The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the American League East division. This page lists prospects selected by the team in the first round of the annual Major League Baseball draft.

Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft", the draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams that lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.

History Since the institution of the MLB draft in 1965, the Red Sox have selected 79 players in the first round, through the 2025 MLB draft. Some of the selections have been compensatory or supplementary picks. These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the prior off-season, or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.

The primary position of each player drafted by the Red Sox in the first round, at the time they were selected, has been as follows:

Position Number Most recent (year) Pitcher 37 Kyson Witherspoon (2025) Outfielder 21 Braden Montgomery (2024) Shortstop 13 Jake Schaffner (2026) Catcher 5 Kyle Teel (2023) First baseman 4 Mo Vaughn (1989) Second baseman 3 Nick Yorke (2020) Third baseman 2 Triston Casas (2018) Of the 36 pitchers selected, 12 have been left-handed and 24 have been right-handed.

There have been 13 players selected from high schools or universities in the state of California, while nine came from Texas schools and six came from South Carolina schools. The Red Sox have also drafted two players in the first round from outside the United States: Chris Reitsma (1996) from Canada, and Reymond Fuentes (2009) from Puerto Rico.

Several of the team's first-round selections have gone on to win notable awards. Nomar Garciaparra (1994 draft) won the Rookie of the Year Award with the Red Sox in 1997. Jim Rice (1971), Roger Clemens (1983), and Mo Vaughn (1989) each won a Most Valuable Player Award with the team. Clemens also won three Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox and another four with other teams for a total of seven, more than any other pitcher in MLB history. Clay Buchholz (2005) threw a no-hitter, the 17th in Red Sox franchise history, in his second major league start, tying him with Wilson Álvarez for the second-fastest no-hitter by an MLB pitcher. Jim Rice is the only first-round pick of the Red Sox in the Baseball Hall of Fame, having been elected to the Hall during 2009 balloting.

Seven of the team's first-round selections have gone on to win a World Series with the Red Sox: Trot Nixon (1993 draft) was a member of the 2004 championship team; Jacoby Ellsbury (2005) was a member of the 2007 team; Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz (2005) were members of the 2013 team; and Matt Barnes (2011), Blake Swihart (2011), Jackie Bradley Jr. (2011), and Andrew Benintendi (2015) were members of the 2018 team.

The Red Sox have never made the first overall selection in the draft. The earliest selection the team has had was the third pick; this occurred in 1967, when the team selected Mike Garman, a pitcher who went on to compile a career record of 22–27 while playing for five different MLB teams between 1969 and 1978. The team has signed all but two of their first-round picks across their draft history: Jimmy Hacker did not sign following the 1970 draft, and Greg McMurtry did not sign following the 1986 draft. To date, the only Red Sox first-round draft pick to make his MLB debut the same year that he was drafted was Craig Hansen, in 2005.

Three of the team's first-round selections went on to play in the National Football League (NFL) rather than in MLB: Noel Jenke (1969 draft; NFL 1971–1974), Greg McMurtry (1986 draft; NFL 1990–1994), and Corey Jenkins (1995 draft; NFL 2003–2004).

Key Year Each year links to an article about that year's MLB draft. Pos. Position at which the player was drafted. School College or high school the player last competed for at the time drafted. Sorts by U.S. state or Canadian province name. Pick Overall number of the pick in the draft. MLB Year(s) that the player appeared in MLB, if any. Italics indicate debut (or final game) was not with the Red Sox.* Player did not sign with the Red Sox § Indicates a supplemental pick†Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame '04 Player was a member of Boston's 2004 World Series championship team '07 Player was a member of Boston's 2007 World Series championship team '13 Player was a member of Boston's 2013 World Series championship team '18 Player was a member of Boston's 2018 World Series championship team Note: a year in parentheses, such as ('04), indicates the player was a member of that season's championship team but was not on the World Series roster.

