Off-Day News: 2022 Draft Revisited (7/1/24)

Its an off-day so its time to continue our coverage of the Chaim Bloom era with his 2022 Draft selections two years later. As of this writing. not a single prospect from the 2020 or 2021 draft has made the majors and....big surprise....no one from 2022 has either. But, let's take a look at who got drafted anyway.

1st round - SS Mikey Romero

Sox fans were very unhappy when Bloom used the 24th overall pick in the draft on yet another high school shortstop in Mikey Romero. After already taking Nick Yorke in 2020 and Marcelo Mayer in 2021, the consensus was they were going to draft another need. Still, the end of 2022 Romero showed promise getting 24 hits in 19 games between the Florida Complex League and the Salem Red Sox. Then in 2023 he was marred with injuries, playing in just 34 games getting just 1 hit in 10 at-bats for the Greenville Drive. This year he's battled injuries again and he's hitting just .225 in 23 games for the Drive. Considering they have David Hamilton and Trevor Story (on paper) in the majors, Nick Yorke in AAA and Marcelo Mayer in AA, the fact they chose Romero was a head scratcher. Worse yet, the Colorado Rockies took Jordan Beck with their first round pick and he made his debut with the Rockies this year. Now Romero is only 20 years old and there's plenty of time to turn it around, but he's got a LOT of competition.

2nd round - SS Cutter Coffey

Once again the Sox looked like they had no idea what they were doing when they used their 2nd round pick, 41st overall to take yet another high school shortstop, Cutter Coffey out of Liberty High School. He hit just .125 for the Complex at the end of 2022 and hit .226 for Salem to begin 2023. He ended 2023 hitting .136 for the Greenville Drive. This year he's turned it around a little bit hitting .252 with 12 home runs and 37 rbis so far for Grenville. Just like Romero, he's only 20 years old so the jury is still out on him. Bloom's reluctance to draft a pitcher early bit him in the ass as Adam Mazur was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres and he made his ML debut this year. Hopefully Coffey can turn out better than what he's projected to.

2nd round - OF Roman Anthony

Chaim Bloom's only slam dunk of this draft was actually a compensation pick for losing Eduardo Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers. High school outfielder Roman Anthony ripped up the Complex before playing 10 games for the Salem Sox to end 2022. In 2023 he was hitting just .228 with one home run for Salem when he got a call to Greenville. Suddenly he exploded, hitting 12 home runs and knocking in 38 runs to earn a promotion to Portland. At 19 years old, he had 12 hits in 10 games to end the season strong with the Sea Dogs. This year he's apart of the "Goldust Trio" with Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer, hitting .255 with 7 home runs and 22 rbis. Just like Romero and Coffey, he's only 20 years old but he's closer to Worcester than either of them.

3rd round - LHP Dalton Rogers

Bloom finally came to his senses when he used his 3rd round pick on left handed college pitcher Dalton Rogers out of Ole Miss. Problem is...Rogers really sucks. He was 2-6 in 17 starts with a 5.52 ERA last year for Salem and so far this year he's 2-3 with a 6.38 ERA for Salem. If he's struggling to get Low A batters out, what's he going to do against High A or AA? To make matters worse, two picks after Rogers the Chicago White Sox took Georgia pitcher Jonathan Cannon who made his ML debut in April. Rogers better turn it around or else he's going to be yet another wasted pick by Bloom.

4th round - 2B Chase Meidroth

Ironically the closest to the majors out of anyone is their fourth round pick, Chase Meidroth. Drafted out of San Diego University, Chase ended 2022 with 4 home runs, 12 rbis and a .309 batting average. In 2023 he hit .338 for Greenville in 20 games to earn a promotion to Portland. He hit .255 with 7 homers and 43 rbis for the Sea Dogs. This year he's the starting second baseman for the Worcester Red Sox hitting .294 with 3 home runs and 29 rbis. If it wasn't for the log-jam of infielders not only in Boston but Worcester as well, he might have already made his debut for another team. He might be used as trade bait or if someone else get traded he could be last man standing. Still, he's the closest of anyone on this list to the majors.

5th round - LHP Noah Dean

Needing another lefty starter, Bloom took Old Dominion pitcher Noah Dean in the fifth round. Unfortunately he was batting practice in Salem in 2023, going 2-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 17 starts. This year he's shown improvement as in 11 starts he's 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA. He might make it to Greenville this year if he continues to show improvement. Fortunately no one chosen after him in the 5th round has made the majors yet so Bloom doesn't have to take a bath on this pick yet.

