The 2017 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft has come and gone; all 40 rounds are now complete. There were some surprises that came in the early first round, such as Royce Lewis going first overall to the Twins and Hunter Greene going second overall to the Reds. All thirty teams now have handfuls of new talent for their farms: young, old, and some who re-entered the draft this year. This was a draft class full of talent and strength, moreso than previous years.
The Red Sox, without a doubt, stole a couple of incredibly talented and successful players early on, which is fantastic to see. While obviously these kids are either out of high school or college, it’s hard to predict just how great or awful they will be at the major league level, but it’s always fun to poke and prod and surmise what their ceiling may or not be. Let’s get to delving into the majority of their draftees, shall we?
#24 overall: Tanner Houck, University of Missouri, RHP
The 6-foot 5-inch, 218-pound righty unexpectedly fell to Boston at number 24, which came as a surprise to Red Sox scout Todd Gold, saying “I didn’t think he was going to get anywhere near 24, to be honest with you”. Houck was ranked the 20th overall draft prospect by MLB.com.
Houck’s most notable feature is the nasty sink on his heater of a fastball, which typically hits around the 92-96 MPH range, although he once hit 98 MPH on the radar gun. Because of this, he is easily one of the hardest throwers in this particular draft. His arm speed paired with his three-quarters arm slot is a deadly yet dynamic duo, a nightmare for right-handed batters.
This season, Houck tallied a 4-7 record along with a 3.33 ERA, 95 strikeouts paired with 24 walks in 94.2 innings of work. He is expected to be a mid-rotation starter when he does reach the MLB because of his below-average secondary stuff and his overall mechanics.
#63 overall: Cole Brannen, The Westfield High School, OF
Brannen is a natural center fielder who was ranked as the 68th draft prospect by MLB.com. One thing that blatantly stands out about the 18 year old is his pure athleticism. He possesses lightning-fast speed, a strong arm and tremendous defensive range that allows him to successfully play anywhere in the outfield. This translates to the base paths, as well, as Brannen is an above-average base runner.
He has a fairly short swing, due to his quick hands — Mookie Betts-esque, for example. More often than not, he barrells the ball, producing lots of extra-base hits in the process. His contact skills contribute to his hitting ability, though he could work on his pitch recognition and plate vision.
#101 overall: Brett Netzer, UNC-Charlotte, 2B
Netzer is almost above-average both offensively and defensively, which is what any team at any level could ever ask for. In all three of his seasons at UNC-Charlotte, he hit above .300 and most recently hit .342 with a .428 OBP in his junior year.
While he has lacks power, Netzer has the ability to hit gap-to-gap with his strong swing and quick bat speed. He has proven that he hits for contact, and he does so successfully. This past season, he showed that he has a great eye in the batter’s box by walking 29 times compared to striking out only 27 times. That alone is what makes him an above-average ball player.
Netzer possesses a strong arm and almost looks like Dustin Pedroia when turning double plays, though he does need some work in other fielding facets in the middle infield.
#131 overall: Jake Thompson, Oregon State, RHP
This kid is the definition of a steal, and you have to applaud the Red Sox for picking him up when and where they did. MLB.com ranked him the 70th overall draft prospect, stunningly landing at 131. Props to the Sox for snagging the apparently wildly-overlooked righty.
Thompson was the nation’s win leader this past season, flaunting a 14-0 record with a 1.52 ERA (fifth-best in the nation). Pair that with 113 strikeouts compared to 36 walks in 118.1 innings pitched and holding his opponents to a .184 batting average, and you have yourself a damn pitcher. There were concerns about his command prior to this season, though he quickly put those to rest with that bananaland strikeout to walk ratio.
Thompson has a simple delivery and typically throws mid-90s. What stands out the most about him is that he often throws breaking balls for strikes in fastball counts, which few pitchers can do confidently, let alone successfully at any level. He also has both an impactful slider and a solid changeup up his sleeve that come in handy when necessary and are both developing positively by the year.
#161 overall: Alex Scherff, Coleyville Heritage High School, RHP
Yet another steal by Boston early on in this draft is the 19-year old righty, Scherff. A total steal at 161, as MLB.com ranked him as the 52nd overall draft prospect.
The 6’2”, 209 pound 19 year-old, yes, 19-year old (!) has a blue-chip fastball that exceeds 95 MPH. What stands out to me the most about Scherff is how there is minimal arm speed difference between his fastball and his changeup, creating complete deception and making batters look pretty foolish.
Scherff’s velocity has only improved with age and he only continues to throw harder with time. While he is still working on finding and perfecting his curveball, he also struggles with command on occasion. Those command issues paired with his mechanics will most likely set him up to be a bullpen guy in the big leagues.
#181 overall: Zach Schellenger, Seton Hall, RHP
The 6’6”, 215-pound righty suffered a season-ending biceps injury back in April (typical Red Sox acquisition, am I right?) that did not require surgery.
