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2 days ago
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Red Sox draft College World Series champion pitcher with their fourth pick of night
Just three weeks ago, right-hander Anthony Eyanson helped LSU win the College World Series. Now, he's a member of a pitching-heavy Red Sox draft class. Boston selected Eyanson with its third round pick at No. 87 overall Sunday, making him the third SEC pitcher (and fourth college player) the club selected on Day 1 of the draft. The slot value of the pick is $907,200. Earlier, the Red Sox took Oklahoma righty Kyson Witherspoon at No. 15 and Tennessee righty Marcus Phillips at No. 33. Eyanson, a 20-year-old California native, pitched for UC San Diego for two years before transferring to Baton Rouge for 2025. For the Tigers this year, he logged a 3.00 ERA and struck out 152 batters in 108 innings in 20 games (18 starts). He was a First-Team All-American, per Baseball America, along with Witherspoon. 'Another guy that throws a ton of strikes,' said Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson. 'Has really good secondaries (pitches) and has dominated from a performance standpoint this year.' Eyanson started the final game of the collegiate season when LSU beat Coastal Carolina to sweep a best-of-three championship series in Omaha on June 22. In a 5-3 Tigers win, he went 6 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while recording nine strikeouts. 'To do it at a school like LSU where it's a packed house every night, you've got to be tough and enjoy that craziness in the moment,' Pearson said. 'You have to have players like that if you want to pitch at Fenway Park.' Eyanson was ranked the No. 40 prospect in the draft, per MLB Pipeline. Here's the site's scouting report on him: 'Eyanson served UC San Diego as a solid starter for two seasons before electing to transfer to LSU. He showed top-two-rounds potential last summer by working with a 93-97 mph fastball and a hammer curveball while with the U.S. collegiate national team and in the Cape Cod League. His stuff wasn't as sharp early in his junior season but he came on strong in the final two months to rank third in NCAA Division I in wins (12) and strikeouts (152 in 108 innings) and help the Tigers win the College World Series. 'Eyanson's slider has become his best pitch during his first season in Baton Rouge, parking at 82-85 mph and eliciting empty swings in and out of the strike zone thanks to its tremendous depth. His upper-70s curveball has been solid but hasn't enticed hitters to chase nearly as much as his slide piece has. His fastball has operated at 92-94 mph and topped out at 98, though its lack of life can make it vulnerable if he doesn't locate it well. 'Though Eyanson's low-80s changeup can miss bats with its fade and sink, he struggles to throw it for strikes. He's a good athlete with decent control but will nibble around the plate too much at times. He has a ceiling of a No. 3 starter if he can improve his fastball shape but also could wind up as a reliever who relies heavily on his breaking pitches.' More Red Sox coverage What they're saying nationally after Red Sox snag MLB Draft's 'top-ranked righty' A sweet ambush: Fred Lynn and Jim Rice's bond still gold 50 years after 1975 Red Sox pennant 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' Red Sox double down on college pitching, draft another SEC arm with second pick (No. 33) Read the original article on MassLive.
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2 days ago
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What they're saying nationally after Red Sox snag MLB Draft's ‘top-ranked righty'
The Boston Red Sox may have landed a steal in the 2025 MLB Draft, if the national reaction from Day 1 is any indication. 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. 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 » 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' Read the original article on MassLive.
