Off Day News: Final 2020 Draft Revisit (5/25/26)

Its an off-day and this will be the last time we take a look back at the ill-fated 2020 MLB Draft for the Boston Red Sox. Its been 6 years and nothing good has come out of it...for Boston anyway. Let's see how the draft turned out and never speak of it again.

1st Round - INF Nick Yorke

                                                         

The good news was first round pick Nick Yorke did make the majors....the bad news was it wasn't with the Red Sox. Yorke showed promise in 2021 and 2022 after Covid ended then hit .268 with 13 home runs for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2023. Yorke was in Worcester in 2024 hitting .310 with 6 home runs when he was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitching prospect Quinn Priester at the trade deadline. Yorke had an 11 game cup of coffee with the Pirates and 22 games in 2025. He made the Pirates out of Spring Training this season but was optioned back to Indianapolis after hitting .197 with one home run. The bottom line was former Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom drafted a production line of infielders in the early rounds from 2020-23 and deemed Yorke expendable. It was the right pick to make, its too bad he just had to seek his fortunes elsewhere. On top of everything, the Sox traded Priester too and Quinn went 13-3 with Milwaukee in 2025.

2nd Round - None

3rd Round - INF Blaze Jordan

As mentioned many times, 3rd round pick Blaze Jordan was a known name long before the 2020 draft hitting 400 foot bombs as a teenager in his native Mississippi. After clubbing 19 home runs his first three years of high school, Covid ruined his senior year but it didn't stop the Sox from taking him with the 89th pick of the draft. He developed slowly as most high schoolers turned MLB prospects do, but it was worth the wait.....for the most part. His breakout season was in 2023 for Greenville and Portland smashing 18 home runs and driving in 86. In 2024 he dealt with a broken finger that limited him to 7 home runs but in 2025 he was back to his old self, hitting 12 home runs and driving 62 runs between Portland and Worcester by the end of July. That's when the numbers game came into play. The Sox made a calculated decision with Triston Casas out for the season to stick with Dominic Smith as their first baseman rather than promote the 22 year old Jordan. Instead, Jordan was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for veteran relief pitcher Steven Matz. Matz solidified the bullpen that had been shaky and helped the Sox make the playoffs. Meanwhile given new life in St. Louis, Jordan is currently hitting .329 with 9 home runs for the Memphis Redbirds. A call to St. Louis will be here sooner rather than later. With all this in mind, was this a good pick? He hasn't made the majors yet so on a technicality, the Sox missed out on Cleveland Guardians outfielder Petey Halpin taken just 6 picks after Jordan. However, hindsight is 20/20. Had the Sox known Triston Casas would never come back, they might have traded a different prospect for Matz. Still, He won't turn 24 until December so if Blaze does make his debut this year, that's a feather in Chaim Bloom's cap. For a not so fun fact, Kyle Harrison was taken by the Giants 4 picks before Jordan for more salt in THAT wound.

4th Round - Jeremy Wu-Yelland

Injuries are a bitch and look no further than Boston's fourth round draft choice in the 2020 draft, Hawaii University left hander Jeremy Wu-Yelland. After failing as a starter, Yelland tossed 13 innings allowing just 1 run before the 2020 season was cancelled. The Sox took him in the fourth round 118th overall and put him back in the rotation where he was 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA between Salem and Greenville. Then disaster struck as he had Tommy John surgery in April of 2022 which wiped out most of his 2023 season as well. In 2024 he pitched like absolute crap for Greenville but after missing the first month of 2025, he rebounded to go 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in Portland. That's where the story ends because he's been on the Injured List ever since. If he doesn't come back soon throwing darts, he's a gonner. The Sox have a bevy of pitchers from the 2024 and 2025 drafts coming up and Yelland turns 27 in June. To add insult to injury, just three picks after the Sox took Yelland, the Milwaukee Brewers took outfielder Joey Wiemer who made his ML debut in 2023 and is hitting close to .290 with Washington this season. Yelland had the 95 mph fastball, its too bad his body isn't holding up. There's still a small fraction of hope they might get something out of him, but time is running out.

5th Round - Shane Drohan

Just like Nick Yorke, the good news was Boston's fifth round pick, left handed pitcher Shane Drohan out of Florida State University made the majors....it just wasn't with Boston. Drohan had a very peculiar journey as he posted a 7-4 record with a 3.96 ERA in 2021 for Salem and a 6-7 record with a 4.00 ERA for Greenville in 2022. In 2023 he started the season 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 6 starts to earn a promotion to Worcester where he....totally crapped the bed going 5-7 with a 6.47 ERA. Unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft, Drohan was picked up by the Chicago White Sox where he battled injuries and ineffectiveness before the White Sox sent him back to the Red Sox in 2024. He missed 3 months in 2025 and was batting practice in 3 starts for Greenville....then suddenly found his groove in Worcester going 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA to end the season. Then then came the fateful trade that sent him, David Hamilton and Kyle Harrison to the Milwaukee Brewers for Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Siegler and a second round draft pick. Drohan actually made his MLB debut as a starter against the Red Sox on April 8th before being sent down to AAA. He was brought back up as a relief pitcher where he's thriving, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.63 ERA. Much like Blaze Jordan with St. Louis, it took a very long time but it looks like Drohan is off and running with Milwaukee. He's 27 years old now and he definitely seemed expendable with the bulk of the Sox draft choices being pitchers the last few seasons, a change of scenery might be what the doctor ordered. Then again, imagine HIM in the Sox bullpen now instead of Ryan Watson.