6th round - RHP Alex Hoppe

Bloom tried to make up for the lack of pitchers drafted in the first few rounds by taking four in a row between rounds 5-8. Unfortunately right handed pitcher Alex Hoppe was simply mediocre for Greenville last year going 1-4 with a 3.93 ERA out of the bullpen before getting a promotion to Portland. This year so far he's been worse, going 1-3 with a 5.22 ERA. The guy throws gas but unfortunately its been straight, he better learn movement or else AA will all he'll ever see.

7th round - RHP Caleb Bolden

Third on the list of pitchers is right handed pitcher Caleb Bolden, taken in the seventh round. Once again, Bloom thought he could take a bum in college and try to fix him. Bolden allowed 28 runs in 39 innings for Texas Christian University although he did post a decent 3.67 ERA for Salem before he was promoted to Greenville last year. This year he's been AWFUL for both Greenville and Portland, allowing 23 runs in 30 innings. Just like Wyatt Olds last year, what was Bloom expecting? Its not Bolden's fault for being drafted, he's doing his best. Just another reason why Bloom deserved to be fired.

8th round - RHP Jonathan Brand

Shockingly in the 8th round, Chaim Bloom took a pitcher with good stats in college. He plucked Jonathan Brand out of Miami Ohio University where he showed promise last year going 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA out of the bullpen in Salem. This year he started in Greenville allowing just 1 unearned run in 11 innings to earn a promotion to Portland. So far in Portland....as usual he's been batting practice allowing 13 runs in 19 innings. Amazing how none of the pitchers Bloom has drafted in this draft have been any good above the Single A level. Oh it gets worse, later in the 8th round the San Francisco Giants took outfielder Wade Meckler out of Gonzaga University. Meckler played in 20 games for the Giants last year and looks to make a return this year. That's 20 games more than anyone else on this list.

9th round - C Brooks Brannon

In the 9th round, the Sox took Randleman High School catcher Brooks Brannon. Brannon played just 22 games between the Complex and Salem in 2022 and 2023 although he's hitting .327 with 2 home runs and 8 rbis in 13 games for Salem this year. He's only 20 years old so hopefully he continues to show improvement. Maybe this one may work out, who knows?

10th round - RHP Isaac Coffey

With the 10th round pick, the Sox took right handed pitcher Isaac Coffey out of Oral Roberts University. He had somewhat of a breakout year in 2023 going 11-6 in 23 starts between Greenville and Portland. This year he's 4-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 12 starts with the Sea Dogs. Not exactly eye popping stuff to get him to Worcester. Still, a hot streak might just get him there by the end of this season. Least he's not batting practice...yet.

11th round - RHP Marques Johnson

In the 11th round, the Red Sox took right handed pitcher Marques Johnson out of Long Beach State. He was 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA in Salem when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Mauricio Llovera. Back home for the San Jose Giants, he allowed just 2 runs in 18 innings the rest of the season. Unfortunately he hasn't pitched yet this season due to injuries and its a shame. Being home might have motivated him to pitch well. Not our problem anymore.

12th round - LHP Hayden Mullins

The Sox took a crapshot in the 12th round when they took left handed pitcher Hayden Mullins out of Auburn University. He had already had Tommy John Surgery when he was drafted and didn't make his debut until August of 2023. He pitched in just four games to end the season but this year he's 2-4 with a respectable 3.48 ERA in 13 games for Greenville. Losing a crucial year of development in 2023 sucks but hopefully he can continue to improve as this season goes on.

13th round - SS Gavin Kilen

The Sox took yet another shortstop in Gavin Kilen out of Milton, Wisconsin with their 13th round pick. Unfortunately, he didn't sign and instead chose to go to Louisville University. His Freshman year he hit .265 with 18 rbis but this year he hit .339 with 10 home runs and 44 rbis in 56 games. He's definitely on the fast track to greatness, only question is if he can keep up the momentum in 2025 and beyond. Just like Jud Fabian, good pick to make, just didn't work out.

