Who are Josue Brito and Angelo Ladera? Get to know the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player, Pitcher of the Year

As part of pre-game ceremonies on the field at Fenway Park last Friday night, the Red Sox recognized their seven minor-league award winners for the 2025 season. Among the honorees were the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year, Josue Brito, and Latin Program Pitcher of the Year, Angelo Ladera.

Brito repeated the Dominican Summer League this season after originally signing with Boston for $20,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2024. In 43 games for DSL Red Sox Blue, the right-handed hitting 18-year-old batted .284/.497/.606 with eight doubles, nine home runs, 30 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 41 walks, and 32 strikeouts over 157 plate appearances. That includes a .350/.552/.900 slash line against lefties and a .270/.484/.539 slash line against righties.

Among 304 qualified Dominican Summer League hitters in 2025, Brito ranked second in slugging percentage, OPS (1.103), isolated power (.321), and wOBA (.521), third in wRC+ (179), fifth in on-base percentage, sixth in walk rate (26.1 percent), 49th in line-drive rate (23.6 percent), and 95th in batting average, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Brito saw playing time at four different positions this season. The 6-foot, 175-pounder logged 153 innings at first base, 86 innings in left field, 37 innings in right field (where he recorded two assists), and one-third of an inning at second base, committing two errors in 180 total chances. He also made one start at DH and converted his lone save opportunity in the process of making five scoreless relief appearances (3 2/3 innings) on the mound.

Like Brito, Ladera is 18 and hails from Venezuela. The 6-foot, 168-pound right-hander signed with Boston for just $10,000 as an international free agent in February and made his professional debut in June. In 12 regular-season outings (three starts) for DSL Red Sox Red, he forged a 2.20 ERA (3.70 FIP) with 36 strikeouts to 15 walks over 32 2/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .164 batting average. He tossed 3 2/3 scoreless frames in his lone start for DSL Red Sox Blue in the playoffs as well.

Among 293 pitchers who threw at least 30 regular-season innings in the Dominican Summer League this year, Ladera ranked eighth in batting average against, 24th in ERA, 27th in WHIP (1.01), 43rd in strikeout rate (27.9 percent), 49th in FIP, 56th in swinging-strike rate (17 percent), 76th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.92), and 85th in xFIP (4.12), per FanGraphs.

Neither Brito, who turns 19 in April, nor Ladera, who turns 19 next month, is currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. They are both projected by the site to make their stateside debuts in the Florida Complex League in 2026.