There was a common theme about the Red Sox as they picked in their earliest slot since 1993. With both the 7th and 45th overall picks, the Red Sox selected big power pitchers Trey Ball and Teddy Stankiewicz. Both of these picks came as a bit of a surprise, as other impact talent was still on the board when these players were picked. There’s no denying that the Red Sox did go with a couple of high-upside picks, which they haven’t been able to do in a while. In that way, this year’s draft marked a huge change from last year’s.
Trey Ball has one of the best pitcher’s frames possible at 6’6″, 180 pounds and at just 18 years old he has plenty of room to grow and throw harder. Even at 180 pounds, Ball throws his fastball in the low 90’s, topping out at 94 mph. Ball’s off-speed pitches are a bit behind the curve (pun completely intended), as his dad kept him from throwing his curve until his senior year to limit stress on his arm. For somebody with relatively little experience with the pitch, Ball has a good feel for his curve and he has a better feel for his change. His control is decent, but if he grows, and develops his control and secondary pitches, Ball absolutely has ace potential. He’s just a bit more raw than some of the other available players.
With the 45th pick, the Red Sox selected Teddy Stankiewicz, a pick that surprised many (including myself). Stankiewicz also has a good pitcher’s frame at 6’4″, 200 pounds, and throws even a bit harder than Ball. His fastball has been clocked up to 96 and typically sits in the low-to-mid 90’s range. He also has good command, but his off-speed pitches lag behind his stuff well more than with Ball. He has a curve, slider, and change, but none of them are plus pitches, like Ball his change is his best secondary offering, although scouts suggest that they could all develop into major league average pitches as he progresses.
When all is said and done, I expect Ball will slide in at around #9 on Red Sox prospects lists, right below Henry Owens (with whom he is a very comparable pitcher) and ahead of Bryce Brentz. Stankiewicz may fit into the 13-15 range around fellow pitchers Drake Britton and Brian Johnson. Both of the Red Sox selections are raw and young pitchers with the potential to lock down a rotation spot in a few years. Even though I may have made some different selections, it’s hard to argue with the upside from these first two picks.