Red Sox draft class of 2009

ROUND	OVERALL PICK	SELECTION
1	28	Reymond Fuentes   Position: CF   Throws: L   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-1, 170 pounds, Fernando Callejo High School   Hometown: Manati, Puerto Rico
Fuentes, 18, is the third-fastest runner among draft-eligible high school players. He hit .424 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in just 13 games this year; he also drew 12 walks and had nine stolen bases. Fuentes says he models his game after his cousin, speedy Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran, and was also a high school sprint champion. Like Beltran, Fuentes grew up in Manati, Puerto Rico. (Watch video) The Baseball Analysts say: The top offensive talent out of Puerto Rico has impressed a number of teams recently, including the Los Angeles Angels. Fuentes is a fast-twitch, excitable player with a promising line-drive bat and blazing speed. He's a free swinger, but he has good plate coverage and a lightning-quick bat speed. Only 160 pounds, Fuentes could add home-run power with more muscle mass. His range in center field is above-average, but he has a weak throwing arm.
2	77	Alex Wilson   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-1, 204 pounds, Texas A&M University   Hometown: Hurricane, WV
Both a starter and a reliever, Wilson went 6-6 with a 4.22 ERA and two saves in 24 games this season for Texas A&M. Opponents hit just .237 against him and he tallied a team-high 120 strikeouts, earning him an All-Big 12 honorable mention. Wilson, 22, recorded 14 strikeouts in 6 2/3 shutout innings in his season debut. The West Virginia native showed a fastball in the mid-90s and a solid low 80s slider at the 2009 Minute Maid College Classic. Wilson was 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA for Falmouth of the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2008 and was drafted in the 10th round last year by he Cubs, but did not sign. (Watch video) ESPN says: Wilson came into the year as a potential first-rounder after failing to sign with the Cubs last summer as a redshirt sophomore, but a promising start to his junior year sputtered out and his draft potential is very much in question. As a starter, Wilson will sit 92-95 mph and hold most of his velocity through six or seven innings, with a hard slurve from 80-84 mph that can miss bats. Texas A&M removed Wilson from the rotation in early April despite a very strong strikeout rate, and his stuff and strikeout rate have both been down since he moved to the bullpen. That could be fatigue, it could be an injury, but whatever it is, it's not a good sign. He's had Tommy John surgery already and his delivery has effort in it, all of which has come together to push his draft stock down.
3	107	David Renfroe   Position: P/SS   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-3, 200 pounds, South Panola High School   Hometown: Batesville, Miss.
Renfroe, 18, was an All-State selection and the Division 2-5A Player of the Year as a junior in 2008. In his senior season he hit .470 (40-for-85) with seven home runs, 35 RBIs and 18 stolen bases while playing multiple positions for South Panola High, including pitcher, shortstop and third baseman. During the Under Armour/Baseball Factory All-American Game at Wrigley Field, Renfroe hit a home run and struck out five over 2 innings of relief work. He is the son of former Cubs pitcher Laddie Renfroe and is committed to Ole Miss, where he may also quarterback the football team. (Watch video) MLB.com says:Renfroe is an exciting all-around high school talent who can do a little of everything on the baseball field. A talented pitcher who throws 93 mph and the QB for one of the top high school football programs in the country, he's very athletic but has baseball smarts to go along with it. He should hit for average and power in the future, so even if he has to move off shortstop, he's got the bat to make sense at third. His dad played pro ball for nine years, so the bloodlines are there to boot, making him a very intriguing player.
4	138	Jeremy Hazelbaker   Position: CF   Throws: R   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-3, 195 pounds, Ball State Univ.   Hometown: Selma, Ind.
With Ball State this season, Hazelbaker, 21, batted .429 with nine home runs, 38 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. He tallied a .550 on-base percentage, .724 slugging percentage and drew 48 walks, leading his team in all three categories. He had seven errors in center field with a .950 fielding percentage. (Watch video) Soxprospects.com says: Centerfielder with an athletic frame and plus speed. Hazelbaker had a breakout year in 2009, showing an excellent ability to make contact and solid average power. In the outfield, Hazelbaker has above average range, but needs to work on making reads. Average arm strength.
