The 2026 MLB Draft has officially come and gone, which means it’s time to go through all 19 selections made by the Boston Red Sox and give some rapid reactions.
It’s important to remember that you can’t just grade these selections in the vacuum of their moment. Certain selections were made to save money for future picks, while others were made as insurance. That context will factor into our reactions.
Red Sox 2026 MLB Draft class features 19 selections and a lot of intrigue
Round 1, Pick 20 - Jake Schaffner (SS)
When Jake Schaffner’s name was called at 20, it turned a lot of heads. The left-handed hitting shortstop wasn’t supposed to be a first-round selection. Immediately, people were questioning it.
Honestly, though, it wasn’t that hard to figure out. The Red Sox took Schaffner knowing they could sign him for under-slot value and save money to spend elsewhere (we’ll get to that later).
Outside of the potential money savings, I actually love Schaffner’s fit into the organization. He’s fast with a pretty swing, and he puts the bat on the ball. While he doesn’t have much power, the Red Sox have worked with guys similar to this in the past and added more of that to their game (just look at last year with what they’ve done with Henry Godbout).
Schaffner frees up money and has the exact profile Boston’s program can mold.
Grade: A-
Compensation Round B, Pick 67 - Owen Hull (OF)
Owen Hull was a college teammate and roommate with Schaffner at UNC. He even has some similarities when it comes to things like limiting strikeouts. There’s certainly more room for power growth in Hull, and he already has a leg up there as well.
It will be interesting to see what the Red Sox do with the left-handed hitter’s swing (one which has raised some question marks). However, he could be a 20/20 threat if things work out thanks to some great speed.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 96 - Jace Matacyznski (SS)
The right-handed-hitting High School shortstop will probably get a little overslot value to entice him away from Auburn (where he’s committed).
Matacyznski’s swing was the subject of most pre-draft talk, with questions of whether it would need to be completely reworked in the minor leagues. He has a long road to the Majors, though, so there’s time.
Mata World Peace (a nickname I was told by someone in the organization and I love it) has the tools to be special, but we’ll need to be patient. There's definitely some “boom or bust” potential, but it doesn’t hurt to take those chances every once in a while, and it feels like the Red Sox haven’t taken many of them lately.
Grade: B+
Round 5, Pick 156 - Lucas Davenport (RHP)
Lucas Davenport was the first pitcher taken this draft by the Red Sox (and the start of a run on pitchers for them). The righty stands at 6’6”, 230 lbs with massive extension off the mound. That’s the exact build Boston has been stockpiling (although most have been lefty pitchers).
Davenport has a fastball that can flirt with 100 MPH and a devastating slider. There seems to be plenty of movement in some of his pitches, and it feels like this is the type of arm the Red Sox can work wonders with.
Grade: B+
Round 6, Pick 185 - Brett Lanman (LHP)
Brett Lanman is another monster pitcher (listed at 6’5”, 228 lbs) with phenomenal extension. The only difference is, Lanman is a lefty.
Lanman has a great fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s with good life. However, the extension makes it appear much faster. Don’t be shocked if the Red Sox can unlock a few more MPH, too. He’s struggled the last few years mainly due to his lack of secondaries.
Lanman will need to work on other pitches, but if he can add some juice to that fastball, the Payton Tolle comps will be coming out of the woodwork.
Grade: A-
Round 7, Pick 214 - Kide Adetuyi (LHP)
Here we go, this is what I’m talking about. I love Kide Adetuyi. Standing at 6’1”, 190 lbs, he actually breaks the mold of the stereotypical Boston pitcher at the moment.
However, the left-handed pitcher very much has my attention. His fastball doesn’t really get up there, sitting around 92 MPH, but he has a dominant sweeper. If he can unlock something with the fastball (and maybe work on his changeup), Adetuyi feels like someone who could turn heads.
Grade: A-
Round 8, Pick 244 - Josh Volmerding (LHP)
Josh Volmerding is another huge lefty, listed at 6’4”, 210 lbs. He missed a chunk of last season due to a knee injury but enjoyed some big moments.
Volmerding has a low-to-mid 90s fastball but doesn’t have anything special when it comes to secondaries. He’ll need something to upgrade if he’s going to hit. However, there’s certainly something there if he can gain some velocity.
Grade: B-
Round 9, Pick 274 - Martin Shelar (OF)
Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Martin Shelar in the ninth, and it appears the Red Sox will be able to sign him (thanks to some of those underslot guys like Schaffner). Don’t be surprised if Shelar gets an absolute bag.
The right-handed-hitting High School outfielder has impressive athleticism and speed for his size and power combination (6’2”, 205 lbs). That’s not what we should be talking about, though. Shelar has light-tower power. The Red Sox haven’t had many terrifying power-hitting prospects in recent years.
At the moment, Justin Gonzales is one of the few who has that true 40-homer potential. Shelar could join that short list. Incredible upside; at the very least, this should be fun.
Grade: A
Round 10, Pick 304 - Kaleb LaFavor (RHP)
Kaleb LaFavor is the second straight High Schooler taken by Boston. They certainly made it a bit more of a focus in 2026 than in years prior.
LaFavor is a right-handed pitcher, standing at a towering 6’7”, 195 lbs with elite extension. His fastball sits in the low 90s and is accompanied by already mature secondaries (a good slider and changeup combination).
