July 28, 2020 at 12:30 PM
2010 Draft Retrospective: The picks
We welcome you to the 2010 edition of the SoxProspects.com Draft Retrospective series. Over the next several weeks, we will revisit each Red Sox draft going back to the start of the SoxProspects.com era. Each retrospective will come in two parts: The first will be a pick-by-pick recap of each selection with very brief comments, including their peak rank on the SoxProspects.com Top 60, as well as some of the notable players the team passed on to make those picks. Players who signed are in bold, those who did not are in italics. Bonus numbers are included where available.
The 2010 draft was the first of the Amiel Sawdaye era, as he took over as Amateur Scouting Director when Jason McLeod left to become Assistant GM in San Diego under Jed Hoyer. The Red Sox were in the midst of a frustrating, injury-plagued 2010 season, but had the chance to restock a farm system that was now very depleted due to graduations, injuries, and a pair of less-than distinguished drafts. As in 2005 and 2006, the Red Sox used the free-agent compensation rules to their advantage, netting three of the top 39 picks of a draft that observers saw as being very deep. The team shifted its focus back to college talent, using its top four picks on college players. While it was a strategy that generally served the team well throughout the SoxProspects.com era, it resulted in some heartbreaking misses this season.
For a quick list and links to player pages, check out our Draft History page.
1 (20). Kolbrin Vitek. 3B, Ball State
Bonus: $1,359,000
With the pick the Red Sox got for the loss of Type A free agent Billy Wagner, they made Vitek their top pick after a monster career at Ball State. As will be discussed in greater detail tomorrow, it was an exceedingly rare miss by the player development staff on a college bat, a type of pick they have generally done quite well with this century. Vitek was falling dangerously into tweener territory with solid on-base numbers but insufficient power to man a position where his bat would’ve been expected to carry him, but a back strain and bursitis in his shoulder halted his development and he retired before the 2014 season.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: #6
Notable players passed on: Christian Yelich (23)
1 (29) (Pick surrendered as compensation for signing John Lackey)
Much like in 2005 and 2006, the Red Sox got on the free agent carousel, swapping out Type A free agents Jason Bay and Billy Wagner for John Lackey and Marco Scutaro. Lackey’s Red Sox career got off to a tough start, with a mediocre 2010 season followed by a disastrous 2011 when a wonky elbow rendered him ineffective, then required Tommy John surgery and knocked him out for all of 2012. The temperamental righty returned in 2013 in excellent shape, having lost significant weight, and turned into the reliable number 2-type the team thought they were getting. The Angels used this pick to select Cam Bedrosian.
Notable players passed on: Aaron Sanchez (34)
1s (36). Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee St.
Bonus: $889,200
This pick came to Boston as part of the compensation for losing outfielder Jason Bay. Brentz is another player whose career will get a more in-depth analysis in tomorrow’s piece, but the toplines are fairly astounding for a player who never really got any major league shot. In 845 games in his nine seasons in the organization, Brentz cracked 146 homers, including one in his 34 major league games. He became a fixture at McCoy Stadium, hitting 90 of those round-trippers for the PawSox. He was a four-time SoxProspects.com All-Star (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2017), and won his two Player of the Month awards over six years apart from each other. He had 30-homer seasons in both 2011 and 2017. After spending 2018 in the Mets system, Brentz returned to Boston in 2019. He is currently with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: #5
MLB.com Top 100: #64 in 2012
Notable players passed on: Noah Syndergaard (38)
Bonus: $2,550,000
