Boston Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales was ejected on Wednesday night following his home run for High-A Greenville.
Gonzales crushed a mammoth home run against the Hub City Spartanburgers. He was really hyped up after that hit and slowly trotted the bases, which may have frustrated Hub City catcher Cal Stark as he crossed home plate.
Both exchanged words near home plate as the confrontation escalated quickly. Dugouts of both teams cleared and tried to pull both of them back. Despite that, somehow Gonzales was able to reach Stark close enough and slapped him as the catcher’s helmet also came off. The officials broke up the huddle and ejected the Red Sox prospect.
Gonzales is the Red Sox’s No. 3 prospect, listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds. After the recent incident, the young hitter could expect a disciplinary review from Minor League Baseball.
The 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent during the January 2024 signing period. His professional debut came in the same year in the Dominican Summer League. Last year, he played across several leagues, including Florida Complex League, Single-A Salem, and High-A Greenville.
Through 73 games with High-A Greenville this season, Gonzales has batted .263/.379/.443
with a .822 OPS, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.
Red Sox Promotes No. 1 Prospect to Triple-A
Another top Red Sox prospect making noise is Franklin Arias, who was promoted to Triple-A Worcester, according to Tommy Cassell of the Worcester T&G. Arias is the top Red Sox prospect and comes third on Baseball America’s Top 100 list.
The 20-year-old is from Caracas, Venezuela. He was signed by Boston as an international free agent on January 15, 2023. The Red Sox handed him a $525,000 signing bonus, the second-largest bonus in the club’s international class that year. After making his professional debut in 2023, Arias really broke out in 2024, winning Florida Complex League MVP and Florida Complex League Top Prospect honors.
During the All-Star festivities, Arias featured as the AL’s second baseman in the Futures Game. During his time with Double-A Portland this year, he has slashed .318/.407/.587 batting line with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs in 75 games. The .318 batting average is third in Double-A.
It’s not yet confirmed when Arias will get his first start, with many expecting it to happen during the three home games this week, including Friday night against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
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