June 9, 2016 at 10:59 PM
Red Sox select CJ Chatham with their second-round pick
With their second-round pick (51st overall) in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox have selected CJ Chatham, a shortstop from Florida Atlantic University. Chatham was ranked the 101st-best player in the draft by Baseball America, 62nd by Perfect Game USA, and 63rd by MLB.com.
Chatham, who checks in at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, was widely considered one of the top shortstops in the 2016 draft. He has had quite the Junior season at FAU, being named a Second Team All-American by Baseball America, Conference USA Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes and Brooks Wallace awards. This season he hit .357/.422/.554 with eight home runs and 50 RBI in 58 games, leading the Owls to the Conference USA Championship.
Chatham was a member of the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League last summer, hitting .253/.296/.413 with a home run and four RBI in 24 games. He was initially scouted as a pitcher, thanks to his strong throwing arm, before finally settling in as a shortstop in college. Chatham projects as someone who could stay at short, thanks to his range and aforementioned throwing arm. He profiles as a strong contact hitter who flashes occasional doubles power, according to MLB.com.
Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, and MLB.com.
Photo Credit: CJ Chatham from Florida Atlantic University.