14th round - SS Travis Sanders

Once again the Red Sox took a shortstop in the 14th round and once again the guy didn't sign. Travis Sanders from Copperas Cove, Texas decided to sign with Texas Tech University instead......but instead played for the Healdsburg Prune Packers in 2023. After spending this year at Texas Tech, he's transferring to Baylor University for the 2025 season. Good luck with that.

15th round - LHP Nathan Landry

In the 15th round, Bloom chose another lefthanded pitcher. Nathan Landry was a junkballer that spent two years in junior college before pitching for Missouri in 2022. After he was drafted he pitched in 27 games in 2023, bottoming out with a 1-1 record and 7.54 ERA in Greenville. This year he's allowed 21 runs in 34 innings for Greenville. If he can't get Single A batters out, how is he supposed to get AA batters out or beyond? Looks like he may not get the chance if he keeps pitching this badly.

16th round - RHP Garrett Ramsey

The Sox took right handed pitcher Garrett Ramsey out of Ole Miss in the 16th round and he sucked in the Complex for much of 2023 before ending the year in Salem allowing 8 runs in 9 innings. He got cut in Spring Training this year and one has to wonder the reason behind it. You got guys who at least get a crack at AA but Ramsey didn't even get that far. Another wasted pick.

17th round - OF Deundre Jones

The Sox took Lutheran South High School outfielder with their 17th pick and he hit .191 with 2 home runs and 10 rbis in 2023 for the Complex. He was released in Spring Training this year which makes you wonder why they gave up on a kid who wasn't even 21 yet. Was he really THAT bad? If so, its another indictment on the total failure of the Chaim Bloom regime.

18th round - RHP Austin Ehrlicher

In the 18th round, the Sox took right handed pitcher Austin Ehrlicher out of Santa Rosa junior college. He was a "draft & follow" and didn't play in 2022 or 2023 due to an elbow injury. He pitched in a whopping 2 games this year although he allowed no earned runs in 6 innings. He's only 21 so they may keep him round to see if he's got anything if he recovers....if.

19th round - RHP Jaret Godman

Remember back in 2021 when Chaim Bloom drafted Wyatt Olds out of Oklahoma University even though he was awful? Bloom didn't learn his lesson as he took Olds teammate Jaret Godman with the 19th round pick in 2022. Just like Olds, Godman totally sucked in college too. Naturally he pitched in 7 games for Greenville in 2023 going 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA before he called it quits after the season. It takes a good and smart man to realize when he's in over his head. Once again, its not Godman's fault, its the guy who looked at his 6.98 ERA at Oklahoma and said "oooh that's good!"'

20th round - LHP Connor Butler

With the 20th and final pick in the 2022 draft, Chaim Bloom took BIOLA left handed pitcher Connor Butler. BIOLA stands for Bible Institute Of Los Angeles. Father Butler pitched 27 innings between the Complex and Salem in 2023 and allowed 23 runs before he was cut in Spring Training this year. Not that 20th round picks are safe bets to make the majors anyway, but you have to wonder what Boston scouts were doing when they looked at his 4.50 ERA for a small college and thought he was their guy. No offense to Butler himself, but the ones who picked him were out to lunch.

URFA - C Matt Donlan

Just like in 2021, the Sox picked up two undrafted rookie free agents following the 2022 draft. The first one was UConn catcher Matt Donlan. He hit just .260 with 12 home runs for UConn in 2022 before hitting just .148 to end the year in Salem. In 2023 he hit .125 for Greenville and .222 for Portland upon his promotion. This season he's hit .146 in 16 games for the Sea Dogs and it doesn't look like he can hit at all. Still, he wasn't even drafted and he got further than picks 11 through 20. That's an indictment of Bloom's failure, not Donlan's.

URFA - SS Bryant Zayas

The other undrafted rookie free agent was shortstop Bryant Zayas out of Miami Christian University. He did have good numbers for MCU hitting .323 with 4 home runs and 19 rbis but didn't make his debut until 2023. He hit .242 with one home run and 14 rbis last year for the Complex before being cut in Spring Training. Once again, they gave up quickly on him without giving him a real chance. That's just the way it is sometimes.

All in all this might be Bloom's biggest failure when all is said and done. It looks like Roman Anthony and Chase Meidroth are the real deal and the word is still out on Mikey Romero, but the talent dropoff totally nosedives after those three. Here's the worst part, with the exception of Isaac Coffey, not a single pick from 9 through 20 reached Portland. Noah Dean, Alex Hoppe, Dalton Rogers and Jonathan Brand aren't lighting the world on fire either. Now its only been two years, but when only three guys look like they have a shot at the majors out of 22, that's an utter failure. Now if Meidroth and Anthony make the majors either with the Sox or elsewhere, at least that's something. Still, that's three draft and ZERO major leaguers so far for Bloom.