RFA - RHP Jacinto Arredondo

With only five rounds, the Red Sox ended up signing SIXTEEN rookie free agents following the draft. First up was right handed pitcher Jacinto Arredondo out of Tampa College. He was originally committed to Auburn back in 2017 but was one of the casualties when Sunny Golloway was fired...which is a story for another day. He was named D2 College World Series MVP for Tampa in 2019 and just like everyone else, his 2020 season was cut short due to Covid. Signed by the Sox, he was 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA out of the bullpen for Salem in 2021 but was batting practice in Greenville in 2022 posting a 3-1 record but with a 6.30 ERA. Realizing he was in over his head, he chose to retire in January of 2023. It takes a brave man to know when its not going to work out and chooses to retire rather than waste everyone's time. Currently he's the head baseball coach at South Sumter Prep School in Florida. Last year he was named Coach of The Year for their league. Nice to see Arredondo find success in coaching he didn't pitching with Greenville.

RFA - RHP Jordan DiValerio

Another rookie free agent signed was right handed pitcher Jordan DiValerio out of St. Joseph's University. Supposedly Chris Sale himself was apart of recruiting Jordan to sign with Boston. Unfortunately DiValerio was straight batting practice in his time in the organization. He was 4-0 with Greenville in 2022 but with a 5.32 ERA. In 2023 he was 5-6 with a 5.08 ERA for the Drive and got cut in Spring Training in 2024. He hooked on with the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League and went 20-6 as a starter the last two seasons. Who knows, maybe someone will sign him as a reclamation project for the 2026 season? Either way its good to see him still active in the baseball world.

RFA - RHP Brian Van Belle

Much like Nick Yorke, its a shame that it took going to another organization for right handed pitcher Brian Van Belle to make his major league debut. Van Belle had allowed just 2 earned runs in 26 innings for Miami Ohio University when Covid wiped out the season. He showed flashes of promise in his rise from the Greenville Drive in 2021 to the Worcester Red Sox in 2024 but his ERA was rarely below 4.20. In 2025, he was 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA when he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds for a brown sack full of money. He was almost immediately traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for old pal Zack Littell. He had a 4 game cup of coffee for the Rays but injured his arm and not only missed the rest of the season, but he won't pitch this year either. Its a shame how he was just coming into his own when he went down. He'll be 30 at the start of the 2027 season but hopefully he bounces back.

RFA - Catcher Jose Garcia

In some cases you had guys that made it like Nick Yorke, Shane Drohan and Brian Van Belle...and then you have guys like Florida International University catcher Jose Garcia that didn't come close. Garcia caught 21 games between the Florida Complex and the Salem Red Sox in 2021 and caught 37 between Salem and Greenville in 2022. His problem? He couldn't hit. He hit just .216 in 2022 in Salem and just .177 in Greenville in his 5 game appearance. In February 2023 during Spring Training he realized he was in over his head and called it quits. Once again, it takes a smart and courageous man to walk away rather than waste people's time.

RFA - RHP Graham Hoffman

Injuries are known to derail careers and one of the casualties was right handed pitcher Graham Hoffman out of South Florida University. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and Covid wiped out 2020. He missed 2021 with a right flexor strain although he looked like he was turning the corner in 2022 between Salem and Greenville. In 2023 he bottomed out going 2-2 with a 6.55 ERA before he was released in August. These days he's a Corporate Banking Credit Associate in his home state wearing one of the finest suits and ties you'll ever see. Good to see him doing well, its a shame multiple injuries kept him from baseball success.

RFA - INF Jake MacKenzie

A lot of people felt the Sox gave up too soon on infielder Jake MacKenzie but he hasn't exactly burnt them since he's been gone. After having 3 good seasons for Fordham University, the Sox picked up MacKenzie as a rookie free agent after the 2020 draft. He played in just 54 games between Salem and Greenville in 2021 and suddenly was released in spring training in 2022. Why? Who the hell knows. After spending 2022 and parts of 2023 in the Independent League, MacKenzie was signed by the Colorado Rockies. After hitting .310 for the Complex Rockies, he was promoted to Spokane for a 5 game cup of coffee. That would be it for MacKenzie in pro ball as he ended up playing for Quebec in the Frontier League in 2024. The Sox cut their losses early with MacKenzie and it didn't come back to haunt them.

RFA - RHP Maceo Campbell

The Sox got what they paid for when they signed right handed pitcher Maceo Campbell out of Longwood University after the 2020 draft as a rookie free agent. Campbell pitched in just 16 games for Longwood and allowed 22 runs in 22 innings. What possessed then Sox GM Chaim Bloom to sign him is anyone's guess. He was 4-5 between Greenville and Salem in 2022 with an ERA over 6 and allowed 38 runs in 36 innings in 2023 for Greenville. He was released in spring training in 2024 and has been bouncing around the independent leagues ever since. No disrespect to Campbell as a human being and he did his best on the mound, but what about his stats at Longwood prompted Chaim Bloom to take a flier on him?

RFA - RHP Cole Milam

The Sox took a crapshot when they signed Southern Illinois Edwardsville right handed pitcher Cole Milam after the 2020 season. After having hideous 2018 and 2019 seasons in college, Milam looked to have been on the verge of a breakout in 2020 when Covid came to cancel the season. In 2021, he had an 11 game stretch where he looked like he knew what he was doing for the Complex but allowed 12 runs in 20 innings to finish the season in Salem. Rather than give it another shot in 2022, Milam called it quits in December 2021. Now he's a Certified Financial Planner for Gatewood Health Solutions in his home state of Illinois. If you need some financial planning in Illinois, he's the guy to see. After all, he wears an impeccable tie.

