Tag: 2023 mlb draft

Red Sox OF prospect Caden Rose homers in professional debut

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Caden Rose recorded the first hit and home run of his professional career on one swing of the bat.

Rose, who has been assigned to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign, rode the bench in the Drive’s season opener against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday but got the start in left field at First National Bank Field on Saturday night.

Batting out of the seven-hole, Rose struck out swinging in each of his first two plate appearances before stepping up again with two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning. Matched up against lefty reliever Jaden Woods, the right-handed hitting Rose worked a 2-0 count and then crushed a solo shot to the berm in left-center field.

With that, Rose notched his first homer of the season and his first as a pro. The 22-year-old later lined out in his final plate appearance Saturday before going 0-for-3 with a walk while patrolling center field in Sunday’s series finale. The Drive lost both of those games and are now 1-2 to start their South Atlantic League title defense.

To summarize, Rose is 1-for-7 (.143) with one home run, one RBI, one run scored, one walk, and two strikeouts to kick off the young season. The University of Alabama product is getting his first taste of affiliated action after being selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round (208th overall pick) of last July’s amateur draft.

A native of Alabama himself, Rose signed with Boston for $150,000 after spending three years in Tuscaloosa. Because of injuries to his shoulder and hamstring sustained earlier in the spring, Rose did not appear in any minor-league games for the Red Sox in 2023 and instead spent his time rehabbing at the club’s JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.

Despite playing hurt, however, Rose still put together a solid junior season in which he batted .261/.383/.503 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 45 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 48 games (186 plate appearances) for the Crimson Tide. He was then named to the 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team after Alabama made it to the super regionals.

“Obviously you come in right after you get drafted and you want to play and showcase your abilities,” Rose told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last September. “But that’s something I just wasn’t in the spot to do when I got drafted. I dealt with some injuries this year that I played on throughout the season and kind of just made them worse. So the best thing for me and my future was to come down here and rehab. And that’s what I’ve done. I’m fired up to get back out there next year.”

Standing at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Rose has past experience at both second base and shortstop but figures to stick in the outfield to begin his pro career. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Rose has a “solid defensive profile” and “the combination of instincts and quickness teams look for in center field.” He also has “sneaky pop for his size, “above-average speed,” and “leaves it all on the field.”

Rose, who does not turn 23 until October, is part of a crowded outfield mix in Greenville that includes the likes of Allan Castro, Kristian Campbell, Juan Chacon, Miguel Ugueto, Eduardo Lopez, and Bryan Gonzalez. He is already one of three players to make their pro debuts for the Drive so far this season, joining righties Cooper Adams and Conor Steinbaugh.

(Picture of Caden Rose: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox select high school righty Robert Orloski with final pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Middleton (Idaho) High School right-hander Robert Orloski with their 20th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 598 overall.

Orloski was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 465 prospect in this year’s draft class. The 18-year-old righty is currently committed to play college baseball at Texas-San Antonio.

Orloski is looking to become the first high school pitcher out of Idaho to sign with a club after being drafted in the bonus pool era. The Gem State native is coming off a dominant senior season in which he went 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 92 strikeouts to 19 walks in 11 appearances spanning 56 innings of work. He was named the Gatorade Idaho Baseball Player of the Year for his efforts.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Orloski “has a high-energy windup and fast arm, with a few moving parts and some effort throughout his finish,” per his Baseball America scouting report. “He has mostly pitched in the 88-92 mph range, but will sit in the low 90s early in starts with bat-missing qualities to his fastball.

“During the 2022 Area Code Games, Orloski showed a 79-81 mph slurvy breaking ball that varied in shape but lacked hard bite, though scouts this spring have spoken more positively about his breaking ball and think it could become a solid secondary pitch. He has also flashed a decent low-80s changeup that has shown well versus left-handers.”

Speaking with Michael Lycklama of the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday, Orloski said that the Red Sox scouted him “heavily” throughout his high school career. He also indicated that the club has yet to offer the kind of money he is looking for with the signing deadline a little less than two weeks away.