Off-Day News: 2021 Draft Revisited (6/27/24)

It's another off-day and its time to take a look at former Boston Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom's 2021 MLB Draft choices. With Covid in the past, this time there was going to be 20 rounds and the Red Sox owned the fourth overall pick due to their garbage 2020 season. Let's see how Chaim Bloom did.

1st round - INF Marcelo Mayer

The fourth overall pick turned out to be Eastlake High School shortstop Marcelo Mayer. Mayer has lived up to his billing so far, hitting .275 for the Florida Complex league to end 2021. In 2022 he hit 13 home runs and drove in 53 runs between the Salem Red Sox and Greenville Drive. He stalled a bit in 2023 as he tore up Greenville hitting .290 with 7 home runs and 34 rbis but faltered for the Portland Sea Dogs. He hit just .189 with 6 home runs and 20 rbis. This year he's apart of the "Goldust Trio" with Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel, hitting .308 with 6 home runs and 34 rbis so far. The 21 year old is on the fast track to Worcester and could be competing for a Boston job in Spring Training next year if he's not traded.

2nd round - OF Jud Fabian

Chaim Bloom goofed with his second round pick. Jud Fabian was a hell of an outfielder for the Florida Gators hitting 20 home runs and driving in 46 runs his junior year. The Sox took him with the 40th overall pick but he refused to sign, staying for his senior year. Apparently its come out since that the Baltimore Orioles had a 3 million dollar deal ready for him with the 41st pick but Bloom beat the O's to the punch. Guess who drafted Fabian in the second round of the 2022 draft? That's right. This season Jud is hitting just .235 but with 13 home runs & 36 rbis for the Bowie Baysox and could be promoted to AAA soon. Talent wise Fabian was the right pick to make, too bad he had his heart set on playing for Baltimore. Big mistake by Bloom.

3rd round - 2B Tyler McDonough

The Sox third round pick in this draft was North Carolina State Wolfpack second baseman Tyler McDonough. Tyler showed promise hitting .300 between the Florida Complex League and Salem Red Sox at the end of 2021 but hit just .230 for Greenville in 2022. Last year he hit an even .250 shuffling between Portland and the Worcester Red Sox. This year he hit .261 with the Sea Dogs before being called up to Worcester. In 10 games he's hit .242 which isn't going to get him called up to Boston. Still, at 25 he's in Worcester and hopefully he can turn the jets on to make it to Boston.

4th round - RHP Elmer Rodriguez

The first pitcher chosen in the draft wasn't until the first round and it was a Puerto Rican high school JUNIOR named Elmer Rodriguez. He graduated in 2021 and made his debut in 2022 where he allowed just 8 earned runs in 33 innings between the Complex and Salem. Last year he was Salem's best pitcher, going 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA in 14 starts. This year he's 2-3 with a 2.74 ERA and it might be time to promote him to Greenville. He doesn't turn 21 until August but they're moving him along slowly. It better work out because you don't want him in the minors at 24-25 if he has nothing left to prove.


5th round - C Nathan Hickey

When Nathan Hickey was picked in the fifth round out of Florida University, he instantly became one of the top catchers in the system automatically. Unfortunately he may not be the chosen one anymore with Kyle Teel being the top ranked guy. Hickey didn't accomplish much at the Complex and Salem in 2021 but in 2022 he rebounded to crack 16 home runs and drive in 62 between Salem and Greenville. He spent 2023 in Portland where he hit just .258 but hit 15 home runs while driving in 56. Now he's in Worcester hitting just .211 with 8 home runs and 38 rbis. Kyle Teel may leapfrog him eventually but as of right now, he could be the emergency catcher in Boston if something happens to Connor Wong or Reese McGuire. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but he's one step away from the majors.

