Jays Sweep Chapman, Sox (6/18/26)

Once again the Boston Red Sox found a new way to lose in 2026. The team that was winless when trailing by 3 runs and trailing after 8 innings remained that way as the Jays rallied late to drop them on their fourth straight loss. The Jays got to Sonny Gray for 3 runs in 7 innings while the Sox amounted nothing against Trey Yesavage the first six innings. The Sox scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh and from out of nowhere got back to back jacks by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin to tie the game. Only for indomitable closer Aroldis Chapman (0-2, 0.83 ERA) to allow an rbi double by Brandon Valenzuela to put the Jays ahead in the top of the ninth. The 0-39 Sox after 8 innings went quietly in the ninth to drop to 0-40, lose the game and get swept by the Jays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    0-40 when trailing after 8 innings

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and George Springer struck out swinging to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to put the Jays up just two batters into the game. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to first but Yohendrick Pinango walked. Ernie Clement flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                Jays up early again

Yesavage got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Gasper hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to second and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Nathan Lukes grounded out to first to start the top of the second but Kazuma Okamoto doubled to left. Brandon Valenzuela got a base hit to right to move Okamoto to third and Kazuma scored on the sac fly to left by Andres Gimenez. Springer doubled to left but Guerrero Jr grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                          Jays get another run

Willson Contreras grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped up to second to end the inning.

Sanchez flied out to center to start the top of the third and Pinango popped up to third. Clement lined out to left to end the inning. Caleb Durbin flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Connor Wong struck out swinging. Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lukes flied out to center to start the top of the fourth and Okamoto grounded out to third. Valenzuela 

took strike three to end the inning. Gasper pounded a ground rule double down the right field line to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela dropped down a bunt to move Mickey to third. Naturally Abreu popped up to center and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning as the crowd booed.

Gimenez grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Springer grounded out to short. Guerrero Jr grounded out to short as well to end the inning. Duran lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Kiner hit one up the elevator shaft. Durbin popped up to second to end the inning.

Sanchez got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth and moved the second on the Pinango grounder to first. Clement hit a roller to short and Sanchez was thrown out at third. Clement was picked off to end the inning. Bad baserunning. Wong took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Monasterio popped up to first. Gasper flied out to center to end the inning.

The Jays finished off Gray in the top of the seventh as Lukes hit a home run all the way to Cleveland to start. Okamoto struck out swinging, Valenzuela flied out to center and Gimenez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0. That was it for Gray who allowed 3 runs in 7 innings, normally that would be good enough to win.

                                                      Gray deserved better

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the seventh as Rafaela doubled to left to start. Abreu lined out to right to move Ceddanne to third and Contreras grounded out to short to score Rafaela. Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                                Sox get on the board

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Springer got a base hit to right to start. Guerrero Jr flied out to right and Sanchez struck out swinging, but Pinango doubled to center. Springer came around but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Davis Schneider came in for Sanchez, Myles Straw took over for Pinango and Kiner somehow launched his second home run of the year to start the bottom of the eighth. Durbin then went back to back with his fourth home run of the season to tie the game. Wong grounded out to short and that was it for Yesavage. Tommy Nance came in and Monasterio flied out to right. Gasper got a single in the hole at short and Nate Eaton ran for him. Eaton stole second to put the go-ahead run at second....but Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                          Durbin ties it up

Aroldis Chapman came in to blow the game in the top of the ninth as Clement got a base hit past the mound to start. Lukes popped up a bunt to Wong and Okamoto struck out swinging. Valenzuela then hit one up the elevator shaft.....NO! Wong dropped the ball and Valenzuela was given new life. Naturally he doubled high off the monster to score Clement all the way to first to suck the life out of the park. Gimenez popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-3.

                                                             Brandon watches it go

The Sox were 0-31 when trailing by 3 runs and 0-39 when trailing after eight innings going into the bottom of the ninth with Mason Fluharty now on the mound. Abreu flied out to center, Contreras grounded out to third and Duran popped up to third to end the game. Opposing closers were now 40 for 40 against the Sox as the Jays won 4-3.

                                                             Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Connor Wong. He dropped an easy pop up that would have ended the ninth inning, instead the Jays took the lead.

                                                              Jackass Wong

The Good:

Mickey Gasper was 2 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Sonny Gray tossed 7 solid innings allowed 3 runs off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Aroldis Chapman took the loss by allowing a run in the ninth.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Nate Eaton ran for Gasper in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Bad teams find a way to lose and the Red Sox do it every day. The Sox hadn't won a game when trailing by 3 or in the ninth all year and they were just about to pull it off. They somehow rallied down 3-0 to tie the game and had 2 outs in the top of the ninth....and Wong drops an easy pop up followed by a rare Chapman blown save. Why Sox GM Craig Breslow still has a job is beyond anyone's rational thinking. The Sox roll over and die in the ninth every single game and its an organizational failure. Opposing pitchers are pounding the strike zone at will because this team doesn't hit home runs. That's why they rarely draw a walk because pitchers don't have to be afraid. Kiner and Durbin tagging Yesavage was the aberration instead of the normal. Any other GM would be making trades or bringing up rookies from AAA to give them a shot to create a spark. Breslow literally puts his hands behind his head and watches every single game. This is one of the worst teams in Sox history and its all on him now. Can't use Rafael Devers or Alex Cora as a boogeyman anymore. John Henry, Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow should all face their shame. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-43, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Seattle for a three game set with the Mariners out west. Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.21 ERA) takes on Bryce Miller of the Mariners. The game begins at 10:10 PM eastern time at T-Mobile Park.

