August 11, 2020 at 12:30 PM
2012 Draft Retrospective: The Picks
Coming off a very good draft the year prior, 2012 was a year of change with new draft rules and a new GM. With Theo Epstein gone to the Chicago Cubs, Ben Cherington was promoted to General Manager. 2012 also brought the implementation of signing bonus pools that did not constitute hard caps, but with escalating penalties for money spent past a team's cap (as opposed to the "stern talking to from the Commissioner's Office" non-penalties that had previously existed for going over the suggested slot values for each pick). The overall bonus pools for teams in this first year ranged from $1.7 million up to $12.4 million, with the pool size affected by the number of picks each team had, including the new set of compensation picks based in part on revenue sharing. These new rules, their ramifications, and their impact on strategies will be discussed more in Part Two of the 2012 Draft Retrospective.
The Red Sox pool in 2012 was increased because the Red Sox gained two picks as compensation for the loss of Jonathan Papelbon and did not lose any, giving them the 10th-highest draft pool at $6,884,800. However, that was still significantly lower than the $10,978,700 million the Red Sox had spent in the 2011 draft. It made for an interesting draft where both talent and draft strategy affected picks and drastically reduced the ability of the Red Sox and other big market teams—and, frankly, some small market teams that had started to realize that large investments in the draft were still relatively small compared to investing in MLB free agents—to spend well past MLB's suggested draft slots to bring in more amateur talent.
The Red Sox pool in 2012 was increased because the Red Sox gained two picks as compensation for the loss of Jonathan Papelbon and did not lose any, giving them the 10th-highest draft pool at $6,884,800. However, that was still significantly lower than the $10,978,700 million the Red Sox had spent in the 2011 draft. It made for an interesting draft where both talent and draft strategy affected picks and drastically reduced the ability of the Red Sox and other big market teams—and, frankly, some small market teams that had started to realize that large investments in the draft were still relatively small compared to investing in MLB free agents—to spend well past MLB's suggested draft slots to bring in more amateur talent.
1 (24) Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
Bonus: $2,050,000; Slot: $1,750,000
After being taken in the 17th round in 2009, Marrero (pictured, above) had a good three seasons at Arizona State and came into the draft ranked as one of the top 15 draft-eligible players by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Marrero would be a fixture in the SoxProspects.com top 20 over the next three seasons. The defense-first shortstop was aggressively promoted through the system, and his first real offensive success came in 2014 after he hit .291/.371/.433 over the first 68 games of the season for Portland before being promoted to Pawtucket. That would be his only real offensive success as a pro, and while he made his major league debut in 2015, he struggled and hit only .194/.246/.279 over his five seasons in the majors. In 2018, he was traded to Arizona for Josh Taylor and hit only .227 at Triple-A and .167 in the majors. That offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with Miami, but played almost the entire year at Triple-A, with only five hitless at-bats for the Marlins. He has not signed with an MLB club since becoming a minor league free agent this offseason.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 5
Notable players passed on: None before next pick.