6th round - C Daniel McElveny

This might be one of Chaim Bloom's worst draft picks when all is said and done only for who was drafted around him, but I'll get to that in a second. Daniel battled a ton of injuries, playing just 43 games between the Complex and Salem in 2022. Last year he played just 9 games again and now he's healthy, but he's hitting just .189 in 29 games for Salem as a backup catcher. Sixth round picks shouldn't be expected to bring first round production but here's the kicker....McElveny was the fourth selection of the 6th round, Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo was taken 12th in the round. Carlos Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers this year at 15th. Spencer Arrighetti made his debut this year with the Houston Astros picked one slot after Rodriguez. Sox pitching prospect Dick Fitts was taken 21st in the round and another Sox prospect Taylor Broadway was taken 23rd. Not a good look when three guys picked after you have already reached the majors and two more that got traded to Boston are ranked higher than you in your own organization. Hopefully Daniel can turn it around, otherwise this could be Bloom's biggest whiff not counting Jud Fabian.

7th round - RHP Wyatt Olds

24 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds was a classic case of "What were you expecting?" Olds had a horrible senior year at Oklahoma University going 4-6 with a 5.40 ERA, getting pulled from the rotation at the end of the year. Chaim Bloom took him in the seventh round anyway. He pitched in only 6 games in 2021 and was straight batting practice in 2022. He was 4-9 with a 6.01 ERA for Greenville although he allowed 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings for Portland. In 2023 he was even worse, going 0-7 with a 8.47 ERA before getting pulled from the rotation. This year he's 1-2 with a 6.41 ERA. The guy simply is not good and Bloom knew it when he drafted him. To make matters worse, 7 picks after Olds was taken, the Washington Nationals took Jacob Young who made his MLB debut in 2023. Five picks after Young, the Houston Astros took Joey Loperfido who made his MLB debut in April of this year. Its one thing to pick a guy and he doesn't pan out, its another thing to pick a guy who wasn't good and expect anything different.

8th round - RHP Hunter Dobbins

Speaking of crapshots, the Sox took one with their 8th round pick. Hunter Dobbins showed promise at Texas Tech before his 2020 season was cut short due to Covid. Then he had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and was 0-5 with a 5.22 ERA in 17 starts for Salem in 2022. He started to turn it around in 2023 going 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA for Greenville before going 5-5 with a 4.27 ERA for Portland to end the season. This year he's 4-2 with a 4.22 ERA in 12 starts so far and a promotion to Worcester might be coming soon. Its a shame its taken him this long to get to AA, needing elbow surgery sucks.

9th round - 3B Tyler Miller

The Sox took Auburn third baseman Tyler Miller in the 9th round in 2021 and looked to be on the fast track when he hit .300 between the Complex and Salem at the end of 2021 with 3 home runs and 20 rbis. Then in 2022 he hit just .219 with 13 home runs and 59 rbis for Salem. Last year he hit .263 with just 9 home runs and 51 rbis in 91 games for Greenville. He started this year hitting .275 with 4 home runs for Greenville before getting promoted to Portland. He's played 24 games and has just 1 home run with 11 rbis while batting .247. He's been perfectly mediocre since the end of 2021 and at 24 years old, he may get leapfrogged by future picks. Least he's made it to AA, more than others on this list can say.

10th round - RHP Matt Litwicki

What an unfortunate career for 10th round pick Matt Litwicki. He pitched in just 22 games for the Indiana Hoosiers due to injuries and didn't make his Sox debut until June of 2023....where he was awful for the Complex and Salem before getting released again. He pitched in just 28 games going back to 2019 due to injuries. Just like Hunter Dobbins, Bloom drafted Litwicki knowing he was an injury risk. This one just didn't pan out.

11th round - 1B Niko Kavadas

The Sox looked to have scored with their 11th round pick when they chose hulking first baseman Niko Kavadas. He hit 24 home runs and drove in 76 runs between Greenville and Portland in 2022 and hit 22 home runs with 69 rbis between Portland and Worcester in 2023. This year he's hitting .276 with 14 home runs and 49 rbis and fans are mad that he's not in Boston. After Triston Casas went down, the Sox have relied on the trio of Bobby Dalbec, Dominic Smith and Garrett Cooper and only Smith looks even halfway competent. Maybe the Sox will come to their senses and bring up Kavadas at some point once Casas comes back. Either way, he's the closest of anyone to reach the majors of this draft group.