A huge, six-foot-seven righty, Ranaudo was seen as a possible Top-10 pick heading into the 2010 college season after a tremendous sophomore campaign anchoring the 2009 College World Series-winning LSU staff. That did not go according to plan, as Ranaudo’s ERA ballooned to 7.32 and he fell into Boston’s lap with the other pick gained when Wagner departed. A dominant run that summer with the Cape Cod League’s Brewster Whitecaps convinced the Red Sox to meet Ranaudo’s asking price and bring him into the fold. His pro career was met with similar ups and downs. He got off to a fast start in a conservative assignment to Low A Greenville in 2011 and continued to post solid numbers after moving to the more competition-appropriate Carolina League. In 2012, he was alternately hurt and ineffective, missing the first six weeks of the season with an injury, posting a 6.69 ERA in nine starts upon returning to Portland, and then getting shut down. He got back on track with a strong 2013 with the Sea Dogs, earning a spot in the Futures Game. Ranaudo was even better in 2014, joining the PawSox and going 14-4 with a 2.61 ERA, 111 strikeouts and 54 walks in 138 innings. He made his major league debut that August and went on to draw seven starts down the stretch for the post-selloff, last-place Red Sox, tallying a 4.81 ERA. He was sent to Texas for lefty Robbie Ross before the 2015 season. Stops with the Rangers and White Sox were met with limited success, as was a 2017 season with the Samsung Lions of the KBO.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: #2
Baseball America Top 100: #67 in 2011
Notable players passed on: Taijuan Walker (43), Nick Castellanos (44)
2 (57), Brandon Workman, RHP, Texas
Bonus: $800,000
While Workman has a long way to go to be the greatest 6-foot-4 righty drafted by Boston out of the University of Texas, he has become a mainstay in the organization and a key contributor in the bullpen. The Red Sox stuck with Workman, taken with the second-round pick the team got out of the Mets signing of Bay, despite bouts of ineffectiveness and inconsistency. In so doing, he has become a tribute to that patience. A breakout 2012 season split between Salem and Portland was followed up with a major league debut in 2013. Workman immediately played a key role, earning a spot on the team’s postseason roster and making seven scoreless playoff appearances on the way to a World Series ring. He tied a franchise record by losing 10 consecutive decisions during an ill-fated move back to the rotation in 2014, but matched a more positive milestone in 2019 when he joined Koji Uehara with 11 straight hitless outings.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: #8
Notable players passed on: Vince Velasquez (58), Jedd Gyorko (59)
2 (80). (Pick surrendered as compensation for signing Marco Scutaro)
Scutaro spent two solid years in a Red Sox uniform that were unfairly overshadowed due to the team’s underperformance. Despite posting 5.1 bWAR for the Sox, Scutaro was dealt for Clayton Mortensen in the not-so-good 2011-12 offseason. The Blue Jays grabbed Justin Nicolino with this pick.
Notable players passed on: Tony Wolters (87), Addison Reed (95)
3 (110). Sean Coyle, SS, Germantown High School (Pa.)
Bonus: $1,300,000
Every short middle infielder gets the Dustin Pedroia comparison. With Coyle, those comparisons weren’t as absurd as others, as he combined good athleticism with notable power from an uppercut swing. Coyle’s in-game power was present at a much earlier age than Pedroia’s, as he hit 14 homers as a 19-year-old at Greenville in 2011 and 66 in parts of seven seasons in the system. His best season came for Portland in 2014, hitting .295/.371/.512 and getting added to the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 deadline. However, the aspect of Pedroia’s game that Coyle lacked was the pure hit tool, and it was that inability to make consistent contact that proved to be his undoing. Coyle struggled badly in two Triple-A stints and was claimed on waivers by the Angels after being designated for assignment in July 2016.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 11
Notable players passed on: James Paxton (132)
