Morning Sports Update
“He’s an incredible athlete that has a chance to stick in center field and his performance speaks for itself not only in the summer circuit last year, but also what he did in his high school season.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred during the 2026 draft. Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
July 13, 2026 | 11:30 AM
4 minutes to read
Red Sox picked a high-upside, power-hitting prospect in MLB Draft: After opting to save money with their first-round pick — North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner is projected to sign for a total below the MLB slot recommendation — the Red Sox had some extra cash to toss around in the middle rounds of the draft over the weekend.
In the ninth round, Boston opted for 18-year-old power-hitting outfielder Martin Shelar from Georgia, who Baseball America noted hit over .500 last year at Marist School with a nation-leading 19 home runs in 33 pre games. He also recorded an exit velocity of 115.5 mph at the MLB Combine.
Though there are concerns from scouts about his ability to consistently make contact against higher-level pitching, his power is not in dispute. One MLB draft analyst compared him to former power hitting outfielder Jay Buhner.
For those wondering when the Red Sox were going to go big with the money they saved early, it looks like HS OF Martin Shelar.
Ranked at #125 on BA’s board. Chance for 70-grade power.
Hit .500 with 19 HR as a senior. Jay Buhner comp, per @JoeDoyleMiLB. pic.twitter.com/23tSbfn8qO
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 12, 2026
Shelar was ranked as the 175th-rated player in an MLB.com prospect list prior to the draft, and is officially still committed to Mississippi State (he could still choose to go pro).
Red Sox director of amateur scouting Jake Bruml had high praise for Shelar.
“He’s an incredible athlete that has a chance to stick in center field and his performance speaks for itself not only in the summer circuit last year, but also what he did in his high school season,” Bruml said. “If I’m not mistaken, he led the entire country in home runs across all high school players this spring.”
In a piece of news that Red Sox fans will love to hear, Mike Strickland, Shelar’s coach at Marist School in Atlanta, noted that his work ethic might be his best attribute.
“The power tool obviously is the easiest thing to see, just because when it gets synched up and he lets it go, it’s unmistakable what’s coming off his bat,” said Strickland. “But to me, after spending four years with him, his No. 1 tool is work. I’ve seen very few kids over the course of my 30 years in baseball who have loved to work at getting better and improving and challenging themselves like Martin Shelar.”
“We just stayed in contact with him and his advisors, as the day went along,” Bruml said of the sitaution, “knowing we had some money left over and were able to find a match there where we had enough to get him out of his commitment hopefully to Mississippi State.”
Trivia: Which future Hall of Fame player was selected in the seventh round of the 1976 MLB Draft out of high school?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: He opted for the Red Sox over a potential kicker/punter scholarship at South Carolina, eventually winning five batting titles and becoming a 12-time All-Star.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox defeated the Mets 3-2 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep and extending Boston’s overall winning streak to nine games. The league now pauses for the All-Star break. Play resumes on July 17 in the start of a series at Fenway Park against the Rays.
In the World Cup, the semifinal games are set:
- France vs. Spain on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
- England vs. Argentina on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Justice was done: After going viral for looking longingly at a fellow dog being served a hot dog during a recent baseball game, the Marlins actively searched for (and found) the poor pup shown in the video below. It led to Jonah the dog’s redemptive night at the ballpark on Sunday.
How it started vs. how it’s going 🌭
Jonah, the viral pup who just wanted a hot dog at the Marlins game, enjoyed his dream day at the ballpark this afternoon! pic.twitter.com/1yqe53QgKn
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2026
Futbol is (professional) life for Cristo Fernandez: The former “Ted Lasso” actor made his professional soccer debut for El Paso Locomotive FC, a USL Championship team in a 2-0 loss to New Mexico United in a game on Sunday.
On this day: In 1999, Pedro Martinez dazzled the MLB All-Star Game — hosted in his home ballpark, Fenway Park — with five strikeouts in two innings. Facing a modern day murderer’s row of hitters (Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Matt Williams, and Jeff Bagwell), Martinez struck out the first four.
He yielded a baserunner only to due to an error, but Williams was then thrown out by Martinez’s fellow Hall of Famer, catcher Ivan Rodriguez, following his strikeout of Bagwell. It remains one of the iconic moments in the history of the Midsummer Classic, and Martinez was rightfully awarded MVP in a 4-1 American League win.
Daily highlight: From Saturday, Rhode Island FC goalkeeper Koke Vegas not only made a fantastic save in stoppage time to preserve the tie, but then stopped a penalty kick in the ensuing shootout before scoring the winner himself. Rhode Island defeated Brooklyn in the USL Cup matchup in a penalty kick shootout, 4-3.
Trivia answer: Wade Boggs
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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