2015 MLB Draft results: Red Sox select Andrew Benintendi 7th overall

With the seventh overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, the Red Sox selected outfielder Andrew Benintendi of the University of Arkansas. Benintendi, who is 20 years old, has been rising up the draft boards in recent weeks and was connected heavily to the Red Sox in the days leading up to the draft.

The Razorbacks center fielder was a sophomore who many scouts did not know was eligible for the draft this season. After a subdued freshman year saw him hit just .276/.368/.333 Benintendi was one of the most improved players in all of college baseball this season, hitting .390/.491/.723 with 18 home runs and 22 stolen bases.

Benintendi swings the bat from the left side with a line-drive swing and brings speed to the table. Some consider Benintendi's tools comparable to that of Jacoby Ellsbury, though he trades some of Ellsbury's elite speed for better power.

While the Red Sox' interest in Benintendi was heavily rumored, it wasn't always clear they'd get a shot at him. Some expected the Astros to jump ahead of them with the fifth overall pick. But when Houston elected to take Kyle Tucker instead, the Sox knew they had their man, coming in with their pick ahead of the clock.

For more on the Red Sox' top draft pick, check out the scouting reports and our reaction to the selection.