Red Sox select Tyler McDonough with their third round pick

After going with two highly-rated players who fell to their spots with their first two selections in the draft, the Red Sox have gone down the board a little bit at pick number 75, their third round selection. Boston took Tyler McDonough, a second baseman from North Carolina State. The 22-year-old junior was ranked at number 112 by MLB Pipeline, number 42 by FanGraphs, and 109 by Perfect Game. He hit .339/.423/.631 for the Wolfpack in 2021.

It is notable that McDonough was announced as a second base, as he’s kind of played all over the place as an amateur. He was a catcher in high school before playing mostly center field in college, with some time on the dirt at second and third base. The Red Sox, as we know, have been valuing versatility quite a bit of late, and this certainly fits that bill as it seems they have the makings of another potential super utility player here. At the plate, McDonough looks to be a contact-oriented player who will spray base hits all around the field.

All in all, it is a low-ceiling kind of player, but he’s a guy who should move relatively quickly, has a relatively high floor given his ability to play multiple premium positions, and gets rave reviews about his makeup. Plus, MLB Pipeline throws out a Brock Holt comp, which everyone should love.