RFA - RHP Merfy Andrew-Marmolejos

What happens when a one trick pony's one trick isn't even that good? You get right handed pitcher Merfy Andrew-Marmolejos. He was already 22 years old when he enrolled at ASA College in Miami and proceeded to allow 32 runs in 26 innings in 2018 and 2019. Transferring to St. Thomas, he was 3-0 in 5 games before Covid wiped out the 2020 season. What caught the eye of the Sox? He could hit 101 on the gun. The problem is, he had absolutely no idea where it was going in college and then in the pro's, it had no movement. He allowed 23 runs in 19 innings between the Complex and Salem before he allowed 12 runs in 10 innings for the Complex before being released in July 2022. He looks to be having the time of his life on Instagram these days so its good to see him in high spirits. It's too bad his fastball was straight as an arrow.

RFA - 1B Cuba Bess

What a strange journey its been for Cuba Bess, who was signed as a first baseman out of Grand Canyon University following the 2020 draft. He hit .250 for the Florida Complex Red Sox in 2021 and was inexplicably cut in spring training in 2022. He was picked up by the Colorado Rockies and made it to Spokane in both 2022 and 2023. After getting cut by the Rockies, he spent time as a personal trainer before playing in the independent league in 2025 for the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers. Least he's still in the game somewhere.

RFA - RHP Robert Kwiatkowski

As sad as it sounds, a lot of these prospects barely made it past A ball. One that did was right handed pitcher Robert Kwiatkowski out of Marshall University. Also unlike the others, he looked to be on the fast track in 2021 when he went 6-0 with a 3.58 ERA for Salem. His breakout season was in 2024 when he was 11-2 with a 2.92 ERA out of the bullpen for Portland which earned him a late season promotion to the Worcester Red Sox. He was 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA and just as it looked like he had it figured it out....he was scooped up by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft. Pitching for the Knoxville Smokies in 2025, he was 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA when he was released in June. How his career fell apart just by the change of scenery is anyone's guess but those are the breaks. Still, he made it further than a lot of other people on this list.

RFA - C Juan Montero

As sad as it sounds, only 2 players remain with the organization that were drafted or signed in 2020 and the second one is Puerto Rican Baseball Academy catcher Juan Montero. Quite simply, he can't hit for beans. After playing 2 years in the Complex, he hit .247 with no home runs in 23 games with Salem in 2023. In 2024 he played in 50 games and batted an even .200. In 2025 he got in 26 games between Greenville and Portland hitting just .188. He was activated just 6 days ago for Worcester and hasn't got in a game yet. This is a classic case of being a damn good defensive catcher that can't hit at all. Reports say he's a good clubhouse leader which actually compares him to the legendary Bob Uecker. Uecker made a lifetime career out of self deprecating humor about how bad he was as a player, yet didn't want anyone to know he was pretty good defensively. I doubt Juan Montero is due to be baseball's next big comedian but hey, at least there's nothing wrong with his glove or throwing arm.

RFA - RHP Henry Nunez

Recently 2021 draft pick Elmer Rodriguez made his ML debut with the New York Yankees after he was drafted out of the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy by the Red Sox. What's that got to do with right handed pitcher Henry Nunez? He wasn't taken out of the Academy but he too was a Puerto Rican teenager signed by the Sox after the 2020 draft. Unlike Rodriguez, Nunez was batting practice for the Florida Complex Sox in 2021 although he was 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 2022. He was released in Spring Training in 2023. He's been out of baseball since then, oh well.

RFA - RHP Casey Cobb

One of the disappointments in this crop was right handed pitcher Casey Cobb. He allowed 1 run in 12 innings for Alabama University when Covid wiped out the 2020 season. Signed by the Red Sox, he looked like the right choice when he was 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA between Salem and Greenville in 2021. Then he fell apart in 2022 going 4-4 with a 6.27 ERA between Greenville and Portland. After posting a 5.62 ERA in Greenville in 2023, he was released in November. He pitched in the independent leagues in 2024, he was out of baseball. Its too bad, after 2021 he looked like a breakout star and he fizzled.

RFA - RHP Joey Stock

Another casualty of the 2021 season was right handed pitcher Joey Stock. It seemed nothing could go wrong for not only the Boston Red Sox but their farm system as well. Not just Casey Cobb, but Joey Stock from Saint John's allowed 9 runs in 26 innings between the Complex and Salem in 2021. In 2022 he was 5-4 with a 2.85 ERA between Salem and Greenville making it look like he was ready to break out in 2023. Instead he fell flat on his face going 1-5 with an 8.31 ERA. He decided to retire in October rather than try again in 2024. Like its been said many times, it takes a man of great courage to realize he's in over his head and walk away. Its too bad everything went to hell after 2021....for everyone really.

RFA - RHP Nate Tellier

Stop me if you've heard this, a right handed pitcher taken by the Red Sox after the 2020 draft had a good 2021 and fell apart after. This time I'm talking about Attleboro's own Nate Tellier out of Umass-Dartmouth. He was 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 2021 between the Complex and Salem when...you guessed it...he fell apart in 2022. He was 0-3 with a 6.31 ERA in 2022 and the good news was he went 6-1 for Greenville in 2023....bad news was he had a 7.13 ERA. He was released in Spring Training 2024 and now makes a living as one of the Savanah Bananas traveling opponents. Least he gets to have fun every day now.

The bottom line was the 2020 draft was an unmitigated disaster that produced some talent, albeit the Sox don't get to enjoy it. Only 3 players made the show with 2 more still in the Red Sox system and another one in AAA with the St. Louis Cardinals. Still, the fact there were only 5 rounds limited the talent pool and turned the 2020 collegiate and high school athletes into a signing free for all. Still, the name of the game is MLB talent and Shane Drohan, Brian Van Belle and Nick Yorke made it with Blaze Jordan knocking at the door. It would have been nice to get more out of the rest of them but that's how it goes. This was the final look back at the 2020 draft class and hopefully 2021 will be a lot more successful when all is said and done.

