After ending day two with a college pitcher, the Red Sox went back to the well to take college pitchers with each of their picks in rounds 11 through 15. Two of the picks recently underwent Tommy John surgery, while another was a top-rated prep pitcher who saw his season end early with a shoulder injury.
Here are brief recaps of selections 11 through 15:
11. Steven Brooks, RHP, Cal Poly (CA)
The trend of drafting tall pitchers continued on day three, with the Red Sox using their first pick of the day on the 6-foot-6 right-hander. Brooks was not ranked by any major publications, but Prospects Live noted that he has solid command of a five-pitch arsenal, with a fastball that tops out around 93. The 21-year-old started 15 games this year for the Mustangs, posting an ERA of 5.25 over 82 1/3 innings. He struck out 72 and walked 23.
12. Brady Tygart, RHP, Arkansas
Tygart (pictured) was one of the top college pitching prospects left on the board entering the draft's final day. Baseball America ranked him 175, and MLB Pipeline slotted him at 181. The 6-foot-2 right-hander likely fell in the draft due to a shoulder injury that ended his junior season early. The reports state that it will not require surgery, but not much additional information is available. Tygart flashes an above-average breaking ball with very high spin rates. He posted an ERA of 3.94 for the Razorbacks this season, striking out 69 over 59 1/3 innings. He also walked 36 and hit 15 batters, and control of his arsenal was noted as an area of opportunity in his scouting reports. He was ranked as the top prep pitching prospect in Mississippi in 2021 and named a Perfect Game First-Team Freshman All-American selection in 2022.
13. Shea Sprague, LHP, North Carolina
Sprague spent his first two years at Elon University before transferring to the Tar Heels for his junior season. He is a local product, graduating from Boston College High School, with ties to Dorchester and Hanover, Mass. Sprague is not ranked, but did have a strong season for North Carolina. He went 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA while striking out 70 and walking 18 over 78 1/3 innings. The pitchability left-hander also played for Harwich in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, appearing in three games and allowing seven runs over 13 innings. The 2024 Second Team All-ACC selection pitched against Tennessee, the eventual national champions, in the College World Series this year. He allowed four runs over four innings while striking out six.
14. Alex Bouchard, RHP, Lehigh University
The focus on pitching continued with Boston grabbing the 6-foot-3 right-hander out of the Patriot League. Bouchard pitched his freshman season at Dickinson College and transferred to Lehigh for his sophomore and junior campaigns. Bouchard suffered an elbow injury during his second start of this season which required Tommy John surgery in February. Before the injury, he reportedly topped out at 98 with solid extension numbers. In that final start, he had eight strikeouts in just 3 2/3 innings before leaving with the injury.
15. Joey Gartrell, RHP, University of Portland (OR)
For the sixth consecutive pick, the Red Sox grabbed a college pitcher. Gartell stands at 6-foot-4 with a fastball that reportedly sits at 93-94. Gartrell spent all three years with the Pilots, going 11-8 with a career ERA of 4.96. After throwing 78 2/3 innings as a sophomore, he pitched only 20 2/3 frames this year. His last appearance came on March 10, and he announced in an Instagram post in June that he had Tommy John surgery. Like Bouchard, his last appearance was his best, as he struck out eight in a quality start against Creighton.
Photo Credit: Brady Tygart by arkansasrazorbacks.com