1 (31) Brian Johnson, LHP, Florida
Bonus: $1,575,000; Slot: $1,575,000
This was the first of two picks as compensation for losing closer Jonathan Papelbon in free agency. Seen for most of his time in the system as having a very high floor, almost certainly pitching in the majors someday, but not a particularly high ceiling, Johnson was a key piece of the 2018 championship team as a valuable swingman. The 6-foot-3 lefty has now thrown 171 innings with 26 starts and 39 more appearances out of the pen with a 4.73 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 1.3 bWAR. Johnson was a two-way player at Florida and led Team USA in home runs the summer before he was drafted. Still, it was clear he would pitch full-time as a pro. His first start for the Lowell Spinners was memorable for the wrong reasons, though as he took a comebacker to the face during the Futures at Fenway game that broke his jaw left him unable to eat solid food all offseason. He rebounded incredibly well with a 2.54 ERA in 2013 between Greenville and Salam, then bettered it with a 2.13 ERA in 2014 between Salem and Portland, winning the Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. His major league debut came under strange circumstances in 2015, as he had a 15-day layoff following his last Triple-A start. He made two more starts in Pawtucket before being shut down for the rest of the season due to elbow irritation. That offseason, he and some friends were carjacked, and he then missed a good portion of 2016 while dealing with anxiety. He was designated for assignment in November 2019 and cleared waivers, and after seemingly putting himself in the running for a spot in the beleaguered MLB rotation this year, he either literally or essentially requested his release just yesterday, and it was granted.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 5
Baseball America Top 100: 82 in 2015
Notable players passed on: Jose Berrios (32), Zach Eflin (33), Stephen Piscotty (36)
1s (37) Pat Light, RHP, Monmouth
Bonus: $1,000,000; Slot: $1,394,300
This was the second pick awarded as compensation for Papelbon. Light was drafted in 2009 but choose to head to Monmouth. He also pitched on the Cape for the Chatham Anglers. The Red Sox started him in the rotation in 2012-2014, where he struggled, never having an ERA under 4.50 aside from his 12 starts for Lowell in 2012. He moved to the bullpen fulltime in 2015, scrapping his changeup and slider and focusing on his fastball, which topped out at 97 mph, and a newly added splitter. He had success initially, with a 2.43 ERA in 21 appearances, and started to rise up the SoxProspects.com rankings. He struggled to end the year upon promotion to Pawtucket, but dominated there in early 2016 and made his major league debut that April. He struggled in that outing, as well as a second outing in July, giving up eight runs, seven earned, in 2 2/3 innings over the two appearances. He was dealt to the Twins in exchange for Fernando Abad in August and threw an additional 14 innings for Minnesota, and allowing 14 more earned runs. Those would be his last major league innings, though he pitched in the Pittsburgh and Seattle systems in 2017 and 2018.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 13
Notable players passed on: Mitch Haniger (38), Joey Gallo (39), Lance McCullers Jr. (41), Matt Olson (47)
2 (87) Jamie Callahan, RHP, Dillon HS (S.C.)
Bonus: $600,000; Slot: $656,600
Callahan was the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year, but the Red Sox bonus was enough to buy him out of his South Carolina commitment. After a brief draft year stint with the GCL Red Sox, the righty pitched for Lowell in 2013 with a 3.92 ERA, his only real success as a starter. In 2014 he struggled with a 6.96 ERA, walking 66 hitters in 108 2/3 innings. He struggled through six more starts with the Drive to begin the 2015 season, but after a disastrous outing in which he faced nine hitters and retired one, getting charged with eight runs on seven hits and a walk, he moved to the bullpen. He found a bit more success in that role, at least striking out 75 in 67 2/3 innings and cutting his ERA in that role to 3.06. He posted similar numbers in Salem in 2016, but had a breakthrough in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 12 to just 3 walks in 11 innings while allowing only a single run. He carried that momentum into the start of the 2017 season, striking out 20 of the 47 batters he faced in Portland, allowing 8 hits and no walks before moving up to Pawtucket, where he continued to strike out more than a hitter per inning. That sudden success made him a valuable trade chip, and he became part of a three-reliever package that brought back MLB reliever Addison Reed from the Mets. He would be called up to the majors after roster expansion that September and threw 6 2/3 innings over nine appearances that would be his last in the majors. He underwent shoulder surgery in 2018, missing the entire season, before signing a minor league deal with San Francisco the next offseason. He was released earlier this year and in June signed with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 18
3 (118) Austin Maddox, RHP, Florida
Bonus: $350,000; Slot: $400,500
Maddox was the second two-way player from the University of Florida the Red Sox drafted in 2012. He was a highly regarded high school catcher, and at Florida teamed up with Johnson and future third overall pick Mike Zunino. Maddox hit over .300 in college but was a better prospect as a reliever despite not pitching his freshman year, posting a career 1.86 ERA. Maddox did make 11 starts as a pro early in his career, but was quickly moved to the bullpen. He missed significant parts of the 2014 and 2015 seasons with Salem due to off-field incidents, including an arrest for sexual battery while on a road trip. He was eventually able to turn things around in 2016 with solid, if not spectacular results, and on June 17, 2017, he made his major league debut. Despite shuttling back-and-forth between the Majors and Triple-A, he had a strong debut with a 0.52 ERA over 17 1/3 innings. In 2018, Maddox battled shoulder issues from the start of the season, eventually having rotator cuff surgery in September and missing all of 2019. On February 28, Maddox officially retired from professional baseball.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 20
