July 15, 2024 at 5:11 PM
Red Sox select Hudson White with ninth-round pick
With the 268th overall pick in the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Hudson White, a catcher out of Arkansas.
The Keller, Texas native spent two seasons at Texas Tech before making the jump to Arkansas. He was a full-time player for the Red Raiders, making 102 starts, and had a power surge as a sophomore, knocking 11 home runs in 169 at-bats, which led to a .550 slugging percentage and an all-Big 12 honorable mention nod.
At Arkansas, he was a member of the Fayetteville Regional all-tournament team and made 46 starts, slashing .294/.396/.525. He showed an ability to make contact, with just 96 collegiate strikeouts in 542 at-bats, with 58 extra-base hits.
Baseball America ranked him No. 318 in its top 500 and mentioned his good approach and average raw power, while noting he needs to work on his defense to stick behind the plate. The outlet thinks he can become an average defender, but he needs to add arm strength and improve his release, though he is a good receiver.
He's at No. 327 according to Perfect Game, while he was unranked by MLBPipeline.com.
The recommended signing bonus for this pick is $194,600.
Photo credit: Arkansas athletics