5	168	Seth Schwindenhammer   Position: LF   Throws: R   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-2, 205 pounds, Limestone Community High School   Hometown: Bartonville, Ill.
Schwindenhammer, 81, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Illinois next season. He was listed as the No. 12 recruit in the state by Prep Baseball Report, was a Peoria Journal All-Area first team player and named All-State second team/All-Mid-Illini first team by the Prep Baseball Report. Schwindenhammer, who played in the McDonald's All-Star Game his junior year, batted .434 this season with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs and led his team to the regional championships in 2007 and 2008. Soxprospects.com says: Left-handed bat with big time power potential. Strong, balanced swing, ball comes off his bat well. Hits to all fields. Awesome offensive potential. Plays left field and first base. Strong arm.
6	198	Branden Kline   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-3, 185 pounds, Governor Thomas Johnson High School   Hometown: Frederick, Md.
Kline, 17, went 6-1 this season with a 0.66 ERA. He allowed only 16 hits and three earned runs in 41 innings and had 79 strikeouts. He has been offered a full scholarship to the University of Virginia and would be the first in his family to attend college, but he plans to entertain contract offers from the Sox before making a decision. (Watch video) Soxprospects.com says:Fastball sits in the low 90s and tops out at 95 mph. Decent breaking ball. Good pitchability and poise. Solid mechanics.
7	228	Madison Younginer   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-0, 198 pounds, Mauldin High School   Hometown: Simpsonville, SC
Younginger was 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA this season. In 18 2/3 innings of relief work he allowed three earned runs and had 33 strikeouts. He has made an early verbal commitment to Clemson. (Watch video) The Perfect Game says: Younginer has a good athletic pitcher's build and an electric arm. He pitched in the low 90's, up to 93, with a good arm action at the Metrodome. He stays tall in his delivery and uses an OT arm angle. His fastball has good life and he throws a change up with sink. His curveball has big break but could be a little sharper. Sometimes it is hard to maintain command with his type delivery, but his arm is one of the best. He has big potential on the mound and is a very interesting 2009 to follow. He also showed a big arm in the OF and some ability at the plate. Soxprospects.com says: Raw righty with tons of potential. Younginer mixes in a plus mid-90s fastball that can touch 97 mph and a high 80s hard slider. Good movement on both pitches. Changeup is a work in progress. Mechanics might need to be tightened up.
8	258	Shannon Wilkerson   Position: RF   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-0, 198 pounds, Augusta State Unversity   Hometown: Dacula, Ga.
Wilkerson, 20, was named the Division II Player of the Year for 2009 and National Player of the year by Rawlings and the American Baseball Coaches Association. He hit .441 with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs while slugging .891. (Watch video) Soxprospects.com says: Athletic outfielder absolutely dominated Division II competition in 2008 and 2009, setting numerous records. Wilkerson has demonstrated above average tools in every aspect of the game - contact, power, glovework, arm, plate discipline, and speed. It's just a matter of translating his success to more advanced competition.
9	288	Kendal Volz   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-5, 225 pounds, Baylor University   Hometown: Bulverde, Texas
A junior this season at Baylor, Volz, 21, was the closer for Team USA at the 2008 Olympic Games. He was effective in his outings in Beijing, but went a disappointing 3-7 in 2009 with a 4.50 ERA. Still, he had a promising 78 strikeouts in 86 innings of work. (Watch video) Soxprospects.com says: Volz possesses a 92-95 mph fastball, which he complements with a very nice low-80s slider and an inconsistent changeup. Highly regarded coming out of high school. Showed flashes of brilliance as Team USA's closer in the summer of 2008, but most scouts were disappointed with his subsequent performance in 2009, as well as his mechanics. His stuff wasn't all there during his junior campaign at Baylor, and he got knocked around on occasion. The Sox will look to tweak his mechanics to get him back to his previous form. MLB.com says: After dominating as Team USA's closer over the summer, many pegged Volz for a short reliever role as a pro. Not so fast. If his early start is any indication, he might have plenty to make him an outstanding starting candidate, including three solid pitches and a good idea of how to use them. With terrific mound presence, if he can remain consistent with his command and carry his stuff deep into games, he could be a very intriguing pick. Has been clocked at 97 MPH in the past.
