The Red Sox put together a high school-heavy draft class, committing over $6.5 million to Mikey Romero, Cutter Coffey, and Roman Anthony in the first three rounds. Of the three, Anthony actually got the largest bonus despite being the third pick, and they also went well above slot value to grab North Carolina high school catcher Brooks Brannon in the ninth round. Aside from those four prep bats, it was a class heavy on college pitching with just one college bat (fourth rounder Chase Meidroth) and zero high school pitchers finding their way into the Red Sox' class. Most of the college arms here have serious relief questions but also come with interesting upside if their player development system gets it right.
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1-24: SS Mikey Romero, Orange Lutheran HS [CA]. My rank: #58.
Slot value: $2.98 million. Signing bonus: $2.30 million ($676,400 below slot value).
For the third year in a row, the Red Sox' first round pick is a California high school middle infielder following Nick Yorke in 2020 and Marcelo Mayer in 2021. The Romero pick has some similarities to the Yorke pick, as a hit-over-power shortstop that was projected to go more in the second to third round range than the first. That Yorke pick is looking pretty good so far, so hopes are high for this one. Though he bats left handed, Romero reminds me a little bit of Anthony Volpe out of high school as well as a hit-over-power, strong makeup middle infielder that stands out more for that work ethic than inherent physicality. Scouts universally praise Romero as a team guy that you want on your side, one who will take extremely well to the minor league grind and put in the effort to become the best he can be. He's a very polished hitter that takes great at bats and has a good track record of hitting against quality pitching, using a quick, simple left handed swing to spray line drives around the field with consistency. His stock did take a slight hit when he didn't perform up to expectations at a couple of big events this spring, but the Red Sox clearly see that as unlucky timing rather than any indication of his future on the diamond and he's otherwise been as consistent as anybody. The Southern California native does not project for a ton of power with a skinny 6'1" frame and a line drive approach, looking more like a 10-15 home run bat that relies on high on-base percentages to provide value. He was drafted as a shortstop and will get an opportunity to work there in pro ball with good range and a good arm, but he won't unseat Marcelo Mayer at the position as he's not the most explosive athlete and may be better suited for second base, where he could be a plus defender. Should Mayer and Yorke both reach the majors and take over the double play combination, you could also try him at third base where he'll have just enough arm and plenty of range. This turned out to be a money saving pick, as Boston plucked Romero away from an LSU commitment earlier than many thought he would be drafted.
2-41: SS Cutter Coffey, Liberty HS [CA]. My rank: #75.
Slot value: $1.91 million. Signing bonus: $1.85 million ($56,500 below slot value).
If you're a high school shortstop somewhere in California, the Red Sox probably have you on speed dial. Cutter Coffey makes it two in a row, having been drafted as a shortstop despite garnering significant interest on the mound. If Mikey Romero reminds me of Anthony Volpe, then Coffey reminds me of Masyn Winn and not just because he's a two-way guy. He's a very quick mover with a lightning quick, powerful right handed swing that could produce above average power as he gets stronger and adds weight to his skinny 6'2" frame. The hit tool can be a bit inconsistent as he can get into and out of the hitting zone quickly at times, with a tendency to pull off pitches when he doesn't stay within himself. Still, he shows good hand eye coordination in the box and as the Red Sox' player development system refines his approach a little bit, he could be an all-around threat in the box. His pitching background is evident at shortstop, where he shows off an easy plus arm that particularly comes in handy on plays to his right, and overall he shows good feel for the position and should be able to stick, though the Red Sox do have a ton of young middle infielders in their system. On the mound, the Bakersfield native shows a quick arm that produces a low 90's fastball, a slider that flashes above average, and a very solid changeup, providing a fallback option if hitting doesn't work out. I love the way Coffey moves on the diamond and I believe he's just scratching the surface of what he can be, especially considering he only turned 18 in May, but he may take a little longer to develop. He had previously been committed to Texas.
2C-79: OF Roman Anthony, Stoneman Douglas HS [FL]. My rank: #59.
Slot value: $820,400. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.68 million above slot value).