4. Garin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS (La.)
Bonus: $1,310,000
Seemingly always linked with Coyle, Cecchini was another prep shortstop who immediately moved off the position, and the two seemed to frequently place near each other as they climbed the rankings. They were quite different, however, in terms of build and skills: Cecchini, standing six-foot-three, slid over to third base while the diminutive Coyle moved to second, and for Cecchini it was the pure hit tool that was his calling card. He had a strong debut with Lowell, hitting .298/.398/.500 in 2011, followed by a Greenville performance in 2012 in which he paired a .394 on-base percentage with a surprising 51 stolen bases. It was the following year that he seemed to break out, annihilating Carolina League pitchers to the tune of .350/.469/.547 in the first half and continuing with a .296/.420/.404 line after a promotion to Portland. Normally such a campaign would have put him in the driver’s seat for the system’s offensive player of the year, but Cecchini’s breakout happened to coincide with that of Mookie Betts. He settled for Fall Star honors when he hit .277/.434/.338 during his assignment to the AFL. Pawtucket proved a large adjustment, but he impressed in a short major league stint, going 8 for 31 with three doubles. Never an outstanding third baseman, Cecchini attempted to add left field and first base to his repertoire in 2015, but it made little difference as his bat went startlingly silent. He failed to get his mojo back in stints with the Milwaukee and Kansas City organizations and he was out of baseball at 26. His younger brother Gavin was a first-round pick of the Mets and is now in the Diamondbacks organization.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 3
Baseball America Top 100: #74 in 2014
MLB.com Top 100: #57 in 2014
5. Henry Ramos, RF, Alfonso Casta HS (P.R.)
Bonus: $138,000
Another top draftee out of Puerto Rico following Reymond Fuentes in 2009 and Christian Vazquez in 2008, Ramos was a tremendous raw athlete who starred at soccer before committing to baseball full time. The Red Sox were fairly aggressive with him, placing him at Greenville as a 19-year-old in 2011 where the more advanced pitchers were able to take advantage of Ramos’s burgeoning pitch recognition. He improved significantly in a repeat of the level, then impressed at Salem in 2013 with a .252/.330/.416 line that included notable improvements in his power, contact numbers, and walk rate. A fracture in his tibia caused him to miss much of the 2014 season, and injuries were an ongoing issue throughout the rest of his development. He reached Triple-A Pawtucket in 2016 and celebrated the 4th of July by hitting for the cycle. He has remained at the level while jumping to the Dodgers and then the Giants, for whom his younger brother Heliot is a top prospect, but has not gotten the call. An ill-timed hip flexor injury in spring 2018 may have cost him his best shot. He was in Texas Rangers camp this spring, but was not added to the team’s 60-man pool.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 17
6. Kendrick Perkins, CF, La Porte HS (Tex.)
Bonus: $628,000
The Celtics drafted this six-foot-10 project out of Clifton Ozen High School with the 27th pick in the famously loaded 2003 draft, and he emerged as a key defensive force on the 2008… oh, you say, the Red Sox also drafted a Kendrick Perkins out of a Texas high school? Baseball’s Perk was a two-sport star who was committed to playing both baseball and football at Texas A&M, but a $600,000 bonus convinced him to turn pro. He got good power out of his six-foot-two frame, but his raw swing mechanics led to contact issues. He played his best baseball in 2014 with Greenville, hitting .296/.353/.473, but he struggled after a promotion to Salem and was released the following year.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 31
7. Chris Hernandez, LHP, Miami
Bonus: $375,000
Hernandez was a classic pitchability college lefty, with velocity that rarely registered above the mid-80s, but he balanced it with a good cutter as well as a curveball and changeup. He became a valuable workhorse, appearing in 114 games, including 88 starts, during his five years in the system. He earned Carolina League All-Star honors in 2011 and was given the same recognition in the Eastern League the following year, posting ERAs of 3.18 and 3.13. He appeared in 65 games for the PawSox from 2012 to 2014 and was released the following spring.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 28
8. Mathew Price, RHP, Virginia Tech
Bonus: $415,000
The Red Sox turned again for a college arm from a program that abandoned the Big East for the ACC, taking the hard-throwing Virginia Tech righty. Price needed Tommy John surgery before throwing a pitch in the organization and returned to the mound in late 2011. After appearing in just three games that fall, Price was suspended 50 games the following spring for a positive marijuana test and kept out of action the rest of the year by the team. He had a strong season out of the Salem bullpen when he returned in 2013 but was released in May 2014.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 41
9. Tyler Barnette, RHP, Hickory HS (N.C.)
The Red Sox were unable to sign Barnette out of his commitment to UNC-Charlotte. A three-year starter for the 49ers, the White Sox grabbed him in the 14th round of the 2013 draft and attempted to fast-track him as a reliever. He also pitched in the Padres organization.