10	318	Brandon Jacobs   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 5-11, 240 pounds, Parkview High School   Hometown: Snellville, Ga.
Jacobs, 18, was a top football recruit who signed with Auburn as a running back, but he has decided to sign a contract with the Red Sox in lieu of college. He slugged 1.307 his junior year at Parkview and batted .520; in his senior campaign, he hit .511 his senior season with seven home runs. Soxprospects.com says: A big kid at 5-11, 240 pounds, Jacobs has plus raw power with natural lift in his swing. He hit .511 his senior season for baseball powerhouse Parkview, hitting 7 home runs and posting a 1.307 slugging percentage. He ran slow 60-yard times this spring (7.56 seconds), but has run the 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds in football workouts. Has historically focused his future on football rather than baseball. Powerful bat with big time home run potential. Raw offensive game. Quick acceleration, speed is above average, below average arm. Likely a left fielder or first baseman in the pros.
11	348	Jason Thompson   Position: SS   Throws: R   Bats: s   Vitals: 6-1, 180 pounds, Germantown High School   Hometown: Germantown, Tenn.
A switch-hitting infielder, Thompson, 18, batted .414 this season with five home runs and 25 RBIs. An Aflac All-American in 2008, he is ranked as one of the top 100 prep players in the nation for 2009. He has committed to the University of Louisville. (Watch video) The Perfect Game says: Jason is well built and a very athletic infielder with good running speed, 6.57 60 and 4.07 H-1B. His hands work well in the infield and he has a big easy arm with plus carry across the diamond at 90 mph. He is a switch hitter and hits line drives to all fields with gap power. He is short to the ball and makes solid barrel contact. He hit very well in the games showing off those good hitting tools. Thompson is a very good all around talent with excellent plus tools.
12	378	Michael Thomas   Position: C   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-4, 220 pounds, Southern University A & M   Hometown: Houston, Texas
As a junior, Thomas, 20, hit .294 with a .980 fielding percentage behind the plate. He was considered by some as the best defensive catcher in the nation and was voted the top catcher in his conference by the conference's coaches. He suffered a broken hand earlier this year, but still was .980 in the field and had one home run and 10 RBIs in 18 games. Reports suggest that he is a very good defensive catcher with a rocket arm. (Watch video)
13	408	Christopher McGuiness   Position: 1B   Throws: L   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-1, 210 pounds, The Citadel   Hometown: James Island, SC
As a junior at the Citadel, McGuiness, 21, had 15 home runs and lead the nation with 65 drawn walks. His .520 on-base percentage was 12th best in Division I baseball. He hit .367 with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs. McGuiness was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® First Team and All-Southern Conference First Team.
14	438	William Holmes   Position: RF   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 5-11, 230 pounds, Chaffey College   Hometown: Rialto, Calif.
Holmes, 21, batted .379 this season at Chaffey with a .662 slugging percentage. He had 45 RBIs, good for fourth in the Foothills Conference, and had nine home runs.
15	468	Michael Bugary   Position: LHP   Throws: L   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-4, 215 pounds, U-C Berkeley   Hometown: Salinas, Calif.
Bugary, 21, was 3-4 (with one save) and a 4.74 ERA in 2009 and played in just four games in 2008. He was redshirted during the 2007 to recover from right knee surgery and tendonitis in his left shoulder. Calbears.com says: Bugary throws in the mid to high 80s with an outstanding curveball and change-up. Came into his own during the 2009 season and can contribute out of the bullpen or as a possible starter.
16	498	Luke Bard   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-3, 180 pounds, Charlotte Christian High School   Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Bard, 18, is the younger brother of Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard. He has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Georgia Tech next fall and has been rated the No. 13 baseball recruit in the state of North Carolina and among the top 250 in the nation. Bard went 9-2 with a 1.95 ERA last season and was first-team All-State in 2008 and is also an outfielder; he hit .336 as a junior while helping his team to a runner-up finish at the state championships. Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall says: "When you look at our two out-of-state pitchers, the more familiar name is that of Luke Bard, whose brother Daniel was a standout pitcher at North Carolina. With Luke, we are getting a great athlete and a guy with a huge upside as a pitcher. He's also a high school quarterback, which I like because it tells me that he is very competitive. He is coming from great genes - his dad played some professional baseball, his brother was an All-American first round pick at North Carolina and his middle brother is pitching at Richmond right now - and we feel like we were very lucky to get Luke. He's a great student and a guy that I think has a tremendous upside in college baseball."
