Red Sox Select 30 Players on Final Day of the 2015 June Draft
BOSTON, MA-The Boston Red Sox today concluded their participation in Major League Baseball's 2015 June Draft with 30 additional selections in rounds 11-40. Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Rikard made the announcement.
Among today's selections were two players with ties to the organization. In the 33rd round, the club took 18-year-old Cal Smith, son of Red Sox Special Assignment Scout Dave Klipstein, a second baseman who this year helped Fort Worth Christian School to Texas' 4A state semi-finals. In the 34th round, Boston selected shortstop Nick Lovullo, son of current Red Sox Bench Coach Torey Lovullo, an eight-year major league veteran. The 22-year-old, originally from Thousand Oaks, CA, led Worcester's College of the Holy Cross with a .410 on-base percentage as a junior this year.
Today's picks also included 17-year-old shortstop James Nelson, an 18th-round selection from Redan High School in Stone Mountain, GA, and the nephew of infielder Chris Nelson, who has played parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies (2010-13), New York Yankees (2013), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013), and San Diego Padres (2014). With its 20th-round pick, Boston took second baseman Yomar Valentin, 17, out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, the son of 16-year major league infielder Jose Valentin (1992-2007).
The Red Sox also selected a pair of players from New England. Eighteen-year-old catcher Andrew Noviello, a native of Raynham, MA, was selected in the 25th round. He helped Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 Championship as a two-way player in 2013. In addition, Boston selected right-handed pitcher Trevor Kelley, a native of Barrington, RI, in the 36th round out of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Over the three days of the draft, Boston selected 17 pitchers (12 right-handers, five left-handers), 11 outfielders, eight infielders, and three catchers. Of the 39 players drafted, 12 are from high school and 27 are from college.
"We are very pleased with the players that we selected in this year's draft," said Rikard. "We are confident that this young, talented group will make a significant impact to the organization in the future. A tremendous amount of credit goes to our scouts for all their hard work and preparation put in for the draft. We look forward to integrating these players into our system as they begin their professional careers."