With the MLB Draft only hours away, the Red Sox are once again sitting in a spot where the board could break a lot of different ways. Keith Law’s latest Athletic mock has them leaning into a familiar pattern anyway.
Law projects Boston to take Ole Miss right-hander Taylor Rabe with the 20th pick in the first round, continuing a recent run of college arms linked to the organization. The Red Sox have made that lane pretty clear in the last two drafts: in 2024, they went with Payton Tolle in the second round and Brandon Neely in the third, both college pitchers. In 2025, three of their four picks in the first three rounds were right-handed college pitchers - Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson.
Rabe fits the kind of profile Boston has been drawn to. He’s listed at 6’5”, 200 lbs. and brings a high-90s fastball that can reach 100 MPH with plenty of movement. His cutter is close behind, his slider can miss bats, and his changeup is still developing.
There’s also a reason his name comes with some risk attached. Rabe’s college career got off to a slow start because of Tommy John surgery in his freshman season.
He threw just 16 1/3 innings in 2025, then logged 76 innings this season. Over those 76 innings, he struck out 105 batters and walked only 15, finishing with a 3.55 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in the SEC.
That injury history could give some teams pause, but it may not bother the Red Sox the same way. Boston has shown it can develop pitchers in the minors, and Rabe’s limited workload plus big-time stuff could make him appealing in that system. There’s also the money angle: he could likely be signed for well under slot value, which would leave the Red Sox more flexibility for later picks.
At No. 20, Boston has room to go in several directions. Law’s mock points them toward upside, velocity, and another college pitcher who fits the organization’s recent draft habits.
In Other News...
Red Sox Draft Buzz Suddenly Points To A Familiar First Round Dilemma
With the 2026 MLB Draft still ahead, the Red Sox are once again in that familiar spot where the board can tilt in a few different directions and the final answer is anything but obvious. Boston sits at No. 20 overall, and the latest round of mock drafts has kept the club in the mix for a range of players, from left-handed pitchers Hunter Dietz, Cole Carlon and Brody Bumila to bats like Bo Lowrance and Daniel Jackson.
What stands out is how many different profiles are still being attached to the pick, which says as much about the uncertainty around the class as it does about Bostons own priorities. Some evaluators see the Red Sox leaning toward pitching, others connect them to hitters, and a few names such as Taylor Rabe and Ace Reese have also surfaced, leaving the club with a decision that still feels very much open as draft day gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Snub Suddenly Has A Real Shot At All-Star Redemption
Ranger Suarez landing on the injured list during a recent series has suddenly reopened a door the Red Sox thought had already been shut for the summer. The All-Star picture looked settled when Suarez was selected and Sonny Gray was left on the outside looking in, even though Gray has put together the kind of season that usually gets a pitcher invited to the midsummer stage.
Grays case has only grown stronger as the year has gone on, and the timing of Suarezs injury now gives the league a reason to revisit the roster. For Boston, it adds another layer to an already familiar frustration: a pitcher who has done plenty to earn the honor may finally get the chance only because circumstances forced the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Catching Prospect Fans Can't Ignore
Johanfran Garcia has turned his first Double-A season into something the Red Sox cant really overlook. The catcher, who has been in the organization since 2022, is hitting .299 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs in 52 games, a strong jump from the kind of offensive production he had shown in earlier seasons and a sign that his bat is starting to match the promise Boston has long seen in him.
What makes the run even more notable is that Garcia was sent straight to Portland out of spring training, so this is his first real test at the level and he has handled it with authority. For a system always searching for impact players behind the plate, his performance is starting to put him into the conversation for Bostons future plans, even if the next step still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]