After a wild few days of surprises, highlights, and excitement, the baseball world has transitioned back to its normal state (though the rumor mill is practically only getting started!). In a week full of unique events and stories - All Stars, Home Run Derby, etc. - The 2022 Major League Baseball Amateur draft has seemingly flown under the radar. Do not fear, though, for I’ve got all you Sox fans covered! Let’s take a look at how Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox organization played their cards in the 2022 MLB draft.

draft takeaways

If there was one major takeaway from the Red Sox’s draft this summer, it’s clear that there was a STRONG emphasis on building for the near future. An astounding 18 out of the Sox’s first 20 picks were either shortstops, southpaws, or right handed pitchers. With reports about Xander Bogaerts’ potential transition from the Red Sox frequently piling up, it’s clear that there's a large motive throughout the organization to find someone who could potentially fill his shoes, should Bogaerts move on from the team next offseason, or perhaps even sooner.

First rounder

The selection of Mikey Romero with the team’s first round pick, a contact driven lefty batting shortstop out of Orange Lutheran High School, further boosts the organizations SS depth in the minors; the Californian joining past acquisitions like Marcelo Mayer, Matthew Lugo, and recent international free agent signees Freili Encarnacion and Fraymi De Leon, as one of the core shortstop prospects in an already packed minor league system. Along with their second round selection Cutter Coffey - also a shortstop out of high school -, and fourth rounder Chase Meidroth out of the University of San Diego, Romero is just one of many prospects who could potentially fill Bogaerts shoes should the seemingly inevitable happen.

Pitching

On the pitching side of the ball, it’s clear that the organization is trying to produce as many pitchers as possible -as soon as possible- even if that means favoring readiness over potential. Considering the Sox’s lack of pitching at the moment all throughout the organization, Chaim Bloom and the rest of the draft day staff wisely selected only college arms inside of their first twenty picks, guys who can hopefully come up in the near future, maybe even as soon as this year. With Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill all set to potentially depart Boston in the offseason, various pitchers will need to try and take their places in the big leagues.

Steals

One of the organization’s biggest steals from the draft came with their round five selection, Noah Dean, a left handed pitcher out of Old Dominion. Ranked the 124th best overall 2022 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, the lefty boasts a 60-grade fastball, to go along with his 50-grade curveball. His two-pitch arsenal will likely only limit him to a relief role should he make the big league roster, though the 21 year old still has plenty of time to develop and potentially add a third pitch to his lineup. This is a guy that you can potentially expect to see in the big leagues within the next two to three years, and is a safe, middle of the pack candidate for a relief role with the Sox.

draft correlations and conclusions

With every draft that there was and ever will be, the true value of each pick could remain a mystery for what feels like forever. There's no saying how well the Red Sox or any team for that matter drafted this year, and it’s impossible to predict how well each individual draft pick will perform professionally. For now, we wait. But within the next few years, we could potentially start to see the signs of a star in the making. Whether that’s Romero, Dean, outfield selection Roman Anthony, or anybody else from the wide selection of players the Red Sox drafted this year. Only time will tell.