Off-Day News: 2023 MLB Draft Revisited (6/15/26)

Ex-Boston Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom was sent packing in September 2023 after an epic collapse that sank the team into last place. Bloom's inactivity at the trade deadline was one of the big reasons why. Still, he did leave the Sox with one last draft that would somewhat pan out. Let's take a look at how the class of 2023 is doing three years later.

1st Round - C Kyle Teel

One of the bright sides of finishing in last place in 2022 was the Sox got the 14th overall pick. The Sox scored when they took Virginia University catcher Kyle Teel. The word on him was he had a major league ready bat right away and they weren't kidding. Teel hit .363 with 2 home runs in 26 games for the Florida Complex Sox, Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs to end the 2023 season. In 2024, he was part of the "Goldust Trio" with Marcello Mayer and Roman Anthony in Portland and the Worcester Red Sox hitting .288 with 13 home runs. Then came the trade. The Red Sox sent Teel, Chase Meidrorth, Wikelman Gonzalez and Braden Montgomery to the Chicago White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet in December 2024. Teel made his ML debut with the White Sox in 2025 hitting .273 with 8 home runs. Unfortunately he hasn't played this year due to injuries but when he comes back, he's going to be a terror for years. Meanwhile Crochet has barely pitched this year and might get shoulder surgery. Either way this was a slam dunk for Bloom for sure.

2nd Round - SS Nazzan Zanetello

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we get another spectacular whiff in the second round. For the fourth year in a row, the Red Sox took a high school shortstop in the top 50 when they took Nazzan Zanetello 50th overall. He hit a pathetic .156 for the Salem Red Sox in 2024 and just .173 for Greenville in 2025. He had 2 hits in 18 at-bats this year before being put on the Injured List. Quite simply this guy can't hit, at all. Even a utility infielder can hit .200. Worse yet, five guys drafted after Zanetello in the second round made the majors so far including the Seattle Mariners' Ben Williamson. One of the reasons Chaim Bloom is no longer the GM is botching too many top draft picks. This was one of them.

3rd Round - SS Antonio Anderson

Wait, you think Chaim Bloom was done botching top picks? Oh ho ho, sit down son. Learning nothing about drafting nothing but high school shortstops, Bloom said "HOW ABOUT ANOTHER ONE??" In the third round the Sox took North Atlanta High School shortstop Antonio Anderson. You won't be surprised but....he can't hit either. He hit just .186 in 100 games for Salem in 2024 and just .248 between Salem and Greenville in 2025. This year he's hitting .176 and its fairly obvious he can't hit just like Zanetello. Worse yet, four guys have made the majors from the third round after Anderson including the Houston Astros' Jake Bloss. The bottom line is one of the reasons the Sox are in the shape they've been in the last few years is too many swings and misses in the first three rounds.

4th Round - RHP Matt Duffy

Bad luck runs deep in this draft and that goes for fourth round pick, right handed pitcher Matt Duffy out of Canisius University. He pitched in just 3 games to end the 2023 season but seemed to find himself in 2024. He went 4-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 21 starts for Salem....and blew his arm out in 2025, having Tommy John surgery. He should be back in July but its a shame he lost essentially 3 years of his career. He might still make an impact, but that was a big set back. 

4th Round - SS Kristian Campbell

Chaim Bloom scored and then the organization failed fourth round pick Kristian Campbell. When Xander Bogaerts signed with San Diego, the Sox got an extra fourth round pick and they used it to pick the Georgia Tech infielder. He lived up to his billing hitting .309 to finish the 2023 season between the Complex in Greenville. He shined in 2024 hitting .330 with 20 home runs between Portland and Worcester which bopped his way to the Boston Red Sox opening day roster. He was damn near American League rookie of the month in April before faltering in May and June. He was sent back to Worcester where he hit .273 with 8 home runs to end the season. This year he's completely falling apart hitting .223 with just 2 home runs...in Worcester. Whatever current Sox GM Craig Breslow's Driveline spreadsheets they did, they ruined Kristian. On top of that, Breslow signed him to a four year extension at 7 million a year so he's going to be their Rusney Castillo until 2028. Bloom made the right pick, but Breslow blew it.

4th Round - SS Justin Riemer

With the fourth round pick the Sox got for compensation to losing Nathan Eovaldi, Bloom picked....ANOTHER SHORTSTOP! Justin Riemer tore his ACL just 12 games into his 2023 season for Wright State and Bloom chose him for whatever reason knowing he wasn't going to play until late in 2024. He hit .252 between the Complex and Greenville in 38 games and with a full season in 2025....he hit .231 between Salem and Greenville. He was traded after the season to the Oakland A's organization for Ryan Watson. He hit .213 in 29 games for Single A and just .182 for the Midland Rock Hounds in 9 games before going on the Injured List. This was a misfire and worse yet, the New York Mets took AJ Ewing just one pick after Riemer in the draft. Bloom's nonstop shortstops clearly didn't work.

