Red Sox select Santiago Espinal with their 10th-round pick

With their 10th-round pick (298th overall) in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox have selected Santiago Espinal, a shortstop from Miami Dade Junior College. Espinal, a 5-foot-10 right-handed hitter, was born in the Dominican Republic before moving to Florida at a young age. He was ranked 409th overall in the draft by Baseball America, but he fell outside of Perfect Game USA's Top 500.

He is viewed as a contact-oriented hitter, evidenced by his .432/.492/.562 line with 20 walks and only 11 strikeouts in 162 at-bats this season. His lack of power limits his overall offensive upside, but scouts believe he can stick at shortstop, and he is also a good runner who should provide some value on the bases, according to Baseball America.

Espinal spent the summer of 2015 playing in the Florida Collegiate Summer League, where he took home MVP honors by leading the league in average (.350), doubles (10), and steals (29). He committed four errors in his 40 games, and showed off a strong arm at shortstop.

Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, and MLB.com.

Photo Credit: Santiago Espinal by mdcathletics.com

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