Red Sox select Hunter Dobbins with their eighth round pick

The Red Sox waited until their seventh round pick to grab their first college pitcher of this draft class after being connected to a couple with their first pick. That first pick was Wyatt Olds, and they not only went with a second straight college arm in the eighth round but a second straight Big 12 arm. They went to Texas Tech this time, grabbing right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins. The 21-year-old (he’ll turn 22 next month) junior didn’t pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Prior to 2021, he pitched to a 3.11 ERA over 46 ¹⁄₃ innings at Texas Tech with 49 strikeouts and 16 walks. Most of those innings came in relief.

Dobbins suffered his injury prior to this season back in February, so he will certainly not pitch for the Red Sox at any level this summer, but should hopefully be able to get back on the mound early next season. A hard-throwing righty, his fastball got up in the upper 90s before surgery. He did work as a starter at times in his first two years at Texas Tech, so it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox will work the righty out of the bullpen right away or give him a chance to start coming off the injury.