Twins Hold Off Sox Rally For Sweep (5/24/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Tyler Samaniego was sent back to Worcester to make room for the returning Danny Coulombe coming off the Injured List. Samaniego was starting to get hit hard in the last 10 days so it was the right move to make. Hopefully Danny can give them something this time around.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the 2026 Red Sox are making losing an art form. After getting shut down for pretty much every game this season, they finally scored five runs in today's game....and lost. The Minnesota Twins broke out to a 1-0 lead on Sonny Gray but Masataka Yoshida hit a home run against Bailey Ober. A home run by Willson Contreras and an rbi by Marcelo Mayer gave the Sox a 4-3 lead...but the Twins got three runs in the top of the sixth off Tyron Guerrero and Garrett Whitlock. The Sox rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth but Connor Wong got thrown out at home representing the tying run. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out with two men on to end the game. The Twins had swept the Red Sox with a 6-5 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                              Randy Quaid is angry again

Gray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Austin Martin grounded out to third to start. Brooks Lee took strike three but Trevor Larnach was hit with a pitch. Josh Bell walked and Kody Clemens got a base hit to right. Wilyer Abreu threw the ball away allowing Larnach to score. Victor Caratini grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                                  Twins strike first

Over got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran popped up to third to start. Brooks Lee threw a grounder by Rafaela away for an error but Abreu struck out swinging.  Willson Contreras flied out to center to end the inning. 

Orlando Arcia got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but James Outman took strike three. Ryan Kreidler struck out swinging and Martin grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Masataka Yoshida clobbered his first home run of the season to start. Nick Sogard flied out to left, Carlos Narvaez flied out to right and Marcelo Mayer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox game tied 1-1.

                                                            First of the year for Yoshida

The Twins answered in the top of the third as Lee doubled to right to start. Larnach got a base hit to right to score Lee and Bell lined a ball off Gray for a single. Clemens singled in the hole at short to load the bases and Caratini grounded into a double play to score Larnach. Arcia grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 3-1.

                                                           Twins lead again

Caleb Durbin popped up to third to start the bottom of the third and Duran struck out swinging. Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Gray returned for one final inning in the top of the fourth and Outman walked to start. Kreidler forced him at second then was thrown out trying to steal. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning. This was Gray's worst game since the start of the season going just 4 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

                                                                Not his best stuff

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu doubled to left to start. Contreras pounded his 11th home run of the year to tie the game and Yoshida doubled to left. Sogard popped up to third and Narvaez struck out swinging but Mayer got a base hit to right to score Yoshida. Durbin flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                           Sox take the lead

Danny Coulombe came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Lee walked to start. Larnach flied out to right and Bell struck out swinging. Clemens hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Duran popped up to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu also flied out to center to end the inning.

The Twins rallied in the top of the sixth with Tyron Guerrero now on the mound. Caratini struck out swinging but Arcia got a base hit to center. Outman struck out swinging but Kreidler got a base hit to right. Garrett Whitlock was summoned to get Martin, instead Austin doubled to left to score Arcia. Lee then got a base hit to left, scoring both runners to put Minnesota up for good. Larnach struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 6-4.

                                                                  Twins lead again

Contreras got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the sixth to chase Ober. Anthony Banda came in to get Yoshida to ground into a double play. Sogard flied out to center to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bell flied out to right to start. Clemens struck out swinging as did Caratino to end the inning. Eric Orze came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Narvaez struck out swinging to start. Mayer grounded out to first and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Durbin. Gasper took strike three to end the inning.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa came in for Gasper with Greg Weissert now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Arcia walked to start and Outman walked. Kreidler beat out a double play ball but Martin struck out swinging. Lee flied out to left to end the inning. Taylor Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran caught Clemens asleep with a bunt to start. Naturally Rafaela flied out to right but Abreu doubled to center. Yoendrys Gomez came in to face Contreras and naturally Willson struck out swinging. Yoshida flied out to right to end the inning as what was left of the crowd booed.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Larnach got a base hit to right to start. Bell struck out swinging and Clemens lined out to left. Caratini walked but Arcia lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox came out firing in the bottom of the ninth as Sogard tripled into the right field corner to start. Narvaez walked and Connor Wong ran for him. Mayer struck out swinging but Kiner hit a shot to left. Sogard scored easily but Wong was thrown out at home. The replays showed he was actually safe but the Sox challenge went unsuccessful. Kiner took third on a balk and Duran was plunked to put the winning run at first. Travis Adams was brought in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne flied out to right to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-5.

                                                              Yerrrrrr out

Jackass of The Night is Garrett Whitlock. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach. 

                                                             Garrett Jackass

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Isiah Kiner Falefa doubled in a run in the ninth.

Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2.

Mickey Gasper struck out in his only at-bat.

Sonny Gray allowed 3 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Tyron Guerrero took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the 6th inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5.

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong ran for Narvaez in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Everything's falling apart for the Red Sox. They finally put some runs on the board against the Twins and now the bullpen implodes. Whitlock has been solid all year so naturally the one time they need him to put out a fire, he pours gas on it. Then the cataclysm in the ninth inning where Wong should have been safe, but was called out. If Rafaela belted a game winning double, that play ultimately doesn't matter. Gray only going four innings also wasn't helpful and he's been their most reliable pitcher all season to this point. Its all going downhill fast as this was their third loss in a row after sweeping the Kansas City Royals. Fans are wondering how they can be so good on the road but so extraordinarily bad at home. If John McKay was managing the Red Sox he'd be asking for a neutral site right about now. The season isn't even out of May and fans are abandoning ship and screaming to blow it all up & sell the team. Can't blame them for being angry, the Sox aren't even watchable. They can't hit, they can't win at home and they don't come back when they're down. If the pitching isn't lights out, they're screwed. That's not a recipe for success the rest of the year. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-30, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night at home against the Atlanta Braves. Ranger Suarez (2-2) goes for the Sox against Spencer Strider of Atlanta. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Fenway Park.

