In addition to left-handers Payton Tolle and Eduardo Rivera, the Red Sox are promoting catching/first base prospect Brooks Brannon from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Josh Ball of Beyond the Monster.
Brannon, who turned 21 last month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 42 prospect. The right-handed hitter batted .270/.313/.398 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 31 RBIs, 32 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 63 strikeouts in 55 games (224 plate appearances) for Greenville to open the season. In a case of reverse splits, that includes a .286/.333/.435 slash line against righties and a .209/.227/.256 slash line against lefties.
Among 75 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League to this point in 2025, Brannon most notably ranks second in line-drive rate (28.8 percent), 14th in batting average, 23rd in slugging percentage, and 35th in OPS (.711), per FanGraphs.
Defensively, Brannon saw most of his playing time with Greenville this season come at catcher. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop logged a team-leading 267 innings behind the plate for the Drive, allowing four passed balls and throwing out 14 of 75 possible base stealers. He also made seven starts at first base, where he committed two errors in 55 chances, and 16 starts at DH.
Brannon was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (279th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Randleman High School (Randleman, N.C.). The Tar Heel State native forwent his commitment to the University of North Carolina by signing with Boston for an above-slot $712,500. He has dealt with plenty of injury-related issues (such as a low back strain in 2023 and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in 2024) since entering the professional ranks, but ended last year on a high note by earning All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League.
Known for his arm strength and freakish raw power, Brannon is slated to join a catching mix in Portland that is currently comprised of Ronald Rosario and Juan Montero. The Sea Dogs open a six-game series on the road against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Tuesday night.
