Meet the newest Red Sox prospects selected in the 2024 MLB Draft
The Red Sox selected 14 pitchers in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The 2024 MLB Draft wrapped up Tuesday with Rounds 11 through 20.
Meet the newest Boston Red Sox prospects selected this week.
2024 Red Sox draft picks
No. 12: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
Age: 21 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 220
Despite the lack of elite pitching in their system, the Red Sox opted for one of the draft’s top college position players. The 21-year-old is a switch-hitter and complete athlete with a high ceiling who needs to improve his contact skills and his approach from the right side. A Mississippi high school product who spent his first two college seasons at Stanford, Montgomery brings 80-grade power and a big arm in the outfield, where he’s expected to end up in one of the corner spots. His final college season ended early because of an ankle injury, but he still led the SEC with 85 RBIs. From Alex Speier: Montgomery is the first outfielder taken by the Sox in the first round since the club tabbed Andrew Benintendi out of Arkansas in 2015. However, he’s the seventh straight position player the club has selected with its first pick, and the fourth straight lefthanded hitter.
No. 50: Payton Tolle, LHP, TCU
Age: 21 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 250
A big lefthander who started as a two-way player at Wichita State, but struggled at the plate after transferring to TCU and focused on pitching this spring, leading to Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors and 105 strikeouts in 69 innings. With a large wingspan, his low-90s vertical four-seam fastball averaged 22 inches of vertical break. He adds an average slider and a low-80s changeup, but throws his fastball almost 75 percent of the time, which may portend a reliever. From Alex Speier: This marked the Red Sox’ earliest selection of a pitcher since they took Tanner Houck in the first round of the 2017 draft.
No. 86: Brandon Neely, RHP, Florida
Age: 21 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 210
Following up on their second pick, the Sox look to strengthen their pitching with the righthander Neely, who comes out primarily as a reliever but made a few starts this past season for the Gators. Despite the lack of consistency, area scouts think Neely could develop into a solid future-rotation player. Neely has four solid pitches, not including his rarely used curveball: a fastball that can touch 97 m.p.h. and averages around 93, his secondary slider, a mid-80s breaker, and an upper-80s changeup.
No. 115: Zach Ehrhard, OF, Oklahoma State
Age: 21 | Height: 5-11 | Weight: 190
Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft before opting to play NCAA ball at Oklahoma State, but the Sox still want him. The outfielder had a less-than-ideal start to his junior season with the Cowboys due to a hamstring injury, but came back stronger than ever. He slugged .627 this spring compared to .385 in his first two seasons, and continued that work in the Cape Cod League this summer. The right-handed hitter is consistent in the box with an eye for drawing walks, a good feel for the bat, and consistent contact, plus scouts were impressed with his speed and baserunning skill, but said he could stand to be even more aggressive.
No. 148: Brandon Clarke, LHP, State College of Florida
Age: 21 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 220
The Sox selected their third pitcher of the draft in lefthander Brandon Clarke, who was briefly on the MLB radar in 2021, though his lack of strong starts moved him out of contention. Clarke spent his first year in college at Alabama, but went the junior-college route and transferred to State College of Florida after not getting on the mound in Tuscaloosa. He still has some developing to do — he has two solid pitches in a 94 m.p.h. fastball that can touch 97 and an upper-70s curve, but scouts say his upper-80s changeup needs work, and his control is inconsistent, he walked 4.2 of every nine batters during the 2024 season.
No. 177: Blake Aita, RHP, Kennesaw State
Age: 21 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215
Aita, a righthander and rising college junior, is the first unranked prospect selected by the Sox this draft. Aita began as a reliever in his freshman year at Kennesaw State, tallying 36 innings and 38 strikeouts. But he caught attention as a sophomore, when he made 16 starts for a 7-4 record while leading his team in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, including a career-high eight full innings against Central Arkansas. He dropped his ERA from 4.50 as a freshman to 3.90 as a sophomore, and tallied 122 strikeouts during his two years with the Owls.