Bradley, Twins Shut Down Sox (5/23/26)

The terrible 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox continued as once again the bats were mostly silent against the Minnesota Twins. Taj Bradley became the latest to shut them down, holding Boston to 1 measly run and 3 hits through 5 innings. The Twins bullpen allowed just 2 hits and a run the rest of the way. Meanwhile Jovani Moran (0-2, 3.38 ERA) failed as an opener again, allowing 2 runs in the first to put the Sox in a hole. Brayan Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in relief but the story was the lack of offense. The Sox hadn't won a game all year when trailing after 8 innings or by multiple runs, and the trend continued. The Twins took the game 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                             More so days without losing

Moran got the ball in the top of the first and Byron Buxton got a base hit to center to start. Trevor Larnach singled to left and Austin Martin doubled to left to score Buxton. Josh Bell hit a sac fly to center to score Larnach and Kody Clemens grounded out to short to move Martin to third. Victor Caratini struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                            Not the best opener

Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Mickey Gasper struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning.

Brayan Bello came in to pitch the top of the second and Orlando Arcia got a base hit to left to start. Brooks Lee popped up to short and Arcia was thrown out at second trying to steal. Ryan Kreidler struck out swinging to end the inning. Willson Contreras walked to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Nick Sogard grounded into the double play to end the inning.

Buxton struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Larnach hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Martin struck out swinging but Bell walked. Clemens got a base hit to right to load the bases but Caratini grounded out to second to end the inning. Marcelo Mayer popped up to second to start the bottom of the third and Connor Wong took strike three. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to center to end the inning.

Arcia grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Lee got a base hit to center. Kreidler struck out swinging and Buxton forced Lee at second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth and Duran took strike three to start. Gasper got a base hit to center but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras got a base hit in the hole at third and Rafaels doubled to right to score Gasper....but Contreras was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox 2-1.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Naturally the Twins fought back in the top of the fifth as Larnach singled to right to start. Martin singled in the hole at second and Contreras booted a grounder by Bell to load the bases. Clemens flied out to left but Caratini hit a sac fly to right to score Larnach. Arcia got a base hit off of Bello to score Martin to ice the game. Lee grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins up 4-1.

                                                        Arcia drives in a run

Sogard walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Mayer flied out to right. A wild pitch moved Sogard to second but Wong struck out swinging. Kiner grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bello returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Kriedler grounded out to third to start. Buxton struck out swinging but Larnach got a base hit to right. Martin forced Larnach at second to end the inning. Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in 5 innings, if only Contreras didn't boot the ball.

                                                          Not great but it'll do

Kendry Rojas came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran got a base hit to center to start. Gasper dropped down a bunt to move Duran to second but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras popped up to short to end the inning.

Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bell grounded out to third to start. Clemens flied out to left and Caratini grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Lee booted a grounder by Rafaela to start. Sogard walked and Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Mayer. Monasterio popped up to first, Wong struck out swinging and Kiner grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arcia popped up to first to start. Lee doubled to left but Kreidler struck out swinging. Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Gasper struck out swinging. Abreu flied out to right to end the inning.

Larnach struck out swinging to begin the top of the ninth and Martin flied out to center. Bell grounded out to first to end the inning. James Outman took over for Larnach with Andrew Morris now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Contreras got a base hit to left to start and Rafaela walked. Sogard flied out to right and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Monasterio. Yoshida beat out a double play ball and Caleb Durbin ran for Masataka. Wong walked to load the bases and Kiner walked to score Contreras, putting the tying run at second. Taylor Rogers came in to face Duran and wiith a chance to win the game with a triple or grand slam....Duran took strike three right down the middle to end the game. The Twins had won it 4-2.

                                                                  Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Willson Contreras. He was thrown out at home to kill a crucial rally and his error allowed 2 runs to score to put the game out of reach.

                                                      "Get outta here, Jackass"

The Good:

Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Cedanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Nick Sogard walked twice in four plate appearances.

Brayan Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in 5 innings.

Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Watson tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jovani Moran allowed 2 runs as the opener in the first inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Caleb Durbin ran for Yoshida in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

So much for the Chad Tracy effect. This was a game right out of the Alex Cora playbook with bad defense and bad baserunning. Contreras at the plate was fine but his error and getting thrown out at home turned the game around. Still, its only one game and there will be better days for him but with the offense THIS bad, they can ill afford to run into outs or kick the ball around. Moran isn't working as an opener as Bello didn't pitch that bad, maybe someone else can pitch the first for him. The bottom line is the Sox are trying everything they can to win games and rarely does it work. If they allow more than 2 runs in a game they essentially lose. The worst part that's been mentioned already is even just a mediocre offense would have them in first place. Who knows if the Sox are going to turn it around but fans are very upset. A lot want Craig Breslow fired, a lot want to blow the team up and a lot wants John Henry to sell the team. Fans have every right to be upset but the season is still young. Who knows? maybe they'll turn it around. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-29, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray (5-1) goes for the Sox against Bailey Ober of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Rally Past Red Sox (5/22/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Kutter Crawford was placed on the 60 Day Injured List to clear up his roster spot. The Sox used it by sending Zack Kelly to Worcester and calling up 35 year old veteran reliever Tyron Guerrero. The reason is simple, Guerrero has allowed 2 runs in 19 innings out of the bullpen for Worcester and Kelly had some options left. Trevor Story also had groin surgery so we won't see him until mid July at the earliest. Might be time to call up Mikey Romero sooner rather than later.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, what a disaster. For 6 innings it looked like the Red Sox would cruise to a victory over the Minnesota Twins. Payton Tolle tossed 6 innings and allowed just 3 runs while the Boston bats put 6 runs on the board against Connor Prielipp. Then Justin Slaten (0-2, 4.15 ERA) totally imploded in the seventh inning. Byron Buxton and Austin Martin hit 2 run bombs off Slaten to put the Twins in front. The Twins got another run against Tyler Samaniego and stole this one 8-6 at Target Field.