17	528	Kraig Sitton   Position: LHP   Throws: L   Bats: L   Vitals: 6-5, 190 pounds, Oregon State University   Hometown: Carlton, Ore.
Sitton, 20, is eligible for the draft as a sophomore because he redshirted his first year (2007) with Oregon State. In 2008, he was 2-0 with a 3.91 ERA and struck out 23 in 25 1/3 innings. In 2009, he was 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA and had 27 stikeouts in 20 innings. (Watch video
18	558	Reynolds Parthemore   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-5, 190 pounds, Cedar Cliff High School   Hometown: New Cumberland, Pa.
19	588	Thomas Ebert   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-6, 255 pounds, Florida International University   Hometown: Fargo, ND
Ebert, 21, went 6-5 this season with a 4.39 ERA (a team best) and 84 strikeouts in 80 innings of work.
20	618	Alex Hassan   Position: RHP   Throws: R   Bats: R   Vitals: 6-3, 195 pounds, Duke University   Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Hassan, 21, is an effective two way-player who started 55 games in the outfield this season and made 17 appearances as a reliever. As a pitcher, he was 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 27 2/3 innings as a sophomore. He was named to the All-Ping!Baseball Team in 2009 as a utility player, earning eight saves as the Blue Devils closer. The junior finished with a 2-2 record and 4.10 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Offensively, he had three home runs, 30 RBIs and batted .342. He is a graduate of Boston College High School.
36	1,098	Michael Yastrzemski   Position: RF   Throws: L   Bats: L   Vitals: 5-11, 185 pounds, St. John Preparatory School   Hometown: Andover, Mass.
Someday in the distant future, there might just be another Yaz in the Red Sox outfield. In the 36th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox selected St. John's Prep outfielder Michael Yastrzemski. The last name, of course, isn't just familiar in New England. It's legendary. He is the grandson of Red Sox icon and Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. The Globe's Stan Grossfeld detailed the baseball-oriented relationship between Yaz and his grandson in a February article. Carl Yastrzemski has tutored his grandson on the art of hitting, particularly since his son and Michael's father, Mike Yastrzemski, died at age 44 in 2004 from a heart attack after hip surgery. "I think he's got a chance [to eventually play in the majors]," Yaz told Grossfeld. "He can hit. He's a good outfielder, he runs well, and he's got a strong arm. He's come a long way." Ray Fagnant, the New England regional scout for the Red Sox, told Grossfeld in February that he was impressed with the youngest Yaz. "I went to a tournament in Lynn and I saw a kid have two or three good at-bats in a row," said Fagnant. "I didn't know who he was. I didn't know Yaz had a grandson. And I got a roster and I said, 'Whoa, Yastrzemski.' The name really perks your interest, but what I like is I identified him before I knew who he was. "He has a good swing and good instincts and he works at it," says the scout. "He's got a pretty good hitting coach. Yaz had an ear-to-ear smile on his face when his grandson was hitting. He's got a lot of ability, but there's a lot of kids in his boat. We just have to see him play." Yastrzemski, 18, stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 185 pounds. He was considered by scouts to be worthy of an early-round selection, but he has received a scholarship to play baseball at Vanderbilt University and has said the only way he would back out of his commitment was if he was drafted in the first round. But a chance to sign with the Red Sox may be difficult to resist if the club's intent is to try to sign him now. "It's going to be a tough decision [if I get drafted]," said Michael in February. "Most likely I'll go to school. I'd play anywhere. Obviously, I'm going to get my grandfather's advice." Yaz admitted to Grossfeld that he hoped the Sox would select his grandson. "If the opportunity presents itself," he said. Thursday, the opportunity did. Now it's up to the Yastrzemskis to decide what to do with it.

(Note: The Red Sox made 15 picks between Hassan and Yastrzemski. Those picks can be seen here, along with every Red Sox pick thereafter.)