Guys like Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Abe Alvarez, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia, and Hanley Ramirez all came from Red Sox drafts. The Sox have actually been able to draft and develop some good players over the past few years which had been a major problem with the organization in years past.
The Sox drafted a high school outfielder by the name of Jason Place in the first round. The word is he has power, speed, and arm strength. He batted .544 his senior year and is a very highly touted proepect.
With compensatory picks for the loss of Johnny Damon to free agency, the Sox drafted pitcher Daniel Bard out of UNC. He's got talent with a 97 MPH fastball, but according to scouting reports, he has struggled with command, control, and consistency.
With the 40th pick, the Sox drafted another pitcher, this one out of Wichita State. Kristofer Johnson is coming off of Tommy John surgery, but he still has three viable pitches, which is a nice thing for a draftee to have.
With the 1,443rd pick, the Sox drafted Josh Papelbon out of North Florida. Josh is Jonathan's younger brother and is the all-time Saves leader at the University of Texas. Josh Papelbon was used as a reliever exclusively and will probably be seen this year in Low-A Lowell for the Spinners.
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