July 13, 2021 at 6:20 PM
Draft Day 3 Recap Part 2: Rounds 16-20
Thank you for following along with SoxProspects.com for our draft coverage. Here are brief overviews of the players Boston selected with picks 16 though 20:
16. BJ Vela, 2B, Reedley JC (Calif.)
Vela put up gaudy stats on the JuCo circuit, hitting .481/.560/.821 in 27 games. The .481 average paced the California Community College Athletic Association, where he also ranked third in RBI with 35 and fifth in home runs with seven.
17. Luis Guerrero, RHP, Chipola College
Like Vela, Guerrero starred on the JuCo circuit, playing for one of the most notable two-year programs in the country (followers of the draft will recall that Jay Groome was lined up to attend Chipola after his commitment to Vanderbilt fell through). The 6-foot righthander made 14 appearances, posting a 3.72 ERA and .198 batting average against. He struck out 95 in 58 innings while walking 34. Per Mike Rosenbaum at Prep Baseball Report, Guerrero's fastball runs 93 to 96, which he's been able to maintain deep into his starts. He complements that with an above-average splitter which is a "swing-and-miss offering at 82-84 mph that he throws with late vertical drop" and a curveball.
18. Phillip Sikes, OF, TCU
Sikes was a two-way player early in his college career who started playing the outfield full time his junior year. He was previously drafted by Arizona in 2019 after spending his sophomore year at Pima Community College, but he chose to enroll in TCU instead. After struggling badly in his junior campaign, Sikes was one of the Big 12's best players his senior year, hitting .329/.427/.620 with 19 doubles and 11 homers his senior year for the Horned Frogs. After seeing most of his playing time in center for his first three college campaigns, Sikes spent the majority of 2021 in right. Baseball America ranked him #463 among draft-eligible players.
19. Tyler Uberstine, RHP, Northwestern
Uberstine was a redshirt junior in 2021 with two years of eligibility remaining. Already 22, he enrolled originally in Southern California, but transferred north before appearing in a game. He showed promise in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, submitting a 2.96 ERA in 22 innings across four starts, but he struggled badly this spring and only appeared in one game after April 25.
20. Josh Hood, SS, Pennsylvania
With the Ivy League baseball season canceled in 2021 again due to the ongoing pandemic, Hood was a very tough evaluation. Baseball America had him ranked 453rd on their draft board despite the fact he last played collegiate games in 2019. His freshman season that year opened eyes nationally as he posted a .331/.411/.580 line. He is lined up to play shortstop for NC State in 2022.