4. Ty Buttrey, RHP, Providence HS (N.C.)
Bonus: $1,300,000; Slot: $291,300
This selection was a product of a new strategy needed with the institution of slot values for picks, but more on that tomorrow. Buttrey was ranked 38th by Baseball America and 62nd by Perfect Game USA coming into the draft, and to sign him, the organization had to shell out a bonus more than four times the slot value for pick 151. One of the oldest high schoolers in the draft, Buttrey was already 6-foot-5 and had touched 96 mph. After a strong first full season in Lowell, Buttrey struggled with command, which hampered his effectiveness as a starter. This culminated in 2016, while at Portland when he walked 46 and struck out 52 over 79 innings, with 25 of those 46 walks coming during his 9 starts. In 2017, he was moved to the bullpen full-time, and his strikeout rate rose dramatically to 10.5 per nine innings. The next season, Buttrey was traded as part of a package for infielder Ian Kinsler. The Angels gave Buttrey his first major league call-up, and he has been a solid part of their bullpen for the last three seasons, throwing 93 and 1/3 innings with a 4.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 105 strikeouts and 31 walks.
Soxprospects.com peak rank: 17
5. Mike Augliera, RHP, Binghamton
Bonus: $25,000; Slot: $218,100
The six-footer was the only one of the first seven Red Sox draft picks to not make it to the majors, and as a senior sign, Augliera got a bonus well below slot, part of a new strategy used by many teams that year (and all teams now) to redistribute bonus pool money under the new draft rules. In college at Binghamton, he was a control artist, walking only 7 hitters his senior season, a skill that he would take with him as a professional. At 22, he was a bit old for Lowell, but aside from a spike in strikeout rate, did not dominate with a 4.42 ERA. The next year, he pitched for Salem and saw his strikeout rate plummet despite still being old for the level. Over his 4 years in the minors, he never had an ERA below 4.23 and he was released in April 2016.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 45
6. Justin Haley, RHP Fresno State
Bonus: $125,000; Slot: $163,500
Haley was selected in the 10th round in 2010 and jumped up to the sixth round in 2012 after success at Fresno State following a transfer from Sierra Junior College. Standing 6-foot-5, he had a starter's frame and profiled as a back-end starter. Over his minor league career, he put up solid, if uninspiring numbers, with a 3.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings. In the 2016 Rule 5 draft, Haley was selected by the Angels, traded to the Padres, then traded again to the Twins in the same day. During his tenure with the Twins, he threw 18 innings with a 6.00 ERA while missing some time with bicep tendinitis and a sore shoulder. Later that season, he was returned to the Red Sox and pitched mostly for the PawSox but did throw 7 2/3 major league innings in 2018, allowing four runs. In 2019, he was outrighted, elected free agency, and signed with the KBO Lions, but he was waived after making 19 starts and returned to the US., signing with San Fransisco and throwing an additional 22 innings before being released.
SoxProspects.com Peak rank: 32
7 Kyle Kraus, RHP, Portland
Bonus: $1,000; Slot: $143,000
Kraus begins a run of four college seniors who signed for well below slot, which we will get into in Part 2. Kraus had substantially improved his as a senior before being selected. Despite having fringy stuff, he produced good ERAs in the low minors while pitching mostly in relief. However, the advanced hitters in Portland figured him out, as he had a 4.77 ERA with only 4.4 strikeouts per nine innings over his 54 2/3 innings at the level. Kraus was released in December 2015.