On a lighter note, prior to his injury, the 21 year-old was a closer in 2016 and has some absolutely deadly stuff in his arsenal when he is on and healthy. The all-around big-framed Schellenger has both a fatal fastball and a deadly slider, his fastball hitting the mid-90s with some insane movement.
Given that he’s been a bullpen arm for most of his career, he is expected to stay that way in the majors. Schellenger has a below-average changeup, plus his ability to stay healthy is a big concern, making him an almost-automatic late-inning reliever.
#221 overall: Tyler Esplin, IMG Academy, OF
Esplin is a whopping 225 pounds standing at 6-foot-4, not to mention is also 17 years old (!!). He has committed to attending and playing for UNC-Charlotte next year.
He has solid speed in the outfield paired with great range, allowing him to play any outfield position. He also has a pitching background, giving him an advantage with a strong, accurate arm.
The youngin has a short, upright stance with an even shorter swing. His frame naturally gives him solid power to all fields. He could use some work with seeing the strikezone, but he is seventeen years old, after all.
#251 overall: Zach Sterry, University of Oakland, 1B
Sterry, a short and stout 5’10”, 225-pounder, was an offensive juggernaut for his small school this past season. In 48 games, he hit .348 with a 1.084 OPS and 13 home runs, all career highs by quite a large margin.
Last summer, Sterry played for the Valley League, which is comparable to the Cape Cod League. He hit 13 home runs in 40 games with a 1.187 OPS in that span, putting his name on the Draft map.
He is 23 years old and recently suffered a hand injury after being struck by a pitch, and will therefore need to open some eyes in the farm system if he wants to move up, and fast. Sterry definitely has the potential to possibly surprise if he returns to full health.
#281 overall: Tanner Nishioka, Pomona-Pitza College, 2B
The Division III star mashed 18 home runs with a .441 batting average at his tiny school, respectively facing substandard competition. Not to be swept under the rug, Nishioka was named the 109th prospect in southern California. There are many a baseball players in southern California, so that is a noteworthy factoid.
Though he dropped almost certainly because he faced less than great teams, he still has to potential to show some pop, knowing that he has the capability to hit the ball to some degree, even if it was originally against DIII scum.
#311 overall: Jordan Wren, Georgia Southern University, OF
Wren is the son of Red Sox front office advisor Frank Wren, and that’s pretty much all there is to him. If I were to guess, this draftee was only picked by the team solely to help Boston make space in their financial plan to sign the higher-tier players they drafted earlier on.
Nonetheless, the younger Wren is a left-handed bat and slashed .268/.383/.459 this past season. There is always a chance he comes alive in the farm system, but this pick is all about money. Respect the biz.
#431 overall: Aaron Perry, Hurricane High School (West Virginia), RHP
Perry unfortunately suffered a stress fracture in his elbow this past April (again, typical Red Sox acquisition) and has yet to pitch since the injury occurred, though the injury did not require surgery.
Before the righty’s injury, he totaled a 3-1 record, struck out 34 with a 0.33 ERA. Perry also bat .628 (27-43) with two home runs and 22 RBI, and was recently named Mountain State Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
#731 overall: Charlie Madden, Mercer College, C
Madden hit a whopping 17 home runs with 56 RBI in as many games this past season, starting in all of them. He is an outstanding defender behind the dish and is a known leader with pop behind the plate.
He was a CoSIDA academic All-American honoree a few weeks ago, was on the Johnny Bench watch list for catchers three years in a row this year and was the Southern Conference player of the week two times this season.
#851 overall: Oraj Anu, homeschooled (Florida), RF
Anu was labeled a “name to remember” by Baseball America prior to the draft, mainly due to his strength. Anu is easily one of the strongest players in the entire draft, and some scouts were surprised that he dropped as low as he did.
He is a switch hitter with raw power from both sides of the plate, but tends to produce more and produce better from the left side. He has a quick and powerful swing paired with quick hands and is always a threat to make contact.
Anu is a great runner on the bases and is a solid fielder, thanks to his speed. He also has a solid arm to go along with his defensive range out in right field.
We obviously have no clue how any of these kids will pan out (remember when we were all head over heels for Henry Owens?), but it was a solid yet quiet draft for the team. Personally, I’m going to cautiously be looking out for three of the five pitchers in the near and far future: Houck, Thompson and Scherff, all who could one day help the Red Sox in a big way, if all goes to plan.
If I had to give Boston’s draft a grade, I’d probably give them a B+. They stole a few pitchers and added some offensive and defensive talent to help them in the near and far future with their current push at a title run. They made a few selections late in the draft to help sign their higher picks that they are high on and expect big things from. Boston added a solid mixture of prep, college and high school players, as well, giving them a variety to work with over the next few years or so.
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