The Boston Red Sox have one of the most fascinating prospects in Major League Baseball in Franklin Arias and are going to have to think long and hard about giving him a shot in the bigs right away in 2027.

The long-term future of the shortstop position in Boston is up in the air. Right now, Trevor Story is still a member of the organization and could very well start the 2026 season at the spot. But he isn't the long-term answer. Arias is Boston's No. 1 overall prospect and also could be an option to kick off the 2027 season. He actually could be the long-term answer. Or, Boston could look to swing a deal, like for Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, to bring a guaranteed answer to town.

When it comes to Arias, he's just getting more and more interesting. His bat was talked about endlessly throughout the 2026 season. One thing that went under the radar was his defense. That isn't the case any longer, though. On Sunday, the 2026 MiLB Gold Glove Awards were announced and Arias nabbed the honor at shortstop. Every year, one minor leaguer across all levels is announced as the MiLB Gold Glove Award winner at each position. So, that means that Arias was viewed as the best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues in general in 2026.

Franklin Arias Looks Like A Star

Defensively, Arias was great. He had just five errors in 117 total games played. Offensively, he thrived and that captured the attention of fans acros the league. He hit 25 home runs, drove in 91 runs and slashed .323/.400/.557 in 117 games played. He was incredible and the fact that he won the MiLB Gold Glove Award as well shows how good he can be as a two-way option in the bigs.

When it comes to Story, he was very good down the stretch offensively, but missed most of the season due to injury. Defensively, he wasn't great. Story finished the season in the 32nd percentile in outs above average at -2. He also finished in the 16th percentile in arm strength. Story played in 64 games and recorded seven errors.

So, Arias not only has the upside to one day be an elite offensive player in the majors. But he also could very well be a defensive upgrade right now at one of the game's most difficult positions. If the Red Sox don't add an external long-term option, it's hard to argue that Arias shouldn't be at shortstop for Boston fairly quickly in 2027.