8. Nathan Minnich, 1B, Shepherd College
Bonus: $10,000; Slot: $133,500
Minnich was the Division II Player of the Year after hitting an absurd .487/.645/.980 in his senior season. In two seasons as a pro, he hit only .223/.339/.318 despite being old for the levels, and as a result, was released in March 2014.
9. Mike Miller, SS, Cal Poly
Bonus: $5,000; Slot: $125,000
Easily the most successful of the senior signings, Miller was valued for his versatility and solid hit tool. Not the biggest guy in the clubhouse at only 5-feet-9, 175 pounds, Miller was always a defense-first type player. Over his eight minor league seasons, he hit only .262/.326/.338 and, aside from 2013, never had an OPS over .750 in any full season. Miller did make it up to the majors in 2016, getting one plate appearance in his only game. The Red Sox released him in August 2019 and he was signed by the Twins. He became a free agent last offseason and was not signed.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 45
10. JT Watkins, C, Army
Bonus: $1,000; Slot: $125,000
Much like Noah Song's current situation, Watkins missed the 2013 and 2014 seasons while fulfilling his service time requirement after graduating from West Point. Watkins, the son of Red Sox scout Danny Watkins, was a defense-first catcher who played two seasons after returning from service. He had a career .465 OPS before retiring after the 2016 season. As many now know for the wrong reasons, he was hired by the Red Sox as an advance MLB scout after he retired, and he also worked as the team's video room operator during games. He was suspended for one year as a result of MLB's investigation into possible sign-stealing by the team (some might say "scapegoated"), and will not be able to work in the video room next year.
11. Jamal Martin, OF, Dwyer HS (Fla.)
The Red Sox signed all of their 12 picks in the first 10 rounds, which took on added importance with the new draft rules implemented in 2012 in which failure to do so would mean a corresponding loss of money from the team's bonus pool cap. But from the 11th round onwards, teams would not lose any pool money for unsigned picks, meaning teams could afford to take more risks, and Martin, committed to Florida State, was the first to not sign. At only 5-foot-9, the outfielder was ranked 192nd by Perfect Game USA coming into the draft. He never made it to Florida State and instead played his first two seasons at Miami-Dade College before transferring to LSU. He started 24 games for LSU in 2015 and then started all 51 in 2016, hitting .255/.432/.497, but was never redrafted.
12. Mike Meyers, SS, Silverado HS (Nev.)
Bonus: $100,000
Meyers came into the system as a second baseman but was quickly moved to the outfield. He had the speed for the outfield but struggled with his routes, winding up a below-average defender there. His baseball highlight after turning pro didn't come with the Red Sox, but with his stint playing in 2017 World Baseball Classic for Team Israel. When the team earned a shocking, extra-innings win against the host country, South Korea, it was Meyers crossing the plate to score the winning run. Meyers was released in January 2018.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 42
Bonus: $100,000
Entering the draft out of junior college, Wendelken (pictured, left) had an amazing year as a reliever for Middle Georgia, a JuCo, allowing only one earned run over 44 innings. Turning pro at 19, he dominated in both the GCL in 2012 with a 1.27 ERA and then in Greenville in 2013 with a 2.77. Wendelken was then traded to the White Sox as part of the three-team deal that netted the Red Sox Jake Peavy. Initially, he struggled after the deal, and it was not until 2015 at Double-A that he had similar success with 56 strikeouts in 43 innings with a 2.72 ERA. In early 2016, he was traded again, this time to Oakland, for whom he made his MLB debut and made eight difficult appearances for the big league club, giving up 14 runs in 12 2/3 innings. Wendelken then missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. After working his way back, he started to have great success in the majors and from 2018-2020 has had a 2.41 ERA and 0.9 bWAR over 52 1/3 innings as a valuable piece of Oakland's bullpen.
