Round 2, No. 81: OF Williams Jerez, Grand Street HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.
I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty excited about this one. He’s a New York boy through and through and sparked interest playing for Hank’s Yanks down in Florida, which was a developmental team sponsored by the Yankees. He comes in at around 6’4, 190 lbs, so he’s got a pretty good athletic build. Scouts think he’s built like a pipe cleaner today, but has the frame to add on bulk as he matures. He’s got average power which is good, but has a rather long swing, which isn’t so good. The worry? Scouts are concerned that he’s going to struggle against strong fastball pitchers at the professional level. He’s got a plus arm and plus speed. Depending on who you talk to, he either raises a lot of questions (as do most kids from the Dominican these days) while others see his raw athletecism as a genuine plus. Either way, he’s a decent replacement for losing Raymond Fuentes in the Adrian Gonzalez trade last year.
Round 3, No. 111: C Jordan Weems, Columbus HS (Ga.)
Jordan is the son of Rick Weems, who played in the Cardinals system. He had a monster .443 batting average last year with 6 Home Runs and 26 RBI’s in 39 games. He should be a fairly easy sign as he’s stated that if the price is right, he’ll forego his commitment to Georgia State. He’s got a nice bat, but lacks power right now. He’s got a wiry frame at 6’3, 185 lbs. He’s a tough cookie to project though, and would explain why he slipped. Depending on who you talk to, he’ll either develop into a league average defensive catcher or will blossom into a reliable bat. I’ve yet to see anyone say he’ll put both together. Still, he’s very athletic and like Jerez, seems to be a guy who could grow into his body and develop into an interesting player.
Round 4, No. 142: RHP Noe Ramirez, Cal State Fullerton
Of the Red Sox later round picks, this is probably the one to watch. Ramirez went undrafted in 2008, but became a top-two rounds prospect after three super seasons at Cal State Fullerton. He was a lanky 6’3, 180 lbs. out of high school, but has developed a lot of strength slotting his fastball in the 86-88mph range and is even inched it into the 90s of late. His off speed stuff is where the party’s at though, as he’s got an awesome breaking ball and a very good change. He’s a guy with an extensive track record, and because he’s so easy to project, I’m a little surprised he didn’t go earlier. He’s also a big time intangibles guy. He’s a ferocious competitor and has the stuff to be a strong back of the rotation arm. Depending on how things go, he could be an intriguing closer some day given his focus and build. Keep an eye on this kid, he’ll impress.
Round 5, No. 172: SS Markus Betts, John Overton HS (Tenn.)
Betts might be one of the best athletes in the draft. Not only was he an MVP Basketball player in Tennessee, he’s also quite the force on – of all things – the bowling lanes, averaging a ridiculous 221 score last year. So he can bowl, he can dribble, but can he play baseball? Sure. The Red Sox love athletic middle infield types and you usually can’t go wrong taking a player with his kind of makeup. A lot of folks are saying he’ll likely make a better 2B over time than a SS, but we’ll see.
Round 6, No. 202: LHP Miguel Pena, San Jacinto JC (Texas)
This draft is so full of talent and has been so strong so far for the Red Sox that it was inevitable that they’d gamble on someone, and sure enough, here it is. Pena has awesome stuff and works three good pitches. He repeats his delivery well to boot, which is a premium for pitchers his age. Like Jerez and Weems, he’s a wiry guy, but should fill out over time. So what’s the gamble all about? Well, he got sent home from the Cape Cod League for disciplinary reasons last year. He’s been picked and hasn’t signed with two teams already (The Nationals in the fifth round in 2009 and a thirteenth round pick for the Padres in 2010), so we’ll see how signing him goes. He’s kind of a ‘free spirit’ so to speak, so this one could pan out or seriously flop.
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