12th round - RHP Christopher Troye

Just like Wyatt Olds, 12th round pick Christopher Troye another guy that had sub-par stats in college when he was drafted. He allowed 31 runs in 51 innings for U-Cal Santa Barbara while having mediocre seasons in 2021 for the Complex and 2022 for Salem. He started to figure it out of the bullpen last year when he posted a 1.96 ERA for Greenville and 3.77 for Portland. This year he fell apart, allowing 12 runs in 11 innings so far this year. Compounding this is 8 picks after Troye, the Seattle Mariners took Corey Rosier who's now with Portland as well. The killer was 10 picks after Troye, the San Francisco Giants took Landen Roupp who just made his ML debut with the Giants this year. There's still time to turn it around for Troye but once again, what were the Sox expecting when looking at his college stats?

13th round - SS Zach Ehrhard

The Sox rolled the dice and crapped out with their 13th round pick, Wharton High School shortstop Zach Ehrhard. Ehrhard spurned the Sox and went to play in college for Oklahoma State. He had a good freshman year but a lousy sophomore year. He took a big step this year hitting .330 with 14 home runs and 57 rbis. One more year of this and he could be in the first five rounds of next year's draft. Hopefully he's not the next Mark Teixeira.

14th round - RHP Jacob Webb

For two years it looked like 14th round pick Jacob Webb would be the first to make the majors. He allowed 2 runs in 12 innings between the Complex and Salem to end 2021 then ended the 2022 season in Portland. Then last year he was 8-3 but had a 5.03 ERA out of the bullpen. This year he's 6-1 but with a mediocre 4.35 ERA. Going 14-4 in Portland is fine, but not with that ERA. He might get a crack at Worcester before the year is over but he looked on the fast track in 2022 only to falter this year. To make matters worse, the last pick of the 14th round was Jordan Leasure, chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Leasure was traded by the Dodgers last year as part of the package for Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the Chicago White Sox and made his debut for the hapless ChiSox this year. Still, getting a major leaguer out of the 14th round is an accomplishment, Webb could be there eventually.

15th round - SS Payton Green

Once again the Sox wasted a draft pick when their 15th round selection, shortstop Payton Green decided to go to North Carolina State instead. After two years at NC State, he transferred to Georgia Tech this season where he hit .309 with 12 home runs and 42 rbis. Just like Ehrhard, he might increase his draft stock next year. What's worse, the Cincinnati Reds took outfielder Blake Dunn with their 15th round pick and he made his ML debut earlier this month. Another swing and a miss by Bloom.

16th round - 2B BJ Vela

Speaking of wasted picks, one of the weirdest was 16th round pick BJ Vela. Vela looked to have things figured out when he hit .342 in 21 games for the Complex but was surprisingly cut before Spring Training last year. It was never revealed why they gave up so quick on him but to make matters worse, the San Diego Padres took Gonzaga pitcher Alek Jacob with their 16th round pick. Jacob had a cup of coffee with the Padres last year making the Vela pick look even worse. Something must have happened with Vela, oh well.

17th round - RHP Luis Guerrero

The Sox finally got one right in the 17th round when they picked Luis Guerrero out of Chipola Junior College. He went 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA for Salem in 2022 before posting a 2.08 ERA for Greenville. Last year he was Portland's closer going 3-2 with a 1.81 ERA with 18 saves before getting the late call to Worcester. This year he's 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA for Worcester and just like Kavadas, Guerrero is knocking on the door to the big leagues. Not bad for a 17th round pick to be one of the closest to the majors.

18th round - OF Phillip Sikes

In the 18th round the Sox picked Texas Christian outfielder Phillip Sikes. Sikes batting average has dipped at every level. He hit .392 for the Complex in 2021 before he hit .258 in Salem & .248 in Greenville in 2022. Last year he hit .210 for Portland although he rebounded so far this year to hit .256 with 4 home runs and 19 rbis. The fact he was leapfrogged by Roman Anthony shows that this might not have been a great pick. Still, what are you expecting out of the 18th round?

19th round - RHP Tyler Uberstine

What a sad career for 19th round pick Tyler Uberstine. Just like Wyatt Olds and Christopher Troye, Tyler was a bum for Northwestern going 2-3 with a 5.82 ERA his last year in college. Tyler was 4-4 with a 4.63 ERA for Salem to start 2022 but was better in Greenville, going 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA. He started 2023 on the Injured List and had to have Tommy John surgery in June. He may not pitch this year either and its a shame, but injuries are part of the game.

