With the 103rd pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, the Red Sox selected right-handed junior college pitcher Jake Cosart our of New Lennox, Illinois.
Yes, that's Cosart, as in Jarred Cosart down with the Houston Astros. He's a pitcher now, but hasn't been one for long, having spent much of his baseball career in the outfield. What he lacks in experience, however, he makes up for in arm strength. Cosart, much like his elder brother, can dial his fastball into the upper-90s if necessary, and sits around 93-95 MPH without much trouble.
The question for Cosart will be whether or not he can make it as a starter. His repertoire of secondary pitches is currently lacking, as you might expect from someone new to this side of the game. His curveball and slider could both form into major league quality pitches, but there's no guarantee for either one, and he's certainly not going to survive six-plus innings on his fastball alone. Who can?
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If supplementary pick Michael Kopech was one kind of risk on the mound, Jake Cosart is another. Neither one is guaranteed to reach their full (considerable) potential. But where Kopech needs to be broken down and built back up, Cosart has never been built in the first place. It seems likely that, one way or another, he'll be able to play as a relief option based on the strength of his arm alone. Unlike with Kopech, however, it's anybody's guess whether or not there is a starting pitcher in there to be found.
One way or another, though, Cosart is Boston's second big arm with big question marks. If you liked the Kopech pick, getting Cosart two rounds later seems like good value to me.