                                                              Crying fans

Tolle got the ball to start the top of the first and Byron Buxton struck out swinging to start. Brooks Lee struck out swinging and Austin Martin grounded out to first to end the inning. Prielipp got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran walked to start. Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to right but Wilyer Abreu doubled to right to score Duran. Willson Conteras tripled into the centerfield triangle to score Abreu and Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left to score Willson. Nick Sogard got a base hit to left to move Monasterio to third and Andruw scored on the sac fly to center by Marcelo Mayer. Carlos Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                                 All Sox so far

Naturally Tolle fell apart in the top of the second as Josh Bell got a base hit to right to start. Gabriel Gonzalez walked and Ryan Kreidler doubled to left to score Bell. Tolle booted a grounder by Kody Clemens for an error to load the bases. Luke Kearschall singled to right to score Gonzalez but Alex Jackson struck out swinging. Byron Buxton singled to left to score Kriedler but Lee struck out swinging. Martin popped up to first to end the inning with the Twins down 4-3.

                                                                   Twins fight back

Caleb Durbin lined out to second to start the bottom of the second and Duran popped up to short. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bell flied out to right to open the top of the third but Gonzalez walked again. Kriedler flied out to center and Clemens grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Abreu got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Contreras grounded into a double play. Monasterio walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Keaschall struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Jackson took strike three. Buxton also watched strike three go by to end the inning. Sogard got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Mayer struck out swinging. Narvaez got a base hit to center to move Sogard to third and Durbin dropped down a squeeze bunt....thrown away by Prielipp! Sogard scored and both runners moved into scoring position. Duran grounded out to first but Narvaez scored and Durbin moved to third. Rafaela walked but Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                        Sox go up by three

Lee struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Martin popped up to first. Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Travis Adams came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Contreras grounded out to third to start. Monasterio struck out swinging but Sogard walked. Mayer grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Gonzalez hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the sixth and Kreidler struck out swinging. Clemens grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Tolle after just 85 pitches as he allowed 3 runs in 6 innings of work off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                               Tolle did well

Narvaez struck out swinging to open the bottom of the sixth and Durbin flied out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Keaschall got a base hit to right to start. Jackson struck out swinging but Buxton hit a home run all the way to Las Vegas. Lee walked and Martin hit a two run home run all the way to China to put the Twins up for good. Bell grounded back to the mound but Gonzalez got a base hit to third to chase Slaten. Greg Weissert came in and Kriedler got a base hit to center, but Clemns grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins up 7-6.

                                                                    Twins surge ahead

Once again when the Sox went down, they gave up in the bottom of the seventh. James Outman took over for Bell with Yoendrys Gomez now on the mound. Rafaela grounded out to third, Abreu flied out to left and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning in short order.

Keaschall was hit with a pitch to start the top of the eighth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Jackson grounded out to third and Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Eric Orze came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Monasterio. Yoshida grounded out to second, Sogard struck out swinging and....Mayer reached on an error by Keaschall. Narvaez walked and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Durbin. Anthony Banda came in to face him and Mickey flied out to right to end the inning.

The Twins iced the game in the top of the ninth with Isiah Kiner-Falefa in for Gasper and Tyler Samaniego on the mound. Sogard booted a grounder by Lee to start and Martin caught Contreras at first asleep with a bunt single. Outman was hit with a pitch to load the bases and that was it for Samaniego. Tyron Guerrero came in to make his Sox debut and Trevor Larnach pinch hit for Gonzalez. Larnach walked to score Lee but Kriedler struck out swinging. Clemens flied out to center and Keaschall forced Larnach at second to end the inning with the Twins up 8-6.

                                                                    Twins are all smiles

Orze came back to finish the bottom of the ninth and Duran swung and missed for strike three....only to take first when the ball got away. Rafaela lined out to center and Abreu grounded into a double play to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-6.

                                                                Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. He allowed 4 runs in the top of the eighth to lose the game.

                                                           Nice inning, Jackass

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Payton Tolle tossed six solid innings allowing just three runs off 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out nine.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mickey Gasper was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tyler Samaniego was charged with a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 but walked.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Tyron Guerrero allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Such a shame it had to be Slaten but you knew this was coming. The Sox bullpen had been lights out with the lead all season but they were bound to blow one. Not only that, its an epicemic that once the Sox go down, they stay down. Apart from Duran on a lucky bounce, not a single battery reached base in the final two innings. That is far more damaging than a once in a while blown save by a normally reliable bullpen. Tolle pitched well enough to earn the win but it just wasn't meant to be this time. Nobody is going to tear their hair out too much over Slaten, but in a season already going down the drain, it just added to the disaster. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-28, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when Jovani Moran (0-1) piggybacks for Brayan Bello against Taj Bradley of Minnesota. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park. 

Off-Day News: 2019 Draft Re-visit (5/21/26)

Today is an off-day and for the first time ever, we're going to take a look back....way back...to the Boston Red Sox 2019 MLB draft. Before 2020 there were FORTY rounds and it would be way too long to go through all of the selections. However we're going to take a look at some of the names you might recognize, even if they didn't make their careers in Boston. So let's see some of the highlights of Dave Dombrowski's last draft before getting the axe in September 2019.

