June 11, 2015 at 12:17 AM
MLB draft day three Red Sox recap: rounds 11-40
The biggest question for late round picks is often whether or not they will choose to sign. For a little perspective, 10 of the final 20 picks Boston made last year did not end up signing with the club. At the same time, six players picked past the 10th round in 2014 are now on SoxProspects.com's top 60 list.
Overall on Day Three, the Red Sox took 10 right-handed pitchers, four left-handed pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and eight outfielders.
Here is a look at the Day Three selections for the Red Sox pick-by-pick:
11th round: CF Nick Hamilton, Lockport (NY) HS
Hamilton is an interesting prospect in that he had never played baseball until he was a sophomore in high school, according to Baseball America, who ranked him 440th. His speed is potentially explosive, with Baseball America labeling him an 80 runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. His other tools are raw and need to develop, but he is a good contact hitter that could tap into some gap-to-gap power as his body fills out. Hamilton is listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds and is committed to San Jacinto (Calif.) Community College.
12th round: RHP Kevin Kelleher, JR, New Orleans
Kelleher was a first baseman, but made the switch to the mound when he attended St. Petersburg College as a freshman in 2013. He is listed at 6-foot-3 and seems to have an electric arm, as Alex Speier noted in a column for the Boston Globe that he has touched 100 MPH with his fastball. In addition, Kelleher had an extremely impressive 71 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings pitched this past spring. He made 25 appearances in 2015, seven of them starts.
Information gathered from edraft.com.
13th round: LHP Matt Kent, JR, Texas A&M
Kent is a four-year junior who is listed at 6-feet and 175 pounds. During his junior year he tossed 98 innings, finishing with an ERA of 2.76. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 84-to-13.
14th round: LHP Bobby Poyner, SR, Florida
Poyner is listed at 6-feet and 205 pounds. He has been very consistent out the bullpen for Florida throughout his career, making 20 or more appearances on the mound in each of his four years. Baseball America ranked him as their 227th best prospect, while Perfect Game USA had him 342nd. According to Baseball America, he does not have big-time stuff, but he controls the strike zone extremely well and is known for his competitive nature. His fastball sits around 87-90 MPH and his slider is average. He walked just six batters in 59 1/3 innings during his senior year while posting a 2.73 ERA.
15th round: OF Jerry Downs, JR, St. Thomas (FL)
Downs is listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. He posted great numbers during his junior year, hitting .349 with a team-leading nine home runs. Another interesting note on Downs' numbers is that he led the team (by far) in walks with 44 and HBP with 24, which led to his .493 OBP.
16th round: RHP Marcus Brakeman, JR, Stanford
Brakeman did not pitch much this spring due to arm soreness. He made just nine starts during his junior year after impressing in the Cape Cod League in 2014. In the Cape, his fastball ranged from 93-95 MPH with an average slider. His changeup is considered to be his "money" pitch according to Baseball America. He had a 47-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Cape. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound righty's fastball was down to 87-91 this spring, but may prove to be more effective out of the bullpen in the future. He has a solid track record, leading his team in innings pitched during his sophomore year while posting an ERA of 2.91.
17th round: 2B Chad De La Guerra, SR, Grand Canyon
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound infielder batted .344 with a team-leading 11 home runs during his senior season at Grand Canyon.
18th round: SS James Nelson, Redan (GA) HS
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds by Perfect Game USA. Nelson is just 17 years old and is the nephew of major leaguer Chris Nelson. He is committed to Georgia State.
19th round: LHP Logan Boyd, JR, Sam Houston State
Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Boyd tossed 87 2/3 innings during his junior year and posted a 3.49 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 28 walks.
20th round: SS Yomar Valentin, Beltran Academy (PR)
Valentin is also 17, and just five years ago, Valentin was playing in the Little League World Series for Puerto Rico. The 5-foot-7, 155-pound middle infielder is the son of former major leaguer Jose Valentin. Baseball America ranked him as the 330th best draft prospect and say he has a bit more power than his size may suggest. He has above-average speed and very quick hands at the plate, making him a candidate to be a future leadoff hitter. He is committed to Auburn.
21st round: RHP Danny Zandona, SR, Cal Poly-SLO
Zandona's numbers during his senior season show he overpowered the competition. He struck out 63 batters in 39 2/3 innings while working strictly out of the bullpen. Batters hit just .216 off him during his senior year. He is listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds.
22nd round: RHP Max Watt, JR, Lynn
Watt was previously drafted by Boston back in 2013 in the 37th round. He posted a 3.50 ERA while starting 14 games as a junior in 2015. He punched out 85 batters in 69 1/3 innings.
23rd round: LF Kyri Washington, JR, Longwood
According to Baseball America, who ranked him 149th overall, Washington has very "loud" tools and is built like a linebacker. He has a lot of power, but has a poor approach at the plate and his swing is said to be inconsistent, causing a lot of strikeouts. However, his makeup is considered strong. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage each increased in every season he played at Longwood, and ended his career with 28 home runs in 162 games. He is 6-feet tall and 205 pounds.
