2015 MLB Draft results: Red Sox select Austin Rei 81st overall

The Red Sox finally were back on the clock now that it's day two of the MLB draft, and went and selected another college bat. Austin Rei, out of the University of Washington, was considered one of the top college catchers in the entire 2015 class, and the Red Sox made him the 81st overall pick.

Rei dealt with a torn ligament in his thumb that caused him to play as a designated hitter when he returned from injury, but he got back behind the plate before the season ended, and showed off a plus arm there, according to the scouting report at MLB.com. It's not just his arm that got attention, either, as he "moves very well behind the plate and has outstanding hands" as well.

Baseball America's John Manuel thinks that Rei could be better than some of the players who went on day one, which would be a huge boost to the Red Sox, considering they made just the one selection on Monday. BA ranked him the 68th prospect on their pre-draft top-500, and suggested he could be selected as early as the second round, possibly as the first college backstop taken.

The Sox grabbed on to a player who appears to have come to the attention of draft boards around the league late, and while there is obviously some risk in that, Rei's skills appear to be very real. From the sounds of it, this was a good pick by Boston.