2nd Round - INF Cam Cannon

Famously the Sox didn't have a first round pick in 2019 because they were over the Luxury Tax and MLB rolled a 20 on Smite. Their first pick was in the second round 43rd overall, infielder Cam Cannon. Why take him? He hit 8 home runs and hit .397 his senior year for Arizona State....just like another fella named Dustin Pedroia who had retired back in April of 2019. He looked to have a breakout in 2021 where he hit .302 with 8 home runs for the Greenville Drive in 2021 before getting a late call up to the Portland Sea Dogs where he tacked on 3 more home runs. In 2022 he played in just 51 games where he hit .245 between Florida Complex, Portland and Worcester. He was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft and hit .206 in 46 games for the Reading Fighting Phillies before being released. Unfortunately this was a wasted pick since he never got to the show and to add insult to injury, he was chosen ONE pick after the Orioles took Gunnar Henderson. 3 picks after Cannon, the Miami Marlins drafted Nasim Nunez who may not be hitting well for the Washington Nationals but does have 20 stolen bases this year. The Cincinnatti Reds also picked up Rece Hinds and Brandon Williamson with two picks in the second round after Cannon was taken. After spending a few years in the indy leagues, now he's a highly recommended real estate agent. If you need a house in Arizona, give Cam a call. 

2nd Round - INF Matthew Lugo

The good news was Boston's other second round pick made the Majors....bad news was it wasn't with Boston. Infielder Matthew Lugo was a can't miss kid out of Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico....owned by his uncle Carlos Beltran. In 2022 Lugo broke out with 18 home runs, 78 rbis and a .288 batting average for the Greenville Drive. He was limited to just 83 games with Portland in 2023 but was on the verge of a breakout in 2024. He hit .315 with 11 home runs to get the call to Worcester where he was hitting .250 with 5 home runs. Then Sox GM Craig Breslow idiotically sent Ryan Zeferjahn, Niko Kavadas, Lugo and Yeferson Vargas to the Los Angeles Angels for relief pitcher Luis Garcia. Garcia sucked in Boston while Lugo, Kavadas and Zeferjahn all made their ML debuts with the Angels. Lugo played in 31 games for the Angels last year but shockingly got demoted this year. He's not even playing in AAA, the 25 year old is with the Rocket City Trash Pandas in AA. Still, if those 31 games is all he ever plays, that's more than other guys taken in the second round ever played. Bet the Sox wish they had that trade back.

3rd Round - RHP Ryan Zeferjahn

Speaking of right handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn, he was taken in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Kansas University. It looked like a bad pick when he was batting practice for the Salem Red Sox in 2021 and the Greenville Drive in 2022....but got a 6 game callup to Portland at the end of 2022 going 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA. That looked like a fluke when he was 0-4 with a 5.02 ERA in 2023 for Portland but only allowed 2 runs in 13 innings to start 2024. He was promoted to Worcester where he was 0-3 with a 5.47 ERA when he was traded in the package for Luis Garcia. It looked like no big loss but then suddenly he was promoted to make his ML debut with the Angels. He posted a 2.12 ERA to end 2024 and went 6-5 with a 4.74 ERA out of the bullpen last year. This year he's 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA and while those may not be eye popping stats, at least he's in the show. He's not selling real estate or in Double A like the previous two. Even though he showed no promise with the Sox organization, this pick is still considered a success considering how far he got....even if it wasn't here.

4th Round - RHP Noah Song

Forget baseball career, the LIFE of right handed pitcher Noah Song should be a movie someday. Song pitched for four years in Annapolis for the US Naval Academy before getting picked by the Red Sox in the 4th round of the 2019 draft. After being the Lowell Spinners' ace to end 2019, he was subsequently drafted to become a real life Top Gun, going to flight school and missing the 2020-22 seasons. He was then taken by Philadelphia in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft by the man who drafted him, but since he didn't make the majors, he was returned to the Sox at the end of the 2023 season. Then he had to have Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2024 season and most of 2025. He allowed 29 runs in 47 innings to finish 2025 between Portland and the Worcester Red Sox. This year he's 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA and it doesn't look like he's going to make it. Still, to be a real life Lieutenant Top Gun and pitch in AAA all before turning 29 is nothing to sneeze at. Still, it can't be considered a true success since he didn't get the call to Boston. He was the last pick of the fourth round and one pick later, the first of the 5th, the Baltimore Orioles took Darrell Hernaiz who's now playing for the Oakland A's. Still, since everyone else from the 2019 draft is gone, this makes Song the last of the Lowell Spinners to still be with Boston. Who knows, maybe there will be a Hollywood ending where he's pitching at Fenway this year. We can dream, right?

6th Round - LHP Chris Murphy

Another success was Boston's sixth round pick, left handed pitcher Chris Murphy out of San Diego University. Murphy allowed just 6 runs in 33 innings for the Lowell Spinners to end 2019 and was batting practice as a starter between 2021-23. Still, the lack of options out of the bullpen led the Sox to promote Murphy and his 6.32 ERA from Worcester to Boston on June 7, 2023. After having Tommy John surgery in 2024, he came back in late June 2025. He was 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA down the stretch for the Sox as they marched to the playoffs only to be upended by the New York Yankees. Then just to save a few dollars, Murphy was traded to the Chicago White Sox in November for catching prospect Ronny Hernandez. Fans were irate at the time but this year he's allowed 7 runs in 6 innings earning a demotion to the Charlotte Knights where he's 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA. If the 27 year old's best days are behind him, at least he can say he was apart of a playoff team in Boston. To those that say Dave Dombrowski couldn't draft, four out of his first six draft picks in this draft made the show.