5th Round - LHP Connelly Early

Somehow Bloom, the master of drafting shortstops that can't hit....might have drafted the next Red Sox left handed ace in the fifth round. Connelly Early was taken out of Virginia University and his record was 3-9 in 2024 but with a deceptive 3.99 ERA in 23 starts. In 2025 he dominated the Portland Sea Dogs going 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 15 games to get sent up to Worcester. He was 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA for the WooSox when injuries and ineffectiveness forced the Boston Red Sox to call up Early on September 9th. He was 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA and started the ill-fated Game 3 playoff game against the New York Yankees and Cam Schlittler. This year he's 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA and looks to be a future stud. He'd have an even better record if the Sox had a decent offense so he might be a 20 game winner if his health holds up & Boston gets better bats. Say what you will, but Bloom scored on this one.

6th Round - RHP CJ Weins

The Sox have a habit of making bad trades lately and 6th round pick, right handed pitcher CJ Weins might be another one. Weins was 0-2 with a 4.81 ERA out of the Salem bullpen when he was traded in July 2024 to the Detroit Tigers for Trey Wingenter. Wingenter, much like everyone else Breslow got at the 2024 trade deadline, totally sucked. Meanwhile Weins found himself as he went 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA for the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2025. This year he's 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA for the White Caps and a promotion to AA looks imminent. He may make it, he may not, but the bottom line is the Sox traded him for nothing in the end. Worse yet, 15 picks after Weins, the Philadelphia Phillies took George Klassen who had a cup of coffee with the Los Angeles Angels this year. That's more than the Sox got out of Weins....or Wingenter for that matter.

7th Round - OF Caden Rose

It was back to normal in the seventh round when the Sox took Alabama University outfielder Caden Rose in the seventh round. He hit just .232 with 4 home runs between Salem and Greenville in 2024 and last year hit just .160 in 86 games for Portland. This year he's only hitting .248 with one home run and that's not going to get him very far. Thankfully no one else from the seventh round has made it yet, otherwise this would be yet another wasted pick.

8th Round - RHP Trennor O'Donnell

More bad luck in the 8th round when the Sox took right handed pitcher Trennor O'Donnell out of Ball State University. At first this pick seemed like a mistake when he went 3-7 with a 4.00 ERA in 2024 with Salem and then 1-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 2025 before he had internal brace surgery. He JUST came back with a rehab start on the 12th with the Florida Complex so the jury is still out on this one. Worse yet, 4 picks after O'Donnell the Milwaukee Brewers took Craig Yoho who got in 2 games for the Brewers this year. That's more than O'Donnell so far.

9th Round - RHP Blake Wehunt

One of the reasons Chaim Bloom doesn't have a job is drafting bums in college and expecting anything out of them. 9th round pick Blake Wehunt was 4-4 with a 4.83 ERA for Kennesaw State which doesn't scream top prospect. Naturally Blake went 1-6 with a 4.42 ERA for Greenville in 2024 and 2-8 with a 5.68 ERA for Portland in 2025. This year he's 2-4 with a 4.39 ERA and if he's struggling already, he won't even make it to Worcester. No other 9th round pick has made the majors yet so the Sox are safe on that front....for now.

10th Round - LHP Ryan Ammons

You gotta feel for the Red Sox' 10th round pick, left handed pitcher Ryan Ammons out of Clemson University. He never got to pitch for the Florida Complex Sox due to injury and he was traded in December to the New York Mets for current Sox reliever Justin "Incinerator" Slaten. Out of the bullpen he had a damn good 2024 season for the St. Lucie Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones going 4-4 with a 2.18 ERA. Last year he was 7-2 with a 2.92 ERA for the Cyclones and this year was supposed to be his breakout year. Instead he is missing the entire 2026 season due to injury. Slaten has had his ups and downs with the Red Sox but you'll make this trade 10 times out of 10. Maybe Ammons will come back stronger in 2027.

11th Round - OF Nelly Taylor

In the 11th round, the Boston Red Sox chose outfielder Nelly Taylor out of Polk State. Much like most o the draft, this one looks like a bust too. Taylor hit .233 with 8 home runs in 2024 between Salem and Greenville before hitting just .216 with 7 home runs in 2025 for Greenville. This year he's hitting a paltry .174 with 3 home runs for Portland. If he can't hit AA pitching, the likelihood of hitting AAA or major league pitching seems remote. Worse yet, one pick after Taylor the Chicago White Sox took Rikuu Nishida who played 12 games for the White Sox this year. That might be more than the Sox get out of Taylor.

12th Round - RHP Max Carlson

In the 12th round the Sox took right handed pitcher Max Carlson out of UNC. Once again this looks like another wasted pick as in 2024 looked good, going 6-2 with a 2.73 ERA between Salem and Greenville. He regressed in 2025 going 3-1 with a 4.08 for Greenville in just 11 games due to injury. This year he's 2-1 with a hideous 6.46 ERA for Portland and if he's struggling at the AA level, what's he going to do when he gets to AAA if at all? Worse yet, 9 picks after the Sox chose Carlson the Seattle Mariners took Logan Evans who's in their starting rotation. The Sox blew this one too.

