MLB mock draft roundup: Red Sox linked to Tennessee slugger

MLB mock draft roundup: Red Sox linked to Tennessee slugger originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox have built one of the league’s best farm systems over the last few years. Later this month, they will have a chance to add more impactful players to the pipeline.

Boston will have the 12th overall pick when the 2024 MLB Draft begins on July 14. It will be Craig Breslow‘s first draft since replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer.

Bloom had an affinity for high school middle infielders during his tenure, using first-round picks on them in three of the last four years. He selected second baseman Nick Yorke in 2020, shortstop Marcelo Mayer in 2021, and shortstop Mikey Romero in 2022 before bucking the trend with catcher Kyle Teel in 2023.

Which route will Breslow take? Here’s a roundup of predictions from MLB draft experts:

Kiley McDaniel, ESPN: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

McDaniel: “There’s been a lot of heat for Moore coming off the board with this pick during his rise throughout the end of the regular season into the college postseason. Boston seems to be in a similar spot to Detroit, hoping to grab one of the top 10 talents who happen to fall out of the top 10 picks, with a bias toward hitters with some power. Moore and Kurtz both fit that focus on hitters with power.”

Jim Callis, MLB.com: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Callis: “Barring a surprise fall — perhaps Griffin or Rainer? — the Red Sox figure to dip into the second tier of college bats that begins with Tibbs and Moore, though Yesavage is also enticing. This is the ceiling for other members of that group, including Florida State third baseman Cam Smith, Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King, Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge, Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt and Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.”

Mike Axisa, CBS Sports: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep (Mississippi)

Axisa: “Over the last few weeks, the Red Sox have been linked to college bats more than any draft demographic, but the college hitters still on the board in our mock simply do not offer the same upside as Griffin. Pound-for-pound, he might be the most electrifying and most tooled up player in the draft class. Boston jumped on Kyle Teel when he unexpectedly fell to their pick last draft and the bet here is they would jump on Griffin (or Rainer) if he’s available this year.”

Edward Sutelan, Sporting News: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep (Mississippi)

Sutelan: “The Red Sox have been a bit all over the place with recent draft picks, though they’ve tended to lean more high school over the past four drafts, with three of the past four picks coming from the high-school ranks. Here, they’ll likely just be delighted to see Konnor Griffin still on the board.

“Griffin’s tools are explosive with a ton of raw power, plenty of speed and a rocket arm. He also adds solid defense that should see him stick it at shortstop or shift to center. There are some raw aspects with his hit tool that make him slightly riskier than the players taken above him, but the upside will elicit plenty of dreams by anyone that selects him.”

Carlos Collazo, Baseball America: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Collazo: “It’s the same group of names for the Red Sox as in the previous mock. That includes Honeycutt, Christian Moore (if he were available), Trey Yesavage (if the team wants to go with a pitcher), or others like James Tibbs III, Cam Smith and Carson Benge. It does seem like Honeycutt’s floor could be lower than all of the other hitters mentioned here, but I think this is a real landing spot. Would Boston pass on Kurtz if he were available here given the presence of Triston Casas? I’m not sure.”

Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina

Reuter: “Yesavage established himself as the clear No. 3 guy among college pitchers this spring by going 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 93.1 innings, building off a strong sophomore season to move comfortably into the first-round picture. The Red Sox have not always had the best luck developing pitching prospects, so that makes a polished, high-floor arm like Yesavage an attractive target. The 20-year-old is essentially a plug-and-play future rotation piece, even if his ceiling is more middle-of-the-rotation than future ace.

Aram Leighton, Just Baseball: James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State

Leighton: “Tibbs has seen his draft stock soar as he torched the ACC on his way to winning the conference’s Player of the Year award. The outfielder quelled minor hit tool questions by hitting .303 on the Cape and cutting his strikeout rate to just 11% in his junior season while launching 28 home runs. The Red Sox and their pitching-centric front office could consider top prep southpaw Cam Caminiti, but they seem to be more focused on collegiate players.”

The 2024 MLB Draft begins Sunday, July 14 at 5 p.m. ET. ​