14. Dylan Chavez, LHP, Mississippi
Chavez pitched only two years of relief for the Red Sox and did not put up good numbers. He was released in December 2013, but was signed for one more season with the White Sox and had his best success with a 2.93 ERA over 31 games for their Low A affiliate. He played one final season of Independent League baseball in 2015 for St. Paul.
15. Carson Fulmer, RHP, All Saints Academy (Fla.)
Fulmer was known to be a tough sign, ranked in the top 150 by both Baseball America and Perfect Game USA and was also committed to the Vanderbilt, one of the best college baseball programs in the country. At Vandy, he was used as a reliever his freshman year, but moved mostly into the rotation his sophomore year, when he was the SEC Pitcher of the Year and led the Commodores to a College World Series championship in 2014. In 2015, he was the National Pitcher of the Year and a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He was strongly rumored to be in consideration for the Red Sox with the seventh overall pick, but they passed and the White Sox selected him eighth, and he made his debut just a year later. Despite the college pedigree and fast track through the minors, Fulmer has struggled as a pro. Over five years, he has thrown 97 innings with a 6.59 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Most of those innings game with the White Sox, but on July 23 of this year, he was designated for assignment and claimed by Detroit, where he has been pitching exclusively out of the bullpen.
16. Stephen Williams, RHP, Seminole St. (Okla.)
Bonus: $125,000
Williams got an over-slot bonus coming out of Seminole State Junior College. He only threw three innings in 2012, and then made 15 appearances out of the GCL bullpen in 2013 but walked 14 while striking out 16. Williams was released after the 2013 season.
17. Willie Ethington, RHP, Mountain View HS (Ariz.)
Bonus: $200,000
The last over-slot signing of the class, Ethington was seen as a projectable right-hander who had a high-effort delivery and needed to work on his mechanics. Just like Williams, he made a few appearances in the GCL in 2012 after signing and allowed 17 baserunners in his 9 1/3 innings. He repeated the level in 2013, improving with a 2.90 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. There was some optimism with the way his 2013 finished and how he looked in 2014 spring training, but that optimism quickly faded. He was moved between starting and relieving and walked 8 in 19 1/3 innings, eventually developing an elbow injury that ultimately led to his release him. Ethington told ABC News in Bakersfield in 2017 that he believed he developed the "yips" and lost the ability to control where he was throwing the baseball, which he said took more than a year to get over.
18. Shaq Thompson, OF, Grant HS (Calf.)
Bonus: $45,000
Even if you did not remember his baseball career, the name Shaq Thompson might stick out to you. Yes, this is the same Shaq Thompson who was drafted in the first round in the 2015 NFL draft after an impressive collegiate career at the University of Washington. The Red Sox selected Thompson despite him being one of the top football recruits in the nation with very little baseball experience. We'll have more on Thompson in Part 2 of the 2012 Draft Retrospective tomorrow.
19. Iseha Conklin, SS, Iowa Western CC
Another good athlete, Conklin was recruited by colleges as a football wide receiver before going to Iowa Western. Assigned to the GCL, Conklin struggled in his draft year, hitting only .205. He actually was a bit worse repeating the level in 2013, hitting below the Mendoza line at .195 with only a .562 OPS. He was released that winter.
20. Greg Larson, RHP, Florida
The third Florida Gator in the 2012 Red Sox draft class, Larson followed in Darren O'Day's footsteps as a sidearming pitcher for the Gators and really baffled hitters his senior season. Coming off of a 6-foot-8 frame and pitching mostly out of the bullpen, Larson made 33 appearances and finished with a 1.42 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. The big righty had success his first two years at Lowell, with 2.76 and 2.00 ERAs, respectively, but struggled in 2013 upon promotion to Greenville, where he threw only 6 2/3 innings and gave up seven earned runs before retiring over the off-season.
