Boston Red Sox drafts: How have the last 10 first-round picks done?

Taking a look back at the last 10 Boston Red Sox first-round draft picks

The Boston Red Sox have revamped their minor league system over the last few years. A prospect crop that was in absolute shambles in 2019 is suddenly loaded with exciting talent.

How did they do it? Some prospects blossomed, and others were traded for. There were international signings as well. Of course, the most obvious way to build up a system is through the draft.

You can find gems in any round of the draft. Some of the best players, like Wade Boggs (seventh round) and Kevin Youkilis (eighth round), were snatched up later in the draft.

However, it's the first-round picks that usually give you the most hope. Nomar Garciaparra was a first-round pick. Jim Rice and Roger Clemens were as well.

The first round is where a team really has that home run potential. That means there's also the potential for it to be a bust of a selection, though.

With that in mind, how have the Red Sox done in that category lately? We're going to go back and take a look at their last ten first-round draft picks. We'll discuss each, see where they are now, and give each a grade.

Obviously, some of the more recent picks will be harder to grade. Not only have some not made it to the Majors yet, but it's far too early in their minor league careers to assume too much. We'll do the best we can, though.

The Boston Red Sox farm system has improved in recent years, and a lot of that starts with these names.

Boston Red Sox 2013 first-round pick: Trey Ball (starting pitcher)

The Boston Red Sox used the seventh overall pick in the 2013 draft to select Trey Ball out of New Castle Chrysler High School in Indiana.

Ball was a left-handed pitcher who the Red Sox snatched away from attending the University of Texas with a hefty signing bonus.

He never really found his way while in the minor leagues, though. Ball struggled in Rookie Ball in 2013, but that wasn't a big deal. A pitcher coming out of high school not adapting immediately after being drafted isn't a new concept.

2014 gave some glimpses of positive things. The lefty posted a 4.68 ERA, .280 BAA, and 1.50 WHIP in 100 innings at the Full-A level. Not a lot of strikeouts and some walks didn't help his case.

2015 was the same story for Ball. He was in Advanced-A now and threw 125 innings. The numbers were similar. Again, he didn't strike out many batters but was still walking (not at a crazy clip, but enough to be worrisome if he's not missing bats).

Some positive steps were made in 2016. Ball posted a career-best 3.84 ERA and 86 strikeouts over 117 1/3 innings in Advanced-A. The walks (68) were also a career-high, though. He allowed fewer home runs, but his BAA and WHIP bumped up. It was a very confusing season.

2017 saw Ball move to Double-A. He again set a career-high with 103 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings and even managed to lower his walks to 57. His 5.27 ERA, .322 BAA, and 1.75 WHIP were not encouraging, however.

Ball's numbers leaped into "yikes" territory the next season, and it saw him actually try to convert to a two-way player. As an outfielder/DH, Ball went 1-for-9 with a double and an RBI.

In 2019, he started back in Rookie Ball, trying to reinvent himself as a hitter. Ball went 2-for-14 with one double, six RBI, and four walks (compared to four strikeouts) in five games.

That's the last the Red Sox got out of Trey Ball. He hasn't played for another Major League affiliate since then.

Ball was an exciting pitching prospect coming out of High School that the Boston Red Sox took a chance on. Any prospect comes with question marks, especially coming out of High School. That seems to be especially true with pitchers, as the competition takes such a sharp increase.

Not getting past Double-A hurts. The overall numbers don't help. And a failed attempt to switch to a position player doesn't look great. Trey Ball was an extremely talented pitcher, but everyone in the minor leagues is an elite baseball player. Sometimes it just doesn't work.

Fun fact, though, one of the first articles I ever wrote about the Red Sox was about Trey Ball. Yes, even in 2015, I was obsessed with minor league baseball.

Draft Grade: F

Boston Red Sox 2014 first-round pick: Michael Kopech (starting pitcher)

The Boston Red Sox used the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 draft on starting pitcher Michael Kopech. That's right, Boston had two first-round picks in the 2014 draft. Kopech was coming out of high school and had an electric arm.

In 2015, he pitched 65 innings in Full-A. The righty posted a 2.63 ERA, .228 BAA, and 1.23 WHIP. He also struck out 70 batters.

Kopech followed that with an even better year. In 56 1/3 innings, he struck out an absurd 86 batters. He posted a 2.08 ERA, .156 BAA, and 1.10 WHIP. 52 of those innings were in Advanced-A, with 4 1/3 coming in Short-A.

However, that was the end of Kopech's career with the Red Sox. That offseason, he was shipped off to the Chicago White Sox as part of the package for Chris Sale.

