Another day, another major outlet releasing its newest mock draft. Today, we’re looking at Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, and who he is projecting the Boston Red Sox to select with the 20th overall pick in the first round.
The Red Sox made the playoffs last season with a winning record; sadly, neither of those goals seems super achievable in 2026. Due to that, the fans might want to start looking towards the upcoming MLB Draft. Also, due to Boston’s somewhat successful 2025 season, it doesn't have a high pick this year, coming in at No. 20.
Mayo has the Red Sox taking something very familiar to the system in recent years, a college pitcher — Hunter Dietz. Not only is he a college pitcher, but he’s a left-handed pitcher.
Dietz is having a big year with Arkansas and he racked up 131 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. The 21-year-old also boasts a 3.57 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while pitching against SEC talent.
Red Sox projected to take another college pitcher in the first round of 2026 MLB Draft
I'm big on taking the best talent available in the MLB Draft. The prospects aren’t going to come up and help the big league team the next day, so you shouldn’t be looking at your current roster and trying to figure out who would fit where. Meanwhile, prospects can always be used as trade chips, and a left-handed pitcher is an elite trade chip.
That being said, boy do the Red Sox not need more left-handed pitching, or college pitching. Boston’s current rotation features Ranger Suarez, an injured Garrett Crochet, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early — all lefties. Down in the minor leagues, Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Marcus Phillips were all drafted within the first 75 picks and were all college arms. Jake Bennett is another left-handed college arm hovering around the big league rotation, and I could keep going.
Again, you can’t put too much stock into what positions are needed when it comes to the draft. Between busts, trades, releases, injuries, and more, you never know what you’ll need when. Dietz could be a great fit for the Red Sox as he’s another monster lefty (6’6”, 235 lbs) who they can probably work wonders with.
If Boston does go down the left-handed college pitcher route, don’t expect a lot of fans to be thrilled with the choice at first. Dietz can throw mid-90s (don’t be shocked if the Red Sox unlock more) with a nasty curveball. Give it a bit, and he’d likely win fans over in droves.
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