NEW YORK – After going all-in on position players (3-for-3) on Saturday’s first day of the Draft, the Red Sox balanced things out by going with a bevy of pitchers (five in their first six picks) on Sunday’s second and final day.
Boston opened the Draft with an admittedly “out of the box” pick in UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner with the 20th overall pick in the first round, who was No. 75 on MLB Pipeline’s amateur prospect list. The Sox went back to the Tar Heel well with their next pick (67th overall) by taking outfielder Owen Hull.
And they capped an interesting first day by snagging high school shortstop Jace Mataczynski in the third round. The position-player-heavy day wasn’t necessarily by design, according to director of amateur scouting Jake Bruml.
“We had other players on the board. Some of them were pitchers, some of them were other hitters,” said Bruml. “It was just how everything lined up that led us down this path. And I know maybe that looks weird, having made additional hitter selections on Day One, but it wasn't anything specific that said we are going to target hitters. It was still about drafting the best player available at each given spot.”
What about the double dipping with UNC?
“I think even more unique is that they were roommates, too. Both of them were transfers this year to UNC,” said Bruml. “We got to meet with both of those guys at the Combine. I've spoken to both of them. They told me they're best friends, so hopefully they can bring some of the magic that they had in that [College] World Series run to Boston in the coming years.”
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Here is a closer look at the picks the Red Sox made after opening the day with their somewhat surprising selection of Schaffner.
Owen Hull, OF
- Competitive Balance B, Pick 67
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: University of North Carolina
- Calling Card: His ability to control the strike zone and make hard contact are the two things scouts like the most about Hull. Power might come in time for a player who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 215 pounds. He also has the quickness to stay in center field in pro ball.
- Quote: “I have no words to describe it. I’m out here having as much fun as I can. There’s no other group of boys, coaches I’d rather play for and I love this team so much.” – Hull, on the day UNC advanced to the College World Series.
Jace Mataczynski, SS
- Round 3, Pick 96
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Hudson High School (Wis.)
- Calling Card: Bat speed, quality of contact and athleticism that leads to defensive wizardry are things that set Mataczynski apart in high school. He is also known as a plus defender in the middle of the diamond.
- Quote: “He’s a fantastic defender. I know I haven't been doing this too long, but he is one of the best high school shortstop defenders that I personally have seen, and I know that our group was comparing him defensively to guys like Billy Carlson, who went obviously in the first round last year, Marcelo [Mayer] from back in the day, who was an incredible defender as an amateur as well. His caliber of defense is up near those guys, and part of it is instinct, and part of it is he's a fantastic athlete.” – Bruml
Rounds 5-10
In Craig Breslow’s regime as chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, the club has clearly had a type – tall pitchers with big extension. In this block, the Sox opened with four straight college pitchers, three of them left-handed. Three of the four hurlers were 6-foot-4 or taller, starting with fifth-round selection Luke Davenport, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound righty out of Baylor. Lefty Kide Adetuyi out from Florida Atlantic doesn’t fit the usual Sox profile at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. In the 10th round, the Sox added a lanky high school lefty (6-foot-7, 195 pounds) from Iowa in Kaleb LeFavor.
Player to watch: OF Martin Shelar
- Round 9, Pick 274
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Marist School (GA)
- Calling Card: Shelar, MLB Pipeline’s No. 175 entering the Draft, was still there for the Sox with the 274th pick, making him a clear over-slot candidate. The well-rounded right-handed hitter is committed to Mississippi State. Shelar comes out of a high school powerhouse that has won 14 Georgia state titles. With considerable strength for an 18-year-old, Shelar has above-average raw power, which was on display when he mashed 19 homers in 33 games in his final high school season. His power-speed combo is intriguing.
Rounds 11-15
Four out of the five picks in this group were college players, including three more pitchers. Again, size was an emphasis with the arm. Mason Lei (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), a righty taken in the 13th round, had 19 walks and 86 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings at Illinois-Chicago. And lefty Chase Frey, a 15th rounder, is 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. He has gone to different colleges in each of the last three years, and is committed to transfer to Oregon for his senior year if he doesn’t sign with the Sox.
Player to watch: SS Jacob Webster
- Round 12, Pick 364
- Bats/throws: S/R
- School: Oak Hills High School (CA)
- Calling Card: A two-way player in high school, not to mention a quarterback, the Red Sox designated Webster as a shortstop when calling out his name. Bruml said the Sox see him as a shortstop, but player development will evaluate the situation further once he signs. The switch-hitter is currently slated to go to Loyola Marymount, but the expectation is he will wind up choosing the Red Sox.
Rounds 16-20
The Sox spent the final portion of the Draft spreading it out across the board, making three college selections (two pitchers and one position player) and two high school players (an outfielder and a pitcher).
Player to watch: RHP Luis Calderon
- Round 19
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: El Shaddai Christian HS (PR)
- Calling Card: “Super fast arm," according to Bruml, and someone that area scout Wallace Rios had monitored closely leading into the Draft. Interestingly, Calderon is a converted outfielder who just started pitching nine to 10 months ago, and the Red Sox see plenty of projectability and the opportunity for a bump from his current low-90s velocity.