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2 days ago
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‘He wanted to be a Red Sox': A look at some of Boston's Day 2 draft picks
The Red Sox used 15 of their 21 picks in the 2025 MLB Draft on pitchers, including 10 from the SEC. All 15 are 6-foot-2 or taller. It continued chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's trend of prioritizing pitchers. Twenty-nine of his 41 picks over two drafts have been hurlers. 'Big frame, big velo and stuff — that's kind of how we prioritize pitchers as we work throughout the draft and certainly got a lot of those guys," Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson said Monday during a Zoom after wrapping up the second and final day of the draft. 'I know there's a lot of SEC players this year. That was, I guess, where all the big guys with stuff and velo are.' Twenty of Boston's 21 picks this year were college players. (See the Red Sox' full draft results here). 'I think we had targeted a group of college pitchers that we really liked, and I think a lot of the bats that we liked as well went early,' Pearson said. 'We were able to get a couple bats that we had valued highly throughout the draft. But we were really intentional with what bats we circled. And we're lucky to get a lot of the college pitchers that we like. 'There were certainly a group of high school hitters that we really liked that but either didn't have the money to access them or they went earlier and kind of just fell that way,' Pearson added. Fifth rounder Christian Foutch, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound right-handed pitcher out of Arkansas, certainly meets the big velocity/frame criteria. His MLB Pipeline scouting report notes, 'Foutch's fastball averaged 98 mph and topped out at 100 this year.' 'Big body, big stuff,' Pearson said. 'His mix has changed at times and we saw some optimization opportunities there. But definitely the velo, definitely the size and just the chance to get to really good secondaries and pair that all together could give him a shot to be pretty interesting.' Ninth round pick Jacob Mayers, a righty out of LSU, is another big velo/big frame project. he 6-foot-5, 205-pounder 'regularly' throws 100 mph and has reached up to 101.8 mph, according to 'Really exceptional fastball velocity,' Pearson said. 'Went to the draft league and pitched there. That's where we kind of tracked him throughout the last couple months or a month, however long he's been there. And I think we just saw some things that we can help him get to better positions and throw more strikes. Just a fun arm with some upside and we were excited to get him.' Boston used its 13th round pick on a local kid, Jack Winnay out of Wake Forest. Winnay is from Newton and graduated from Belmont Hill School in Belmont. 'We've known him for a long time. And I think he was a guy that even last year we had some draft interest in,' Pearson said. 'And just being able to get him this year when we did, we're super excited.' The 22-year-old third baseman crushed 35 homers in 119 games as a sophomore and junior at Wake. 'He wanted to be a Red Sox. We wanted him here and it worked out that way,' Pearson said. 'So a fit for both sides.' Boston's lone high school pick was outfielder Fabian Bonilla, who was just four months old during the Red Sox' 2007 World Series victory. Boston selected him in the 19th round out of Christian Military Academy in Puerto Rico. 'The credit there goes to our area scout, Wallace Rios,' Pearson said. 'He's located in Virginia but also covers Puerto Rico, where he's from. Just had established a relationship with Fabian. We've had him at our workout. See a lot of upside with some power potential and the overall athlete. And was a good fit where he wanted to be with us and we wanted him to be here.' Boston began Day 2 by selecting a college shortstop, Mason White, in the fourth round. White slashed .327/.412/.689/1.101 with 20 homers, 17 doubles, eight triples, 73 RBIs, 63 runs, 25 walks and 65 strikeouts in 65 games (302 plate appearances) for Arizona this season. 'He was a guy we were pumped to get,' Pearson said. 'I think the defense, he's been really good at shortstop. Cut down on his whiff rate a lot, has just continued to get better. Gets the ball in the air to the pull side with some power. Just fits what we do here well. And especially at a premium position, he was a guy we didn't want to miss on.' More Red Sox coverage Jim Rice and Fred Lynn say heralded Red Sox rookies have it easier than they ever did Red Sox draft local kid who hit 35 homers in last 119 games at Wake Forest Red Sox draft pick with 'big velocity' listed as candidate to make MLB debut in 2026 What to know about Red Sox on Day 2 of the MLB Draft, list of picks What they're saying nationally after Red Sox snag MLB Draft's 'top-ranked righty' Read the original article on MassLive.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
2025 MLB draft: Meet the players with Illinois connections who were selected
