MLB Notebook: Who’s the Red Sox No. 1 Catcher?, Franklin Arias sizzling hot, John Holobetz dominates in Portland

Alex Cora has been noncommittal about who will serve as the Red Sox’s starting catcher moving forward. Connor Wong has seen increased playing time, largely due to Carlos Narváez’s slow start at the plate.

“Sometimes you’re hot, and you’re playing the hot hand,” Cora said before Boston’s 4-1 loss to the Tigers at Fenway Park.

Cora entered spring training naming Narváez the starter, but his stance has shifted.

“He’s a catcher for the team, both of them,” Cora said.

Narváez is hitting .195 with no extra-base hits and 14 strikeouts to just one walk in a dozen games. Wong, meanwhile, is batting .333, even after a 0-for-3 showing Saturday, and already has four doubles, halfway to last season’s total.

For now, it appears Cora is riding the hotter bat, even with Narváez’s elite defensive reputation.

“At the plate, just being able to trust in myself and get results has been really nice,” Wong said. “You’ve got to be able to do your job behind the plate and at the plate. It feels good to be myself and just keep building on that and try to help us win games.”

Wong served as Boston’s primary catcher from 2023–24 before a fractured pinky sidelined him early last season. Narváez seized the opportunity, emerging as a key contributor and finishing his rookie campaign with a .241 average, .726 OPS, 27 doubles, 15 home runs, and 50 RBI in 118 games. He also led all MLB catchers with 58 assists and 32 runners caught stealing.

“We know that Narváez is elite,” Cora said. “Connor has been a work in progress the last few years, but he’s swinging the bat well, hitting the ball hard. He knows the pitching staff, and we trust him. It’s not about who’s starting, it’s about trying to win games.”

Both catchers played through injuries last year. Narváez revealed during spring training that he needed surgery as early as July but pushed to stay on the field.

Cora believes Wong has benefited from sharing the workload with Narváez.

“They’re really good at communication and game-planning,” Cora said. “Narvi and Parker (Guinn) come from an organization that’s elite at framing, and that knowledge has helped Connor.

“The thing people forget, Connor is one of the best athletes we have,” Cora added. “He’s improving defensively. Last year he was making real strides before the injury. Without reps, it’s hard to keep progressing, but he’s in a much better spot now than he was two years ago.”

Narváez was benched for a game in early April, though Cora offered little clarity on the decision.

“I just made a change,” Cora said. “I talked to Carlos a little bit and we move on from there. I felt like we needed to make the change in the lineup, and I think it’s for the best.”

When asked if the move was disciplinary, Cora declined to elaborate. Regardless, things have clearly shifted behind the plate, from Narváez entering the season as the No. 1 option to Cora now riding the hotter hand with Wong seeing increased playing time.

Whether it’s simply a matter of performance or something more behind the scenes remains unclear. For now, the Red Sox appear focused on production, and time will ultimately reveal how the situation settles.

Duran has Red Sox' 'Full Support'

Jarren Duran was involved in another incident with a fan last week, flipping off someone in the stands who allegedly told him to take his own life. The Red Sox outfielder, who has been open about his past mental health struggles, including a prior suicide attempt, has received full support from the organization.

“It was a really terrible and unfortunate situation,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show. “Jarren said that he should not have reacted the way that he did, but also, there’s no place in our game for comments like the one that was directed at him. So, we give Jarren our full support. He’s been really open about his mental health challenges, and I think that’s had a very positive impact on a lot of people.”

Breslow acknowledged that while Duran’s reaction wasn’t ideal, it’s difficult to judge in the moment. “Jarren said that’s not the way to react, of course,” Breslow added. “The response isn’t representative of how we’d want it to play out, but it’s impossible to project how anyone would respond in that situation. The most important thing is that he knows he has support within the organization.”

According to The Athletic, the Twins’ investigation has not yet corroborated Duran’s claim. The team said in a statement, “We were made aware of the situation late Tuesday and are looking into it. There’s no place in our game for conduct like that.”

As of Saturday, Duran has not made any additional public comments.

Franklin Arias off to Ferocious Start

After the promotions of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox have only a handful of position player prospects generating buzz.

One of them is infielder Franklin Arias, who has been on an offensive tear this week with Double-A Portland. Over his last 10 games, he’s hitting .467 (14-for-30) with three home runs, two doubles, nine RBI, five walks, and just three strikeouts.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound shortstop has flashed unexpected pop, homering in three straight games. Prior to this surge, power hadn’t been a major part of his profile; he hit just eight home runs across 116 minor league games last season, with his first of the year not coming until his 93rd at-bat.

Despite his strong start, it’s still a small sample size in April. There’s a full season ahead, and Boston shouldn’t rush a promotion to Worcester until Arias gets a larger runway of Double-A at-bats.