10. Jacob Dahlstrand, RHP, Memorial HS (Tex.)
Bonus: $150,000
A six-foot-five righty, Dahlstrand became a fixture in the Boston system. He appeared in 109 games over eight seasons in the organization. His best season came in 2014, when he posted a 2.90 ERA and struck out 75 against just 28 walks in 105 2/3 innings between Greenville and Salem. An injury early in 2015 season required Tommy John Surgery, putting him out of action until 2016. He did not sign with another organization after becoming a minor league free agent.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 24
11. Lucas LeBlanc, OF, Delgado College (La.)
Bonus: $500,000
LeBlanc was committed to LSU after tearing up the JuCo ranks, but the Sox stepped in with a big bonus. A plus athlete, LeBlanc struggled with recognition of off-speed pitches and struck out in 25 percent of his plate appearances as a pro. He was released in the spring in 2013
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 50
12. Garrett Rau, RHP, California Baptist
A two-way player in college, Rau was also considered a pro prospect as a defense-first shortstop. The Red Sox preferred him on the mound and he got off to a solid debut with Lowell, posting a 3.53 ERA in 51 innings. Rau returned to the batter’s box after his release from the Red Sox, playing three seasons of independent ball.
A Long Island native, Couch was a consistent and occasional standout performer in the system during his seven years. He earned SoxProspects.com All-Star recognition in 2011 when posted a 3.54 ERA in 137 1/3 innings for Greenville, bolstered by a fantastic ratio of 123 strikeouts against only 19 walks. He followed that with a repeat All-Star performance with a 3.46 ERA in Salem in 2012. He came within .01 of that ERA in his 2013 season with Portland and improved to a 2.96 mark with the Sea Dogs the following year. Overall, he chewed up 326 Double-A innings but had mixed results in exposure to Pawtucket.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 28
14. Michael Hollenbeck, C, Joilet Township HS (Ill.)
From the 14th pick on, Boston would go on to sign just nine of its 37 draft picks. Hollenbeck did not sign, choosing to honor his scholarship to Illinois State University, where he was a four-year starter. The White Sox picked him in the 23rd round of the 2014 draft, and he played one year in their system.
15. Stevie Wilkerson, SS, Pope HS (Ga.)
Wilkerson went on to Clemson and was redrafted in 2014 by Baltimore in the eighth round. After a steady climb through the system, Wilkerson reached the majors in 2019 and essentially took over as the starting center fielder for the Orioles. He also appeared in four games on the mound, earning a measure of fame when he became the first position player ever to record a save when he pitched in the 16th inning of a Baltimore win against the Angels. He remains on the Orioles roster but is likely out for the abbreviated season with a broken finger.
16. Adam Duke, RHP, Spanish Fork HS (Utah)
A hard-throwing right-hander, Duke fell to the 16th round due to a steep price tag. He and the Red Sox could not agree to terms and he went on to fulfill his commitment to Oregon State. Unfortunately for Duke, he pitched in only five games for the Beavers before injuring his rotator cuff, requiring surgery that would prove to be career-ending.
17. Jason Garcia, RHP, Land O'Lakes HS (Fla.)
Bonus: $123,000
Garcia, a six-foot righty with a big fastball, was signed away from a commitment to Florida Atlantic. One of the youngest players selected in the 2010 draft, he did not turn 18 until November of that year. Garcia posted strong strikeout numbers in the lower minors but battled shaky control before getting sidelined in early 2013 with Tommy John surgery. Upon returning to the mound he saw an uptick in his velocity, reportedly touching 100. Despite the fact Garcia’s 56 1/3 innings in 2014 were split between Lowell and Greenville, Garcia caught the Orioles' eye during the Fall Instructional League that year, when he struck out 14 of the 18 batters he faced in two appearances at their facility. Baltimore took the opportunity to stash him in the back of their bullpen and selected him in the Rule 5 draft. The jump from the SAL to the majors went about as well as would be expected: a 4.25 ERA looked better than it was, as more than one-quarter of the runs he allowed were unearned, and he struck out 22 while walking 17. The disruption essentially shattered any development, as he struggled upon returning to Double-A in 2016. Those types of backend roster decisions did the Orioles no favors either, as the 2015 squad missed the playoffs by just five games. Garcia is still pitching in independent ball and is still just 27 years old.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 36