20th round - SS Josh Hood

Just like Zach Ehrhard and Payton Green, Pennsylvania University infielder Josh Hood didn't sign with the Red Sox. He instead transferred to NC State and was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 6th round of the 2022 draft. Last year he hit 13 home runs between A and A+ ball and began this year with the Everett AquaSox hitting just .237 with 6 home runs & 31 rbis. Still, to go from the 20th round to the sixth and making it to High A is nothing to sneeze at.....too bad its not with the Red Sox.

URFA - OF Kier Meredith

The Sox did sign two rookie free agents after the 2021 draft, one of which was Clemson outfielder Kier Meredith. He hit .265 for Salem in 2022 with just 1 home run and 22 rbis and .178 for Greenville in 2023 with 1 home run and 10 rbis. After the 2023 season he retired and is now a scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It takes a smart man to realize he's not gonna make it and do something else, good luck to Kier as a scout.

URFA - RHP Jhonny Felix

The other undrafted free agent was right handed pitcher Jhonny Felix who went to high school in Brighton, Mass before going to West Oklahoma State. Felix was straight batting practice at every level he was at. He allowed 10 runs in 3 innings for the Complex in 2021, 42 runs in 38 innings between the Complex and Salem in 2022 and 36 runs in 45 innings for Salem in 2023 before he was mercifully released in August. Can't even be mad at the signing, he went undrafted for a reason.

That's going to do it for this 3 year look back at the 2021 draft. So far Payton Green, Josh Hood, Zach Ehrhard and Jud Fabian never signed while Matt Litwicki, BJ Vela, Kier Meredith and Jhonny Felix are gone. The two closest to the majors are Guerrero and Kavadas while Mayer is still the chosen one. Fringe guys like Webb, Dobbins, McDonough and Sikes are still out for the jury to decide. Either way, not a single guy in this draft has made the majors yet, that's an indictment on Bloom.

Game Postponed Until August (6/26/24)

Tonight's Boston Red Sox game has been suspended and postponed as apart of a doubleheader on August 26th. Here's what happened leading up to it.

                                                            So much for this one

Kutter Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start. Spencer Horowitz flied out to right and Vladimir Guerrero Jr walked. Justin Turner grounded out to second to end the inning. Yariel Rodriguez got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. David Hamilton grounded out to second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

George Springer was rung up for strike three to start the top of the second before Davis Schneider drew a walk. Crawford threw a first pitch strike to Danny Jansen and that's when the came was called. The funny thing is, the game won't be played until two months from now. Who knows what will be in the lineup by then.

Despite the game being postponed, the New York Yankees lost meaning the Sox remain 43-37 but are now 8 games back of first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Friday night as the San Diego Padres come to town. Nick Pivetta (4-4, 4.06 ERA) takes on Randy Vasquez of San Diego at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bats Bash Reds (6/23/24)

How about those red hot Boston Red Sox? After losing to the Chicago White Sox the Red Sox have won 10 of their last 13 games including today's tilt with the Cincinnati Reds. The Sox employed a bullpen game with Zack Kelly as the opener and held the Reds to four runs combined. Meanwhile the Sox got two big innings which was all they needed. Connor Wong belted a two run home run off Cincy starter Nick Lodolo in the top of the fourth before Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran drove in runs. Two innings later, Duran drove in another run before Rob Refsnyder hit a 2 run shot to ice the game. The Reds got 3 runs off Brad Keller but Chris Martin, Justin Slaten and Kenley Jansen slammed the door to give the Sox a 7-4 victory over the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

                                              The "Bloodline" approve of the win

Lodolo got the ball in the top of the first inning after a 12 minute rain delay and Jarren Duran hit a roller to first that was bobbled, yet he was ruled safe. Reds manager David Bell challenged that Duran was out and replays showed he was. Rob Refsnyder drew a walk and Tyler O'Neill ripped a base hit to center, but Rafael Devers forced Tyler at second to put runners at the corners. Connor Wong forced Devers at second to end the inning. Kelly got the ball in the bottom of the first and TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging on a nasty changeup and Jaimer Candelario grounded out to first to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez led off the top of the second by grounding out to second to start. Dominic Smith flied out to right and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds threatened in the bottom of the second as Spencer Steer got a base hit to left to start. Tyler Stephenson moved Steer to second with a grounder to short but Rafaela ran down a 380 foot line drive by Jonathan India. Will Benson struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Hamilton led off the top of the third by grounding out to second. Duran beat out a grounder in the hole at short but Refsnyder struck out swinging on a great curveball. Duran swiped second but O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning. Santiago Espinal grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Stuart Fairchild took strike three. Sox manager Alex Cora felt Kelly had done enough and yanked him for Brennan Bernardino after just eight outs. Friedl struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                            Short and sweet

