June 13, 2017 at 3:57 PM
Red Sox select Zach Schellenger with their sixth-round pick
With their sixth-round pick (191st overall) in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Zach Schellenger, a right-handed pitcher from Seton Hall University. Schellenger, a 6-foot-6 junior, was ranked as the 193rd best prospect in the draft by MLB.com, while Baseball America had him at 195th and Perfect Game USA ranked him at 228.
Schellenger logged only 13 innings this season as he missed time with biceps tendinitis, but as a sophomore at Seton Hall, he struck out 70 batters over 45 2/3 innings while recording six saves as the team's closer. He also pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, striking out 32 over 20 1/3 innings for Harwich while notching six saves. He flashed a mid-90s fastball and plus slider on the Cape, but his stuff took a step back this year before he went down with the injury.
Schellenger has struggled with his control in the past, walking over four batters per nine innings with Seton Hall in 2016, due in part to some violence in his delivery. With two potential plus pitches, slightly high walk rate, and experience as a closer, Schellenger's long-term home will likely be in the bullpen, where the Red Sox likely hope he can regain his 2016 form.
Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, and MLB.com.
Photo Credit: Zach Schellenger by shupirates.com