The Red Sox chose 15th overall and they took Oklahoma University right handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon. He was 10-4 with a 2.64 ERA with 125 strikeouts in 95 innings. He can hit 95-97 on the gun with a 91 mph slider. The Sox desperately needed a power arm in their system and this was the top pitcher on the board when he was chosen. Boston media was raving about Gage Wood but they went with the best remaining. His twin brother Malachi went in the second round to the Detroit Tigers. The last pitcher drafted by the Sox in the first round was Tanner Houck in the 2017. Hopefully Witherspoon is more consistent than Tanner has been.
Thanks to the Quinn Priester trade, the Red Sox got the Milwaukee Brewers second round pick. They used to it to select Tennessee University right handed pitcher Marcus Phillips. Phillips was another fireballer who reached 101 mph on the gun for the Vols this season. He was 4-5 with a 3.90 ERA for Tennessee including striking out 98 batters in 83 innings. His stats aren't eye-popping for the 33rd overall pick but the thinking is you can't teach velocity. The name of the game is fireball and he can throw it, just have to make sure its not straight as an arrow.
With their own second round pick 75th overall, the Sox selected Virginia University shortstop Henry Godbout. Godbout was a shortstop coming out of college but moved to second to add some size. That size translated into him hitting 9 home runs and driving in 47 runs while hitting .372 in 2024. This year he had a "down" year hitting 8 home runs and driving in 37 runs while hitting "just" .309. He's a power hitting second baseman and even though he's much taller, the projection is that he could be the next Dustin Pedroia. That's a bit of a reach, but the Sox haven't had a star second baseman since Pedroia broke down 7 years ago. Time will tell.
With their third round pick, the Sox took right handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson from Louisiana State University. Eyanson was arguably the ace of the 2025 NCAA Champion Tigers by going 12-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts. He's not a fireballer like the previous two pitchers as he sits more 95, but he's got a devastating slider. He struck out 152 batters in 108 innings and that's the kind of guy who can get out of jams.
In the fourth round, the Sox took Arizona University shortstop Mason White. White racked up the accolades this season as he was Big 12 MVP, NCAA Regional MVP and second team All-American. He hit .327 with 20 home runs and 73 rbis for Arizona this season. No idea how someone like this drops all the way to the fourth round but if he's as good as the accolades say, he could be an intriguing prospect moving forward.
In the fifth round the Sox took Arkansas University right handed pitcher Christian Foutch. This one was a bit of a reach because he pitched out of the bullpen and went 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA. Still, Chaim Bloom was drafting guys who were awful in college while current Sox GM Craig Breslow are at least taking mediocre guys. He might be good, time will tell.
The Sox took another pitcher in the sixth round when they tabbed right handed pitcher Leighton Finley out of Georgia University. He was 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA for the Bulldogs this year which isn't great, but its better than being batting practice. Maybe Breslow thinks the Sox instructors can improve his techniques.
The Sox took yet another pitcher in the seventh round when they took left handed pitcher Myles Patton out of Texas A&M. This one was a head scratcher as he had a bad year for the Aggies, going 3-5 with a 5.26 ERA. What they see out of him is anyone's guess. The previous regime was burned by drafting bum pitchers in college, hopefully history doesn't repeat itself.
In the 8th round the Sox took.....you guessed it....another pitcher. Dylan Brown, the left handed pitcher out of Old Dominion was 5-2 with a 4.06 ERA in 15 starts. Not great but it'll do. The Sox are trying to build up some left handed arms with Peyton Tolle and Connelly Early, hopefully Brown is the next one.
Stop me if you've heard this, the Red Sox took....another pitcher....in the ninth round. They selected Anthony Eyanson's LSU teammate, right handed pitcher Jacob Mayers. Mayers was a classic Wild Thing Vaughn at LSU as he throws 100 mph but walks more batters than not. He was 2-0 with a 4.80 ERA this year for the college champs and the mission is to teach him control. If they can do that, they may have a future closer on their hands.
The Sox shocked the world then they did NOT take a pitcher in the 10th round. They instead took Kansas State shortstop Maximus Martin. He hit .320 with 14 home runs at Kansas State as well as play games at centerfield. They might move him to another position at some point, but if he can hit, he'll play anywhere.
All in all, the name of the game is pitching. Breslow drafted a whole bunch of pitchers last year and he's doing it again this year. But this isn't just taking the best player available or spinning around three times and choosing a name out of a hat, this is design. They're taking power pitchers that can hit 100 on the gun and teaching them either control or movement. At least Breslow understands the name of the game is power and they're taking as many power arms as they can. Law of averages means if you take 10 pitchers, one of them has to be good unless your scouting department totally blows. Even so you have to account for injuries, guys who simply can't learn control or don't have the mental capacity to pitch under pressure. Peyton Tolle was taken in the second round last year and he might be Portland's ace right now. The sky is the limit for Kyson Witherspoon and some of these guys. Its up to the developmental system to take it from here.
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