The Boston Red Sox are reportedly promoting infielder Henry Godbout, their No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, after a solid showing with their advanced Class-A affiliate in 34 games.
Godbout will report to Double-A Portland after slashing .277/.410/.492 with the Greenville Drive. The New York native had nearly as many walks (22) as strikeouts (27) in 161 plate appearances. He played 27 games at shortstop and seven at DH prior to the promotion.
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The move to Double-A at 22 years old is a quick one, but it might have happened sooner if not for a major injury. Godbout broke his left wrist in May and missed most of the next two months rehabbing.
A star at the University of Virginia, Godbout slashed .321/.415/.514 with an 11 percent strikeout rate in three college seasons.
The Red Sox drafted Godbout with a supplemental second-round pick (75th overall) in the 2025 MLB Draft. He signed for $1,093,800 and is already only two steps away from the big leagues.
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According to MLB.com, “Godbout’s bat-to-ball skills derive from a compact right-handed stroke, disciplined approach and exceptional hand-eye coordination. He made a lot of groundball contact while producing pedestrian exit velocities in college, but he immediately incorporated some changes after signing and drove the ball in the air more frequently.
“Boston’s demonstrated ability to help players improve their strength, bat speed and ball flight could help Godbout produce at least 15 homers on an annual basis.”
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Godbout’s ability to combine patience and a high contact rate at the low levels of the minor leagues obviously encouraged the Red Sox to move Godbout up before the end of the season. He’s still only the second-ranked shortstop in Boston’s system.
Triple-A shortstop Franklin Arias is the consensus top prospect in the organization. He’ll have to wait too — Andruw Monasterio has a surprising .792 OPS (122 OPS+) filling in for veteran Trevor Story.
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