18. Dallas Chadwick, RHP, Shasta HS (Calif.)
Chadwick attended Sacramento State. He spent two years as a key contributor to their bullpen, but injured his elbow in his first appearance of the 2013 campaign, missing all of that season and making only nine appearances in 2014. He did not go on to play professionally.
19. Eric Jaffe, RHP, Bishop O'Dowd HS (Calif.)
Instead of signing, Jaffe moved onto UCLA, where he would join a staff that included Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. He would be taken by the White Sox in the 11th round of the 2012 draft, one of seven Bruins draftees that year.
20. Rock Shoulders, C, Brandon HS (Fla.)
The appropriately-named Roderick “Rock” Shoulders was a six-foot-two, 225-pound backstop who went the JuCo route. Redrafted in 2011 by the Cubs, he appeared in 327 games over five seasons in affiliated ball. Googling him gets a lot of information about Dwayne Johnson’s workout routine.
21. Mason Justice, RHP, Holland Hall HS (Okla.)
In this edition of everyone’s favorite game, “are they consecutive draft picks or 1988 rivals of the Hart Foundation and Demolition,” you would be forgiven for missing on the duo of Rock Shoulders and Mason Justice. Justice did not sign, first attending Junior College at Eastern Oklahoma before enrolling at Central Oklahoma. He pitched two years for the Broncos, posting big strikeout numbers but struggling with his control. He did not go on to pitch professionally.
22. Trace Tam Sing, 2B, Newport HS (Wash.)
Sing went on to play for Washington State. He was drafted by the Royals after his junior season but did not sign, later hooking on with the Pirates organization following his senior year. He went on to play four years in the Pittsburgh system, peaking at High A Bradenton save for a three-game excursion to Triple-A.
23. Austin Wright, LHP, Chipola JC (Fla.)
Wright had been previously drafted in the 23rd round of the 2008 draft by Pittsburgh, and he still did not find the round to his liking. He played his junior year for the University of Mississippi and was taken in the eighth round by Philadelphia in 2011. He has appeared in 158 games for three organizations and pitched for the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association in 2019.
24. Sean Yost, RHP, Nebraska
A huge, six-foot-six righty, Yost was a draft-eligible redshirt sophomore who opted to return to Nebraska for his junior year. He struggled that season and did not play professionally.
25. Tyler Lockwood, RHP, TCU
Lockwood was a senior closer at TCU. He spent three years in the Red Sox system, his career highlight a strong 2012 season with Greenville, delivering a 3.46 ERA in 65 innings. He went to play in Germany following his release from the Red Sox, throwing the 13th no-hitter in German Bundesliga history.
26. Dillon Overton, LHP, Weatherford HS (Okla.)
The Red Sox made a run at signing the Oklahoma prep star, but the window was closed when the two parties were out of range and the lefty enrolled in the University of Oklahoma. He went on to become a 2013 second-round pick of the A's. An excellent 2016 season at Triple-A Nashville earned him the call to the bigs, but he struggled in five MLB starts. Overton would later join the Seattle and San Diego organizations. He was in spring training this season with Arizona but was cut in May.
27. Jay Gonzalez, CF, Freedom HS (Fla.)
Gonzalez decided to forgo signing and enrolled at Auburn. He had a tumultuous time with the Tigers, starring as a sophomore with a .308/.402/.412 line out of the leadoff spot, but subsequently getting suspended in 2013. Texas picked him in the 39th round, but he gambled that he could boost his draft stock with a big senior year. His bet paid off when the Orioles took him in the 10th round out of the University of Mount Olive. Gonzalez played four seasons in the Baltimore system and was selected in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft by Arizona following the 2017 season. He played for the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Can-Am League in 2019.
