Red Sox in a strong position to grab impact talent in deep 2025 Draft

BOSTON – At the helm for his third Draft as the Red Sox director of amateur scouting, Devin Pearson is in a familiar spot, planning for a mid-first-round pick.

In a recent sitdown at Fenway Park, Pearson discussed his thoughts on various topics regarding the 2025 Draft.

MLB.com: In 2023, your first pick was at No. 14 overall. Last year, you picked 12th. And this year, you get No. 15. Does being in a similar spot help in terms of preparation?

Pearson: Yeah, definitely. I think generally, it makes it easier to plan. I think this year's Draft just seems to be a little different in terms of lack of consensus at the top. But yeah, I think for us at 15, after seeing the way the past couple years unfolded, we feel good about how we’re going to attack it.

MLB.com: The Draft has been consolidated to two days this year, with Rounds 1-3 on Sunday and 4-20 on Monday. How will that impact your preparation, if at all?

Pearson: I think the biggest difference is we used to have the night between the end of Round 10 to the next day, and we could sit down and see who hadn't signed, what their new signability was, and kind of test the waters there. Now we'll only have an hour to do so, right? So that changes it a little bit, but I think we'll be in position to adjust.

MLB.com: How do you feel about the depth of this year’s Draft?

Pearson: I think it's deep. I think there seems to be lower top-end talent, but it’s more depth from around 15 for our first pick to where our second pick is at 33. So we're excited that we'll be able to get a really good player at both picks.

MLB.com: Do you look at this Draft as strong in a particular area – for example, college or high school players, or pitchers or position players?

Pearson: It seems to be college pitching-heavy at the top. And then a nice spread of all four demographics at the 10-15 range.

MLB.com: Last year was your first Draft in Craig Breslow’s regime, and it’s been well-chronicled how much the pitching development program has been modified by director of pitching Justin Willard and others. Did you already see a difference as far as Draft prep?

Pearson: I think last year, you definitely saw with the size and some of the characteristics of the guys we took, there was a mold we were identifying. But it's more of just organizationally having an understanding of what type of pitchers we're valuing and making sure we're drafting to our development strengths.

MLB.com: I remember talking to you last year at this time, and you acknowledged there was an imbalance between elite position player talent and pitching in the system. Do you think this is starting to level out?

Pearson: Yeah, it's balancing out a little bit, and hopefully some of those pitchers who have done well this year continue to climb in the rankings. We're still going to select [based] on best player available. But I do think we have a little more balance now.

• Day 1 picks: 15, 33, 75, 87
• Bonus pool allotment: $12,409,300
• Last year’s top pick: Braden Montgomery, OF, pick 12 ... Switch-hitting outfielder never played a game in the Red Sox organization. He was dealt to the White Sox as part of the package that landed ace Garrett Crochet on Dec. 11, 2024. He is rated the No. 3 prospect in the White Sox farm system.
• Breakout 2024 pick: Payton Tolle, SP, pick 50 ... The lefty out of TCU earned a promotion to Double-A Portland after just 11 appearances (10 starts) for High-A Greenville. Tolle punched out 17 in his first nine innings at Double-A. At 6-foot-6, Tolle is known for having elite extension that makes his fastball appear harder than it is. He's the No. 15 prospect in Boston's system.

MLB.com: Obviously, the trade for Garrett Crochet was one the organization had to make, but it was unique in the sense the package included your last two first-round selections in Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery. Does this put more pressure on you to really hit on your first pick this year?

Pearson: I don't know if it puts more pressure. I think, more than anything, it just makes our group feel stronger that whoever we select is going to carry value in multiple ways, through trades or how they play. So it’s just giving Brez options.

MLB.com: Which picks from last year’s Draft are you most encouraged by at this point?

Pearson: I think Tolle has been great so far. I’ve been watching Braden Montgomery from afar. I think Tolle stands out. I'd probably say Tolle, [outfielder Zach] Ehrhard and [left-hander] Brandon Clarke.

MLB.com: This will be your third year leading the Draft for the Sox. How much more comfortable do you feel each year?

Pearson: I feel a lot more comfortable this year compared to year one, mainly just understanding what I have to accomplish from now until Draft day, and then we have to plan and we just execute.