13th Round - RHP Cade Feeney

The Sox made a similar mistake in the 13th round when they took right handed pitcher Cade Feeney out of North Dakota State. Feeney was 0-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 20 games for Greenville in 2024 before missing all of 2025. He returned to Portland and Worcester this year where he's allowed 28 runs in 37 innings between them. Once again, if he's struggling against AA batters, doesn't look likely he'll make the show. No other 13th round pick has made the majors so this one hasn't come back to bite them...yet.

14th Round - LHP Jojo Ingrassia

In the 14th round the Sox took left handed pitcher Jojo Ingrassia out of Cal-State Fullerton. He looked to be the real deal early when he went 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA for Salem in 2024 but pitched just 17 innings and 4 games in 2025. This year he's allowed just 3 runs in 20 innings for Greenville and a call up to Portland looks in the cards. While he seems to still have hope, 11 picks after the Sox took Ingrassia, the Atlanta Braves took Mitch Farris who's currently in the Los Angeles Angels bullpen. Hopefully Ingrassia can develop because the Angels are the ones enjoying the fruits right now.

15th Round - OF Phoenix Call

The first non-signee came in the 15th round when the Sox took Calabasas High School outfielder Phoenix Call. He spurned the Sox and ended up going to UCLA. His batting average in 3 years has been .222, .256 and .216 although he did get a walk-off HBP a few weeks ago. Call better pick up the hitting or he may not be drafted again once his time is up. No other 15th round pick has made the majors so this hasn't come back to haunt them yet. Sox might have dodged a bullet here.

16th Round - RHP Isaac Stebens

It was an unfortunate turn of events for their 16th round pick, right handed pitcher Isaac Stebens out of Oklahoma State. Stebens allowed just 1 earned run for Salem in 2024 before being promoted to Greenville. He was 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA to finish the season. Last year he was Greenville's best pitcher, going 6-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 9 saves although strangely didn't get a call to Portland. This was supposed to be the year, right? Well he had internal brace surgery in in spring training and won't be back until next year. Its a shame that he looked like he was getting it only to go down, see you in 2027 Isaac.

17th Round - OF Dylan Schlaegel

Another wasted pick came in the 17th round when the Sox took Legacy High School outfielder Dylan Schlaegel. He told the Red Sox to piss off and enrolled in Dallas Baptist instead. After red shirting 2024, he hit just .250 in 2025 but this year he hit .279 with 12 home runs. Granted, he's not exactly playing in the SEC so who knows how he'd do in the pros until the time comes. Nobody else has made the majors from the 17th round so this pick didn't bite the Sox too hard, but the fact they got NOTHING out of it is just bad scouting.

18th Round - LHP Zach Fogell

Its one thing for someone like Isaac Stebens to get hurt in the pros, its another to get hurt no matter where you are. Such was the case for 18th round pick, left handed pitcher Zach Fogell out of Brown and UConn. So Fogell had a miserable season at Brown in 2019 and then missed the next two years because not only did Covid wipe out the 2020 season, but famously the Ivy League didn't play in 2021. He was garbage in 12 games for Brown in 2022 and then because he had another year of eligibility left, he chose to play 2023 at UConn. He was 8-1 with a 1.49 ERA as a 23 year old and the Sox took a chance on him. He pitched in just 3 games to end the 2023 season but flourished in Greenville in 2024. He was 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA for the Drive but was hurt to start the 2025 season. He pitched in 8 games and decided to have Tommy John surgery in July. He probably won't pitch this entire season as well and its a shame because he'll be 26 in July. Injuries and idiotic Ivy League decisions derailed his career badly.

19th Round - OF Stanley Tucker

At first it seemed like yet another wasted draft pick when the Sox took Texas A & M outfielder Stanley Tucker in the 19th round. He had just 10 hits in 67 at bats for the Complex and Salem to end the 2023 season. He suffered a torn labrum 69 games into the 2024 season and suffered a season ending wrist injury early in 2025. Now he's healthy and he recently got promoted to Portland after hitting .304 with 4 home runs for the Salem Ridge Yaks. Nobody else from the 19th round has made the show so this pick doesn't hurt just yet. Still, injuries suck....and there seems to be a lot of them in this draft.

20th Round - RHP Robert Orloski

The final wasted draft pick was right handed pitcher Robert Orloski out of Middleton High School in the 20th round. He chose not to sign and instead went to University of Texas San Antonio. He had an awful freshman season going 3-5 with a 5.94 ERA but rebounded in 2025 going 8-0 with a 3.36 ERA. Unfortunately he got hurt in his first game in 2026 and missed the whole season. The Sox may have dodged a bullet here if he can't get healthy and do better. 20th round picks are cucka anyway but at least others have at least signed.

UFA - C Drew Ehrhard

Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. After the 2023 draft the Sox took 2021 draft pick Zach Ehrhard's older brother Drew out of Tampa University. He played in just 32 games in 2023 and 2024 as a backup catcher and hit .235 with Portland in 2025. This year he was hitting just .132 in Portland when he retired to become the Boston Red Sox' bullpen catcher. Oh yes, after Alex Cora and his whole coaching staff was fired earlier this season, Drew was hired to be the bullpen catcher. Not bad for a guy hitting .132 in AA.

