Red Sox catching prospect Franklin Primera shines in 2025 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game

Red Sox minor league catcher Franklin Primera was a late addition to the American League’s roster for the 2025 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game on Sunday.

He ended up being named one of the contest’s co-MVPs.

Primera took the spot of injured teammate Dorian Soto, who has been sidelined by wrist soreness for the last week-plus, on the American League’s updated roster ahead of Sunday’s showcase at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ DR complex in Boca Chica. The 18-year-old came off the bench to lead off the eighth inning and immediately made his impact felt by clubbing a pinch-hit home run to left field off National League All-Star reliever Frankelly Desis.

With his leadoff homer (technically the first of his professional career), Primera brought the American League back to within one run of the opposition at 8-7. They rallied for three additional runs off Desis in the eighth and ultimately defeated the National League by a final score of 10-8.

Primera, who grounded out in his final at-bat to finish the day 1-for-2, was recognized as the game’s most valuable hitter. On the flip side, Orioles minor leaguer Laurens Sosa was recognized as the game’s most valuable pitcher after converting the save (also technically the first of his professional career) with a scoreless ninth inning.

Hector Ramos, the only other Red Sox minor leaguer to appear in Sunday’s exhibition, went 0-for-2 with one strikeout after pinch-hitting and taking over at first base (a position he hadn’t played before professionally) for the American League in the seventh. Williams Montero, who pitched four innings in his most recent start last Thursday, did not see any action.

Primera, meanwhile, originally signed with Boston for a nondescript $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela last September. The right-handed hitter had to wait until June to officially make his pro debut and is batting .313/.456/.388 (135 wRC+) with six doubles, 13 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and seven strikeouts in 27 games (103 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Red this season.

Among 25 Dominican Summer League catchers who have made at least 100 trips to the plate in 2025, Primera ranks second in strikeout rate (6.8 percent), third in batting average, on-base percentage, wOBA (.441), wRC+, and swinging-strike rate (6.4 percent), seventh in walk rate (15.5 percent), and 10th in OPS (.844), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Primera has made a team-leading 24 starts at catcher for DSL Red Sox Red this year. In the process of logging 178 innings behind the plate, the 6-foot, 179-pound backstop has thrown out 19 of 70 possible base stealers and has committed six errors (not including two passed balls) in 189 chances. He has also started three games at DH.

Primera, who just turned 18 on June 16, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top catching prospects at this early stage in his career. With that being said, he is on track to make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League next year.