2024 MLB Draft - Potential future Sox

TimScribble

TimScribble

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The 2024 MLB draft is still 4 months away but mock draft season has started. Most think Boston will take a pitcher but as last season’s draft showed us, you never know how it will unfold. The Red Sox have the 12th pick.

BA Mock 3/18/24:

12. Red Sox — Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

Boston has one of the most hitter-heavy farm systems in the game. There’s some thought they could be targeting pitching in 2024 after taking bats in the first round for five straight drafts going back to 2018 (the team didn’t have a 2019 first round pick). If that’s the case, Duke southpaw Jonathan Santucci could be one of the best options available here. He had a fairly forgettable game in a highly-scouted matchup against Wake Forest two weeks ago, but he sits in the mid-90s with a riding fastball, shows a plus slider and has the makings of a solid changeup as well. If he keeps posting throughout the spring it’s hard to not see him going somewhere in the middle of the first round—or higher.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2024-mlb-mock-draft-1-0-charlie-condon-jac-caglianone-make-strong-impressions/
 
LogansDad

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I am very curious to see what they do this year. I wonder if they go with a high floor college arm who might sign under slot with their first pick, and then go above slot in the next couple rounds on projectable high school kids.
 
simplicio

simplicio

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Most reporting has this being an unusually weak class, wonder if they go underslot and spread the money around or try to poach a committed HS player.
 
Jed Zeppelin

Jed Zeppelin

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Will be very interesting to get this first glimpse at the new brain trust’s draft strategy.

The funny thing is you could kind of make a case for a similar strategy to Bloom under the idea that the Breslow/Bailey machine can draw more value out of cheaper but maybe untapped arm talent. That was Bloom’s idea but who knows if anyone was around to actually develop those arms.

You can denigrate Bloom all you want but it is still a reality that high school arms are the highest risk so I could see the new guys having similar ideas.
 
JM3

JM3

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The other interesting thing is they haven't really switched up their drafting infrastructure, & still have guys like Pearson & Toboni in important positions.

I wonder if it will be more of an adjustment in what traits they are looking for in pitchers more so than a change in overall draft strategy.

Seems quite possible they will draft a college pitcher in the 1st round, though, because that's what this draft seems to be deeper at toward our range.

Here's the slot value by pick. No extra picks this year unlike last year:

1(12): $5,484,600
2(50): $1,846,400
3(86): $878,800
4(115): $630,900
5(148): $457,900
6(177): $351,100
7(207): $274,600
8(237): $219,900
9(267): $194,600
10(297): $182,800

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2024-mlb-draft-bonus-pools-slot-values-for-each-team/

& here's a look at the "Arsenal+" on some of those pitchers:

View: https://twitter.com/DrummeyDylan/status/1775308042189296018
 
JM3

JM3

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simplicio said:
Klaw released his top 50 last week: https://theathletic.com/5421487/2024/04/18/mlb-draft-2024-prospect-rankings-top-50-keith-law?source=user-shared-article

He has Santucci down at 39 over questions about throwing strikes.
Click to expand...
List of the pitchers on his top 50 (ages are as of today)...

#6 Chase Burns, RHP, 21
#7 Hagen Smith, LHP, 20
#13 Trey Yesavage, RHP, 20
#16 Brody Brecht, RHP, 21
#25 Cam Caminiti, LHP, 17
#26 William Schmidt, RHP, 18
#27 Ryan Sloan, RHP, 18
#28 Kash Mayfield, LHP 19
#35 Joey Oakie, RHP, 17
#37 David Shields, LHP, 17
#38 Tegan Kuhns, RHP, 18
#39 Jonathan Santucci, LHP, 21
#40 Luke Holman, RHP, 20
#44 Ryan Johnson, RHP, 21
#47 Carter Holton, LHP, 21
#49 Ben Hess, RHP, 21
#50 Michael Massey, RHP, 21

So probably not a lot of likely 1st round college arms.
 
JM3

JM3

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12. Boston Red Sox: SS Bryce Rainer, Harvard-Westlake High School (CA)

Rainer was the consensus top performer at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational, and a weak high school class has quickly pushed him up draft boards. He has a strong, projectable 6'3", 195-pound frame, significant raw power and the defensive chops to stick at shortstop. If he continues to show he can make consistent hard contact, he could push Konnor Griffin to be the first high schooler taken in 2024.
Click to expand...
View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10118176-2024-mlb-mock-draft-20-early-picks-for-every-1st-round-selection
 
JM3

JM3

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simplicio said:
CA high school SS? They realize we fired Bloom, right?
Click to expand...
The more things change...

There seems to be a big gap between the top 3 college pitchers who are all projected to be drafted before us, & the next batch who are expected to go in the 20s. Shame we can't trade down or up.
 
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