June 8, 2013 at 2:55 PM
Red Sox draft picks, rounds 16-20
The Red Sox once again took a high school player with a college football commitment in this part of the draft, selecting Jalen Williams in the 16th round after selecting Shaq Thompson in the 18th round last year. They also added a very athletic high school outfielder in the 17th round, a big college right-hander in the 18th round, and interesting high school arms in rounds 19 and 20.
16th Round (473) - Jalen Williams, RHP, Westminister Christian Academy (LA): 6-foot-4, 210-pound right-hander is committed to play wide receiver at Nichols State.
17th Round (503) - Joseph Monge, OF, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (PR): MLB.com says he has a plus defensive profile in center field and has also shown a willingness to start his professional career. Perfect Game USA (PG) raves about his tools, which includes a plus arm, great quickness and good bat speed. He has no college commitment.
18th Round (533) - Joe Gunkel, RHP, Jr., West Chester University (PA): Rated the number 248 prospect in the draft by PG, Gunkel's 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame allows his fastball to jump on batters. Fastball sits in the low-90s and he also has a quality breaking ball.
19th Round (563) - Gabe Speier, LHP, Dos Pueblos HS (CA): MLB.com says he has a solid four-pitch mix, including a 90 mph fastball and a potentially above average slider. Committed to University of California, Santa Barbara.
20th Round (593) - Derek Burkamper, RHP, Muscatine HS (IA): Per MLB.com, he is a projectable right-hander who sits around 90 mph with room to add velocity. Also shows an average changeup and slider with very good command of his arsenal. Committed to the University of Nebraska, he will require an over-slot bonus.