The 2014 Major League Baseball first-year player draft rolls on Friday afternoon, with Rounds 3 through 10 set to be announced on Day 2.
Seventy-four prospective major leaguers heard their names called on Day 1, including three Boston Red Sox selections: shortstop Michael Chavis (No. 26 overall), right-hander Michael Kopech (No. 33) and first baseman Sam Travis (No. 67).
The Red Sox will pick second-to-last in each of Friday’s eight rounds (ahead of their World Series foes, the St. Louis Cardinals), beginning with the 103rd overall selection.
Check back here throughout the afternoon for an up-to-the minute rundown of each Red Sox pick.
Round 3, No. 103 overall — Jake Cosart, RHP (Seminole State College of Florida)
The younger brother of Houston Astros pitcher Jarred Cosart, Jake is considered one of the top JuCo prospects in this year’s draft. Cosart began his college career as an outfielder at Duke, but he did not see much playing time and transferred to Seminole State after his freshman year. Cosart currently has a two-pitch repertoire (98-mph fastball and “biting” curveball), leading some to project him as a major league reliever. He is working to develop his changeup, though.
Cosart appeared in 13 games (11 starts) for the Raiders this season, posting a 5-3 record with a 5.34 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 64 innings.
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Round 4, No. 134Â overall — Kevin McAvoy, RHP (Bryant University)
McAvoy, a junior, tossed a team-high 99 2/3 innings this season to help lead Bryant to a second straight NCAA tournament appearance. He started 15 games for the Bulldogs, posting a 9-1 record with a 2.62 ERA, four complete games and 94 strikeouts. A 6-foot-4, 210-pound Syracuse native, McAvoy was not ranked among Baseball America’s top 500 draft prospects.
He is the highest-drafted player in Bryant baseball history.
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Round 5, No. 164 overall — Josh Ockimey, 1B (Ss. Neumann Goretti HS, Philadelphia, Penn.)
A sturdy, left-handed slugger listed by MLB.com at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds (though other outlets have reported him being as tall as 6-foot-4), Ockimey reportedly worked out for the Red Sox at Fenway Park last year. The second first baseman drafted by the team in this year’s draft, Ockimey has committed to play college ball at Indiana.
Round 6, No. 194 overall — Danny Mars, CF (Chipola College)
Mars, a 6-foot, 190-pound switch-hitting outfielder at Chipola College in Florida, was ranked No. 338 among Baseball America’s top 500 draft prospects. Mars played in 48 games in his sophomore season, hitting .380 and adding 35 RBIs and 4 home runs to go along with 25 stolen bases. Mars is committed to play for Florida State next season.
Round 7, No. 224 overall — Reid Reilly, RHP (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
Reilly was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2013 MLB draft, but chose to return to Cal Poly for his junior season, serving as the team’s closer once again. As a redshirt sophomore, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound hard-throwing righty tied the school record for saves. Reilly’s fastball tops out at 95 mph, and although scouting reports say his offspeed stuff is nothing stellar, his command of his fastball makes him dangerous on the mound.
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Round 8, No. 254 overall — Ben Moore, C (University of Alabama)
Moore, a 21-year-old junior at Alabama was drafted as a catcher by the Red Sox, but he played outfield primarily in his collegiate career. Moore caught occasionally for the Crimson Tide, but it’s his bat that Boston is more interested in. Moore hit .342 with a .412 OBP and .432 slugging percentage in his freshman year en route to being named an All-American in 2012. Moore hit .305/.367/.481 as a junior, adding nine home runs as he earned second-team all-SEC honors. Ranked as the 315th prospect by Baseball America, Moore was the toughest hitter to strike out in the SEC last season, and during the course of his college career, he went down swinging in only nine percent of his at-bats.
Round 9, No. 284 overall — Kevin Steen, RHP (Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Steen has a low-90s fastball and a curveball that is “promising yet inconsistent,” according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The young right-hander was not ranked among Baseball America’s top 500 draft prospects, but he is committed to play for the University of Tennessee next season. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 3 overall prospect in the state.
Round 10, No. 314 overall — Cole Sturgeon, OF/P (University of Louisville)
That’s it and that’s all for Day 2 of the MLB draft. With their last pick of the day, the Red Sox selected outfielder/pitcher Cole Sturgeon out of the University of Louisville. The left-handed hitting and left-handed throwing 22-year-old hit .325 as a senior, adding two home runs and 18 stolen bases. He was no slouch on the mound, either, going 3-0 for the Cardinals with a 2.06 ERA in 24 games with 35 strike outs over 34 innings, but his pick was announced as an outfielder.
Screenshot via MLB.com