21. Jake Davies, 1B, Georgia Tech
Davies, a big-bodied lefty, was a power hitter for Georgia Tech, but with being limited to first base, needed his bat to carry him as a pro. He stared off decently in the GCL in 2012 with a .798 OPS and was promoted briefly to Lowell, but did not hit for any power. He struggled in a brief return to the GCL in 2013 before being released.
22. Joe Greenfield, RHP, South Suburban CC (Ill.)
After not signing, Greenfield transferred to Eastern Illinois University, where he had a 3.66 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. He was drafted in 2013 by the Twins in the 36th round, but again chose not to sign and returned to Eastern Illinois. He struggled his final year there, allowing 44 runs in 73 and 1/3 innings, and was not drafted again.
Thompson was not the only future NFL player the Red Sox drafted in 2012. While Thompson was only a high schooler when drafted, Magee (pictured, right) was something of a two-sport athlete at Arizona State, where he was a four-year letterman in football and essentially dabbled in baseball, playing in 27 games between his freshman and junior years before missing his senior season with a torn UCL. Magee will be one of the highly athletic draft signings that will be discussed more on Thursday in Part 2 of the 2012 Draft Retrospective.
24. Keaton Briscoe, 2B, U. of British Columbia
Briscoe was the 19th player from the University of British Columbia to be drafted since 1997, but Briscoe didn't actually play for the team in 2012. He was ruled academically ineligible after being a key part of the team the previous two years, hitting .318 and stealing 26 bases with 72 walks and only 46 strikeouts. As a pro, he never was able to hit at nearly that level. Between 2012 in the GCL and 2013 at Lowell, Briscoe only had a .568 OPS with a 30-percent strikeout rate, and he chose to retire prior to the 2014 season.
25. Khiry Cooper, OF, Nebraska
Cooper, like Magee, was a Division 1 college football player who also dabbled in baseball. Unlike Magee, Cooper had not used up his college eligibility yet and was headed to the University of Tulsa to get a graduate degree while using up his final year of college football eligibility. In the fall of 2012, he played in 10 games and had three receptions. He never reported to the Red Sox despite signing with them following the 2012 draft.
26. Jacob Nelson, RHP, Lake Stevens HS (Wash.)
If you haven't noticed, the Red Sox targeted elite two-sport or two-way athletes in this draft, and Nelson was another. After recording 47 total touchdowns his senior year as a quarterback, Nelson was getting attention to play college football and decided to forgo baseball to play quarterback at Central Washington University. Nelson had originally wanted to play both baseball and football in college, but he told the Everett Clipper that the school asked him to choose. During his third football season, he called it quits and later returned to playing baseball at Everett Community College in Washington. Playing mostly as an outfielder, Nelson hit .269 and also threw 17 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs.
27. Quinn Carpenter, RHP, Goshen Central HS (N.Y.)
Carpenter did not sign, and instead enrolled at Iowa Western Community College, where he was one of the best players in the league. His freshman year, he had a 1.52 ERA over 64 1/3 innings and was Perfect Game USA's 84th-ranked Junior College prospect. His sophomore year, he played the outfield in addition to pitching and hit .390 with 12 home runs while posting a 2.70 ERA in 50 innings, ranking as Perfect Game's 103rd-ranked JuCo prospect and leading his team to an NJCAA national title. He was drafted in the 17th round in 2014 by Toronto, but again chose not to sign and instead transferred to Texas Tech. He again played both ways, hitting .277/.330/.482 and pitching to a 7.63 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. He was not drafted a third time.
28. Wes Rogers, OF, Mann HS (S.C.)
Rogers passed on the Red Sox' offer and instead went to Spartanburg Methodist College, where the speedster hit for a high average and got on-base at a strong clip but with little power. He was drafted by the Rockies in the fourth round in 2014. He played 5 years in the Colorado system, making it as far as Double-A before signing in 2019 with Milwaukee. Over his 6 minor league seasons, the outfielder hit .272/.348/.396 with 214 stolen bases and 30 home runs.
