Boston Red Sox
Experts have differing opinions on which position the Red Sox could target on Day 1 of the Draft.
Several experts tabbed the Red Sox to draft a college right-handed pitcher, including Taylor Rabe (pictured). AP Photo/Stew Milne
The 2026 MLB Draft is slated to begin Saturday, two days before the beginning of the All-Star break.
The Boston Red Sox own the No. 20 overall pick in the first round. They have 18 more draft picks up their sleeve between the second and 20th rounds.
It’s tough to say exactly what position the Red Sox will target with their first selection. MLB’s minor league system is much deeper compared to other major professional sports leagues, so teams can be flexible with their initial decision.
Among six final mock drafts conducted by experts, there is no consensus as to what position pool Boston could draw from in the first round.
Here’s who experts tabbed Boston selecting with the 20th overall pick on the eve of the draft.
The Athletic’s Keith Law predicted Boston to select 21-year-old Chase Brunson at No. 20, an outfielder from TCU.
Brunson, a San Clemente, California, native, played three seasons for the Horned Frogs. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 18th round of the 2023 draft, but he opted to head to college.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitter was an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention this past season. He batted .304 in 51 games, hitting 10 home runs and driving in 51 runs. He drew 33 walks and was hit by pitch a staggering 19 times. His 11 doubles and .462 on-base percentage led TCU.
Brunson also stole 13 bases in 18 attempts his junior year.
He appeared in 34 games in center field and 16 in right.
“He’s an aggressive swinger but makes consistent contact and drills line drives from gap to gap,” per MLB.com’s scouting report on Brunson. “He translates the strength in his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame into high-end exit velocities and 20-homer power that plays to all fields.
“Brunson has solid speed and will find spots to steal an occasional base. He doesn’t have classic centerfield quickness but his instincts help him to track down balls in the gaps. If he can’t remain up the middle in pro ball, his solid arm strength will fit nicely in right field.”
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter tabbed the Red Sox to pick right-handed pitcher Taylor Rabe in the first round.
Rabe, 21, is a flamethrower. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Ole Miss righty’s fastball can reach triple-digits.
“His fastball-heavy approach could be a red flag for some teams, but Payton Tolle had a similar reliance on his heater coming out of college and he quickly developed into one of the best pitching prospects in baseball,” Reuter noted.
The Greenville, South Carolina, native underwent Tommy John surgery in his freshman year in 2024 and redshirted in 2025 before making 11 starts and six relief appearances this past season. Rabe helped lead his team to the College World Series as the team’s No. 1 starter.
His 3.55 ERA was the Rebels’ best and seventh-best in the SEC. He struck out 105 batters and featured the team’s best opponent batting average (.221).
Rabe allowed 15 walks, finishing the year with a 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio, good for fourth-best in the country.
“Rabe’s fastball elicits plenty of chases, empty swings and groundballs thanks to its combination of velocity (averaging 96 mph, topping out at 100), carry, command and deception,” MLB.com wrote of Rabe. “Not only does he pound the strike zone, but he’s adept at working around the edges and rarely leaves balls over the plate to get pounded. One of the hottest college pitchers down the stretch, he could become a mid-rotation starter.”
CBS Sports: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Christ Church Episcopal School (South Carolina)
The Red Sox were widely linked to Bo Lowrance in the months leading up to the draft.
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicted Boston to ultimately stick with picking the high school third baseman.
Lowrance, 18, is committed to the University of Virginia, but a first-round selection would likely have him decommit.
Scouts who watched Lowrance, who stands at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, compared him to Freddie Freeman, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel back in May. McDaniel said then that Boston was Lowrance’s “most rumored and most likely landing spot.”
“Lowrance has a smooth left-handed stroke and a track record of delivering against quality competition on the showcase circuit. He doesn’t try to do too much at the plate, making consistent contact to all fields despite naturally long levers,” MLB.com wrote. “He doesn’t lift and pull many pitches at this point, so he’ll need to add strength and make some adjustments to realize his 25-homer potential.”
ESPN: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State
Heading into the draft, McDaniel pivoted and tabbed the Red Sox to select a different third baseman than Bo Lowrance.
Instead, he mocked Ace Reese out of Mississippi State to Boston.
Reese, 21, is a true left-handed power hitter; he clobbered 24 home runs as a junior this past season and drove in 74 runners across 62 games. He finished the year with a .336 batting average, .432 on-base percentage, and .721 slugging percentage.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound infielder also walked 41 times and struck out 63 times.
“He can homer to any part of a ballpark and pounds both lefties and righties,” MLB.com wrote of Reese, who hails from Canton, Texas. “He can get a bit aggressive at times but is making progress with his swing decisions and some evaluators think he could become a solid hitter with 25-30 homers per year.”
MLB.com questioned Reese’s fit at third base, however.
“He’s a below-average athlete with limited quickness and range, and his arm is merely average. He has improved since fielding .889 at the hot corner as a sophomore but still could wind up at first base or possibly left field.”
FanGraphs: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina
FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen predicted Boston will select a right-handed pitcher, Cameron Flukey, with No. 20.
Flukey, 21, missed part of this past season due to a stress fracture in his rib, but ultimately started seven games for Coastal Carolina as a junior.
In those starts, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound righty posted a 4.13 ERA and struck out 31 batters, holding opponents to a .247 batting average.
As a sophomore in 2025, Flukey, an Egg Harbor, New Jersey, native, dominated across 17 starts. He struck out 118 batters out of 414 faced, owned a 3.19 ERA, and held hitters to a .209 average.
Longenhagen noted Flukey’s “strike-throwing track record with his fastball is much better (compared to other 2026 top RHP prospects), which is something last year’s Sox picks have struggled with.”
MLB.com graded Flukey’s fastball a 60 on their 20-80 scale.
“Flukey maintains mid-90s velocity on his heater deep into games and tops out at 98 mph with armside run and carry.”
“Because the 6-foot-6 Flukey has a longer arm path and higher release point than normal, it’s easier for hitters to see his pitches — but not to hit them,” MLB.com added. “Despite his size, he has no difficulty repeating his delivery and providing strikes. He could add more strength to his lanky frame, which might mean more power for his already nasty stuff.”
Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Phillips tabbed Boston to draft outfielder Zion Rose out of Louisville with the 20th pick.
Rose, 21, posted some ridiculous offensive numbers as a junior for the Cardinals this past season. In 36 games, he batted .417 with a .491 on-base percentage. He hit six home runs, 13 doubles, and drove in 47 runs, collecting 60 total hits.
The right-handed hitter who stands at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, also stole 24 bases in 2026. He captured 65 total bags in his three seasons at Louisville.
“Rose is a physical right-handed hitter whose bat speed and strength produce high exit velocities and power that plays from foul pole to foul pole,” MLB.com wrote. “He has advanced bat-to-ball skills, though his tendency to chase pitches cuts into his walk totals and leads to more groundball contact than is desired.”
Rose, who is from Chicago, Illinois, is said to be a poor fielder. He committed eight total errors at the collegiate level from 2024-26.
“Despite his quickness, he’s at best a fringy defender in left field with arm strength to match,” MLB.com wrote.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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