The Boston Red Sox have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck, their first round selection in the 2017 MLB draft.
Scratch one priority for the Boston Red Sox off the list this summer.
The team announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck, the 24th overall selection in this year’s MLB draft.
The #RedSox today signed RHP Tanner Houck, the club’s first-round selection in the 2017 June Draft (24th overall).
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 21, 2017
Houck is expected to report to Single-A Lowell, the short-season level of the Red Sox organization which kicked off its schedule this week.
"“Super excited,” Houck said on a conference call after being drafted. “Team with great history. Obviously they’re one of the top teams in the entire league right now. They’ve been great through numerous years. I’m honored to be a Boston Red Sox and super excited to get started.”"
Houck went 4-7 with a 3.33 ERA while piling up 95 strikeouts over 14 starts in his junior year with Missouri.
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The scouting report reveals that Houck works with an above-average fastball/slider combination. His fastball falls in the 92-93 mph range with good sinking action, while his four-seam fastball can be dialed up to 97 mph.
It seems likely that Houck will wind up as a reliever in the long run if he fails to develop a third pitch. Working in shorter stints would allow him to crank up the velocity on his fastball and could shorten his path to the big leagues.
There had even been whispers that he could be fast-tracked to Boston to play a role in the Red Sox bullpen down the stretch this season.
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For now, the Red Sox appear to be committed to keeping him in a starting role. That route would seem to provide him the opportunity to reach his highest ceiling, although it also likely delays his timeline for reaching the majors.