29. Alex Bregman, 2B, Albuquerque Acad. (N.M.)
Bregman was seen as an extremely tough sign after dominating for Team USA's 16-and-under and 18-and-under teams. As a junior, he broke the New Mexico high school record with 18 home runs, but missed most of his senior season with a broken finger. While it is nice to think "what if?" given what Bregman has become, he was drafted essentially as an insurance policy, a backup option if Buttrey had opted not to sign and the club had $1 million extra dollars to spend on a later-round pick like him or Fulmer. Bregman went on to LSU and had instant success, winning Baseball America's National Freshman of the Year and the Wallace Award as the country's best shortstop. When he re-entered the draft in 2015 coming off being a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, he didn't have to wait long, being taken 2nd overall by the Astros. In the minors, Bregman had a decent debut with a .781 OPS in 2015, but he really broke out in 2016, hitting .306/.406/.580 between Double-A and Triple-A over 80 games. In his five years as a pro, he has developed into one of the best players in the game while winning a (controversial) World Series Championship. Over the last two years, he has been an All-Star and top-five finisher in the MVP voting, hitting .291/.409/.970 over that time.
30. Justin Taylor, RHP, Farmville Central (N.C.)
Taylor was highly regarded coming out of high school and ranked 313th by Baseball America and 348 by Perfect Game USA. He was committed to East Carolina University and pitched his freshmen year, only throwing 1 2/3 innings over three appearances, allowing four earned runs on four walks and two hits. He ended up transferring to Pitt Community College, but it is not clear if he ever appeared in a game.
31. Austin Davis, RHP, Southern Mississippi
You won't find Austin Davis on Baseball-Reference, because the only year he played baseball was back in high school in 2007. Davis is yet another football star who the Red Sox took a gamble on drafting, even though he did not play baseball at college. He was the starting quarterback for Southern Miss and threw for over 3,000 yards in three of the four years. He was thought of as a late-round sleeper in the 2012 NFL draft, but went undrafted and ultimately signed with the St. Louis Rams. He worked his way up from practice squads to the active roster and played a total of 16 career games. He was recently promoted to quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, making him the youngest coach at his position.
32. Hunter Wood, RHP, Rogers Heritage (Ark.)
Wood did not sign and instead went to Howard Junior College in Texas. He entered the 2013 draft and was selected in the 29th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Over his minor league career, he split his time between starting and relieving, with a 3.39 ERA over his seven minor league seasons. He made his major league debut in 2017, and over his three major league seasons, has started 10 of his 66 games with a 3.32 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. In 2019, Wood was part of a package that went to the Indians for international signing pool bonus money and a minor league outfielder. Wood was designated for assignment on July 23, 2020, and is now part of the extended roster at Cleveland's alternate training site.
33. Chris Carlson, OF, Orange Coast CC (Calif.)
Carlson, ranked 499th by Baseball America and 265th by Perfect Game USA, declined to sign and was originally committed to New Mexico State, but instead enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona. Standing only 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, he showed some contact ability, hitting .319 with a .417 OBP and fringe power. He also got to throw 1/3 of an inning, giving up a run. He was drafted again in 2014 in the 28th round by Toronto and signed, where he again showed an ability to put bat to ball, hitting .298 with a .398 OBP. Despite his success at the plate, he retired following the 2015 season.
34. Xavier Turner, 3B, Sandusky HS (Ohio)
The second Vanderbilt commit that the Red Sox selected in this draft, Turner was described as one of the best high school bats in the Great Lakes region by Baseball America and ranked 282nd in the class. He had only a .739 college OPS with very little power, but was selected by the Rangers in the 19th round in 2015. Similar to Carlson, he put up good minor league numbers with a .305/.375/.442 line over two years, but multiple positive tests for drugs of abuse derailed his career. He was released by Texas in May 2017, and it was announced the following month that he had received a 100-game suspension for his third positive test, which would have been served if he signed with another team, essentially ending his career.
