By Brian Melanson and Ben Strober
From an early age, it is every young ballplayer’s dream to hear their name called during the MLB Draft. For several current and former Red Sox players, dreams became reality as 15 players were selected in this year’s draft
Round 2, Pick 54: Mike Boeve (Brewers, Y-D ‘22)
“Barrell” Mike as he was affectionately called during his time with Y-D, Boeve was the first Red Sox player selected to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2023 draft.
The 2022 Summit League Player of the Year, Boeve came to the Cape as a two-time All-Summit First Teamer, an ABCA/Rawlings Central All-Region Second Teamer (2022), and a three-time Summit League Player of the Week.
Before Y-D last summer, the third baseman hit .364/.585./.491 at Omaha to lead the Summit League in average, doubles, walks, and on-base percentage. He was second in OPS, hits, slugging, and total bases.
On Y-D, Boeve was fourth amongst qualifying players with a .275 average. He also boasted a .333 SLG and a .403 OBP. In 37 games, he racked up 28 hits, 18 runs, seven RBIs, and a team-leading six doubles and 20 walks.
Returning to Omaha for the 2023 season, Boeve put together another great season, improving his average to .401 and earning his third All-Summit First-Team selection.
Round B, Pick 54: Cole Carrigg (Rockies, Y-D ‘22)
Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the compensatory round, Carrig was Y-D’s second and only other player selected on day one of the MLB draft.
The 2023 First-Team All-Mountain West selection was one of Y-D’s best players during his 2022 All-Star season behind the plate.
Carrig came to the Red Sox after a monster season at San Diego State where he led the team in nearly every statistical hitting category.
One of seven All-Stars from Y-D last summer, Carrigg led the team with a .329 average along with his .399 SLG and .388 OBP. He led the Red Sox in hits and stolen bases and was tied for second in RBIs.
Somewhat of a dual threat, Carrig appeared on the mound four times in relief for the Red Sox. In total, he pitched 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts and just two hits allowed with a 0.00 ERA.
Round 4, Pick 120: Hunter Haas (Rays, Y-D ‘21-’22)
Another 2022 CCBL All-Star, Haas was Y-D’s first player selected on day two to the Tampa Bay Rays, and the only drafted player to spend two summers with the team.
The Texas A&M third baseman played two years at Arizona State before his All-Star season with the Red Sox.
After appearing in just two games for the Red Sox in 2021, Haas played in 34 games the following summer and finished his season with a .211/.284/.296 line with 20 hits and four RBIs.
After the 2022 summer, Haas transferred to Texas A&M and set career highs. In his one year with the Aggies, Haas slashed .323/.506/.447 with 81 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, and 46 RBIs in 64 games, all career highs.
At Texas A&M, Haas was selected to the Stanford Regional All-Regional Team, the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Second Team, and was a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist.
Haas was the first of two Red Sox selected by the Rays in the 2023 draft.
Round 4, Pick 128: Homer Bush Jr. (Padres, Y-D ‘22)
32 years after selecting his father Homer Bush in 1991, Bush Jr. was chosen by the San Diego Padres as Y-D’s fourth pick in as many rounds.
Another CCBL All-Star last season, Bush was third on the Red Sox with a .284 average and 29 hits.
Motivated by an invitation to a pre-Draft camp in the summer of 2022 by the Padres, Bush Jr. returned to Grand Canyon University. His stats skyrocketed and so did his draft stock.
Finishing 2022 with a .270/.349/.347 line, he exploded the next season to finish 2023 hitting .370/.500/.478. In just 23 more at-bats than in 2022, Bush Jr. recorded thirty more hits (88), ten more doubles (19), 25 more RBIs (41), 18 more walks (38), and 18 more stolen bases (25) all while striking out 22 fewer times (27).
A speedy outfielder, he ran the fastest 30-yard dash time at last month’s combine.
Bush Jr. now looks to make it to the Show like his father who won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1997.
Round 6, Pick 180: Luke Shliger (Giants, Y-D ‘22)
A speedy, power-hitting catcher, Maryland’s Luke Shliger was drafted by the San Fransico Giants in the sixth round of the MLB draft.
Shliger is part of a trio of Maryland position players who have heard their names called in this year’s draft (Cub’s Matt Shaw and Mets’ Nick Lorrusso).
Ranked as the No. 1 catcher by D1 baseball coming into the 2023 season, Shliger finished the year as an All-Big Ten First Team selection and a Second Team All-American and was tied for third in the nation in walks.
On the Cape, Shliger was an All-Star starter behind the plate for the Red Sox. Before departing with injury, he played in 27 games and finished his season with a .273/.299/.412 line with 21 hits and 7 RBIs.
In his last two seasons at Maryland, Shliger recorded double digits home runs, over 20 doubles, more than 50 RBIs, and at least 50 walks en route to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances.
Round 8, Pick 243: Drew Dowd (Rays, Y-D ‘22)
The second former Red Sox player selected by the Tampa Bay Rats, Dowd was the first Y-D pitcher taken off the board at this year’s draft.
Dowd came to Y-D after a stellar season at Stanford. In 22 appearances, he amassed a 6-0 record with 15 starts and 77 strikeouts.
