Tag: pitching prospects

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 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 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 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 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)

Red Sox select Canisius right-hander Matt Duffy with fourth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have taken their first pitcher in the 2023 MLB Draft, selecting Canisius University (Buffalo, N.Y.) right-hander Matt Duffy with their fourth-round pick at No. 115 overall.

Duffy, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 474 prospect in this year’s draft class. The Ontario, Canada native is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he posted a 4.13 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 119 strikeouts to 28 walks in 14 starts (80 2/3 innings) for Canisius, earning MAAC Pitcher of the Year honors as a result. The junior also made three starts for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League earlier this summer and struck out 16 of the 53 batters he faced over 14 1/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Duffy “consistently filled the strike zone” throughout his college career, per his Baseball America scouting report. His pitch mix consists of a below-average fastball that sits between 88-92 mph and tops out at 94 mph, a 78-81 mph changeup, and a slider that sits in the mid-to-upper 70s.

Duffy took to Instagram on Friday to announce that he would be transferring to South Carolina for his senior season next spring. It remains to be seen if that will impact his chances of turning professional and signing with the Red Sox, though the recommended slot value for the 115th overall pick in this year’s draft is $580,200.

Given that Baseball America projected Duffy as a later-round pick, Boston may be able to sign the righty to an under-slot deal prior to the July 25 deadline and save some money for other picks.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)