Kopech ended up making his MLB debut for Chicago in 2018. He showed some promise, but the numbers weren't great. Injuries meant that he didn't pitch again until 2021.

Kopech worked mainly out of the bullpen that year and managed impressive numbers. He moved back to the starting rotation in 2022 and had more success. 2023 has been a mixed bag when it comes to the results.

Michael Kopech had a short career with the Red Sox organization. He was a main piece for them in acquiring Chris Sale, so that has to count for something. But we're looking more at his body of work. How was he as a draft pick in terms of how he turned out as a professional baseball player?

Injuries have mired Kopech's career. He's pitched over 100 innings one time (119 1/3 in 2022). Although, he could definitely break that number again this season.

Overall, the stats are solid. But they aren't anything spectacular. And the best ability is availability, which Kopech hasn't brought to the table much. He's still only 27. There's plenty of time for him to carve out a great career.

Draft Grade: C+

Boston Red Sox 2015 first-round pick: Andrew Benintendi (outfielder)

The Boston Red Sox used the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft on outfielder Andrew Benintendi.

Benintendi had plenty of hype surrounding him coming out of Arkansas in 2015. Riding a monster season, Boston managed to scoop him up at seven.

The left-handed hitting outfielder flew through the minor leagues. In 2015, he appeared in 35 games for Low-A and 19 more for Full-A. Benintendi slashed .313/.416/.556 that season.

He started 2016 in Advanced-A, playing 34 games before getting promoted to Double-A. After just 63 games there, Benintendi was promoted again. Not to Triple-A, though. Instead, he was sent straight to the Major Leagues.

Benintendi's 2016 in the Majors went well. The outfielder slashed .295/.359/.476 in 34 games. His 2017 season saw him hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases. Then in 2018, he hit 41 doubles and six triples. He also stole 21 bases. All of those are still career highs.

2018 also saw Benintendi make a phenomenal play to end a playoff game against the Houston Astros. Boston won the World Series that season with the fan-favorite "Killer B's" in the outfield (Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts).

His production dipped in 2019 but was still solid. Then in 2020, Benintendi slashed .103/.314/.128 over 14 games. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals before the 2021 season.

Benintendi had a solid bounce-back year in 2021, then a solid (although powerless) 2022 that included getting traded to the New York Yankees. In the offseason, he signed a big contract with the Chicago White Sox. He's been okay there in 2023.

Benintendi was an early pick that many expected to make it to the Majors relatively fast. He somehow flew past even that and was in Boston before the end of his first full season in the organization.

While with the Red Sox, Benintendi had some defining moments and great seasons. However, there's been a plateau that he can't seem to pass. Benintendi's a solid player, but it's not a complete performance.

He's definitely a success, but it's hard not to be a little disappointed after such a promising start to his career.

Draft Grade: B

Boston Red Sox 2016 first-round pick: Jay Groome (starting pitcher)

The Boston Red Sox used the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft on starting pitcher Jay Groome.

Groome was selected out of high school and seen by many as the top pitching prospect in the draft. However, there were questions surrounding him.

One big question was about his work ethic and attitude. That's something that I think Groome has done a good job of answering. If you want to nitpick about parts of his game, fine. But he appears to be a hard worker who is dedicated to baseball.

Groome did have a serious issue in his first few seasons, though. That issue was his health. Through his first four seasons in the system, Groome managed just 66 innings of work. Then with 2020 canceling the MiLB season, he was heading into year six with still just those 66 innings in the minor leagues.

2021 was a mixed bag. However, the left-handed pitcher did have a couple of good outings at the end of the year in Double-A. Most importantly, he threw 97 1/3 innings that season.

In 2022, Groome tossed a career-high 144 innings. That included getting a chance in Triple-A, where he looked great in Worcester for a few outings.

It was starting to look like the Boston Red Sox had something in the young pitching prospect. Then he was traded away for Eric Hosmer, Corey Rosier, and Max Ferguson.

Rosier is having a breakout season in Double-A this year, and Ferguson's been decently impressive in High-A.

Back to Groome, though. The lefty is now in the San Diego Padres system. It's been a tough year for him. As of the time this was written, Groome has an 8.04 ERA, .323 BAA, and 2.04 WHIP. That's a far cry from his 3.44 ERA, .236 BAA, and 1.33 WHIP last season.

Jay Groome is still just 24 and has shown flashes of brilliance even this season. However, if we're grading him right now, then it doesn't look pretty. A prospect that took years to get started due to injuries and is struggling in Triple-A now without having made the Majors yet?

Draft Grade: D+

Boston Red Sox 2017 first-round pick: Tanner Houck (starting pitcher)

The Boston Red Sox used the 24th overall pick in the 2017 draft on starting pitcher Tanner Houck.

Houck spent the rest of the 2017 season in Low-A. He looked good enough there for Boston to feel comfortable starting him in Advanced-A in 2018. However, that's where Houck stayed for the entire season.

The right-handed pitcher managed 119 innings but had some mixed results. It was enough for the Red Sox to have Houck start the 2019 season in Double-A. He spent the majority of his time there, piling up 82 2/3 innings. Houck finished the year by getting 25 innings in Triple-A. It was at that level where he actually looked the most effective.

This led to Houck actually getting some time with the team in that strange 2020 pandemic season. He put up absurd numbers in 17 innings of work, giving fans something to be excited about.

Houck pitched 69 innings for the Red Sox in 2021 and 60 more in 2022. The team was giving him starts and using him out of the bullpen. At the point of this writing, Houck has only started for Boston in 2023. He's gotten into a habit of looking elite for the first few innings before struggling the second time through the order.

However, Houck continues to give the team a lot of positives to point towards. They seem committed to giving him a chance as a starter, and the potential is definitely there. He has some nasty stuff, and when he's on, it's nearly impossible to do much against him.

To this point in his career, Houck has solid numbers in the Majors Leagues. He was never mind-blowingly impressive in the minor leagues, but clearly, the Red Sox saw the potential. It's worked in their favor so far. And I'd be willing to bet that the 26-year-old only continues to get better.

Draft Grade: A-

Boston Red Sox 2018 first-round pick: Triston Casas (third baseman)

The Boston Red Sox used the 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft on third baseman Triston Casas.

Casas wasted absolutely zero time giving the Red Sox a reason to love their selection of him. In his first full season in the minor leagues (2019), the left-handed hitting first baseman slashed .256/.350/.480 with 26 doubles, five triples, and 20 home runs. He drove in 81 runs, scored 66 more, and stole three bases. Casas did all of that between Full-A and Advanced-A.

Sadly, the following year was 2020. That put things to a halt for a season. Then in 2021, Casas started the year in Double-A despite having played just two games (seven at-bats) in Advanced-A.

Casas put up strong numbers there for 77 games and was rewarded with a late-season promotion to Triple-A.

Boston's top prospect managed a solid 2022 season despite some injuries, and by the end of it, he found himself in the Major Leagues.

Casas made the Opening Day roster as the team's starting first baseman in 2023. Drafted as a third baseman, he played nine games there before moving off the position permanently following the 2019 season.

At the time of writing, Casas has struggled when it comes to the numbers. However, there's a lot to love. He's a good defensive first baseman, and he has a great approach at the plate. Casas possesses a plus eye with plus power.

Bad luck has hampered him in 2023. A decent amount of fans would agree that Casas will figure it out, though.

Even if you aren't in that group, it's hard to argue that he didn't get to the Majors relatively fast. Especially considering he had the 2020 season interrupt his development at a crucial part.

Triston Casas is only 23 and already the starting first baseman for the Boston Red Sox. A late first-round pick in 2018 getting that far so fast has to count for something.

It will be easy to give him a clear rating in a few years. But for now, Casas deserves some love, in my opinion.

Draft Grade: A-

Boston Red Sox 2020 first-round pick: Nick Yorke (second baseman)

The Boston Red Sox used the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft on second baseman Nick Yorke.

Okay, now we're getting to the players that feel almost impossible to grade. Because we're officially at the prospects that are just that, prospects. No one from this point on has reached the Major Leagues yet. And that's not a dig on them. It's far too early for that. We'll try our best, though.

Luckily, the Red Sox have been great at drafting recently. So here's a little spoiler alert for you, these aren't going to be bad grades.

And we're starting off with Nick Yorke, someone that many people thought Boston reached for in the first round. Maybe they could've snatched him up with their next pick, but they didn't seem to want to take that chance.

It also helps that taking Yorke here freed up the money for them to give more to Blaze Jordan later in the draft. Jordan has looked phenomenal in High-A this season. That won't be going into my grade, but it's certainly a nice little bonus.

Yorke has already had a wild ride in the minor leagues. His first year in the system (2021) saw the right-handed hitting second baseman dominate. He slashed .325/.412/.516 with 20 doubles, five triples, and 14 home runs in 97 games (378 ABs) between Single-A and High-A. Yorke drove in 62 runs, scored 76 more, and stole 13 bases. He also walked 52 times compared to 69 strikeouts.

2022 was a tough year for him, though. Yorke spent the year in High-A but only appeared in 80 games due to injuries. Wrist problems hampered him all year, and he slashed .231/.303/.365 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. The walks were down, and the strikeouts were up.

Somewhat surprisingly, Yorke started 2023 in Double-A. He's wasted no time proving that last season was a fluke. The 21-year-old is one of the youngest players in the league. He's had two plate appearances this season against pitchers that are younger than him. His other 160 were against pitchers older than him.

At the time of writing, Yorke is slashing .269/.395/.478 with six doubles, two triples, and six home runs. He's driven in 17 runs, scored 33 more, and stolen five bases. Yorke's already drawn 26 walks. That's just seven less than he had all of last year (33).

It's hard not to love Nick Yorke's game. He brings a professional approach to the plate and isn't afraid to take pitches. However, he'll also jump on something that he likes (he took a 3-0 pitch deep the other day).

Yorke's also an underrated defender who will make all the right plays. There's really not much he doesn't bring to the field with him.

Draft Grade: B+

Boston Red Sox 2021 first-round pick: Marcelo Mayer (shortstop)

The Boston Red Sox used the 4th overall pick in the 2021 draft on shortstop Marcelo Mayer.

How did Mayer fall to the Red Sox? I know they had the fourth overall pick, so that's not really "falling", but it's still wild. And fans of the organizations that drafted before Boston (particularly the Detroit Tigers) aren't thrilled about it.

Mayer was seen as the best prospect in the draft at the time. Two years later, it's hard to argue with that assumption.

Mayer's introduction to a full season in the minor leagues was very encouraging. The right-handed hitting shortstop slashed .280/.399/.489 with 30 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs in 91 games (350 ABs) between Single-A and High-A. He drove in 53 runs, scored 61 more, and was a perfect 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts.

Somehow some fans didn't think that was good enough because of how highly touted he is. I guess the fact that he was a teenager in his first year in professional baseball putting up fantastic stats wasn't a positive to some people.

Well, Mayer's shutting them up now. He's slashing .299/.370/.547 with 11 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs in High-A in 2023 at the time of writing.

Slim Shady has driven in 32 runs in 33 games. He's also scored 23 runs and stolen four bases.

Mayer has looked extremely smooth defensively at shortstop. He's consistently hitting the ball hard and even had his first professional two-homer game this season.

The shortstop has all the tools to be great, and fans have routinely been asking when he's going to get moved up to Double-A. Luckily for them, it shouldn't come much later than July.

We're starting to creep closer to Marcelo Mayer in the Major Leagues. The excitement of the fans (despite him still being in High-A) should tell you all you need to know. This might be seen as the most obvious draft pick of all time, but that doesn't make it any less perfect.

Draft Grade: A+

Boston Red Sox 2022 first-round pick: Mikey Romero (shortstop)

The Boston Red Sox used the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft on shortstop Mikey Romero.

Draft Grade: B+

Like Yorke two years before him, Romero was seen as someone that maybe the Red Sox reached on a bit.

And like Yorke a year before him, Romero immediately made Boston's draft room look like geniuses.

The left-handed hitting shortstop only got nine games in Single-A before the end of the 2022 season, but he made them count. Romero slashed .349/.364/.581 with four doubles and three triples. He drove in 11 runs, scored six more, and stole one base.

Here's the issue, though. That's all we've gotten to see of Romero. The 19-year-old missed the start of the 2023 season with a back injury, and it's taken longer for him to heal up than expected.

All the hype around Romero is real, though. In fact, that's the question I've been getting the most on Twitter lately. It seems like I can't mention anything about Salem without getting "any update on Romero" questions. Here's a little secret, I have no idea. All I know is that his back bothered him more than they anticipated. And the only reason I know that is because of the excellent work of the SoxProspects team.

With such a small sample size, it was hard to give Romero a grade. However, that was the whole point of this article. So let's give it a shot.

As of right now, Romero is seen as someone with a phenomenal hit tool and some power potential. Speed isn't a major part of his game, but it's certainly not an issue, either. He's a solid defender at shortstop, but he might not be sticking there.

Mikey Romero has only had nine games to make an impression on Boston Red Sox fans. And it seems they're already enamored with him. That should tell you all you need to know about the prospect. First impressions mean a lot. That's all we have with Romero. He grades out nicely and has shown us a lot in a small amount of time.

Buckle up. It should be a fun ride.

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