Red Sox 2023 Draft Preview
It’s that time of year again! The MLB Draft gets underway Sunday evening at 7:00 pm ET. Day One will include the first two rounds; Day Two will be Monday at 2:00 pm, covering rounds 3 through 10; and Day Three will be Tuesday at 2:00 pm, covering rounds 11 through 20.
This year, the Red Sox have three picks in the top 100: #14 (first round), #50 (second round), and #83 (third round). The club also has the #115 overall pick in the fourth round, and received picks #132 and #133 for losing Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi, respectively, to free agency.
You can follow the Red Sox draft with us at SoxProspects.com as the picks come in, as we’ll have live coverage of Boston’s selections on SoxProspects News, the 2023 Draft page, and the @SoxProspects Twitter account. For now, here's a preview of some potential picks to whet your palette. Scouting reports are compiled from our review of video, college baseball games, and ongoing review of scouting reports from sites such as Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Perfect Game.
First Round (#14 overall)
Colin Houck, SS, Parkview (GA). Solid-average bat, above-average power, average speed. Defensively he could develop into an average shortstop or plus third baseman. Above-average to better arm strength. Two-sport athlete who is also a star quarterback. Committed to Mississippi St.
Enrique Bradfield, CF, Vanderbilt. Elite plus-plus speed, plus to better defender in center field. Average left-handed bat, below-average power, below-average arm.
Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon. Son of former MLB shortstop Jack Wilson. May not be available at #14. Plus hit tool, average power and speed, solid-average defender at short. Has the arm.
Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland. Brimfield (MA) native played high school ball at Worcester Academy. Solid bat with some pop and above-average speed. Should start his pro career at shortstop but likely will move to second base down the line. Fringy arm.
Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest (FL). Projectable 17-year-old athlete. Grew up as a cricket player. Has the potential for all five tools to be above-average but has a lot of development to get there. Committed to Florida St.
Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton (TX). Above-average hit tool and power, elite arm. Average defensive profile at backstop, could slide to right field if need be. Committed to LSU.
Thomas White, LHP, Phillips (MA). Local product with a strong commitment to Vanderbilt. Good size and projection. Smooth mechanics. 96-97 mph fastball, plus curveball, work-in-progress mid-80s changeup.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida. Three above-average pitches in his 95-99 mph fastball, plus split changeup, and plus high-80s slider. Fringy command and control. Could use some mechanical adjustments.
Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell (FL). Solid bat with above-average to better power. Also a decent defender at the hot corner with a strong arm. Missed most of his senior season due to a broken hamate but played well in the circuits. Committed to Arkansas.
Second Round (#50 overall)
Tai Peete, SS, Trinity Christian (GA). Impressive athlete with potential for all five tools to be average or better. Still only 17. Already has an above-average arm and speed. Left-handed bat shows potential but is still raw. Committed to Georgia Tech.
Alex Clemmey, LHP, Bishop Hendricken (RI). Tall, lanky left-hander. May be the best prep player out of Rhode Island since Ryan Westmoreland. Plus high-90s fastball with a solid curveball and a workable changeup. Needs work on repeating mechanics and honing control. Committed to Vanderbilt.
Kendall George, OF, Atascocita (TX). Absolute burner with elite speed. Above-average defender in center field. Decent bat, minimal power, weak arm. Committed to Arkansas.
Travis Honeyman, OF, Boston College. Quick-twitch athlete with a solid bat, average power, above-average speed, and good defensive skills. Can play both center field and right field.
Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State. Solid all-around athlete. All tools have potential to be major league average, but none particularly stand out as having plus potential. A solid contact hitter, his bat is his best tool which is not a bad thing.
Hunter Owen, LHP, Vanderbilt. Portland (ME) native. Big boy at 6’6”, 260 pounds. Has four potential major league pitches with solid control. Mid-90s fastball, plus slider, and a changeup and curveball with some potential. Has missed time in each of the past two seasons with arm issues. High risk, high reward.
Third Round (#83 overall)
Aidan Smith, OF, Lovejoy (TX). Projectable athlete works with Trevor Story’s hitting coach. Potential five tool player with a solid bat, good speed, and a strong arm. Projects for center and right field. Committed to Mississippi State.
Brandon Sproat, RHP, Florida. Power arm was drafted in the third round in 2022 but chose to return to school. Control is a question mark, secondaries need work. May be best suited for the bullpen long-term.
Ty Floyd, RHP, LSU. Has some helium, meaning he may be more of a second rounder than a third rounder. Mid-90s fastball, solid slider. Fringe-average control.
Antonio Anderson, SS, North Atlanta (GA). Switch hitter likely destined to move to third base. Solid bat with a strong arm. Has some projection but power is fringy at present. Georgia Tech commit.
Brandon Winokur, OF, Edison (CA). Raw tools, likely to end up in corner outfield. All five tools could be average or better, great body, but has a lot of development to go. Committed to UCLA.
Local Products
Jack Cropper, RHP, Norwood (MA). Northeastern commit with a mid-90s fastball could go in the first five rounds.
Jay Driver, RHP, Harvard. Lanky righty with a 97 mph fastball and a decent slider. Low arm slot, bullpen projection.
Evan Sleight, OF, Rutgers. From Framingham (MA), attended Belmont Hill. Excelled in the Cape League in 2022 for Bourne.
Luke Shliger, C, Maryland. From Danbury (CT). Disciplined hitter with workable defensive skills behind the plate. Backup profile.
Hagan Ward, RHP, St. Sebastian’s (MA). Right-hander from Wellesley out of St. Seb’s in Needham. Committed to Notre Dame.
Mike Andrews is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of SoxProspects.com.