UFA - RHP Cooper Adams

You gotta feel for undrafted rookie free agent Cooper Adams. Adams was 8-3 with a 5.03 ERA for Mt. St Mary's private college so who in their right mind would take a flier on him? Well the Sox did and in 2024 he was 2-5 with a 5.08 ERA right on cue. Then something weird happened. He was 2-3 with a respectable 3.95 ERA for Greenville last year then got a 10 game cup of coffee in Portland where he was unhittable, going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. Would he capitalize in 2026? NO! He's currently 6-3 with a 6.34 ERA for Portland and it looks like he's hit the wall. For an undrafted guy, getting this far is an accomplishment. If he gets released or is hammered in AAA, he can say for 10 games he had it all.

This draft was a titanic disaster with the exception of Kyle Teel, Connelly Early and Kristian Campbell...and the Sox might have ruined Campbell. The worst was drafting high school shortstops in the second and third rounds, which they didn't need, and they sucked anyway. Apart from Early, none of the pitchers look like they'll pan out and there were definitely a ton of injuries, can't really blame Bloom for that. Still, the name of the game is development and almost none of these guys did and we're 3 years in. That's an indictment on Bloom and one of the main reasons he's not here anymore. Another reason the Sox are in the shape they're in is they get no help from the minors due to bad drafting. Hopefully that changes one of these days.

Off-Day News: 2022 MLB Draft Re-Visit (6/11/26)

Its another off-day and today we're going back four years to take a look at how the 2022 MLB Draft has gone for the Boston Red Sox so far. Unlike 2021, the 2022 draft wasn't nearly as successful with one exception. Pretty much everything fell apart after 2021 including ex-GM Chaim Bloom's drafting.

1st Round - SS Mikey Romero

Defying all logic, for the third straight year Bloom took a high school shortstop with his first round pick. This time it was Orange Lutheran's Mikey Romero who went 24th overall. At first he lived up to his billing, finishing the 2022 season with a 19 game stretch between the Florida Complex Sox and the Salem Red Sox where he hit .304 with a home run combined. In 2023 he was limited to just 34 games due to injuries and just 78 in 2024. However, he clobbered 16 home runs between the Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs in that season. Last year between Portland and the Worcester Red Sox he hit .245 but with 17 home runs. This year he's hit the wall by hitting .227 with 4 home runs, and worse yet, the pick taken directly after him is 6 foot 7 monster Spencer Jones of the New York Yankees. The word is still out on the 22 year old Romero but if he's not hitting in Worcester, how is he supposed to hit in Boston on a team with Trevor Story out and Marcelo Mayer struggling? Log jam aside, he might be trade bait at the deadline or he might very well get a call if Mayer continues to struggle. Time will tell.

2nd Round - SS Cutter Coffey

One of the reasons Bloom is no longer employed was drafting nothing but high school infielders in the first few rounds every year. Second round pick Cutter Coffey was taken out of Liberty High School and didn't look like he was going to make it far, hitting .210 between Salem and Greenville in 2023. In 2024 he was hitting .238 with 14 home runs when he was packaged in a trade for Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen. Last year he hit .273 with 11 home runs but this year for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, he's hitting .230 with 2 home runs. A lot of Bloom guys were the "launch angle" all or nothing hitters that are completely useless once the power dries up as they climb the ladder. Coffey having only 2 home runs in AA is very telling. Worse yet, in the second round that year Hunter Barco, Connor Prielipp, Blade Tidwell, Adam Mazur, Milwaukee sensation Jacob Misiorowski and others have all made the show. All the Sox have to show for this pick was 30 games of Danny Jansen. Did I mention Chaim Bloom was fired?

2nd Round - OF Roman Anthony

If it wasn't for Chaim Bloom using his second round compensation pick they got for losing Eduardo Rodriguez on Stoneman Douglas High School outfielder Roman Anthony, this might have been one of the worst drafts in team history. Anthony started 2023 slow hitting just .228 with Salem, then morphed into a star in a promotion to Greenville. He hit .294 and clubbed 12 home runs to finish the season then joined Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel as the "Goldust Trio" in 2024. Anthony hit 18 home runs between Portland and the Worcester Red Sox and fans were screaming for the Sox to call him up in 2024. Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, Anthony finally made his ML debut on June 9th last season. After starting slow, he was arguably the team's best hitter in July and August. One of the reasons the Sox got knocked out by the Yankees was Anthony suffered an oblique strain on September 4th that kept him out for the rest of the season. This year he's suffered eight different injuries and was limited to just 30 games. Angry Sox fans are already calling him a bust for getting hurt but when he's healthy, he's a deadly hitter. He'll be back to form soon and because of that, this pick was a slam dunk for Bloom.