No. 207: Will Turner, OF, University of South Alabama
Age: 21 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200
Turner has started all 108 games he’s played during his two years at South Alabama, and been consistent on offense and defense for the Jaguars. As a freshman he put up solid numbers, tying for fifth-most triples in the Sun Belt Conference (4) while posting a .279 average and recording five home runs, 36 RBIs, 44 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases, with 20 multiple-hit and 11 multiple-RBI games. The lefthanded batter was quietly improving during his sophomore season, recording a .349 average, 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and 52 RBIs, as well as a .460 on-base percentage and .978 fielding percentage.
No. 237: Conrad Cason, RHP, Greater Atlanta Christian School (Ga.)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
Cason, the first high-school selection by the Red Sox this year, is a righthander whose athleticism is a big strength on the mound. The Georgia Gatorade high school player of the year, Cason is one of the youngest players available this draft. He will both hit and pitch in the fall should he fulfill his commitment to Mississippi State, and even played some shortstop at the draft combine. He primarily works two pitches, a 93-95 m.p.h. fastball with versatility and a low-80s split-grip changeup, and has a slider that could become more reliable with work.
No. 267: Hudson White, C, Arkansas
Age: 21 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200
White is the first catcher selected by the Red Sox since they snagged Kyle Teel in the first round last year. He spent two years at Texas Tech before transferring to Arkansas and has been invited to MLB college workouts for the past three seasons. White made 102 starts in 110 games played during his career with the Red Raiders. He started 44 of 49 for the Razorbacks, including five as the designated hitter, and two each at second and third base. In one season at Arkansas, he posted a .297 batting average, a .397 on-base percentage, and a .550 slugging percentage with 49 RBIs and 11 home runs.
No. 297: Devin Futrell, LHP, Vanderbilt
Age: 21 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 218
Boston ended the second day of the draft by snagging their sixth pitcher, and the lefthander is a solid pick. Coming off his third season at Vanderbilt, Futrell maintained a 3.92 career ERA in 38 starts across 42 games and recorded 180 total strikeouts. Futrell’s strongest pitch is his 89-90 m.p.h. fastball, which can touch 94, and he has strong command of the zone, walking just 10 batters this season.
No. 327: Steven Brooks, RHP, Cal Poly
Age: 21 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 305
The Sox opened the third day of the draft with the selection of Cal Poly junior Steven Brooks. The righthander has started 31 games in 43 career appearances for the Mustangs, averaging a 5.34 ERA (5.14 in 2024). At 6-6, Brooks is formidable on the mound and has strong control of the zone. This past season he threw 82⅓ innings, recording 72 strikeouts and 23 walks, and gave up 78 hits and five home runs.
No. 367: Brady Tygart, RHP, Arkansas
Age: 21 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 215
Picking up yet another pitcher, Boston took righthander Brady Tygart, who was the top high school pitching prospect out of Mississippi in 2021. There was speculation Tygart would go in the third round earlier in his career, but his lack of consistency and a shoulder injury pushed him down the prospect list. The righthander has four pitches in his arsenal, and the strongest is his high-spin curveball, though scouts would like to see more velocity separation between his mid-80s changeup and 90-93 m.p.h fastball.
No. 387: Shea Sprague, LHP, North Carolina
Age: 21 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195
The Hanover native and BC High alum is coming home. Sprague spent his first two years of college ball playing in the CAA for Elon, before transferring to Chapel Hill, competing against ACC teams and continuing to produce results as a starter. This season with the Tar Heels, the lefthander made 15 starts in 17 games, tallying 70 strikeouts across 78⅓ innings pitched, maintaining a 4.25 ERA and a .261 BAA.
No. 417: Alex Bouchard, RHP, Lehigh
Age: 21 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 210
Bouchard spent one year at Dickinson and left with a 4-0 record and a 3.42 ERA after his freshman season before moving on to Lehigh, where he started 12 of 14 games and maintained a 3.65 ERA as a sophomore. The righthander only started in two games this past season for the Mountain Hawks, for a total of 6⅔ innings with 11 strikeouts, before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
No. 447: Joey Gartrell, RHP, University of Portland
Age: 21 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215
Gartrell is the 11th pitcher selected by the Red Sox in the 2024 Draft. The righthander began as a reliever for Portland, before becoming a consistent third starter as a sophomore, starting 14 of 16 games played and maintaining a 5.17 ERA and .279 BAA. He suffered a UCL injury this past spring, restricting him to just two starts, though he recorded 14 strikeouts, and was ranked 11th in D1 Baseball’s top 30 West Coast Conference prospects in April.
