Franklin Arias, the No. 2 prospect in the Boston Red Sox farm system, headlines the list of players who will begin the season in Double-A with the Portland Sea Dogs, the team announced Wednesday.

Arias, a 20-year-old shortstop, was promoted to the Sea Dogs late in the 2025 season. He hit .278 with a .723 OPS in 116 games across three levels, including 10 games for the Sea Dogs.

Arias is among several returnees from last year’s roster. Infielders Marvin Alcantara, Max Ferguson, Ahbram Liendo and Tyler McDonough are also back, along with catchers Drew Ehrhard and Ronald Rosario, outfielders Miguel Bleis and Caden Rose, and pitchers Hayden Mullins, John Holobetz, Eduardo Rivera, Issac Coffey, Cooper Adams, Jorge Juan, Dalton Rogers, Michael Sansone and Blake Wehunt.

The pitching staff includes Gage Ziehl, a 2024 fourth-round pick who was acquired from the White Sox in February for major league reliever Jordan Hicks.

Holobetz (14th), Mullins (16th), Ziehl (21st) and Rivera (26th) are rated by Baseball America among Boston’s top 30 prospects. Coffey pitched only 47 1/3 innings in 2025, mostly for Triple-A Worcester, because of illness and injury, but had an outstanding season with the Sea Dogs in 2024, going 11-4 with a 3.17 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings.

Portland begins its season Friday in New Jersey against the Somerset Patriots. The home opener is Tuesday against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.