Tag: Baseball

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)Β 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 UConn reliever Zach Fogell with 18th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Connecticut left-hander Zach Fogell with their 18th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 538 overall.

Fogell, who turns 23 later this month, is a Rhode Island native who originally began his collegiate career at Brown. He logged 21 relief innings as a freshman in 2019 but did not pitch again until 2022 after an injury sidelined him in 2020 and Ivy League schools cancelled the spring sports season in 2021 due to COVID-19 issues.

Fogell returned to game action last year and appeared in 12 games for Brown. He then transferred to UConn as a graduate student and put forth a strong 2023 campaign, posting a 1.89 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 60 strikeouts to 23 walks in 36 relief outings (47 2/3 innings) for the Huskies. The 22-year-old southpaw held opposing hitters to a .208 batting average against and earned First Team All-Big East honors.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball, a low-80s slider, and a mid-80s changeup.

Fogell becomes the 11th pitcher taken by Boston within the club’s first 20 picks of this draft. The Red Sox can offer the lefty up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool. Considering that he has no eligibility remaining, though, it seems likely that Fogell will sign for significantly less.

(Picture of Zach Fogell: AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

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)

Red Sox select Oklahoma State reliever Isaac Stebens with 16th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Oklahoma State right-hander Isaac Stebens with their 16th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 478 overall.

Stebens, 21, began his collegiate career and spent two seasons at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kan., where he was a JUCO All-American and two-time all-conference selection. The Stillwater native then walked on at Oklahoma State for his junior season, allowing him to fulfill a dream and be closer to home.

In 28 relief appearances for the Cowboys this spring, Stebens posted a 2.24 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 85 strikeouts to 24 walks over 64 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .212 batting average against. He also recorded six saves and earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors.

Listed at 6-feet and 194 pounds, Stebens has a funky delivery and operates with a fastball that reaches 95 mph, a high-70s slider, and a changeup. He has shown the ability to induce swings-and-misses at impressive rates.

Stebens, who turns 22 in December, is the 10th pitcher Boston has taken with its first 18 picks in the draft. With at least one more year of eligibility remaining, Stebens has the option to return to Oklahoma State for his senior season. If he is intent on going pro now, the Red Sox can offer him up to $150,00 without dipping into their bonus pool.

(Picture of Isaac Stebens: Oklahoma State University Athletics)

Red Sox select high school SS/OF Phoenix Call with 15th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Calabasas (Calif.) High School shortstop/outfielder Phoenix Call with their 15th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 448 overall.

After going pitcher-heavy to kick off Day 3, Boston dips back into the prep shortstop pool and takes one of the best high school infielders in the state of California in Call, who is committed to play college baseball at UCLA.

Call was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 253 prospect in this year’s draft class. The publication described the right-handed hitting 18-year-old as “athletic and toolsy with 70-grade run times from home-to-first from the right side, as well as plus arm strength and sneaky power from his 6-foot, 170-pound frame.”

Elsewhere, Call “has a chance to play both center field and shortstop, though scouts seem split on which position is most likely at the next level.Β Questions about his pure hitting ability could ultimately determine his draft status, and because he didn’t dominate his high school competition this spring and wasn’t on the circuit much, many teams might prefer he prove his offensive chops at UCLA.”

When speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Tuesday, Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson acknowledged that it may be difficult for the club to sway Call away from his commitment to the Bruins.

“Yeah, we’ll kind of see how that one falls,” Pearson said. “I think, as you guys know, a lot of things can happen post-draft, and having as many options as you can with good athletes to try to sign is what our goal is. Phoenix has a UCLA commitment, so it’s not going to be an easy sign by many means, but we’ll just kind of see how things play out.

“He’s one of the rare types where he has the ability to be a plus center fielder and a plus shortstop,” added Pearson. “He’s one of the best high school defenders I’ve ever seen.”

As a 15th-round selection, the Red Sox can offer Call up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool. Based on what Pearson said, however, it would likely take significantly more than that to get Call to go pro now as opposed to three years down the road.

Regardless, Call — who turns 19 next month — is the third high school shortstop selected by Boston in this draft, joining the likes of second-rounder Nazzan Zanetello and third-rounder Antonio Anderson.

(Top picture: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Cal State Fullerton closer Jojo Ingrassia with 14th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Cal State Fullerton left-hander Jojo Ingrassia with their 14th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 418 overall.

Ingrassia, who turns 21 later this month, spent the first two years of his collegiate career at San Diego State before transferring to Fullerton for his junior season.

Serving as the Titans’ closer this spring, Ingrassia posted a 2.42 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 51 strikeouts to 14 walks over 26 relief appearances (44 2/3 innings) in which he converted seven saves and earned 2023 All-Big West Second Team honors.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Ingrassia operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 89-92 mph fastball, a 79-81 mph slider, and an 82-85 mph changeup, per Perfect Game California.

A native of California himself, Ingrassia is the ninth pitcher to be drafted by Boston within the club’s first 16 picks. The 20-year-old hurler has the ability to return to Fullerton for his senior season, but the Red Sox can offer him up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool.