Boston went below slot value on nine of their eleven picks in the top ten rounds, and but dished out their largest signing bonus of the class to their third pick, Florida high school outfielder Roman Anthony. He was one of the country's hotter spring risers, and now he'll carry on a tradition the Red Sox love almost as much as drafting infielders out of California: drafting power bats out of Florida. In that regard, he'll follow in the footsteps of Triston Casas, Wil Dalton, Jud Fabian, and Nathan Hickey. Anthony was very inconsistent over the summer, when he swung and missed a lot and couldn't always tap his power in games, but the spring was a different story. He came out of the gate red hot and proved to be arguably the best hitter in South Florida, showing off that plus raw power in games with an ideal left handed swing and a big, strong, 6'3" frame. Combine that plus power with what could become an average or better hit tool and you have a real middle of the order bat to plug into the system. In the field, Anthony runs well for a big guy and with a plus arm, profiles very favorably in right field. That giant bonus went to buying him out of a Mississippi commitment, where he could have replaced Tim Elko as the next big power hitter in Oxford.
3-99: LHP Dalton Rogers, Southern Mississippi. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $617,500. Signing bonus: $447,500 ($170,000 below slot value).
For their first pitcher of the draft, the Red Sox went down to the Deep South to grab Southern Miss lefty Dalton Rogers. He originally pitched for Southeastern Louisiana in 2020 before transferring to Jones County JC in Mississippi in 2021, then found his home at Southern Miss in 2022 to raise his profile. Pitching out of the bullpen on a loaded squad that included potential 2023 first rounders Hurston Waldrep (now with Florida) and Tanner Hall, he put up a 1.95 ERA and a 57/23 strikeout to walk ratio across 37 innings, often going two or three innings at a time. Rogers is all about the fastball, sitting in the low to mid 90's with the pitch and getting some "invisiball" action on it due to its low release and impressive carry. He also throws a slider and a changeup, the former of which shows some nice sweep and depth but needs to add power and the latter of which offers a nice change of pace. The Jackson-area native sometimes struggles to repeat his release point and therefore has below average command, which combined with the fringy secondaries will likely keep him in the bullpen in pro ball. The Red Sox will want to work on tightening up that breaking ball for him and getting him more consistent with that release point, so that he doesn't have to rely on the predictable formula of landing the fastball for strikes and eliciting chases with his offspeed stuff.
4-129: SS Chase Meidroth, San Diego. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $461,200. Signing bonus: $272,500 ($188,700 below slot value).
There aren't many secrets in Chase Meidroth's profile. He was a breakout star at San Diego this spring, where he slashed .329/.440/.544 with ten home runs and an excellent 25/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games, despite having entered the season with just eight hits over his first two years with the Toreros. Meidroth is a smaller kid at 5'10" with a contact-oriented approach, just flinging the barrel at the ball with a simple swing that produces line drive contact all over the field. It works, as the Southern California native recognizes pitches extremely well and doesn't expand the zone, leading to just a 9.1% strikeout rate compared to a strong 14.5% walk rate. He shows some pull side power when he turns on the ball, but that's not really his game and he won't approach the .544 slugging percentage he produced this year at San Diego in pro ball. He doesn't lift the ball well when he's not actively trying too, and at the major league level he's probably more of a 5-10 home run guy with high on-base percentages. Defensively, he's likely not physical enough for shortstop but has just enough arm for third base and just enough range for second base, making it a utility infield profile that can handle shortstop in a pinch.
5-159: LHP Noah Dean, Old Dominion. My rank: #188.
Slot value: $344,000. Signing bonus: $325,000 ($19,000 below slot value).
