This past weekend, the MLB Draft took place in Philadelphia. Every team had its highs and lows in the draft. For example, the Texas Rangers got a projected steal when projected first-round pick Brody Bumila slipped to the third round due to injury concerns. If he chooses to stay and not go to college, that could work out in his favor. Some picks are a bit of a head scratcher, such as Carter Beck, who was ranked 193rd, going 26th to the Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox made plenty of picks too, some good, some questionable. Here’s a recap of their draft, followed by some accolades.
Red Sox Draft Recap: Best Day 1 Pick, Biggest Steal, and More
(Parentheses = State of High School)
Round 1, Pick 20: Jake Schnaffer, SS, North Carolina
Competitive Balance B, Pick 67: Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina
Round 3, Pick 96: Jace Mataczynski, SS, Hudson HS (Wisconsin)
Round 5, Pick 156: Lucas Davenport, RHP, Baylor
Round 6, Pick 185: Brett Lanman, LHP, Abilene Christian
Round 7, Pick 214: Kide Adetuyi, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Round 8, Pick 244: Josh Volmerding, LHP, Cal Poly
Round 9, Pick 274: Martin Shelar, OF, Marist School (Georgia)
Round 10, Pick 304: Kaleb LaFavor, RHP, Bishop Heelan (Iowa)
Round 11, Pick 334: Wills Maginnis, SS, Georgia State
Round 12, Pick 364: Jacob Webster, SS, Oak Hills (California)
Round 13, Pick 394: Mason Lei, RHP, Illinois-Chicago
Round 14, Pick 424: Jase Evangelista, RHP, Nevada-Las Vegas
Round 15, Pick 454: Chase Frey, LHP, Grand Canyon
Round 16, Pick 484: Colton Coates, SS, Louisiana Tech
Round 17, Pick 514: Alex Kranzler, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round 18, Pick 544: Ethan Offing, OF, Dutch Fork (South Carolina)
Round 19, Pick 574: Luis Calderon, RHP, El Shaddai Christian (Puerto Rico)
Round 20, Pick 604: Aiden VanDeHatert, LHP, Dallas Baptist
Best Day 1 Pick: Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina
With their first and second round picks, the Red Sox drafted a pair of teammates in Schaffner and Hull, both of whom played for a team that reached the championship in the College World Series, North Carolina. Hull looks like the better player and prospect right now. Hull hit .393 this season and had an OBP of .500, with 48 walks and being hit by a pitch 11 times, which contributed to that. There is a slight concern with his power, but his 27 doubles this year should work well at Fenway in the future. Plus, if the Red Sox outfield depth shortens at the trade deadline, they may need help in that department.
Biggest Reach: Brett Lanman, RHP, Abilene Christian
The game of college baseball is completely different from the pros. With metal versus wooden bats, of course the ball’s going to go farther, and more runs will score. So an ERA of 5.35 is excusable if it can translate well in the majors. But his control is a bit of an issue.
- 31 BB’s
- Five HBP’s
- Five wild pitches
His control seems to be a bit of an issue. And yes, his fastball does touch 95. However, his fastest secondary is a cutter/slider hybrid that reaches the low 80s. The Red Sox pitcher development system may change with the departure of Driveline pitching expert Kyle Boddy (subscription needed), so it’s unclear how the new pitchers will improve drastically as opposed to a Kyson Witherspoon or Anthony Eyanson-type player. This assumption could be totally wrong, but a player with his current level seems like a bit of a reach with a sixth-round pick.
Steal: Mason Lei, RHP, Illinois-Chicago
Now, it may be a little too early to tell or a little out there, because he played in the Missouri Valley Conference, not the ACC or Big 12. But Lei has some potential, should he choose to sign with Boston. He’s got a fastball in the low 90s already, as well as a slider touching 80 with good control overall. But the big standout part is he limits his walks. In 96 ⅔ innings, he only gave up 19 walks compared to 86 strikeouts.
The main issue with him is the long ball. With as good as his feel for the strike zone is, he let up 18 homers this past season, including four in the first round in the playoffs vs number two overall seed Georgia Tech. Granted, a powerful lineup, with two picks in the top 10 of the draft. But it’s still something to watch out for. But should that get under control, the Red Sox may have found a hidden gem in the 13th round with Lei.
Biggest Risk/Reward Prospect: Martin Shelar, OF, Marist (Georgia)
Shelar was seen as a big steal by some in this draft, and with his potential, it’s easy to see why. The center fielder reportedly led the nation in home runs as a senior with 19 and hit .500. The raw potential is there. But against pro pitching, he may struggle a bit due to his swing pattern (some may call it the “home run or bust” swing). His fielding may also need work, with reports that if his routes don’t look good, he may have to switch to right field.
But the power is there. At the MLB Draft Combine this past month, he had an 115.5 exit velocity. He also has the potential to become a 20-20 player at his best. But concerns about his ability to make contact make him a boom-or-bust prospect. And the Red Sox are willing to gamble on that currently, and that’s okay with a middle-of-the-draft pick.
The Red Sox select Martin Shelar in the ninth round of the MLB Draft.
The 5-star prep outfielder had a 115.5 mph max exit velocity on Day 1 of the MLB Combine.
Shelar hit over .500 with 19 homers last year.
Full report: https://t.co/fdPfxUxxWe pic.twitter.com/n2shzBfwLQ
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 12, 2026
Draft Analysis
This draft feels a little hard to process for the Red Sox. With Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Anthony Siegler, as well as Franklin Arias and Henry Godbout in the system, the middle infield seems to be a little crowded in the system as-is. So unless a major trade is coming, the shortstop-heavy approach is a bit confusing. There’s been a problem with the catching position in the first half this season; someone like Oklahoma’s Brendan Brock could’ve helped that area of need. With the pitchers, it’s a toss-up. The Red Sox’s rotation is lefty-dominant, but the Red Sox minor league system relies heavily on righties. The middle of the draft picks such as Volmerding, LaFavor, and Lei could be huge if developed right.
With twenty rounds and the unpredictability of it all, it’s hard to tell who will be good and who will flame out, as seen in the past few years. But the hope is that at least some of these players can help bring championships to Boston in the future.