Devers walked to start the top of the fourth and Wong blasted his seventh home run of the season to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Gonzalez missed a home run by 5 feet off the right field wall and settled for a double. Smith walked on a questionable ball four and Reds manager David Bell stormed out of the dugout completely irate. He started ripping his clothes off and was ejected by home plate umpire Todd Tichenor. Rafaela hit a routine double play ball to short but India threw the relay throw away for an error to score Gonzalez. Rafaela ended up on second but Hamilton struck out swinging. Duran doubled off the centerfield fence to score Cedanne but Refsnyder popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Wong jacks one

Naturally the Reds rallied in the bottom of the fourth as De La Cruz doubled to the left field wall to start. Candelario drilled a base hit to left to score Cruz and that was it for Bernardino. Greg Weissert came in and Steer struck out swinging before Stephenson flied out to center. India doubled down the left field line but Benson flied out to right to end the inning with the Reds down 4-1.

                                                                 Reds get a run back

O'Neill walked to start the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Devers. Devers took second on a wild pitch but Wong grounded out to third. Say goodbye to Lodolo as Buck Farmer came in to face Gonzalez....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Wilyer Abreu for Gonzalez but he popped up to second to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Espinal flied out to right to start. Fairchild got a base hit to left but Friedl lined out to a running Abreu. De La Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Rafaela flied out to center. Hamilton doubled past the diving Candelario to chase Farmer. Brent Suter came in to face Duran and Jarren poked a base hit just past De La Cruz to score Hamilton. Refsnyder then blasted his third home run of the season to ice the game. O'Neill also singled in the hole at short and took second on a wild pitch, but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                         Another big fly for Refsnyder

The Reds rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Brad Keller came in to pitch. Candelario flied out to left but Steer was hit with a pitch. Stephenson doubled to right but Abreu booted the ball to allow Steer to score. India beat out a roller to Devers to put runners at the corners but Benson struck out swinging. Naturally Espinal ripped a base hit to center to score Stephenson and move India to third. Fairchild poked a base hit to center to score India and move Espinal to third. Friedl flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Reds down 7-4.

                                                                   Reds inch closer

Wong lined out to short to start the top of the seventh before Steer made a hell of a sliding catch to rob Abreu of extra bases. Smith grounded out to first to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and De La Cruz grounded out to first to start. Candelario flied out to center and Steer grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Rafaela grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Hamilton lined out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Stephenson flied out to center to start. India struck out swinging but Benson was hit on the elbow. Espinal grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Refsnyder struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth before O'Neill also went down hacking. Devers got a base hit to right but Wong took strike three to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fairchild popped up to third to start. Friedl grounded out to second but De La Cruz got a base hit to right. Elly took second on defensive indifference but Candelario flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. His two run shot essentially ended the game.

                                                           Rob The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a stolen base, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

Cam Booser tossed a scoreless inning.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 15th save.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning despite getting the win.

Brad Keller allowed 3 runs in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Hamilton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not bad for the Red Sox to go 5-1 on the road trip and 10-3 in their last 13 games. The Reds aren't that good but you have to beat the teams in front of you. To survive a bullpen game against the other team's best pitcher is remarkable. The teamwide attack of Rob Refsnyder, Connor Wong and the start by Kelly showcases how hot the Sox are. If only the Sox had an ace pitcher to put it all together, they'd be right there with the New York Yankees. The Sox are also due to get Triston Casas after the All-Star break which is going to mercifully end the Dominic Smith experience. The only question is can the Sox keep up this momentum? If they can, all of a sudden the trade deadline narrative changes. Rather than sell off Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen and Masataka Yosida, they may just bundle some prospects for an ace pitcher. Still, in the last two years (three really) the Sox faded in June and July so we're going to find out the character of this team very shortly one way or the other. The win improved the Sox to 42-36, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel home for a three game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. Tanner Houck (7-5, 2.14 ERA) takes the mound against Captain TBD of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.