Red Sox select Matt Litwicki with 10th-round pick

With its 10th-round pick in the 2021 draft, Boston has selected Matt Litwicki, a right-handed pitcher out of Indiana University. Litwicki made just 10 relief appearances this year and threw only 12 innings, but he struck out 17 and walked only two while showing impressive stuff. He is ranked #213 by Baseball America and #412 by Perfect Game USA.

Litwicki graduated from high school in 2017 and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after arriving at Indiana. He has thrown only 31 1/3 innings over three seasons with the Hoosiers, but he was an Academic All-Big Ten in all three seasons. Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, the soon-to-be 23-year-old traded in his two-seam fastball for a four-seam fastball this season, and both Baseball America and MLB.com report that it was routinely 96-97 while touching 98 and 99. He also features a low-80s slider with impressive spin rates. He recorded four saves this season after opening the year as the closer. 

He is strictly a bullpen arm at the next level, and MLB.com also reported that he dealt with back and shoulder issues this year that limited his innings. As a college senior Litwicki is likely to get a bonus below the slot value of $148,400 for this pick, but the Red Sox are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and figure out a way to keep him healthy while maintaining his high-level arsenal.