10th Round - OF Steve Scott

In the 10th round, the Sox took outfielder Steve Scott out of Vanderbilt University. Why is this pick noteworthy? His minor league career wasn't anything to write about but its about the pick they DIDN'T make. Scott had a hell of 2021 hitting 16 home runs and driving in 71 runs between Salem and Greenville. In 2022, the Portland Sea Dogs made the playoffs due to 7 home runs in 59 games courtesy of Scott. In 2023 he made it to Worcester where he hit just .228 but with 13 home runs. With the log jam in the Red Sox outfield at the time (and still to this day), Scott was released in Spring Training in 2024. He spent two years with the Toledo Mud Hens but was released after hitting .138 last year. Just another failed 10th round pick in a sea full of them right? Problem is just two picks after the Sox took Scott, the Kansas City Royals took slugger Vinnie Pasquantino. Pasquantino hit 32 home runs and was third in the American League with 113 rbis last season with the Royals. We just saw Pasquantino for three games leading to today's off-day as well. As good as Dombrowski's picks were, taking Scott over Pasquantino haunted them big time.

14th Round - 1B Jordan Beck

Sometimes guys are drafted in the wrong place at the wrong time, such was the case when the Sox used their 14th round pick on an Alabama high school first baseman named Jordan Beck. Beck refused to sign with the Red Sox and ended up going to Tennessee University. This increased his draft stock enough to be drafted by the Colorado Rockies 38th overall in 2022. He played in 55 games with the Rockies in 2024 and belted 16 home runs while driving in 53 runs in 2025. This year he's only hitting .183 with a home run but the fact he made the show to begin with has to be considered a success...or half of one in this case. Dave Dombrowski's scouting department knew they had MLB caliber talent, he just chose to go to Tennessee instead. Oh well, what are you gonna do?

26th Round - LHP Brandon Walter

Dombrowski scored late in the draft when he took left handed pitcher Brandon Walter out of Delaware University in the 26th round. He was 5-4 with a 2.92 ERA between Salem and Greenville in 2021 and was 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 9 starts with Portland in 2022. He got a cup of coffee with Worcester to end 2022 and was pitching well in the Worcester rotation in 2023 when he got the call to Boston on June 22nd.....as a relief pitcher. He allowed 17 runs in 23 innings before being sent back to Worcester. In 2024 he missed the first few months of the season recovering from a rotar cuff injury when he was released. He was picked up by the Houston Astros although he didn't pitch. In 2025 he was 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA for the Sugarland Space Cowboys before being brought up by the Astros as a starter. Shockingly he was 1-3 but with a respectable 3.35 ERA in 9 starts. Unfortunately he's been injured this season but he's still a success story. With the rotation in shambles in 2023, its a wonder the Sox didn't put Walter in it outright but, that's another Chaim Bloom failure. Hopefully Walter recovers but either way, another Dombrowski draft pick that can be considered a success.

32nd Round - RHP Bradley Blalock

Another late round success was 32nd round pick, right handed pitcher Bradley Blalock out of Grayson High School in Georgia. After going 5-6 with a 2.99 ERA for the Gulf Coast Red Sox in 2019, he was 3-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts for Salem in 2022. He had Tommy John surgery in 2022 but it seemed to have fixed him. In 2023 he was 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA between Salem and Greenville when he was infamously traded for Milwaukee Brewers utility infielder Luis Urias at the 2023 trade deadline, more on that later. He was 5-2 with a 4.08 ERA for the Biloxi Shuckers when he made his major league debut in July of 2024 with 10 scoreless innings. That prompted the Brewers to trade him to Colorado at the deadline where he was 1-3 with a 6.07 ERA to end the season. Last year he was AWFUL, going 2-6 with a 9.36 ERA in 12 starts for the Rockies. This season he's currently 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Miami Marlins AAA team. So why was the trade to Milwaukee so infamous? Not just Red Sox fans but Rafael Devers and Kenley Jansen of the Sox themselves were screaming at then-General Manager Chaim Bloom for help at the trade deadline. Just like his predecessor Dave Dombrowski in 2019, the only move Bloom made was trading Blalock for Urias. The Sox went right in the tank and Bloom was fired in September. If nothing else, Blalock is forever linked to the downfall of Chaim Bloom through no fault of his own. Becoming the 7th player to make the majors is nothing to sneeze at if you're Dave Dombrowski's scouting department.

37th Round - LHP Connor Prielipp

Hey look! Its tomorrow night's starter against the Red Sox, left handed pitcher Connor Prielipp of the Minnesota Twins. The current odds on favorite for AL Rookie of The Year was actually drafted by the Red Sox in the 37th round back in 2019....but just like Jordan Beck, he didn't sign. He ended up going to Alabama University where he was taken 48th overall in the 2022 draft by Minnesota. It looked like he wasn't headed very far when he went 1-9 with a 4.03 ERA between AA and AAA but turned it around this year. He was 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 3 starts before making his ML debut. He's currently 1-2 with a 2.88 ERA and if he keeps his ERA down, that might be good enough for Rookie of The Year. Just like with Jordan Beck, the scouting department knew he had talent, he just didn't sign.

So there you have it, there's our one and only look at the 2019 MLB Draft for the Boston Red Sox. 7 guys made the majors with an 8th shockingly still in the system. Cam Cannon was the Sox first pick due to Luxury Tax issues and the Sox missed out on Vinnie Pasquantino by two picks, no disrespect to Steve Scott. The rest of them were slam dunks, even if two of them didn't actually sign and 3 made their debuts elsewhere. Chris Murphy was an integral part of the 2025 playoff run and the trade in 2024 opened the door for Lugo and Zeferjahn to find MLB success. Who the hell thought Brandon Walter would become a stud in 2025 and hopefully his injury heals. The name of the game is development and for a lot of grief Sox fans have given Dave Dombrowski about gutting the farm system, it wasn't like he wasn't making good picks since seven made the show (with a possible 8th) in his final draft. If Craig Breslow isn't fired by the all-star break, it'll be interesting if he can draft 7 major leaguers in a single draft. Time will tell.