Tag: mlb draft

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)

Red Sox select Kennesaw State righty Blake Wehunt with ninth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Kennesaw State right-hander Blake Wehunt with their ninth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 268 overall.

Wehunt, 22, began and spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Southern Mississippi — where he was briefly teammates with Dalton Rogers — before transferring to Kennesaw State for his junior season.

In 14 starts for the Owls this spring, Wehunt posted a 4.83 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 80 strikeouts to 23 walks over 76 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .279 against him.

A native of Georgia, Wehunt stands at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds. According to SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall, the righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a low-90s sinker that is complemented by a low-80s changeup. With those two offerings, he regularly throws strikes and induces ground balls.

Wehunt, who turns 23 in November, is the fifth pitcher drafted by Boston within the club’s first 11 selections. The 268th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a recommended slot value of $178,600.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kennesaw State University Athletics)

Red Sox select Ball State right-hander Trennor O’Donnell with eighth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Ball State right-hander Trennor O’Donnell with their eighth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 238 overall.

O’Donnell posted a 2.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 97 strikeouts to 32 walks in 16 appearances (15 starts) spanning 92 innings of work for the Cardinals this season. The 22-year-old senior held opposing hitters to a .214 batting average against and was named to the All-MAC Second Team.

Listed at an intimidating 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, O’Donnell operates with a fastball that sits between 90-92 mph as well as a slider, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. The Dallas-area native becomes the fourth pitcher taken by Boston in this draft, joining the likes of fourth-rounder Matt Duffy, fifth-rounder Connelly Early, and sixth-rounder CJ Weins.

Considering that he is a senior, O’Donnell will likely sign for less than his recommended slot value of $201,000. That would allow the Red Sox to save money and possibly make a splash elsewhere with one of their other picks.

(Picture of Trennor O’Donnell: Ball State University Athletics)

Red Sox select Alabama outfielder Caden Rose with seventh-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Alabama outfielder Caden Rose with their seventh-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 208 overall.

Rose, 21, batted .261/.383/.503 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 45 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 48 games (186 plate appearances) for the Crimson Tide this past season. Despite dealing with injuries throughout the spring, the right-handed hitting junior still produced and was named to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional All-Tournament Team.

Defensively, Rose saw the majority of his playing time at Alabama come at either second base or center field. This season, the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder did not commit a single error in 105 chances.

A native of Alabama himself, Rose was a standout two-sport athlete who played both baseball and football at Bob Jones High School. He even received an offer to play quarterback at Nebraska back in 2018, but he turned that down and ultimately emerged as one of the top prep shortstop prospects in the state before arriving on campus at Tuscaloosa.

Maybe it’s because of the arm strength from playing baseball and football in high school, but the consensus seems to be that Rose should be able to stick in center field for the time being.

Rose, who turns 22 in October, is the sixth position player to be taken by Boston within the club’s first nine picks.  The 208th overall selection in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $250,300.

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

Red Sox select Western Kentucky righty CJ Weins with sixth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Western Kentucky right-hander CJ Weins with their sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 178 overall.

Weins, who turns 23 next month, spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Wabash Valley Community College before transferring and spending two more seasons at the University of South Carolina.

After entering the transfer portal last May, Weins ultimately ended up at Western Kentucky as a graduate student. In 27 appearances for the Hilltoppers this past season, the 22-year-old righty posted a 4.25 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 42 strikeouts to eight walks over 31 innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .170 batting average against.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Weins throws from a low slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball as well as a curveball and a slider, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. The Chicago-area native also has experience closing out eight games, as he racked up eight saves for Western Kentucky this spring.

Weins is the third pitcher Boston has taken in the draft alongside fourth-rounder Matt Duffy (Canisius) and fifth-rounder Connelly Early (Virginia). Given that he has no eligibility remaining, the Red Sox will likely be able to sign Weins to a below-slot bonus and and some money for other picks.

On that note, the 178th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $320,200.

(PIcture of CJ Weins: Western Kentucky University Athletics)

Red Sox select Virginia lefty Connelly Early with fifth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Virginia left-hander Connelly Early with their fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 151 overall.

Early, 21, posted a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with exactly 100 strikeouts to 23 walks in 19 appearances (18 starts) spanning 87 1/3 innings of work for Virginia as a junior this past season and was a third-team All-ACC selection as a result.

A native of Midlothian, Va., Early spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Army. As a sophomore, the lefty earned 2022 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors before transferring to Virginia last August.

In his lone season with the Cavaliers, Early was battery mates with catcher Kyle Teel, who the Red Sox drafted with the 14th overall pick on Sunday. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball, a sweeping slider, a curveball, and a changeup that is viewed as his best secondary offering.

Early, who does not turn 22 until next April, is the second pitcher Boston has taken alongside fourth-rounder Matt Duffy (Canisius). The 151st overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $408,500.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)