“It’s all good,” Orloski said. “I’m still kind of waiting. I haven’t received the money I wanted. So we are still waiting to see if I can get that. If not, I’ll go to college.”

Orloski, who turns 19 in October, is likely in search of a bonus that exceeds the slot value for his pick ($150,000). The Red Sox can offer him more than that, but they would have to dip into their bonus pool in order to do so.

When speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Greg McKenna) on Tuesday, Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson said he was unsure whether the club would be able to sign Orloski — as well as 15th-rounder Phoenix Call — away from their college commitments

Regardless of that, Orloski is the first prep pitcher Boston has drafted since 2021, when it took Puerto Rican righty Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz in the fourth round out of Leadership Christian Academy.

That concludes this year’s installment of the draft. All told, the Red Sox took eight right-handed pitchers, four left-handed pitchers, five infielders, four outfielders, and one catcher over this three-day period. Of Boston’s 22 selections, 16 are out of college, one is out of junior college, and five are out of high school.

The Red Sox have $10,295,100 in bonus pool money to work with this year. As highlighted by SoxProspects.com’s Mike Andrews, they can spend past that amount but would incur different penalties in doing so.

For instance, if the Red Sox exceed their pool by 0-5%, they will be charged a 75% tax on the excess. If they exceed their pool 5-10%, they will pay the same tax and will also lose its first-round pick next season. If they exceed their pool by 10-15%, they will be charged a 100% tax on the excess and lose their first- and second-round picks next season. And if they exceed their pool by more than 15%, they will be charged a 100% tax on the excess and lose their next two first-round picks.

The signing deadline is 5 p.m. eastern time on July 25.

(Picture of Robert Orloski: Darin Oswald/The Idaho Statesman)

Red Sox select Texas A&M outfielder Stanley Tucker with 19th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Texas A&M outfielder Stanley Tucker with their 19th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 568 overall.

Tucker, 21, appeared in just 20 games and made three starts for the Aggies this past season, going 6-for-22 (.273) at the plate with two doubles, two RBIs, eight runs scored, four stolen bases, five walks, and six strikeouts. The right-handed hitter also played for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League earlier this summer, slashing .211/.357/.333 with one home run and seven RBIs in 18 games.

A Texas native himself, Tucker originally begin his collegiate career at Wharton County Junior College in 2021 and then transferred to New Mexico Junior College, where he hit .407/.487/.785 with 20 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, 90 RBIs, 82 runs scored, 37 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 36 strikeouts over 58 games (262 plate appearances) en route to being named a 2022 NJCAA First Team All-American.

On the heels of that productive sophomore campaign, Tucker took part in a pre-draft workout that was hosted by the Red Sox in San Diego last June, so there should already be some familiarity between the two sides.

Though he is listed as an outfielder, Tucker does have experience at shortstop as well. With Williamsport, for instance, the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder logged 94 2/3 innings at short while making three starts in center field. He also possesses plus speed and is well-regarded for his athleticism.

Tucker had entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2023 college baseball season. As such, he has another year of eligibility remaining and is therefore not a sure bet to go pro by signing with Boston. The Red Sox can offer Tucker up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool.

(Picture of Stanley Tucker: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox select high school outfielder Dylan Schlaegel with 17th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Legacy High School (Mansfield, Texas) outfielder Dylan Schlaegel with their 17th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 508 overall.

Schlaegel, 18, is currently committed to play college baseball at Dallas Baptist. The right-handed hitter batted .391/.641/.739 with four doubles, two triples, six RBIs, 14 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 14 walks, and four strikeouts in 10 games (39 plate appearances) this spring, earning District 11-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Schlaegel is athletic outfielder who runs well and possesses quick bat speed, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. He also pitched a little bit in high school, so there could be some intriguing arm strength there.

Schlaegel, who turns 19 in September, is the fourth high school prospect to be taken by Boston within the club’s first 19 picks in this year’s draft. The Red Sox can only offer the Lone Star State native up to $150,000 without dipping into their bonus pool, so it may be difficult to sign him away from his commitment to the Patriots.

(Top picture: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)