2026 August Farm Report: AL East

Look, the pitchers have stolen the show for the Blue Jays’ system this year. But don’t forget about some of the infielders who’ve turned into surprising names.

Back in June, Sean Keys was promoted to the Majors. Granted, he was already a good prospect but he did break out in 2026. So did Jay Harry, who rebounded from a .199 season in 2025 to slash .314/.359/.552 between Double-A and Triple-A this season. Then, there’s Dub Gleed, who had an otherworldly month for New Hampshire.

Gleed, who had a respectable eight home runs for High-A Vancouver this season, slashed .315/.382/.620 with seven home runs for the Fisher Cats. The pull-side power was very much apparent, as he finished fifth in Pull FB% from July 21 through August 19, a list that also included Red Sox infielder Jack Winnay.

It was also a good month for several in Low-A Dunedin. Catchers Giaconino Lasaracina and Owen Carapellotti each hit five home runs. Brayden Martin, one of the Blue Jays’ 2026 draft picks, took his disciplined approach from Maryland to the pros. Martin had the highest Take% among qualified FSL hitters.

Orioles

The Orioles opted to go with a more nuanced approach at the deadline. Rather than committing one way, Baltimore sold off assets but didn’t go into full sell mode. And in that adjustment, Baltimore picked up three of the best prospects in the Boston system.

Anthony Eyanson struck out 31 over 18 innings between Portland and Bowie over the last month. Eyanson was third in the Eastern League in Whiff%, not a shock given these are the type of numbers he’s put up all year. The right-hander easily became the best pitching prospect in the Orioles’ system, and arguably, the best youngster in the organization who is not in the Majors.

Kyson Witherspoon also put up good swing-and-miss numbers. And the other big prospect from the Rutschman deal, Enddy Azocar, put aside past struggles for an amazing four-week span. How good? How about 40 hits, including eight home runs and 21 extra-base hits, over 22 games. The Whiff% stabilized, as well.

Eric Booth Jr. recently made his pro debut with Low-A Delmarva. Booth Jr. picked up four hits and seven walks across his first seven contests.

Rays

The Rays have a strong pool of talent, and that pool grew more in July when the club selected Grady Emerson with the second-overall pick. Emerson joined a Charleston team that had already had a fair amount of talent, including Cooper Flemming.

Flemming, another middle infielder, slashed .337/.408/.442 over his last 22 games, continuing what has been a strong season. Tampa Bay’s Low-A roster also includes Slater de Brun, part of the massive package received for Shane Baz last December. The 19-year-old de Brun was well-known for his speed. He also hit .269 over his first 71 plate appearances with the Riverdogs, and he was one of the top contact hitters in the Carolina League.

Pitcher Trevor Harrison struck out 35 over 24.2 IP with High-A Bowling Green, leading the South Atlantic League. A 30% Whiff% for Harrison, plus a CSW% just a tick above 31%.

Speaking of strikeouts, catcher Nathan Flewelling was among the leaders in the South Atlantic League over the last month. That, however, is not a positive. The 2026 MLB Futures Game MVP struggled upon his return to High-A Bowling Green. Flewelling slashed .185/.280/.370 with five home runs across his last 23 contests. However, 31 strikeouts over his last 23 games, as well as one of the highest Whiff% in the SAL.

In Double-A Montgomery, it was a great month for Will Simpson, Theo Gillen, and Mac Horvath. All three were among the top-10 in total hits down in the Southern League. Simpson was the league leader with 33, seven of which were home runs. Gillen hit .351 with seven home runs and 13 extra-base hits over 21 games.

Caden Bodine, meanwhile, came just shy of making that group, as well, with 24 hits in 20 contests.

Red Sox

As we noted in the Orioles’ section, the Red Sox parted with premium talent to get Adley Rutschman from Baltimore. So, who in the organization moved up, in terms of overall position?

While Franklin Arias is still the Red Sox’s best prospect, the club will now look and hope that Justin Gonzales can be a valuable everyday outfielder. Gonzales was promoted in mid-August after a good overall season with the Greenville Drive. In High-A, Gonzales posted an OPS well above .800 and hit 17 home runs. Throughout the year, he checked all the boxes: made consistent contact, took walks, and showed pull-side pop that could make him a fun player to watch in Fenway Park.

Greenville was a hot spot for Red Sox prospects this past month. Part of the reason why, aside from Gonzales, was that Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull were assigned to the level after signing from the MLB Draft. The two Tar Heels performed well overall. Then, there’s Dylan Brown.

Brown struck out 29 over 20 innings for the Drive over the last month. As noted in July, Brown is a big swing-and-miss pitcher. He’s not a fun at-bat, especially with his delivery.

Down in Low-A, the Salem Ridgeyaks have two hitters to key in on. Catcher Franklin Primera has been one of the faster-rising hitters in the organization. The teenager finished tied for fifth in the Carolina League in hits (28) over his last 20 games, hitting over .400. He doesn’t swing-and-miss a lot, and that shows up in the numbers.

And for those who read our July report, we told you about 18-year-old Louis Andujar. Andujar had three more home runs over the last 30 days and five total extra-base hits, slashing .339/.458/.576. The pull-side power from July was no aberration, either.

One other name to watch: Jedixson Paez. The former Rule 5 pick had a 39% Whiff% in Portland last month and moved up to Triple-A Worcester.

Yankees

The Yankees’ 2025 first-rounder, Dax Kilby, has missed most of 2026 but was able to get on the field over the last month. Overall, it went well. Kilby slashed .291/.440/.456 with two home runs, seven extra-base hits, and 23 total hits over 20 games with Low-A Tampa. Plus, 21 walks for the shortstop.

Kilby’s metrics, overall, were interesting. More swing-and-miss off the fastball than the league median. On the other hand, a low Chase%, just a tick above 21%, and that shouldn’t be a shock given the high walk numbers.

Moving up the ladder, DJ Gladney finished in a lengthy tie for second in the Eastern League in terms of total home runs (7). The 25-year-old was a Minor League signing from the White Sox back in December and now has a career-high 22 home runs. However, there’s been a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. That sentiment can be shared by Omar Alfonzo, acquired by the club in the Camilo Doval trade.

Alfonzo was third among Eastern League hitters in Whiff% (43.2%). One of the two ahead of him was Roderick Arias, who did slash .286/.344/.482 over the last month. Arias is still a talented power hitter. But it’s just a matter of how much contact he can make overall, and whether his Whiff% troubles cost him at-bats too much.

Meanwhile, in Triple-A, it was a good month for both Elmer Rodriguez and International League strikeout leader Brendan Beck. Rodriguez struck out 29 over 26 and posted a clean 1.38 ERA, allowing no home runs. Beck struck out 40 over 27 innings.