Boston Red Sox: 2018 MLB draft day three recap and full grade

Red Sox 2018 Draft Pick #16 – Chris Machamer, RHP – University of Kentucky

Yet another college reliever, Chris Machamer was very impressive in SEC play in 2018. He struck out more than a batter per inning, and finished with an ERA of 3.06. As a draft eligible sophomore, he has plenty of leverage here, and should get more than the capped amount of $125K. How much more is a good question. And how much the Red Sox have to offer will depend on the Nicholas Northcut negotiations.

Machamer has three average or better pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup. The fastball flashes above average and ticks up toward the mid 90’s as the weather warms. His slider is his go to pitch, though. The Wildcats closer throws lots of strikes and could move quickly as the Red Sox wouldn’t waste time trying to stretch him out or introduce new pitches. At the major league level his ceiling may be closer to middle reliever than closer. But a middle reliever who can strike out a batter per inning has plenty of value.

Red Sox 2018 Draft Pick #21 – Brandon Howlett, 3B – George Jenkins HS (FL)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The Red Sox drafted a player with plus power as the carrying tool. No, really. They did. I know, it’s really out whack for them this draft. Brandon Howlett certainly has intriguing raw power, but the rest of his profile is in question. His arm is about average for a third baseman and his range isn’t anything special. He also has plenty of swing and miss in his game. So while the raw power is there, getting to it in games may be a challenge.

As a high school draftee, he has plenty of leverage in negotiations. Chances are the Red Sox won’t have enough of their bonus pool left to get him inked if Nicholas Northcut signs. But if he doesn’t, Howlett might get an offer he can’t refuse. The power being in place means there is time for the other tools to develop. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and improve his contact rate, he could go from fringy to legitimate prospect in a hurry.

Red Sox 2018 Draft Pick #29 – Mason Ronan, LHP – Penn Cambria HS (PA)

Ranked 308th by Baseball America, Mason Ronan is a projectable left-handed pitcher who has flashed a plus curveball and an average fastball. He lacks consistency and a true third pitch. His fastball is more mid to high 80’s than low 90’s. But at 6’2 and 190 pounds, there is plenty of room for him to develop some velocity.

Because he is a raw high school pitcher who was drafted late he won’t be offered a bonus significantly over the $125K cap. That means he will likely go to college and take his chances on developing there before returning to the draft.

Next: Last group of day 3 standouts