3rd Round - LHP Dalton Rogers

The first pitcher chosen in the top 3 rounds in Bloom's history was left hander Dalton Rogers out of Southern Mississippi University. After storming out of the gate with a 2.49 ERA for Salem in 2023, he flatlined in Greenville with a 5.52 ERA to finish the season and went 2-7 with a 5.12 ERA for Greenville in 2024. He finally figured out Greenville in 2025 going 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA and was serviceable for Portland to finish the year going 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA. So far he's 0-1 but with a 2.30 ERA for Portland and he may or may not be in Worcester soon depending on if he can keep the momentum. The problem is, he's 25 years old still in AA while 6 picks later the Los Angeles Dodgers took outfielder Alex Freeland who's hit 3 home runs for LA this season. As for pitchers, two picks after Rogers the Chicago White Sox took Jonathan Cannon who may have sucked with the White Sox from 2024 to the present, at least he made the show. The word is still out on Rogers but he better figure it out quick.

4th Round - 2B Chase Meidroth

In a huge case of giving up something to get something, the good news was fourth round pick Chase Meidroth made MLB....just not with Boston. Chase was a stud in the making at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 with the with the Greenville Drive before hitting .255 with 7 home runs to finish the year in Portland. In 2024, while the "Goldust Trio" were making headlines, Chase quietly batted .293 with 7 home runs for the Worcester Red Sox. Rumors were after the season he was a shoe-in to make the 2025 Red Sox opening day roster......and then the big trade. First round picks Braden Montgomery and Kyle Teel along with Chase and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez were sent to the Chicago White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet. While Crochet became the ace the Red Sox needed, Meidroth became the solid second baseman the White Sox needed. He batted .253 with 5 home runs as the every day starter in 2025 and so far this year he's hitting .273 with 5 home runs. Forget that he might be a great second baseman for Chicago, the bottom line was Chaim Bloom scored with this pick. With Garrett Crochet on the 60 Day Injured List after sucking in April, the trade looks pretty bad with Montgomery, Teel and Meidroth headed to stardom for one good year of Crochet. Still a win for Bloom.

5th Round - LHP Noah Dean

Boston's 5th round pick, left handed pitcher Noah Dean out of Old Dominion, turned out to be a waste. He was 2-8 with a 6.29 ERA in Salem in 2023 which was a pretty bad sign. He was 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA for Salem in 2024 before getting bombed in Greenville to end the season. Last year he was 2-6 with a 5.68 ERA for Greenville and was released in Spring Training earlier this season. He hooked on with the Washington Nationals where he allowed 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Harrisburg Senators before being placed on the Injured List. Currently he's 0-2 with a 4.66 ERA but the bottom line is he looks like he can't pitch at the AA level. Adding insult to injury, our old pals the White Sox took left handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer just two picks after Dean. Tyler got a 4 game cup of coffee with Chicago before being sent back to the Charlotte Knights this season. Still, those four games were more than the Sox got from Dean.

6th Round - RHP Alex Hoppe

In another case of picking the right guy only to mishandle him, here we have right handed pitcher Alex Hoppe. Taken in the sixth round, he went 2-5 with a 4.10 ERA between Greenville and Portland in 2023. In 2024 he was 4-5 with a 5.43 ERA out of the bullpen for Portland. Last year he was 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA between Portland and Worcester seemingly knocking at the door. Then he became a victim of the minor league salary dump in November when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners for power hitting outfielder Luke Heyman, Seattle's 14th round pick in last year's draft. Heyman is currently hitting .207 with 2 home runs for the Greenville Drive while Hoppe didn't allow a run in 8 innings for the Tacoma Railers, earning a cup of coffee with Seattle. Hoppe is 0-1 with a 5.50 ERA for the Mariners but at least he's there. Unless Heyman hits about 40 more home runs, that looks like a bad trade in sea full of them for current GM Craig Breslow. Hoppe was the right pick to make, but they got little in return for him....seems like a common theme.

7th Round - RHP Caleb Bolden

The next big misfire was 7th round pick, right handed pitcher Caleb Bolden out of TCU. He was 1-2 with a 4.17 ERA between Salem and Greenville in 2023 before going 4-2 with a 4.12 ERA between Greenville and Portland in 2024. Last year he was stuck in Portland going 3-6 with a 5.74 ERA. This year he's 2-2 with a 4.33 ERA and it looks like AA might be his stopping point. If he's putting up mediocre AA numbers at age 27, why bother calling him up to Worcester? Why is this such a misfire? Literally ONE pick after Bolden the New York Yankees took....oh yes....Walpole's own Cam Schlittler. Schlittler famously ended the Red Sox season last October and has thrown 2 gems against them this season. Not only that, he's the odds on favorite to win AL Cy Young this year. The Sox could have had him....instead they took Caleb Bolden. Yikes.

8th Round - RHP Jonathan Brand

Another lost pick was 8th round pick, right handed pitcher Jonathan Brand out of Miami Ohio University. He was 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA for Salem in 2023 before stalling in Portland in 2024 going 2-3 with a 4.67 ERA. In 2025 he played for three levels allowing 2 earned runs in 20 innings for Greenville and going 1-3 with a 3.48 ERA for Portland. He also allowed 4 runs without recording an out for Worcester and that lasting image is why Craig Breslow left Brand unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft. Brand was picked up by the Texas Rangers where he's currently with the AA Frisco Rough Riders where he's 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA. Whether he becomes like Hoppe and Meidroth is still up in the air but the bottom line is he's another guy they don't have the services of anymore. The one who scored that late in the 8th round was the San Francisco Giants taking outfielder Wade Meckler. He had a 20 game cup of coffee with the Giants in 2023 and a 14 game stretch with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this year. That's still more than the Sox got out of Brand.