Several baseball players with Illinois connections were selected in Major League Baseball's 2025 amateur draft. Here's a look at which teams drafted them through the complete 20 rounds of the draft and where they were picked relative to their predraft MLB Pipeline top 250 ranking. Summerhill tops the list after being chosen in Competitive Balance Round A, making him the highest draft pick in Young history. The slot value for this pick, which indicates MLB's predetermined signing-bonus estimate, is $2.33 million. But Summerhill slid from first-round projections; ranked him No. 16. There were concerns about his power after he missed a month this season with a fractured right hand. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder slashed .323/.424/.535 with a .978 fielding percentage in three seasons with the Wildcats. Fauske improved on his predraft projection of No. 58. The 6-3, 200-pound outfielder, who grew up a Sox fan, earned 2025 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year honors after hitting .461 with 29 stolen bases as a senior. With a slot value of $2.22 million at No. 44, it's likely Fauske will sign instead of heading to LSU. Episcope's selection, with a $447,400 slot value, makes him the highest draft pick from the Latin School. The 6-foot, 210-pound right-hander has had two major elbow surgeries and has seen limited playing time as a result. But he was twice named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week in 2025. Essenburg greatly improved on his predraft ranking, jumping from No. 221 to a $438,600 slot value. The 6-2, 200-pound two-way player was drafted as an outfielder and told the Daily Southtown he plans to forgo his commitment to Kentucky. As a senior, Essenburg batted .464 with 42 runs, 11 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. Wheeler, a 6-5, 205-pound third baseman, starred in three sports at Morris and is committed to Illinois. His selection has a $374,100 slot value. Robinson is a 6-1, 195-pound shortstop who starred at Homewood-Flossmoor and was part of the White Sox ACE program before three seasons at Illinois State. In 2025, he posted career highs in home runs (10), RBIs (45), walks (48) and OPS (.869) for the Redbirds. His selection has a $190,900 slot value. While he didn't attend an Illinois school, Counsell has a connection through his father: Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. Both Counsells attended Whitefish Bay in Wisconsin, and Brady played three seasons at Minnesota before transferring to Kansas. The 6-3, 210-pound shortstop was drafted ($189,800 slot value) by the team his father won a World Series with as a player in 2001. Bilecki, a 6-2, 205-pound outfielder, played three seasons at Lewis after his high school career at Marist and is the Division II school's first MLB draft pick in 25 years. He told The Beverly Review he will be transferring to Arizona State for the 2026 season. Storm, a 6-3, 214-pound right-hander, has played two seasons at Rock Valley with a redshirt year in between. Brock is a 6-3, 200-pound catcher. The Brewers reported he slashed .462/.565/.870 with 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBIs in his third season of junior college. Mensik is a 6-2, 195-pound right-hander who helped Lincoln-Way Central to a Class 4A regional title. He's committed to Xavier, where his brother Landon Mensik currently plays. Nowak, a 5-10, 190-pound outfielder, spent three years at East Carolina before transferring to UIC for the 2025 season. He led the Flames in four offensive categories as a senior and was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference. Nowak is from Menomonee Falls, Wis. Schmitt is a 6-3, 200-pound right-hander who played two seasons at Wisconsin-La Crosse before transferring to Illinois for the 2025 season. The Madison, Wis., native led the Illini in innings pitched (80 2/3) and strikeouts (58). Chadwick follows his father as an MLB draft pick — Ray Chadwick was drafted by the California Angels in 1983 and made seven major-league starts in 1986. The younger Chadwick is a 6-4, 220-pound right-hander who attended high school in Canada before three years at Illinois State. Moore is a switch-hitting middle infielder who caught the attention of scouts who showed up to watch other players. Projected at No. 100 by he dropped to the 18th round after concerns about signability. He told the Knoxville News Sentinel he will attend Tennessee. Sanchez was a first-team all-state selection at LaSalle-Peru before three seasons with the Illini. The 6-foot, 211-pound right-hander was drafted after a junior season in which he went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts. Appenzeller, a 6-6 left-hander, was projected at No. 58 but dropped to the 19th round when signability became an issue. He confirmed to the Knoxville News Sentinel that he will attend Tennessee. Anderson is a 6-1, 195-pound shortstop. In his one year at junior college — which qualified him for the draft — he slashed .439/.520/.706 with 10 home runs, 63 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Young is a 6-2, 180-pound right-hander who was taken with one of the final 20 picks in the draft. He told The News-Gazette he intends to honor his commitment to Illinois. Four Illinois high school prospects were ranked