Last night, the MLB amateur draft took place and the Red Sox had 4 picks, #19, #26, #36, and #40. For their 1st round pick, they chose Matt Barnes, a right hander from UConn. Last year with the Huskies, Barnes went 11-4 with a minuscule 1.61 ERA in 16 starts. He has a mid to high 90's fastball, as he has been clocked at 98 mph, but averages around 94-95. Barnes w
as the Big East Pitcher of the Year,and his UConn teammate George Springer (taken by the Astros) was Player of the Year. For their #26 pick, the Red Sox took switch-hitting catcher Blake Swihart from V Sue Cleveland High School in New Mexico. However, from an interview, it appears that Swihart may want to go to college instead of sign with the Red Sox. He is a great hitter, probably the best hitting catcher in the draft, and he has a good arm, but he is also very fast, a rarity for a catcher.
For their #36 pick, the Sox took left handed pitcher Henry Owens. He shows good control and movement despite only a low 90's fastball, his ceiling has been around 92 mph. He is also very tall at 6'7" and so the control is a big surprise, as you don't see many high school pitchers who can control their pit
ches well. Like Blake Swihart, he is from high school so I do not have stats on him, just scouting reports. However, he may appear to be a late round steal for the Red Sox if his velocity improves a little bit.
Finally, their #40 pick was Jackie Bradley, an outfielder from the University of South Carolina. Bradley is a very good defensive outfielder
outfielder with solid speed and range. After hitting .368 and .340 in his first two seasons, the Red Sox pulled an Anthony Renuado, taking a player who
had been great in past seasons, but had fallen in the past year, as he batted .259 in 2011. He did deal with injuries, also like Anthony Renaudo, so I feel if he is healthy he could put together seasons like a young Mike Cameron or Jacoby Ellsbury. I am really pleased with this year's draft, and I hope these players turn out really well.
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