9th Round - C Brooks Brannon

The Sox might have gotten a diamond in the ruff when they took Randleman High School catcher Brooks Brannon in the 9th round. He hit .264 with 6 home runs in 2023 for the Florida Complex Sox and Salem before hitting a combined .243 with 6 home runs between those two teams. In 2025 he hit .252 with 10 home runs between Greenville and Portland. This year he's on the verge of a breakout smashing .295 with 9 home runs. It took some time but the 22 year old seems to be on the verge of hitting Worcester and it comes at a needed time. The Sox are pretty much done with Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez regressed. If Brannon can keep the average and power stroke going he might be the answer at catcher in a year. Sadly, not a single 9th round pick from ANY team has made the majors yet so no harm done with this one yet.

10th Round - RHP Isaac Coffey

Boston's next misfire was in the 10th round when they took right handed pitcher Isaac Coffey out of Oral Roberts University. Isaac looked destined for success when he went 11-6 with a 3.37 ERA combined for Greenville and Portland in 2023. In 2024 he again impressed by going 11-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 21 starts. Then....WHAM....he pitched in just 17 games between Portland and Worcester in 2025 due to injuries. This year he was 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA between Portland and Worcester before being placed on the Injured List on May 13. Its a shame because he looked like the real deal heading into the 2025 season. To add insult to injury, just two picks after Coffey, the Chicago White Sox took first baseman Tim Elko. Man they nailed this draft didn't they? Maybe Coffey will shake off these injuries since he's only 25, but as of now, looks like a waste.

11th Round - RHP Marques Johnson

One of the first of the 2022 draft class to be traded or released was 11th round pick, right handed pitcher Marques Johnson out of Long Beach State. Johnson sucked for the Salem Red Sox in 2023 posting a 2-2 record with a 6.55 ERA when he was traded in July to the San Francisco Giants for relief pitcher Mauicio Llovera who had allowed just 1 run in 5 innings at the time of the trade. Naturally Llovera posted a 1-3 record with a 5.46 ERA after the trade as the Red Sox plummeted out of playoff contention. Meanwhile Johnson pitched in just 6 games in 2024 due to injury but bounced back in 2025 to post a 2-3 record with a 2.53 ERA between Single and Double A. This year he's with the Sacramento River Cats and he's 3-1 but with a 5.79 ERA. Still, he's gotten this far and is still a hot stretch away from a call up. Unfortunately for the Sox, they gave up his career for an ineffective relief pitcher. Just 5 picks after Johnson, the Tampa Bay Rays took Drew Sommers who made his ML debut with the Detroit Tigers. The word is still out on Johnson but Chaim Bloom gave up on him too early.

12th Round - LHP Hayden Mullins

Another wet fart of a draft pick was in the 12th round when the Sox took left handed pitcher Hayden Mullins out of Auburn University. Mullins pitched in just 4 games in 2023 due to injury but bounced back in 2024 to go 4-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 17 starts for Greenville. Last year he was Portland's pitcher of the year going 7-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 18 starts. That means he's dominating Worcester now right? WRONG! He started this year in Portland and sucked, going 3-1 with a 4.85 ERA in 8 starts. You'd think 2025 would have been a launching pad instead it looks like a one year wonder. Worse yet....stop me if you've heard this....two picks after Mullins the White Sox took Brooks Baldwin. How do you get out-drafted by the damn White Sox? Still, Mullins can still turn it around but damn, how do you dominate AA one year and suck the next?

13th Round - SS Gavin Kilen

The first guy not to sign with the Red Sox was their 13th Round pick, Milton High School shortstop Gavin Kilen. Kilen spurned the Sox for Texas Tech then transferred to Tennessee U where he became a star. That led to him getting picked in the first round by the San Francisco Giants 13th overall in last year's draft. This year he's hitting .287 with 5 home runs for the Eugene Emeralds in High A. The Sox had the right idea by taking him, just the wrong year. Thankfully nobody else taken in the 13th round has come back to haunt this pick....yet.

14th Round - SS Travis Sanders

The next guy not to sign was Copperas Cove High School shortstop Travis Sanders. Like Kilen he started at Texas Tech but is now with the Baylor Bears. He hit .335 with 8 home runs in 2025 for Baylor and this year he's hitting .369 with 9 home runs so far. He could be a top pick in the draft if he keeps up this momentum. Too bad the Sox drafted him a few years early, like with Kilen. Thankfully nobody else in the 14th round has made their ML debut yet so this pick hasn't come back to haunt them yet.