fairly high on MLB Pipeline's top 250 before the draft but were picked in much later rounds or went unselected. Ethan Moore (Oak Park-River Forest, ranked No. 100) and Cameron Appenzeller (Chatham Glenwood, No. 58) were picked in the 18th and 19th rounds, respectively, far below their projections. Jack Bauer (Lincoln-Way East, No. 44) and Brandon Shannon (McHenry, No. 129) went undrafted. It's worth noting all four are committed to big-time college baseball programs: Moore and Appenzeller to Tennessee, Bauer to Mississippi State and Shannon to Louisville. Name, image and likeness (NIL) money available for players in top programs can be a deterrent from signing when drafted out of high school — and MLB teams won't use high draft picks on players who are unlikely to sign. Bauer, Shannon and Appenzeller are also members of the riskiest group of players: high school pitchers. Some players opt to build strength and get reps in college to increase their draft stock (and bonus money) in a few years. Players who attend a four-year college are eligible for the draft once they complete their junior year or turn 21. College players who were drafted but retain NCAA eligibility can choose to return to school instead of signing with the MLB team that drafted them. Each pick in the first 10 rounds is assigned a bonus value, but those numbers are estimations — it's up to the team and player to reach an agreement on the amount of a bonus. And teams can offer signing bonuses to players in subsequent rounds, even with no assigned value. Teams are restricted to their assigned bonus pool, with penalties for exceeding the total amount.
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4 days ago
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Cardinals Round Out First Day of Draft with Power Pitcher, Two Lefty Bats
Cardinals Round Out First Day of Draft with Power Pitcher, Two Lefty Bats originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After selecting left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle with the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals made three more selections on day one at Nos. 55, 72 and 89. Advertisement Ryan Mitchell - Round 2, Pick No. 55 With their second pick in the draft, the Cardinals drafted 18-year-old Ryan Mitchell out of Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee. The left-handed hitting middle infielder is known for his disciplined approach at the plate with "advanced feel for the barrel and a willingness to use the entire field," according to an MLB Pipeline scouting report. The current-Georgia Tech commit has the ability to compete at the minor league level which should prove helpful in the Cardinals' pursuit of signing the draftee, but it's likely that Mitchell will move away from his regular shortstop position due to average throwing strength in the field and an already-present organizational logjam in the position. The team could move him to second base or potentially center field. Advertisement MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 60, Power: 50, Run: 55, Arm: 50, Field: 50, Overall: 50 Tanner Franklin pitches against Wake Forest at the NCAA college baseball Knoxville Regional final on June 2, 2025. Saul Young-News Sentinel, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesSaul Young-News Sentinel, USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Tanner Franklin - Competitive Balance Round B, Pick No. 72 The Cardinals drafted their second pitcher with their third day-one pick, selecting Doyle's teammate out of Tennessee, right-handed reliever Tanner Franklin. Franklin, 21, is known for being a two-pitch flame thrower out of the 'pen. With a fastball that reaches 102 mph and a 90-mph cutter, the hard-throwing righty had one of the best swing-and-miss rates among NCAA Division I. While his stuff can fly, Franklin has shown inconsistencies on the bump at the college level, struggling with pitch command inside and outside the zone. Advertisement With a ceiling of becoming a legitimate closer at the MLB level, though, it's not an outlandish move for the Cardinals to take a chance on a reliever like Franklin. MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70, Cutter: 50, Control: 50, Overall: 45 Jack Gurevitch - Round 3, Pick No. 89 The team wrapped up day one of draft festivities with another infielder in first baseman Jack Gurevitch out of the University of San Diego. Gurevitch, 21, is another prospect who has a high ceiling with the capability of becoming a great left-handed hitter. With high exit velocities in college, there is some belief among MLB scouts that the six-foot first baseman has more power to develop that hasn't been shown yet. Advertisement With a hard swing comes aggressiveness, which can lead to chasing on too many pitches out of the zone - something Gurevitch has struggled with in college. MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 55, Power: 45, Run: 45, Arm: 50, Field: 45, Overall: 45 Related: Cardinals Select Liam Doyle With Fifth Overall Pick in MLB Draft Related: Cardinals Announce Injury News After Loss to Braves This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
