The Boston Red Sox seemed to make out great by selecting Kyle Teel at No. 14 overall in last year’s MLB draft.
The Red Sox are in a similar position this year — Boston own’s the 12th pick in next month’s draft — giving them the opportunity to obtain another elite prospect with high upside.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel put together his latest mock draft and had the Red Sox using their first-round selection on Tennessee star second baseman Christian Moore, who made quite a name for himself by leading the Volunteers to the Men’s College World Series Finals.
Moore garnered headlines just over a week ago when he became the first player to hit for the cycle at the MCWS in 68 years. The right-handed slugger highlighted the feat by belting a 440-foot home run, which had a 117 mph exit velocity.
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“There’s been a lot of heat for Moore coming off the board with this pick during his rise throughout the end of the regular season into the college postseason,” McDaniel wrote. “Boston seems to be in a similar spot to Detroit, hoping to grab one of the top 10 talents who happen to fall out of the top 10 picks, with a bias toward hitters with some power. Moore and (Wake Forest first baseman Nick) Kurtz both fit that focus on hitters with power.”
Moore certainly fits the billing of a player with plenty of power. The 21-year-old belted an eye-popping 33 home runs and owned a .797 slugging percentage this season. He also batted .378 with 73 RBIs.
Moore, who stands at 6-foot-1 and 216 pounds, has ties to the northeast. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native went to high school at Suffield Academy in Connecticut and played two summers ago for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the renowned Cape Cod Baseball League.
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McDaniel had the Red Sox selecting Texas center fielder Jared Thomas in the second round with the No. 50 overall pick. Thomas batted .349 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs for the Longhorns this season.
Featured image via Dylan Widger/USA TODAY Sports Images
