The Boston Red Sox had high hopes at the start of the season. After signing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman along with pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler, the Red Sox thought they had upgraded their roster significantly. The fact that they had three highly respected prospects in Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony meant the present and the immediate future looked quite promising.

The on-field results have been brutal. Bregman pulled a quad muscle in late May that is expected to keep him out at least two months and the offense has fallen into a painful rut. Campbell made the team out of spring training and Mayer was promoted after the Bregman injury. The team has lost five games in a row after losing a pair of games to the Baltimore Orioles and getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The chances of an immediate turnaround may not be great. In addition to the injuries and the batting slump, the Red Sox make a significant number of errors on defense and their base running is often poor.

However, Anthony appears to be on the verge of getting called up because of his notable slugging and consistency at the plate. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Franklin Arias has been recognized as yet another top Red Sox prospect.

Red Sox supporters paying attention to Arias

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) talks with the media before the teamís game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
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One of the biggest holes in the Red Sox lineup has been at shortstop. After a decent start to the season, veteran Trevor Story has fallen into a deep slump that has seen his offensive production fall off the cliff.

Story is slashing .218/.263/.318 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI. Manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox were counting on Story staying healthy and making a solid offensive contribution this season, but he is searching for answers and failing to do much besides hitting pop ups and striking out.

This could play in Arias' favor since the 19-year-old is a shortstop who has rocketed up the minor league rankings and is now the No. 8 prospect among minor leaguers, according to Major League prospect expert Keith Law.

Arias is hitting the ball extremely well at the High Single-A level with a slash line of .360/.406/.517.
The youngster may not be ready for the big leagues yet, but he is showing that he as the tools to become a star once he gets there.

The Red Sox may not be able to turn their team around immediately, but when Campbell, Mayer, Anthony and Arias fully mature, they could have a team that challenges the elite teams in the major leagues.