In Noah Dean, the Red Sox are getting some of the loudest stuff in the class, but they're going to have to help him learn to control it. Dean had an odd season – overall, his 4.15 ERA and 46/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 26 innings look like about what you'd expect from a fifth round reliever, but there's more to it. From April 9th to the 30th, he went through an awful stretch where he allowed twelve earned runs in 5.2 innings, striking out twelve but allowing seven walks and ten hits along the way. Take that four outing stretch out and his season numbers look infinitely better: 20.1 innings, zero runs, just three hits, and nine walks to 34 strikeouts. When he's on, which was most of the season to be quite honest, he's untouchable. His fastball sits in the mid 90's and has been up to triple digits at times, with explosive life that makes it one of the best left handed heaters in the class. He has a big, deep slider with hard bite that gives him an above average secondary weapon, and the two work really well in tandem. However, command has been the big question for the southern Jersey Shore product, as even when he's going well, he's struggled to locate and at worst he can completely lose the zone. On top of that, there's a big durability question mark. MLB relievers are often expected to pitch two or three days in a row, but Dean only once this year pitched on fewer than two days rest (and walked two of the three batters he faced that day) and never put together three appearances in a span of anything less than eight days. The 6'2" lefty will need to get a lot stronger just to work as a reliever, so starting is pretty much out of the question here. It's a high risk pick, but the stuff is absolutely electric and if the Red Sox do get it right, he could be a late inning relief weapon in Boston.
9-279: C Brooks Brannon, Randleman HS [NC]. My rank: #108.
Slot value: $158,200. Signing bonus: $712,500 ($554,300 above slot value).
I mentioned that Roman Anthony received one of just two big over slot bonuses from the Red Sox, and Brooks Brannon got the other. Like Anthony, he did not make much of a name for himself until this spring, when he turned in a fantastic season at Randleman High School and broke numerous North Carolina state records. Brannon brings huge power from the right side, working from a very strong, compact 6' frame and a powerful hack designed to lift the ball with authority. He didn't face the strongest competition in rural central North Carolina, but he did everything he could have against the pitching he did see and tapped his power extremely consistently this spring. Defensively, he's not quite nimble enough to catch long term, but the Red Sox could choose to be patient and see what happens once he gets on a pro conditioning regimen. He does have a very good arm behind the plate, which could help earn that patience. If he does eventually move off (I think he will), he's not a great runner and would be a below average defender in an outfield corner so first base may be the other option. The Red Sox are buying a big time bat that is unproven against higher level pitching but that has done everything he has needed to do so far. The expensive bonus signed him away from a UNC commitment.
12-369: LHP Hayden Mullins, Auburn. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: likely around $125K.
Hayden Mullins was a big name recruit when he landed on campus at Auburn, and while he's never quite reached the ceiling some were hoping for, he's been pretty effective for that pitching staff. After relieving over his first two seasons, he got a chance to start in 2022 and pitched to a 3.63 ERA and a 43/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 34.2 innings. Unfortunately, that season was cut short by an elbow injury in April and I believe that led to Tommy John surgery. He has a live arm with a low 90's fastball, a big slider that flashes above average, and a solid changeup, an arsenal that worked well for him in a starting role. At this point, though, it's hard to envision him as a starter in pro ball due to his size (skinny 6'), high effort delivery that features a big leg kick and high hand raise reminiscent of MacKenzie Gore, below average command, and serious durability questions. Once he gets healthy, though, the Nashville-area native could be a very solid reliever with a three pitch mix from the left side, and hopefully it would all tick up in those short stints.
13-399: SS Gavin Kilen, Milton HS [WI]. My rank: #85.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: unlikely to sign.
The Red Sox can only offer Gavin Kilen about $150,000 to sign, which he certainly won't take so he's likely heading to Louisville. A second to fourth round talent, he could be an immediate contributor for the Cardinals upon reaching campus and emerge a top fifty pick in 2025. Kilen is a hit-over-power bat that rarely swings and misses, taking very good at bats from the left side and effectively handling high level pitching. He covers the plate well and has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, though power projection is a question for now. He's a skinny kid at 5'11" and presently employs a line drive approach, and this spring he hit more ground balls and low liners than scouts would have liked. At Louisville, he'll hopefully learn to lift the ball with more authority and provide a little more impact, especially as he gets stronger and fills out. He's such a professional hitter in the box that I would be willing to buy in now. Defensively, the southern Wisconsin native has all the range and instincts necessary to stick at shortstop, but his arm may be a little light and he could slide to second base, where he could be a plus defender.
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