Boston Red Sox stars before they made it to Major League Baseball

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Michael Chavis poses with Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig after being chosen 26th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Michael Chavis poses with Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig after being chosen 26th overall by the Boston Red Sox during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 17: Mitch Moreland #18 of the Boston Red Sox stretches during a team workout at jetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 17, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Red Sox 1B Mitch Moreland:

He played baseball and soccer at Amory High School in Amory, Mississippi. He committed to and enrolled at Mississippi State University after pitching and batting extremely well and not being drafted out of high school. He decided to major in business administration.

He was supposed to redshirt his first year but ended up starting for the team towards the middle of the season. He played in 22 games that year and finished with a batting average of .316. He was a jack of all trades as he played in left field, served as the designated hitter, and pitched once.

In his sophomore campaign, he came out of the bullpen, started 19 games as the right fielder, and started 17 games as the designated hitter. He finished with a .319 batting average, 5 home runs, and 23 runs batted in. He also compiled a 2-0 record with a 3.75 ERA in 6 and 1/3 innings.

In his junior year, he hit .343 with ten home runs. He also won 2 games and finished with a 3.46 ERA that year.

After that season, he was drafted in the 17th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers, where he signed and began his big league career.

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