Red Sox select Jeremy Wu-Yelland with fourth-round pick

With the 118th overall selection, the Red Sox drafted left-handed pitcher Jeremy Wu-Yelland out of the University of Hawaii. Coming into the draft, the Seattle native was not especially highly rated, ranked 261st by Baseball America, 183rd by Fangraphs, 176th by Perfect Game, and did not crack the top 200 draft prospects according to MLB.com.

Coming in at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Wu-Yelland has been a staple of the Hawaii pitching staff since arriving on campus, and has spent time both as a starter and coming out of the bullpen. Despite making seven starts in 2019, most evaluators believe he profiles as a relief pitcher due to his command troubles. Wu-Yelland combines his fastball, which tops out at around 96 mph, with a good breaking ball (self-described as a slider) and a "solid changeup" according to MLB.com. While his arsenal does not jump off of the page, the lefty possesses a good pitch mix and can spin the baseball, which is a dangerous combination delivered from the left side of the mound. 

The former Rainbow Warrior will look to build off of a strong Cape Cod League showing and a dominant start to the 2020 season in which he posted a 0.69 ERA across 13 innings out of Hawaii's bullpen. With the slot value of the 118th pick listed as $487,900, the Red Sox could look to sign Wu-Yelland for under slot and use those savings to once again go over slot with their fifth-round selection.

Photo Credit: Justin Wu-Yelland by Hawaii Athletics

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