LaFavor has plenty of room to grow, and if the Red Sox can handle this properly, the 18-year-old could turn into someone special.
Grade: A
Round 11, Pick 334 - Wills Maginnis (SS)
Wills Maginnis was drafted as a shortstop, but he never actually played there in college. Maginnis appeared at first base, second base, third base, and right field.
The right-handed hitter boasted a .306 batting average with eight home runs and 21 steals in 2026 at Georgia State. The Red Sox will need to tap into some extra power for Maginnis if he’s going to stick in one of those corner spots.
Grade: B-
Round 12, Pick 364 - Jacob Webster (SS/RHP)
Jacob Webster is an exciting prospect out of high school for a lot of reasons; the main one being his incredible athleticism. Webster’s a 6’4” quarterback. On the diamond, he’s a shortstop and a right-handed pitcher.
However, I was told by someone in the organization that Webster is almost certainly only going to be a position player. It could be a bit of a worry with Conrad Cason's injury history and how it's prevented him from pitching and playing the field. He should swipe a decent amount of bags and has some serious power potential that the Red Sox could unlock.
Grade: A-
Round 13, Pick 394 - Mason Lei (RHP)
Mason Lei is a 6’4”, 220 lbs right-handed pitcher. He has a decent fastball (sitting in the low 90s) and a strong slider.
Lei wasn’t much of a strikeout pitcher in college, but he severely limited walks and was even able to throw two complete games. Don’t walk batters, and good things tend to happen. So while he’s not the most exciting pitcher on the mound, there’s a clear base for Boston to work with.
Grade: B
Round 14, Pick 424 - Jase Evangelista (RHP)
Jase Evangelista is listed at 6’2”, 200 lbs. The right-handed pitcher has a good fastball in the mid-90s and plenty of secondaries. He has been almost exclusively a reliever in college.
Evangelista struck out 64 batters in 46 2/3 innings. He also walked 18 batters, hit five, and allowed nine home runs. So while the swing-and-miss stuff is there, the command could use some work.
Grade: B-
Round 15, Pick 454 - Chase Frey (LHP)
Guess what? The Red Sox took another monster lefty. Chase Frey stands at 6’6”, 215 lbs.
Frey has a low-90s fastball that has been noted as having “room to grow” velocity-wise. His breaking ball looks impressive as well. Frey posted a solid strikeout rate with a decent walk rate, and even threw a complete-game shutout last year.
If that fastball does indeed grow, Frey could work through the minor leagues at a good pace.
Grade: B
Round 16, Pick 484 - Colton Coates (SS)
Colton Coates fits the same profile as quite a few of the position players the Red Sox took this draft. He makes plenty of contact, but could stand to add some power to his swing.
Coates is a switch-hitting shortstop who had just five home runs last season. However, he hit .330 and had more walks (45) than strikeouts (30). He makes contact and draws walks. That’s a great place to start. If he can add power, that’s a nice bonus. If not, he could still be a fantastic (if not underhyped) prospect. Remember the path of Chase Meidroth?
Grade: B+
Round 17, Pick 514 - Alex Kranzler (RHP)
Alex Kranzler is a right-handed pitcher listed at 6’3”, 219 lbs. He sits mid-90s with his fastball and racked up the strikeouts, but had some command issues.
He was almost exclusively a reliever, but he was a starter in the Summer League. It’s likely the Red Sox will use him out of the bullpen. That’s not a terrible thing, but it limits his potential a bit.
Grade: C+
Round 18, Pick 544 - Ethan Offing (OF)
I really want to love the Ethan Offing pick. He’s a fantastic prospect, and if the Red Sox sign him I’ll be absolutely thrilled. That’s where the excitement takes a hit, though. I don’t think Offing will sign. The high schooler was likely an insurance policy in case the Red Sox can’t sign one of the other high schoolers. In that case, they can give him a bag to lure him away from college.
Offing can be an all-around talent who would be an absolute steal if Boston snags him. It makes it really hard to grade knowing that isn’t likely, though. I’d love to give this an A, but the writing on the wall doesn't allow for it.
Grade: B
Round 19, Pick 574 - Luis Calderon (RHP)
Luis Calderon is a High School pitcher out of Puerto Rico. He’s listed at 6’1”, 155 lbs.
Calderon is an exciting pickup with a low-90s fastball and a great slider. With any high school pitcher, there’s a lot of room for growth. All HS prospects tend to be far away from the Majors, but it feels especially true with pitchers most of the time.
Calderon has the looks of someone the Red Sox can add some juice to when it comes to his pitches. That immediately gets me fired up.
Grade: B+
Round 20, Pick 604 - Aiden VanDeHatert (LHP)
Aiden VanDeHatert is a left-handed pitcher standing at 6’4, 206 lbs (the Red Sox had to sneak in one more giant on the mound).
I’m torn on whether he’ll sign, as he could go back to college, where he was transferring to Virginia Tech. Yes, a few of these guys could go back to college. However, it feels more likely that someone taken in the final round would go back if given the opportunity.
VanDeHatert has the same issues as a lot of the guys you’ll see late in the draft. He can pick up strikeouts, but he has some command problems (12 walks and nine HBP in 31 innings).
Grade: C
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