No. 477: Griffin Kilander, RHP, Wayne State University
Age: 21 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 205
This righthander has been steadily climbing up the ranks at Wayne State, where he started in one game as a freshman. The following season Kilander was firmly in the Warriors’ rotation, starting 10 of 15 games, while maintaining a 2.44 ERA across 62⅔ innings. As a junior he went 6-3 with a 4.00 ERA on a over 81 innings and 12 starts (including five complete games), striking out 81 and walking 21 with a .274 BAA.
No. 507: Yan Cruz, OF, Academia Presbiteriana High School (PR)
Age: 17 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180
The Puerto Rican outfielder is the second high schooler scooped up by Boston this draft, and is currently committed to Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla. Cruz is a two-way player, a lefthander with experience on the mound and in the outfield, though it’s likely the Sox will look to develop him as an outfielder.
No. 537: Cole Tolbert, RHP, University of Mississippi
Age: 22 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 200
Tolbert spent a year playing junior college ball at Pearl River Community College before his two seasons at Ole Miss, but he entered the transfer portal at the end of this season, which could prove helpful to the Red Sox. The righthander made 16 appearances as a reliever for Ole Miss, and opened this season with four straight scoreless games. His average ERA over two season at Ole Miss was 5.50, with a .313 batting against average and 23 strikeouts.
No. 567: D’Angelo Ortiz, 3B, Miami Dade CC Kendall
Age: 20 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
Boston takes their second position player and get a familiar name back in the organization with the selection of D’Angelo Ortiz, son of Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend David Ortiz. The third baseman attended Westminster Christian School, which has produced five MLB players, including Alex Rodridguez, before playing two years of junior college ball and spending summers in the Futures Collegiate League. Having spent his entire life watching his father, it’s no surprise that Ortiz is strong in the box, with a .377/.467/.434 slash line.
No. 597: Ben Hansen, RHP, BYU
Age: 22 | Height: 6-6 | Weight: 210
The Sox used their final selection on Ben Hansen, making him the 14th pitcher drafted by Boston this year. The righthander has two seasons under his belt at BYU, starting in 24 of 30 appearances with a 6.66 career ERA. Across Hansen’s 127 career innings, he struck out 95 batters, walked 62, and gave up 20 home runs.
2024 Red Sox draft picks
Assigned slot values for Rounds 1-20 are from soxprospects.com.
- No. 12, first round ($5,484,600): Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
- No. 50, second round ($1,846,400): Payton Tolle, LHP, TCU
- No. 86, third round ($878,900): Brandon Neely, RHP, Florida
- No. 115, fourth round ($630,900): Zach Ehrhard, OF, Oklahoma State
- No. 148, fifth round ($457,900): Brandon Clarke, LHP, State College of Florida
- No. 177, sixth round ($351,100): Blake Aita, RHP, Kennesaw State
- No. 207, seventh round ($274,600): Will Turner, OF, University of South Alabama
- No. 237, eighth round ($219,900): Conrad Cason, RHP, Greater Atlanta Christian School (Ga.)
- No. 267, ninth round ($194,600): Hudson White, C, Arkansas
- No. 297, 10th round ($182,800): Devin Futrell, LHP, Vanderbilt
- No. 327, 11th round ($150,000): Steven Brooks, RHP, Cal Poly
- No. 357, 12th round ($150,000): Brady Tygart, RHP, Arkansas
- No. 387, 13th round ($150,000): Shea Sprague, LHP, North Carolina
- No. 417, 14th round ($150,000): Alex Bouchard, RHP, Lehigh
- No. 447, 15th round ($150,000): Joey Gartrell, RHP, University of Portland
- No. 477, 16th round ($150,000): Griffin Kilander, RHP, Wayne State University
- No. 507, 17th round ($150,000): Yan Cruz, OF, Academia Presbiteriana HS (PR)
- No. 537, 18th round ($150,000): Cole Tolbert, RHP, University of Mississippi
- No. 567, 19th round ($150,000): D’Angelo Ortiz, 3B, Miami Dade CC Kendall
- No. 597, 20th round ($150,000): Ben Hansen, RHP, BYU
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