Red Sox sign third-round Draft pick Jon Denney
Club Also Signs Corey Littrell, Jordon Austin, Jake Drehoff, and Gabe Speier
BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox announced today that they have signed 18-year-old catcher Jon Denney, their third-round pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.
Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye made the announcement.
Denney, the No. 3 rated draft-eligible catcher according to Baseball America, was the 81st overall selection in this year's draft from Yukon (OK) High School. In his senior season, he batted .459 (51-for-111) with 14 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs, 46 RBI, 39 walks, and 17 runs scored in 42 games with Yukon. After the season he was named a 2013 Rawlings First-Team All-American. As a junior in 2012, he was named an Under Armour All-American, a Louisville Slugger All-American, and a Rawlings Underclassmen Second Team All-American.
Additionally, the Red Sox announced that they have come to terms on contracts with left-handed pitchers Corey Littrell (fifth round), Jake Drehoff (12th round), and Gabe Speier (19th round), as well as outfielder Jordon Austin (sixth round).
Littrell, 21, was selected in the fifth round from the University of Kentucky where he went 6-5 with a 3.72 ERA in his junior season. Prior to the 2013 season, Baseball America rated him the 10th-best Southeastern Conference prospect for the MLB draft. His father, right-hander Jack Littrell Jr., pitched in the Los Angeles Dodgers (1977-78) and Montreal Expos (1980) organizations, and his grandfather, Jack Littrell Sr., appeared in 111 big league games as an infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics (1952, 1954), Kansas City Athletics (1955), and Chicago Cubs (1957).
The 18-year-old Austin was taken in the sixth round by the Red Sox from Forest (FL) High School. Following his senior year, he was selected to Rawlings' Florida Region All High School Senior First Team. Earlier this month he was named MVP of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All Star Baseball Classic.
Drehoff, 21, was a 12th-round selection out of the University of Southern Mississippi. The native of Alpharetta, GA posted a 5-5 record with a 3.54 ERA in a team-high tying 15 starts as a junior with the Golden Eagles this season after going 6-2 with a 3.51 ERA the previous year.
Selected by Boston in the 19th round, Speier, 18, helped lead Dos Pueblos (CA) High School to their second straight Channel League championship as a senior. Also named Channel League most valuable player, Speier is the nephew of former major leaguer and current Cincinnati Reds bench coach, Chris Speier.
In all, 16 of the 40 players selected by Boston in the 2013 June Draft have been signed to contracts, including 11 of the first 15 picks. Attached is a list of the Red Sox 2013 draft picks. Names in bold indicate the player has signed.