Red Sox select Sam Travis in second round of draft

Jun 9, 2013; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers first baseman Sam Travis (6) before the game against the Florida State Seminoles during the Tallahassee super regional of the 2013 NCAA baseball tournament at Dick Howser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

With their second round pick and the 67th overall pick of the draft, the Red Sox have opted to fill an area of need in their organization. Boston has drafted Sam Travis, a first baseman out of the University of Indiana and one of the best college bats in this year’s draft class.

Similar to first round selection Michael Chavis, Travis is not an exciting or sexy prospect by any means. However, he certainly has the ability to move quickly through the Red Sox organization and develop into a solid everyday first baseman at the big league level. He is a right-handed hitter and isn’t particularly athletic– he’ll likely be limited to first base going forward– but he has an advanced approach at the plate and has the raw power in addition to the solid hit tool that could make him a successful Major Leaguer.

Travis put a cap on a very successful collegiate career with an excellent junior season at Indiana which saw him slash .347/.415/.576 for the Hoosiers. And while being limited to first base may deter some teams, the Red Sox actually have a lack of quality first base prospects in their farm system and it could be valuable to have a solid prospect like Travis coming through the pipeline.

In the first day of the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft, the Boston Red Sox have not added a ton of impact talent. However, between Travis and Chavis, they have added two potentially solid regulars in addition to a project in Michael Kopech. It’s not the type of draft day that will jump out at fans; however, the Red Sox have added solid players to an already very strong farm system and will look to continue that in day two of the draft tomorrow.