35. Pat Delano, RHP, Braintree HS (Mass.)
A local kid, Delano was the third Vanderbilt commitment from this class. Unlike Fulmer and Turner, Delano was not ranked in this draft class, and being from Braintree, the Red Sox had some chance to sign him. He had Tommy John surgery his sophomore year but dominated upon return to the diamond his senior year with a 1.21 ERA. Delano, an imposing 6-foot-7, redshirted at Vanderbilt after being buried on their depth chart and transferred to Cisco Junior College, and before even pitching in a fall game transferred again to Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana. He finally found a landing place that fit him in Northwest Oklahoma State, and in 2016 he posted a 5.23 ERA over 12 appearances and 11 starts. In 2017, only threw 1 1/3 innings but got 133 plate appearances, hitting .252/.368/.423 with five home runs.
36. Miguel Rodriguez, C, UNC Charlotte
Miguel, the son of then-Red Sox scout Victor Rodriguez, came out of Puerto Rico as a below-average offensive catcher who had only a .410 OPS in college for UNC Charlotte. He had only a .449 OPS over his 42 games over two years before retiring in the middle of the 2014 season.
37. Jonathan Dziedzic, LHP, Lamar
The lefty went back to Lamar and went on to have a successful season in 2013, putting up a 3.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 106 strikeouts over 107 2/3 innings, which led to him being selected in the 13th round of the 2013 draft by the Royals. Once a pro, he moved quickly, dominating between Rookie ball and High A his rookie year. By 2015, he was already at Double-A, where he put up a 3.12 ERA before being briefly promoted to Triple-A. He has somewhat stalled at the level and has spent four subsequent years in Omaha for the Royals Triple-A affiliate, with a 4.42 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 386 2/3 innings.
38. Donald Smith, C, Claflin
Smith played both catcher and right field for Claflin and was named a First Team All-SIAC Conference player as a right fielder. He declined to sign and returned to Claflin, where he hit .323/.413/.391 but was not drafted again.
39. Kurt Schluter, RHP, Stetson
Yet another two-way player, Schluter pitched and played primarily first base with Stetson. He came into the year as the Preseason Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year after ending 2011 with a 1.40 ERA over 10 starts, but could not repeat it in 2012. He ended the season with a 5.45 ERA on the mound and hit .275/.387/.314 with only two of his 14 hits going for extra bases. He returned two Stetson for two more years, but threw only 34 innings and had 14 more at-bats.
40. Kevin Heller, OF, Amherst
It is a pretty tough jump coming into pro ball from a Division III school. Despite that big jump, Heller did very well his first year, finishing the year with an .839 OPS split between the GCL and Lowell. Playing all three outfield positions, he struggled a bit the next year after suffering an oblique injury and finished with a .620 OPS while missing some time and getting only 164 total plate appearances. He had solid years the next two years, splitting time between Salem and Portland with good OBPs but minimal power. He was released after the 2015 season.
While Heller came all the way from Division III, Mager (pictured, left) went undrafted from Division II Rollins. After signing, he was viewed more as an organizational player who was valued for his versatility being able to play first base, third base and left field. Over his three years, he hit only .229/.322/.335 but added to his versatility by throwing three emergency innings allowing two earned runs.
UD - Christian Perdomo, LHP, Advanced Software JC
The 6-foot-6 lefty barely saw the field in 2012 for Advanced Software JC, throwing only 2 2/3 innings, and did not pitch after signing. He did pitch in 18 2/3 innings in 2013 with minimal success and was released mid-year.
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Raw totals:
Players drafted: 42
Players signed: 26
Baseball America Top 100 prospects: 1
Signed players who reached majors: 9
Photo Credit: Deven Marrero, JB Wendelken, Brandon Magee, and Kevin Mager by Kelly O'Connor.
Will Woodward is a Co-Owner and Senior Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPWill.