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Red Sox Continue Draft With Three Picks To Start Day Two

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As the 2024 MLB Draft continues to chug along, organizations continue to decide their futures. For the Boston Red Sox, that began on Sunday with the first two rounds. The Red Sox selected Braden Montgomery (No. 12, OF, Texas A&M) and Payton Tolle (No. 50, LHP, Texas Christian University) to front their draft efforts. And on Monday, Boston kept taking collegiate prospects. The Red Sox continued the draft with three picks to start day two. 

Red Sox Continue Draft With Three Strong Picks To Start Day Two

No. 86 – Brandon Neely – University of Florida – RHP

Freshman Year

The Red Sox kicked off their day two draft selections in the third round with Brandon Neely out of Florida. Neely, a right-handed pitcher, spent three years with the Gators before entering the 2024 MLB Draft. He mostly came out of the bullpen in the SEC, starting in just 16 of his 83 appearances. Neely’s freshman campaign was a decent one, ending the year with a 3.76 ERA in 21 contests and 10 starts. He struck out 74 batters in just over 69 innings and limited opponents to just a .205 average. 

Sophomore Year

Neely followed that up with an even better 3.58 ERA in 2023 over 34 games. He didn’t start at all in his sophomore season, pitching just 55 ⅓ innings. His strikeout rate went up, punching out over 1.3 batters per frame. Opponents hit at a better clip though, batting .223 against Neely in 2023. He was named a First Team All-SEC player at the end of the campaign. 

Junior Year

Entering his junior year and the 2024 season, similar performances were expected from Neely. But things weren’t that simple. In 28 appearances and six starts, Neely struggled to find his footing. After allowing three runs in his first six innings, the righty coughed up five against Saint Mary’s on March 8. He rebounded, pitching five scoreless outings following the blunder. Towards the end of April, his ERA sat at 4.50. But Neely then was crushed for basically a month straight. He allowed five runs in games against Mississippi State and South Carolina.

Neely’s worst contest of the year came at the hands of Vanderbilt on April 18, when he gave up eight runs on 10 hits in five innings. By mid-May, his ERA sat at nearly 7.00. Neely endured a nice end to the year, though, lowering that to 5.13 come season’s end. In total, he threw a career-high 79 innings in 2024. Neely struck out 108 batters, a positive sign and a large increase from previous campaigns. Opponents hit at a .242 clip against the Florida native in his final collegiate season. He was strong during UF’s College World Series run, though, stepping up and allowing just five runs over 24 innings and striking out 38 batters.

Breakdown

His fastball has hit up to 97 miles per hour and averages around 93 mph. Neely sports a slider as his secondary pitch and throws a curveball and changeup to round out his arsenal. His command has struggled at times and, currently, experts are torn whether or not the 21-year-old profiles as a reliever or back-end starter. Despite a rocky 2024, Neely enters the Red Sox’s system with tons of potential. It’s all about putting things together now. 

No. 115 – Zach Ehrhard – Oklahoma State – OF

Freshman Year

Zach Ehrhard was originally selected by Boston in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. After electing to go to college, the Red Sox liked what they saw and chose him again. Ehrhard got off to a hot start in his freshman year, playing in 58 contests. He batted a strong .332 and got on base nearly 43% of the time. Ehrhard was a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team while splitting time between right and center field. He led all Cowboys with 18 stolen bases and was second in batting average.

Sophomore Year

Ehrhard’s sophomore season was defined by struggles and injuries. Hamstring issues kept the right-handed hitter off the field at times. He batted just .239 in 42 contests. Ehrhard’s walk numbers were still strong, allowing him to post a .379 on-base percentage. He hit the same amount of home runs as the previous year with three. But entering 2024, Ehrhard was going to have to prove himself to become a top-five-round selection in the draft.

Junior Year

That’s exactly what Ehrhard did in 2024. He returned to his freshman year form, batting .330. His power absolutely exploded as he smashed 14 homers, by far the best mark of his collegiate career. His .627 slugging percentage topped a previous high of just .409. In 61 games, Ehrhard had 25 doubles (previous best: eight), 57 RBI (previous best: 31), 54 walks (previous best: 33), and struck out just 36 times. His 1.085 OPS proved a massive leap for the 21-year-old in his junior season. Ehrhard had 20 multi-hit games, including a five-knock outing against West Virginia on March 30. He ranked third on Oklahoma State in OPS, batting average, RBI, and home runs. 

Breakdown

Ehrhard’s speed and arm strength make him an intriguing prospect at the professional level. Thought of as a plus defender, there aren’t concerns over his play in the field. If his power continues to develop, Ehrhard’s profile becomes even stronger. But his contact and everyday presence has already been shown at the collegiate level.

No. 148 – Brandon Clarke – State College of Florida (Junior College) – LHP

Brandon Clarke became the fifth consecutive collegiate selection by Boston in this year’s draft. Ranked as the second-best left-handed pitcher out of Virginia in the Class of 2021 by Perfect Game, he originally attended Alabama. Clarke failed to appear for the Crimson Tide as he rehabbed from an injury. He is currently committed to South Carolina, with the Red Sox hoping to pry him away from a return to the SEC.

Clarke started and appeared in 14 games in 2024 for the State College of Florida. He posted a 4.36 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 74 ⅓ innings. He had strong strikeout numbers, sitting down 107 opponents. That ranked him towards the top of all JuCo pitchers. Opponents batted .228 against Clarke in addition to the 35 walks he surrendered. He ended the 2024 season with a 6-2 record. 

Breakdown

Standing at 6-foot-4, Clarke’s fastball can reach 97 miles per hour. He throws a curveball that sits in the high 70s and a changeup that goes in the upper 80s. Clarke underwent Tommy John surgery while in high school. Scouts are unclear whether he best profiles as a reliever or a starter. But with a high ceiling, although being attached to a small resumé, Clarke is an intriguing selection in the fifth round.

 

Photo Credit: © Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The post Red Sox Continue Draft With Three Picks To Start Day Two appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.