and accelerating behind the baseball in a very head-turning manner.

The third and final home run Arias hit last week was yet another tape measure shot. This time, Arias sent a sinker from Po-Yu Chen over the center field wall, as it traveled 440 feet at 106 mph off the bat.

With Altoona’s center field wall standing at 16 feet tall and 405 feet from home plate, this makes it a truly grand shot. While backside homers are rare in People’s Natural Gas Field, center field shots are arguably even less common, as it takes some serious juice to clear the batter’s eye.

Overall, Arias’ performance at the plate last week was quite impressive. Whether he was sending balls over the batter’s eye at 440 feet or by working the count through long at-bats, Just Baseball’s No. 39 prospect was a difficult out every single time he stepped out on the field.

Things That Stood Out About Arias’ Game

Now that we’ve covered the numbers behind Arias’ stellar showing against the Curve, we can take a closer look at some of the other things that stood out to me when watching him play.

Beginning with his mechanics, Arias has made some clear strides towards a more efficient swing, and it’s notable when watching him in the box. He’s shrunken his leg kick ever so slightly and closed off his front foot more than he did last season.

In the image above, you can see the difference in Arias’ setup. With him closing off his stance ever so slightly, his move is much smaller and simpler, which helps him get on time much more reliably. Also, Arias is using his lower half a lot better, as he’s effectively coiling into his back hip, a move that’s helped him generate far more power early this season.

In this side-by-side, you can see the difference in his load. While it’s not much, the leg kick is smaller, and he’s actually loading into his back hip rather than striding for the sake of timing. It’s a move that’s helping him generate raw juice, which is a big difference from last season.

Arias’ newfound power is reflected in more than just his home run totals. As of the time I’m writing this, his average exit velocity sits at 95.1 mph, and he’s registered a hard-hit rate slightly north of 60%. These were noticeable gains when watching him play up close.

Taking things a step further, Arias’ power is reflected in his bat speed. He’s currently averaging 74.6 mph with his swing, a number that would tie him with Matt Olson and Jarren Duran on the 2026 MLB leaderboard.

Oftentimes, when a player sees gains in their power, they see corresponding regression in their plate discipline. Arias has seen quite the opposite, as this was one of the most underrated tools I noticed when watching him up close.

On April 15, he worked a 10-pitch PA that resulted in a walk, making this one of numerous plate appearances that lasted for six or more pitches. He’s chased just 16% of the time this season, maintaining a patient approach that makes him an annoying opponent.

His hit tool was encouraging as well, even if he only had one hit during his time in Altoona that wasn’t a home run. He’s registered an overall contact rate this year of 85%, which is certainly worth noting. His overall feel for the barrel will be something to keep an eye on, as this is something that’ll separate him from the rest of the pack as he moves up the system.

Another underrated aspect of his skill set was his speed, which graded out better than I expected. He was pretty solid with the glove as well, showing natural instincts for the shortstop position and a smooth glove overall. With an arm that’s comfortably above-average, he’ll surely stick there long-term.

During his time in Altoona, he showcased a truly well-rounded, polished bag of tools. From his ever-progressing power developments to being a tough out for the Curve’s best arms, Franklin Arias looked far better than advertised.

How High is Arias’ Ceiling?

After spending a week getting to see Arias up close and pairing that with equally encouraging data, I feel very good about Arias’ big-league ceiling. He certainly possesses the tools to be an above-average major leaguer if all goes to plan, especially if his early improvements hold across a full season.

With elite bat-to-ball skills, solid power, good defensive instincts, and excellent plate discipline, he’s a surefire candidate to succeed as he continues to move through the Red Sox’s system. I feel confident in saying that Arias is one of the more naturally gifted players I’ve seen while evaluating prospects up close, which isn’t to be taken lightly.

Even though he’s still just 20 years old, if Arias continues to hit at this pace, he won’t remain in Double-A for much longer. He has every piece needed for a strong eventual foundation in the big leagues, and he’ll be fun to watch throughout every moment of this journey.