What they're saying nationally after Red Sox snag MLB Draft's ‘top-ranked righty'
With the No. 15 overall pick, Boston snagged Oklahoma righty Kyson Witherspoon, a flame-throwing starter with high upside.
Reaction to the pick has largely been positive, with multiple pundits stating that Witherspoon was their top-ranked right-handed pitcher in this year's draft.
Here's a roundup of reaction from across baseball to Boston's widely lauded Day 1 of the draft:
Jim Bowden, The Athletic
Considering they had the 15th and 33rd picks, the Red Sox did really well on Day 1. First, they selected right-hander Kyson Witherspoon out of Oklahoma. He has four plus pitches, including a 94-99 mph fastball, a hard downer curveball that's in the low 80s, a mid-80s slider and a cutter. He also has an improving changeup with solid fade. He gets hitters to chase out of the strike zone and has compact arm action with little effort.
MLB.com
Witherspoon is the top college right-hander in the class, and his name had come up in the top 10 in the weeks leading up to the Draft. He's super athletic on the mound, with four plus pitches and solid control coming from a compact arm action. He's also the second twin to be taken (JoJo Parker being the other one); his brother Malachi was taken by Detroit with the 62nd overall pick. This is the first time Boston has taken an arm with its first pick since Tanner Houck in 2017. More »
ESPN.com
The Red Sox are interested in creating more pitching depth and selected a number of interesting arms on Day 1. Kyson Witherspoon had a lot of interest in the top 10, but the Red Sox got him at No. 15.
USA TODAY – Grade: A
'The Red Sox get good value in Witherspoon, who boasts a big fastball that peaks at 99 mph. His fastball has a 65 grade, according to MLB Pipeline. Witherspoon also has three plus secondary offers in his slider, cutter and curveball, which are all 60-grade pitches."
CBS Sports – Grade: A
'I had Witherspoon as the top-ranked righty in the class -- blame it on Bremner's uneven year and Gage Wood's shoulder injury. He has a deceptively short arm stroke that he uses to chuck a full arsenal, including mid-to-upper-90s fastballs and three breaking pitches (slider, curve, and cutter). This is good value at pick 15.'
More Red Sox coverage
What to know about Red Sox on Day 2 of the MLB Draft, list of picks
A sweet ambush: Fred Lynn and Jim Rice's bond still gold 50 years after 1975 Red Sox pennant
Red Sox draft College World Series champion pitcher with their fourth pick of night
Red Sox draft UVA infielder with third pick at No. 75 overall
Who's Kyson Witherspoon, Red Sox first round pick? 'I don't like being second'
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