15th Round - LHP Nathan Landry

Another wasted pick was 15th round draft choice, Nathan Landry, a left handed pitcher out of Missouri University. He started out strong in 2023, allowing no runs in 10 innings for Salem before being promoted to Greenville. He imploded, allowing 20 runs in 22 innings for the Drive. In 2024 he was 2-1 with a 5.24 ERA before he was released in August just like that. Who knows why they gave up on him so quickly when Wyatt Olds has been in the system for 6 seasons with ERAs over 6. He went to the Indy League where he allowed 27 runs in in 12 innings last year. Thankfully no other 15th round picks have made it after him either so no big loss.

16th Round - RHP Garrett Ramsey

At least Nathan Landry made it to 2024, 16th round pick Garrett Ramsey didn't even do that. In 2023 he was 1-3 with a 5.32 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen then allowed 8 runs in 8 innings for the Salem Red Sox. He was released in Spring Training in 2024. Why they gave up on him THAT quickly is weird considering how many chances others have gotten. Chaim Bloom may have hit on his early round picks but late round, different story. The only solace is no other 16th round picks have come back to haunt the Sox either.

17th Round - OF Deundre Jones

The Red Sox front office has some explaining to do when it comes to 17th round pick, Deundre Jones. He was drafted out of Lutheran South High School as an outfielder and he hit .191 for the Florida Complex in 2023 before being released in Spring Training in 2024. Somehow he went back to college and now attends a small school in Florida where he's with the Lynn Fighting Knights. Maybe he'll do better the second time around if he gets another shot. No other 17th round pick made it after him so once again this was no big loss.

18th Round - RHP Austin Erlicher

Injuries suck and unfortunately 18th round pick, right handed Austin Ehrlicher has had to many of them. He was already damaged with a badly injured shoulder when he was drafted and not only missed all of 2023, but pitched in just 2 games for Salem in 2024. Last year he was 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA between starting and relieving in Salem, then got promoted to Greenville. He was 1-0 with a 0,96 ERA in 6 games and looked to be ready to roll this year......he didn't. He allowed 11 runs in 11 innings for the Drive before being placed in the Injured List again. Shame, he seemed to have been ready to take it to the next level after last season. Worse yet, the Tampa Bay Rays took Duncan Davitt five picks later who played in one game this season for....you guessed it....the Chicago White Sox.

19th Round - RHP Jaret Godman

I've said it before but it takes a great man to admit when he's in over his head and calls it quits. That was the case for 19th round pick, right handed pitcher Jaret Godman. Much like his teammate Wyatt Olds, Godman was a bum in college. I don't know what Chaim Bloom was thinking when he saw Jaret post a 6.49 ERA in his junior year and a 6.98 ERA his senior and go "Oooh that's good." Whether or not he picked Jaret just to save money is anyone's guess. Either way, Jaret allowed 7 runs in 7 innings for the Greenville Drive in 2023 and voluntarily retired in Spring Training the following season. The scout who signed him was named Chris Reilly and someone needs to ask what he saw in Jaret that Jaret himself was like "Yeah this isn't for me." Just another reason why Chaim Bloom is no longer the GM.

20th Round - RHP Connor Butler

By the 20th round of the draft, most teams are scraping the bottom of the barrel. The Red Sox were no different when they took right handed pitcher Connor Butler out of Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Not only that, pitching against future youth pastors, he had a 4.50 ERA his senior year as well. Naturally he allowed 13 runs in 18 innings for the Florida Complex Sox and 10 runs in 9 innings for Salem in 2023. Butler was released in spring training 2024 but now he works as a pitching instructor for D-BAT training in his home state of Boise, Idaho. Not much to expect out of a 20th round pick that went to a bible school. Least he found work as an instructor.

URFA - C Matt Donlan

After the 2022 draft the Red Sox signed UConn catcher Matt Donlan has a rookie free agent. Donlan hit .148 for Salem to end 2022, .125 for Greenville to start 2023, and .222 for Portland to end 2023. After hitting .146 in Portland to start 2024, he decided to try his luck as a pitcher instead. Immediately he blew his arm out, had Tommy John surgery and retired. That wasn't the end for him though, he's now the Director of Program Development for Harvard University. Some guys are better in the office than on the field and so far that's been the case for Donlan. Least he's doing well where he is.

UFA - SS Bryant Zayas

Just like Deundre Jones, the Sox other undrafted rookie free agent ended up with the Lynn Fighting Knights. Bryant Zayas hit .323 with 4 home runs for Miami Christian High School in 2022 and hit .242 with a home run for the Florida Complex in 2023. Much like a lot of people, he was released in spring training in 2024 without ever getting a shot to prove himself. He ended up going to Lynn in 2025 and he's currently a sophomore there. Maybe he'll get another chance in a year or two. Either way, the fact they got nothing out of him is an indictment on Bloom, not Zayas.

This was a very top heavy draft as Roman Anthony, Chase Meidroth, and Alex Hoppe made the shows with a couple of others still with a shot....then it goes completely downhill after the 10th round. Whether or not Bloom paid no attention or took scouts at their word without ever seeing guys play, this draft class flat out sucked. There's still time for Brooks Brannon and Jonathan Brand to make the dance and Gavin Kilen looks like a stud....for the wrong team. The bottom line is bad drafts can kill a franchise and this pretty much did. The Sox have had only one winning season since 2021 and bad drafting is partly to blame. Thankfully 2023 was a bit more successful.