28. Michael Wagner, RHP, Centennial HS (Nev.)
It was on to the University of San Diego for Wagner, where he starred as a reliever, earning third-team Baseball America All-American honors as a sophomore. A move to the rotation didn’t take, but the Cubs made him their 15th-round pick in 2013. He spent four seasons in the Chicago organization, appearing in 94 games.
29. Paul Davis, RHP, Pensacola JC (Fla.)
Davis attended Florida Atlantic for his junior season and was selected in the 15th round of the 2011 draft by San Francisco. He was suspended twice for a drug of abuse under minor league baseball’s drug program and he did not return to pitch professionally after his 2013 suspension.
30. Desean Anderson, CF, Ragsdale HS (N.C.)
Anderson attended South Carolina, where he started the season as a backup to Jackie Bradley Jr. for the 2011 National Champion Gamecocks. He was placed on indefinite suspension due to academics and did not rejoin the team. He suffered a broken finger playing in the Coastal Plains summer league in 2012.
31. Hunter Renfroe, C, Copiah Academy (Miss.)
Highly regarded with an excellent power tool, Renfroe was never seen as likely to sign. He starred at Mississippi State and was selected 13th overall in the 2013 draft. Baseball America included him on their Top 100 list four times, and he reached the majors in 2016. Despite low batting averages, Renfroe has been a positive offensive contributor with 89 home runs in 1450 plate appearances despite playing half his games at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Renfroe came to the American League East this winter when the Padres dealt him to Tampa Bay in the Tommy Pham deal. He is no relation to 2009 draftee David Renfroe.
32. Jordan Alexander, CF, Vista HS (Ariz.)
A short, well-built athlete, Alexander also starred as a running back in high school. He enrolled at UC-Irvine but appeared in only three games there. He did not go on to play professionally.
33. Mark Donham, RHP, Jupiter HS (Fla.)
After enrolling in Samford, Donham missed all of the 2011 and 2012 seasons with injuries. After struggling in his 2013 return to the mound, Donham was a solid contributor in 2014 and 2015. He would not be drafted again or go on to play professionally.
34. Mike Gleason, RHP, Cal St. Chico
Just the third player in a 21-pick stretch who signed, Gleason pitched for three seasons in the system. He had a 2.88 ERA in 14 appearances for Greenville in 2011 but struggled in his Salem tours and was released after the 2012 season.
35. JT Riddle, SS. Western Hills HS (Ky.)
Riddle enrolled at Kentucky, turning a solid career with the Wildcats into a 13th-round selection by the Marlins. Despite never dominating at the plate, Riddle’s versatility and defensive skill, particularly at shortstop, carried him all the way to the majors. He signed a major league deal with Pittsburgh in the winter and remains on their 60-man pool.
36. Shane Rowland, C, Tampa Catholic HS (Fla.)
The Red Sox did not sign Rowland, who went on to the University of Tampa. Cleveland selected Rowland in the 20th round in 2013, and he played three years in their system.
37. Aaron Jones, C, San Clemente HS (Calif.)
Jones would go on to the University of Oregon, where he would be selected again as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2012 by Colorado. However, the California native decided to forgo a career in baseball to become a firefighter.
38. Tom Bourdon, OF, NW Catholic HS (Conn.)
The pride of West Hartford, Connecticut’s Northwest Catholic, Bourdon decided to continue his baseball career for the Boston College Eagles. A fixture at Chestnut Hill, he finished his career second in Eagles history in at-bats but did not go on to play professionally.
39. Nick Robinson, SS, North Central College (Ill.)
The Red Sox brought the nephew of scout Jim Robinson into the fold, signing him quickly and assigning him to Lowell, where he manned a utility role in his first season. Robinson appeared in 54 games total in his two seasons in the system.