(Picture of Jojo Ingrassia: Katie Albertson/Cal State Fullerton Athletics)

Red Sox select North Dakota State right-hander Cade Feeney with 13th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox selected North Dakota State right-hander Cade Feeney with their 13th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 388 overall.

Feeney posted a 4.57 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 78 strikeouts to 12 walks in 14 starts (80 2/3 innings) for the Bison this past season. The 21-year-old junior was named to the 2023 All-Summit League First Team for the second time in his collegiate career.

A native of North Dakota himself, Feeney stands at 6-feet and 195 pounds. The righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball as well as a changeup and slider. He has solid command of all three offerings, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall.

Feeney, who turns 22 later this month, is the eighth pitcher to be drafted by Boston within the club’s first 15 picks. Though he could return to Fargo for his senior season next year, the Red Sox have the ability to sign Feeney for up to $150,000 without dipping into their bonus pool.

(Picture of Cade Feeney: North Dakota State University Athletics)

Red Sox select North Carolina righty Max Carlson with 12th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected North Carolina right-hander Max Carlson with their 12th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 358 overall.

Carlson was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 385 prospect in this year’s draft class. The 21-year-old junior posted a 5.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 76 strikeouts to 32 walks in 17 appearances (14 starts) spanning 76 innings of work for the Tar Heels this past season. Opposing hitters batted .256 against him.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Carlson “pitches in the 90-93 mph range and touches 95, and uses a low-80s changeup as his primary secondary and swing-and-miss pitch,” per his Baseball America scouting report. “He generated a 40% miss rate with the changeup this spring, which was far and away his most effective bat-missing offering. He’ll also mix in a low-80s slider, but he used the pitch at just a 7% rate.”

The younger brother of Mariners minor-league righty Sam Carlson, Max was a well-regarded pitching prospect coming out of high school but was not drafted in 2020. The Minnesota native instead took his talents to Chapel Hill and had the best year of his collegiate career as a sophomore, pitching to a 3.71 ERA over 18 starts (77 2/3 innings) in 2022.

Though his production took a dip this spring, the Red Sox still elected to take a chance on Carlson, who turns 22 in September. He is the first pitcher taken by Boston on Day 3 and the seventh arm drafted by the club overall.

As is the case with most prospects who are drafted between rounds 11-20, the Red Sox can sign Carlson for up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool. Carlson does still have eligibility remaining, so he could return to North Carolina for his senior season if he so chooses.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Polk State outfielder Nelly Taylor with 11th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Polk State College (Winter Haven, Fla.) outfielder Nelly Taylor with their 11th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 328 overall.

Taylor, 20, is Boston’s first Day 3 pick and the first player taken by the club out of a junior college. The left-handed hitting sophomore batted .353/.467/.620 with 19 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 48 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 31 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 51 games (229 plate appearances) for Polk State this past season.

On the other side of the ball, Taylor did not commit a single error in 127 total chances in the outfield. Between what he did offensively and defensively, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder was named a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection, Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-FCSAA selection, and an FCSAA and Rawlings Gold Glove recipient.

Per MLB Pipeline, “Taylor’s raw tools started to show up more in his second year of junior college as he showed off some of his power-speed combination. He has a quick bat and a loose swing, with long levers that can generate plus raw power. He’s also a plus runner, with the speed and range to play center field, but how much he’ll hit is in question, as his swing can get long at times.”

A native of Clearwater, Taylor faced adversity early in his childhood. At just five years old, he was diagnosed with cancer when doctors found a Wilms tumor on his kidney. He had his kidney removed as a result but has been cancer-free since the age of six.

Though his condition prevented him from playing contact sports growing up, Taylor emerged as a legitimate baseball prospect and is now committed to play at Florida State next year.

If Taylor, who turns 21 in January, elects to go pro as opposed to taking his talents to Tallahassee, the Red Sox can sign him for up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool.

(Top picture: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Clemson lefty Ryan Ammons with 10th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Clemson left-hander Ryan Ammons with their 10th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 298 overall.

Ammons, 22, opened the 2023 campaign as the Tigers’ Friday night starter but suffered a left forearm strain in his second start and was sidelined for nearly two months as a result.

Upon returning to action in late April, Ammons was used strictly out of Clemson’s bullpen. The lefty closed out his redshirt junior season by posting a 5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts to five walks over 10 innings of relief in which he racked up five saves.

Ammons’ experience as a reliever goes beyond what he did this spring. After appearing in a total of nine games across his first two seasons at Clemson, the South Carolina native got into 25 games for the Tigers last year and pitched to a 4.61 ERA with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 27 1/3 innings. He also converted eight save opportunities.

Listed at 6-foot and 205 pounds, Ammons operates with a fastball that reaches 94 mph as well as a solid breaking ball, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. It remains to be seen if the Red Sox view the southpaw as a starter or reliever moving forward.

Regardless, Ammons is the sixth pitcher drafted by Boston within the club’s first 12 picks. The 298th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a recommended slot value of $167,900.

That concludes Day 2 of the draft. The third and final day, which consists of rounds 11-20 begins at 2 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday afternoon. The Red Sox have 10 more picks (Nos. 328, 358, 388, 418, 488, 478, 508, 538, 568, and 598) to make.

(Picture of Ryan Ammons: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)