Red Sox select Tyler Esplin with their seventh round pick

With the 221st overall selection, the Red Sox have picked Tyler Esplin, an outfielder out of IMG Academy.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a ton of information out there on Esplin at the moment. He was not ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top-200 draftees nor was he among Baseball America’s top-500. The latter did rank him as the 96th best prospect out of the state of Florida, for what that’s worth.

What I can tell you about Esplin is that he is 17 years old at the moment, though he turns 18 next month. I can also tell you that while he pitched in high school he’s seen as an outfielder and that’s what the Red Sox unsurprisingly announced him as. He is also a big kid, standing at 6’4”, 225 pounds. Despite the size, reportedly runs fairly well and covers decent ground in the outfield. He also boasts good arm strength, which is unsurprising given his pitching background.

At the plate, Esplin bats from the left side with an upright stance. He has a short swing, but with his big frame he is able to generate a fair amount of power. According to Max Preps, Esplin hit .432 as a senior with a .535 on-base percentage. The lefty is committed to play at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte next year.