Heading into the start of Sunday night’s first round of the draft, I, like a lot of other people, was expecting the Red Sox to go with Henry Davis at number four overall. It wouldn’t have been a bad outcome, as Davis has the potential for an elite bat, but it also wasn’t the most exciting possibility. When Davis was taken number one, my thought process shifted to Leiter, who could now fall to four with the Pirates surprising everyone at the top of the draft. Then, when Leiter was taken second by the Rangers, I assumed Marcelo Mayer would go three to Detroit, and I started to believe Boston would go underslot, perhaps with Matt McLain, when their pick came up.
Marcelo Mayer’s selection was exactly what the Red Sox needed