Picks

YearNamePos. School (Location)PickMLB Ref 1965 OF 1969–1973 1966 LHP 1967–1981 1967 RHP 1969–1978 1968 OF 20 1969 OF 13 1970* 3B 16 1971† OF 15 1974–1989 1972 SS 16 1973 SS 17 1977–1981 1974 SS 20 1975 1B 15 1976 LHP 22 1980–1994 1977 RHP 13 1978 1979 1980 1981 SS 19 1985–1993 C 25 1982 1B 16 1987–1995 RHP 18 1B 26 1983 RHP 19 1984–2007 1984 C 14 1987–1998 1985 RHP 21 1986* OF 14 1987 RHP 26 1990–1999 OF 32§ 1991–1994 1988 LHP 12 1989 OF 16 1993–1994 1B 23 1991–2003 LHP 29 1991 1990 1991 RHP 23 1993–2007 OF 37§ C 43§ 1995–2008 1992 1993 '04 OF 1996–2008 1994 ('04) SS 12 1996–2009 1995 RHP 15 OF 26 1996 RHP 26 RHP 34§ 2001–2007 1997 LHP 17 OF 35§ 1998 SS 12 2001–2011 1999 OF 17 RHP 40§ LHP 48§ 2001–2009 2000 LHP 16 2007–2011 2001 2002 2003 ('07) OF 17 2006–2015 OF 32§ 2005–2009 2004 2005 '07, '13 OF 23 2007–2017 RHP 26 2005–2009 '13 RHP 42§ 2007–2019 2B 45§ 2008–2022 RHP 47§ 2008–2013 2006 OF 27 ('13) RHP 28 2009–2013,2020–2023 RHP 40§ 2013–2014 RHP 44§ 2007 LHP 55§ 2011–2015 SS 62§ 2008 SS 30 2012–2018 RHP 45§ 2014 2009 OF 28 2013–2017 2010 2B 20 OF 36§ 2014, 2016 RHP 39§ 2014–2016 2011 '18 RHP 19 2014–present '18 C 26 2015–2019 LHP 36§ 2015–2016 ('13) '18 OF 40§ 2013–2023 2012 SS 24 2015–2022 ('18) LHP 31 2015–2019 RHP 37§ 2016 2013 LHP 7 2014 SS 26 2019–2023 RHP 33§ 2018,2021–present 2015 '18 OF 7 2016–present 2016 Jay Groome LHP 12 2017 Tanner Houck RHP 24 2020–present 2018 Triston Casas 3B 26 2022–present 2019 2020 Nick Yorke 2B 17 2024–present 2021 Marcelo Mayer SS 4 2025–present 2022 Mikey Romero SS 24 2023 Kyle Teel C 14 2025–present 2024 Braden Montgomery OF 12 2025 Kyson Witherspoon RHP 15 RHP 33§ 2026 Jake Schaffner SS 20

See also Boston Red Sox minor league players

Footnotes Free agents are evaluated by the Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation eligible. If a team offers arbitration to a player but that player refuses and subsequently signs with another team, the original team may receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent leaves in this way his previous team receives a supplemental pick and a compensation pick from the team with which he signs. If a "Type B" free agent leaves in this way his previous team receives only a supplemental pick. The team lost their first-round pick in 1978 to the New York Yankees as compensation for signing free agent Mike Torrez. The team lost their first-round pick in 1979 to the Oakland Athletics as compensation for signing Steve Renko. The team lost their first-round pick in 1980 to the New York Mets as compensation for signing free agent Skip Lockwood. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1981 from the Baltimore Orioles for losing free agent Jim Dwyer. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1982 from the Texas Rangers for losing free agent Frank Tanana The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1982 from the Oakland Athletics for losing free agent Joe Rudi. The team gained a supplemental pick in 1987 for failing to sign 1986 first-round pick Greg McMurtry. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1989 from the San Diego Padres for losing free agent Bruce Hurst. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1989 for losing free agent Bruce Hurst. The team lost their first-round pick in 1990 to the St. Louis Cardinals as compensation for signing free agent Tony Peña. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent Larry Anderson. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent Mike Boddicker. The team lost their first-round pick in 1992 to the New York Mets as compensation for signing free agent Frank Viola. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1995 from the Cincinnati Reds for losing free agent Damon Berryhill. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1996 for losing free agent Erik Hanson. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1997 for losing free agent Roger Clemens. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 1999 from the Los Angeles Angels for losing free agent Mo Vaughn. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1999 for losing free agent Mo Vaughn. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1999 for losing free agent Greg Swindell. The team lost their first-round pick in 2001 to the Cleveland Indians as compensation for signing free agent Manny Ramirez. The team lost their first-round pick in 2002 to the Oakland Athletics as compensation for signing free agent Johnny Damon. The teamx gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2003 for losing free agent Cliff Floyd. The team lost their first-round pick in 2004 to the Oakland Athletics as compensation for signing free agent Keith Foulke. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2005 from the Los Angeles Angels for losing free agent Orlando Cabrera. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2005 from the Los Angeles Dodgers for losing free agent Derek Lowe. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2005 for losing free agent Pedro Martínez. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2005 for losing free agent Orlando Cabrera The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2005 for losing free agent Derek Lowe. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2006 from the New York Yankees for losing free agent Johnny Damon. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2006 for losing free agent Johnny Damon. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2006 for losing free agent Bill Mueller. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2007 for losing free agent Álex González. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2007 for losing free agent Keith Foulke. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2008 for losing free agent Éric Gagné. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agent Billy Wagner. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agent Jason Bay. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2011 for losing free agent Víctor Martínez. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2011 for losing free agent Adrián Beltré. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2011 for losing free agent Víctor Martínez. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2011 for losing free agent Adrián Beltré. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2012 for losing free agent Jonathan Papelbon. The team gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2012 for losing free agent Jonathan Papelbon. The team gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2014 for losing free agent Jacoby Ellsbury. The team did not have a first-round pick in 2019 due to being more than $40 million over the MLB luxury tax threshold.

References General references

In-text citations

Further reading

External links MLB Draft Tracker at MLB.com (searchable by year and team)