The WooSox do have infield depth, but outside of Mikey Romero, no one is truly blocking Arias from earning consistent playing time. Vinny Capra and Tsung-Che Cheng have handled shortstop, Romero has been at third, while Nick Sogard and Anthony Siegler have split time at second.

Arias has consistently been one of the top hitters at every level he’s reached in the Red Sox system. He put together a strong 2025 campaign, batting .278 with 36 extra-base hits, 66 RBI, and 62 runs scored across three levels, all as a teenager.

This offseason, Arias focused on adding strength and improving his bat speed, with an emphasis on elevating the ball more. While it’s a small sample, his recent power surge suggests early returns on that work. Still, it’s a long season, and Boston will want to see how it holds up as the calendar turns to May.

Defensively, Arias has also impressed. He committed just seven errors in 101 games at shortstop in 2025, living up to his reputation as one of the top defensive infielders from the 2023 international class. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound shortstop features a strong arm and solid range, particularly up the middle and to his right.

The start has been impressive, and the hype around Arias is real, but it’s still April, and he has just 20 total games at Double-A, including 10 from last season. There’s plenty of growth ahead, and rather than rushing him based on a hot stretch, even one highlighted by three straight home runs and social media buzz, the Red Sox would be wise to take a patient approach.

If Arias is still producing at this level by mid-to-late May, he could force Boston’s hand.

Holobetz Sets Career-High in Strikeouts 

Red Sox pitching prospect John Holobetz was a tough-luck loser in a shutout effort Saturday, allowing just one hit, a solo homer in the fifth, while walking one and striking out a career-high 11 over seven innings.

He also finished the outing with 14 swings and misses. 

Holobetz is quickly emerging as a candidate for promotion to Triple-A Worcester, lowering his ERA to 1.13 through 16 innings with Double-A Portland.

Boston acquired Holobetz in last April’s deal that sent Quinn Priester to Milwaukee, and he’s beginning to look like a legitimate breakout arm, one who could soon climb into the conversation among the organization’s top pitching prospects.

The right-hander posted a 3.04 ERA across 18 outings (16 starts) between Greenville and Portland last season. The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Old Dominion was particularly sharp after his promotion, recording a 2.39 ERA and 0.85 WHIP while holding opponents to a .205 average over six outings (five starts) with Portland.

Holobetz features a four-seam fastball that topped out at 97 mph last season, complemented by a cutter, slider, and changeup. His velocity has ticked up since joining Boston, and he’s shown the ability to throw strikes, limit walks, and avoid hard contact. His changeup, which he throws to both righties and lefties, remains a work in progress but flashes promise as a key secondary pitch.

MiLB Notes

Red Sox pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Devin Futrell combined for a nine-inning shutout, leading Greenville to a 4-0 win over Bowling Green.

Eyanson continues to build on his dominant start since being selected in the third round out of LSU. He tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, lowering his ERA to a remarkable 0.73 with a 0.41 WHIP through his first 12 1/3 innings.

Futrell, recently promoted from Low-A, followed with four scoreless innings of his own, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three. He also impressed with Greenville last season, posting a 1.09 ERA over 24 2/3 innings, and has shown encouraging development with a new splitter and a riding sweeper.

Like Arias, it’s a small sample size, but the early buzz around these arms is real as the season gets underway.

Update on Valera 

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has been turning heads with his 101.7 mph fastball. The 19-year-old, who recently cracked Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list at No. 100, tossed a scoreless first inning against Bowling Green on Thursday before exiting with elbow inflammation.

The Red Sox will evaluate Valera in the coming days to determine the severity of the injury. According to Ari Alexander of 7News, Valera is not expected to undergo imaging and will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks.

The injury halts what had been a spectacular start to the 2026 season. In 9 1/3 innings, Valera posted a 1.93 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks, flashing three swing-and-miss pitches in his fastball, slider, and changeup. He had been a strong candidate for an in-season promotion to Double-A, but this setback will delay his climb through the system.

Benches Clear

Braiden Ward took a dangerous fastball to the head during Friday night’s WooSox game, sparking a benches-clearing incident between Worcester and Nashville.

After being hit, Ward threw his bat in the direction of Nashville Sound pitcher Tate Kuehner as tensions escalated.

Despite the scary moment, Ward has been productive early in 2026, slashing .278/.500/.278 through 15 games with Worcester and already swiping nine bases.

One other quick WooSox note: Mickey Gasper went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in Worcester's 2-1 loss on Saturday. The switch-hitting catcher is tearing Triple-A up in the early go of the season. He's hitting .321/.472/.536 with three home runs, 14 RBI, and 16 BB/16 K over 72 plate appearances.