On the Cape, he made five appearances for the Red Sox all of which he started. He finished the regular season with a 2.70 ERA, 18 strikeouts, just five walks, and an 0-1 record.
Getting the start in an elimination game against the Brewster Whitecaps in game two of the Cape League Eastern Finals, Dowd delivered a great outing. He allowed just three hits and one run while issuing five strikeouts over four innings.
Returning to Stanford, Dowd has his best year yet. In 32 appearances, he pitched 65.2 innings on his way to a 9-3 record. He was third on the team in strikeouts with 88 and had the lowest opponent batting average among started with .233.
Round 8, Pick 252: Nick Judice (Yankees, Y-D ‘23)
Drafted by the Yankees, Judice was the second Y-D pitcher taken and this first of this year’s roster to hear his name called at the MLB draft.
Judice came to the Red Sox off his best season yet with Louisiana Monroe. He posted a career-low 3.82 ERA and a career-high 41 strikeouts across 33.0 innings pitched.
Judice was strong in his three starts for Y-D. He posted a 5.10 ERA across 12.1 innings of work with 16 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed. He only gave up one earned run each in his first two starts.
Round 9, Pick 266: Jonathon Long (Cubs, Y-D ‘22)
Playing at Long Beach State, Long was one of the few power bats in Y-D’s lineup last season. He led the team with five homers and 21 RBIs. His best performance may have come in the playoffs where he hit .353 with two homers and seven RBIs in four games played.
Long returned to LBS for a stellar junior season. Setting career highs in hits, doubles, RBIs, and home runs, he batted a strong .315/.603/.404. Long now looks to take his power-hitting ways to Wrigley Field.
Round 10, Pick 297: Ross Dunn (Twins, Y-D ‘21)
Another player from the 2021 squad, Dunn was the first of two players selected by the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.
Dunn started just one game for the Red Sox back in 2021 as he was mainly a late-game reliever. He pitched seven innings in his first four appearances allowing just two hits while striking out 17.
In total, he pitched 12 innings with 23 strikeouts and just eight hits across eight appearances.
Round 10, Pick 299: Zach Franklin (White Sox, Y-D ‘22)
Rounding out those drafted from the 2021 team, Franklin is switching from red to white as he was taken by the Chicago White Sox.
Franklin pitched just four games for the Red Sox in ‘21, making two starts. He had nine strikeouts and just three earned runs in 9.2 innings over his two starts.
In total, Franklin finished his time with Y-D with a 5.06 ERA, a 1-1 record, 10.2 innings on the mound, 10 strikeouts, and just three walks.
Round 12, Pick 369: Brady Day (Braves, Y-D ‘23)
Brady Day became the first current member on day 3 to reach that MLB dream. Day became a bonafide part of the Y-D lineup at second base.
Day’s .356 average at Kansas State in 2023 was good enough for an All-Big 12 honorable mention. Day finished his college career with a .331 average in 97 career games. To make things even sweeter, he homered against Harwich just hours after his selection.
Round 15, Pick 438: Dylan Simmons (Reds, Y-D ‘23)
Dylan Simmons came to Yarmouth only as a temporary player because of this year’s draft. He only made 2 appearances, so the sample size is very small.
Simmons spent four years in college, spending two at Florida State before heading to Pitt to finish his career. Additionally, Simmons played in Brewster for a summer in 2021, where he had a 4.91 ERA.
Round 17, Pick 521: Eric Yost (Padres, Y-D ‘23)
Eric Yost spent his collegiate career just outside of Boston at Northeastern. And he wasn’t too far away from there when he found at Red Wilson Field the San Diego Padres drafted him.
Yost, a late arrival this summer, posted a 2.57 ERA in two appearances for Y-D. His last outing was a July 5th win over Hyannis, which saw him hurl four innings of one-run ball.
Round 18, Pick 537: Hector Garcia Jr. (Twins, Y-D ‘23)
It was evident Hector Garcia would at least be signing somewhere for a pro career, but it became much easier when the Minnesota Twins gave him the call.
Garcia’s route to the pros is unique to most, as he spent his school seasons at Hope International, an NAIA. Garcia didn’t receive a lot of looks out there but once he came to the Cape, he left scouts no choice but to take interest.
Garcia’s 1.84 ERA in six appearances holds third best in the entire Cape Cod Baseball League. Additionally, his 23 strikeouts compared to just three walks is among the league’s best.
Round 20, Pick 609: Will King (Braves, Y-D ‘23)
Due to his recent domination on the Cape, most expected Will King would get the call at some point in this draft. As the picks got closer and closer toward the end, King was still on the board. Finally, in that final round, King’s dreams came to fruition.
At just 19 years old, King was one of the youngest players in the draft that’s not out of high school. King left IMG Academy halfway through his senior season in 2021 to enroll early at Eastern Kentucky.
King slashed .306 in his career with 25 homers in Kentucky. On the Cape, King’s .354 average and 16 RBIs put him amongst the league’s top players.
King’s entire family was at Red Wilson Field when they discovered he’d be a Major Leaguer.
