Red Sox Select 14 Players on Second Day of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today continued their participation in Major League Baseball’s 2012 First-Year Player Draft with 14 additional selections in rounds 2-15. Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye made the announcement.
Over the first two days of the draft, Boston has selected 11 pitchers (9 right-handers, 2 left-handers), four infielders, one outfielder and one catcher. Of the 17 players drafted, five are from high school and 12 from college.
With their first pick today, the Red Sox selected right-handed pitcher Jamie Callahan in the second round (87th overall) out of Dillon (SC) High School. He was named the Gatorade South Carolina Baseball Player of the Year in 2012 after going 7-1 with one save, a 0.89 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 50.0 innings. Callahan, who was tabbed the Region 8-2A Player of the Year, also hit .439 with five homers and 32 RBI to help lead his team to the Region 8-2A title. An All-State selection each of the past two years, he played in the 2011 Under Armour All-American Game.
In the third round (118th overall), Boston took University of Florida right-hander Austin Maddox. Serving as the Gators primary closer, he has gone 3-3 with 12 saves, a 2.24 ERA (13 ER/52.1 IP), 55 strikeouts and 10 walks in 30 appearances with Florida who is slated to begin play in the NCAA Super Regional this Saturday. Maddox is in the running for the 2012 John Olerud Award, presented to the nation’s top two-way player, and is batting .265 (18-for-68) with five runs, five RBI and five walks, having seen action at first base and designated hitter. He made 21 appearances as a sophomore, his 1st college season as a pitcher, and compiled a 3-0 record with 5 saves, a 0.67 ERA (2 ER/27.0 IP), 21 strikeouts and 3 walks. The Jacksonville, FL native was chosen to the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a sophomore and selected as both the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and a third-team All-American by the NCBWA in 2010 when he had starts at third base, designated hitter, first base and catcher, and hit .333 with 72 RBI and 17 homers. Maddox was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 37th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign.
Today’s picks also included catcher J.T. Watkins in the 10th round out of the United States Military Academy. The son of Red Sox scout Danny Watkins, he hit .316 (50-for-158) with nine doubles, five home runs and 31 RBI in 46 games for Army this year.
Please see attached release for a full list of the Red Sox 2012 draft selections for Rounds 1-15.