24th round: LHP Brad Stone, JR, NC State
Stone is listed at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds. He was drafted previously in the 35th round of the 2012 draft by the Texas Rangers out of high school. Stone threw 60 1/3 innings as a freshman, but was limited to just 15 1/3 as a junior. Kendall Rodgers of d1baseball.com commented that he saw Stone touching 91 MPH with his fastball as a freshman.
25th round: C Andrew Noviello, Bridgewater-Raynham (MA) HS
Noviello is described by Baseball America as a player who could potentially tap into some solid power from the left side of the plate. He has played both catcher and middle infield, which is why some people think he may end up at college to figure out a position. He has a great arm, but lacks some other skills required to be a middle infielder. Some scouts think he could stick behind the plate. The local product stand at 6-feet tall and 195 pounds and is committed to Maine. Baseball America ranked him 207th overall. Noviello helped his school to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I Championship as a two-way player. If his Twitter account is any indication, he plans to sign and begin his professional career.
26th round: RHP Kevin Ginkel, Southwestern (JC)
Ginkel has a large frame, listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. Perfect Game USA ranked him at 338th overall pre-draft. He is committed to Nevada.
27th round: CF Saige Jenco, JR, Virginia Tech
Jenco had a nice year in 2015, batting .330/.394/.466 with three home runs and a team-leading 10 stolen bases. The 5-foot-10, 175 pounds left-handed hitter was ranked 211th by Baseball America. His speed is off the charts, having been clocked at 3.7-3.8 seconds from home to first on ground balls. He has ran into trouble with injuries in the past with his shoulder. His approach at the plate also seems to be improving, according to Baseball America.
28th round: 3B Steve Mangrum, Western Albemarle (VA) HS
Mangrum is listed at 6-feet tall and 200 pounds on Perfect Game USA. He is committed to play at Virgina Tech.
29th round: RHP Will Stillman, JR, Wofford
Stillman was limited to just 29 1/3 innings during his junior year, but he set a school record with 34 relief appearances as a sophomore and had a dazzling 1.55 ERA. He also had 11.74 strikeouts per nine innings that year.
30th round: C Jack Conley, Lessville Road (NC) HS
Conley is 6-feet tall and 205 pounds. The catcher is committed to NC State, and in an interview on impactbaseball.com, Conley said that he believes his best tool is his arm strength.
31st round: RHP Nick Duron, Clark Community College
Duron is a tall right-hander listed at 6-foot-4. He threw 21 innings this past season, and had 30 strikeouts and just four walks.
32nd round: RHP Clate Schmidt, JR, Clemson
Listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Schmidt had a 4.67 ERA in 52 innings. He made 18 appearances, with six of them being starts.
33rd round: 2B Cal Smith, Fort Worth Christian School (TX)
According to Maxpreps.com, Smith has a career .320 batting average. He is listed at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, and is the son of Red Sox Special Assignment Scout Dave Kipstein. He is committed to Panola.
34th round: SS Nick Lovullo, JR, Holy Cross
Nick is the son of Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo. He is listed at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds. He batted .278 with three home runs this past season, leading the team in on-base percentage with a .410 mark.
35th round: OF Tyler Spoon, JR, Arkansas
He is listed at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He batted .331 with six home runs and 20 doubles during his junior year at Arkansas. Spoon hit behind first-round pick Andrew Benintendi in the Arkansas lineup.
36th round: RHP Trevor Kelley, SR, North Carolina
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior was the go-to-guy for UNC out of the bullpen as he pitched 77 2/3 innings in 41 appearances, all out of the bullpen. He led the team with a 2.55 ERA and walked just 20 batters while striking out 71.
37th round: RHP Adam Lau, JR, Alabama-Birmingham
Lau is listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. He played a full season in college for the first time in 2015. He appeared in 22 games as a reliever last season, totaling seven saves and 42 strikeouts over 31 2/3 innings, while posting a 1.71 ERA. He was a a two-way player and batted .254/.364/.380 in 45 games last season.
38th round: CF CJ Ballard, Pike County (GA) HS
Ballard is listed at 6-feet, 190 pounds according to Perfect Game USA. He is committed to Georgia Southern.
39th round: OF Daniel Reyes, Mater Academy Charter (FL)
Reyes is listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and was ranked 189th on Baseball America and 103rd on Perfect Game USA. Perfect Game USA also says that he showed big power at Perfect Game National and his bat his what stood out over everything else. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs.com has scouted Reyes and said that he has 60 raw power on the 20-80 scale and has "smooth, quick hands." He also said that he may be limited to left field, but is a good athlete. He is committed to Florida.
40th round: CF DJ Artis, Southeast Guilford (NC) HS
Artis is listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds. He is committed to Liberty.
Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, and MLB.com.