40. Luke Yoder, LF, Cal Poly
A speedy outfielder out of Cal Poly, Yoder’s time in the pros was brief. He appeared in 50 games after signing in 2010 but retired the following spring training.
41. Jayson Hernandez, C, Rutgers
Hernandez spent five years in the system in a backup catcher role, bringing his excellent defensive skills and leadership to whatever level an opening arose. The Jackson, N.J. native gained wider notoriety for his efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, organizing the “Grand Slam for Sandy” fundraiser. The project helped gain steam with help from his high school teammate Anthony Ranaudo, fellow Sox minor leaguer Pat Light, and Padres reliever Brad Brach.
42. Dan Slania, RHP, Salpointe Catholic HS (Ariz.)
A six-foot-five, 275-pound righty, Slania couldn’t be signed away from his commitment to Notre Dame. A reliever with the Irish, the Giants selected him in the fifth round in 2013. They moved him to the rotation in 2016 in Double-A, a move that brought success at Double-A and mixed results for Triple-A Sacramento. Slania appeared in one major league game, throwing a perfect ninth inning of a 13-5 victory over Pittsburgh on June 30, 2017.
43. Patrick Smith, CF, Redan HS (Ga.)
Smith went the JuCo route in lieu of signing, enrolling at Middle Georgia University. He was drafted by the Tigers the following year in the 14th round and played three years in that system.
44. Zach Kapstein, C, Tiverton HS (R.I.)
Kapstein, a two-sport star at Tiverton, was also the nephew of longtime Red Sox advisor Jeremy Kapstein. The younger Kapstein impressed with a .400/.463/.517 line in the GCL in 60 at-bats as a 19-year-old, and he went on to play six years in the system, although he never came close to that kind of offensive success again. He was traded to Baltimore after the 2015 season (to where, perhaps not coincidentally, his uncle had also moved on) and played one season for its Carolina League affiliate in Frederick, Maryland.
45. James Kang, SS, Pomona-Pitzer
Kang was a two way player in college, putting up solid numbers as the Pomona-Pitzer closer while hitting .402/.505/.787 his final season. He had the strong arm and intelligence that a Pitzer degree and pitching pedigree would indicate, but struggled against more advanced competition. His career in baseball continued after his playing days ended, joining the Red Sox as a scout in 2015 and remaining until the Dodgers hired him as an International Crosschecker in January.
46. Jarrett Thomason, RHP, Eastside HS (S.C.)
Thomason, who went to high school in Greenville, went to South Carolina. He missed the 2011 season due to an elbow injury, then appeared in just two games in 2012 before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. After making just one 2013 appearance, he quit baseball to try to walk on to the football team that fall as a wide receiver. It appears that he made the preseason 105-man roster, but he never played for the Gamecocks.
47. David Roseboom, LHP, LaSalle Institute (N.Y.)
A left-hander out of Pattersonville, N.Y., Roseboom went from one upstate to another, going on to pitch for the University of South Carolina Upstate. The Mets selected him in the 14th round in 2014 and he became a fixture in their organization, appearing in 183 games through 2019, including 100 for Double-A Binghamton. Roseboom is currently a free agent.
48. JT Autrey, RHP, Stephenville HS (Tex.)
Autrey went on to play for Lamar University and was drafted in the 32nd round by the Blue Jays in 2014. He played one year in the Toronto system.
49. Trygg Danforth, 1B, Yale
A Massachusetts native, the six-foot-six Danforth was born in Mattapoisett and played for Belmont High School before spending a year at Phillips Exeter Academy. Danforth appeared in 42 games for the GCL Red Sox in 2010 and retired the following year.
50. Weston Hoekel, RHP, Bishop Kenny (Fla.)
Hoekel went on to the University of Mississippi but did not appear in a game for the Rebels. He did not play professionally.
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Raw totals:
Players drafted: 52
Players signed: 23
Baseball America/MLB Top 100 prospects: 3
Signed players who reached majors: 5
Photo Credit: Kolbrin Vitek, Anthony Ranaudo, Keith Couch by Kelly O'Connor