Red Sox draft North Andover’s Sebastian Keane
By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Red Sox have drafted the top prospect in Massachusetts this year, selecting North Andover right-hander Sebastian Keane in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft
Keane is 6’3, 195 pounds and caught the attention of national scouts while pitching for North Andover High School. He was named the Gatorade Massachusetts Baseball Player of the Year this season.
He has committed to play at Northeastern.
Baseball America ranked him as the 140th player in the draft. You can read the BA scouting report here:
The top prospect in Massachusetts, Keane is a thin, projectable righthander committed to Northeastern. Listed at 6-foot-3, 165 pounds, Keane has plenty of room to fill out and add more strength to a loose, athletic frame. He was up to 94 mph with his fastball last summer, but this spring he’s pitched more in the 90-92 mph range. Keane has three secondary offerings, including a low-80s slider that projects as an average offering and a currently below-average curveball in the upper 70s. He casted his curveball at times last summer, but when he gets on top of the pitch he is able to generate good spin and solid depth. Keane also has a changeup that projects as an average offering. Overall, Keane’s present stuff isn’t explosive, but he has plenty of traits to dream on and has shown good feel for landing his pitches for strikes despite an high-effort delivery that features a slight head whack. He’s a high-upside prospect who has had plenty of high-level scouts in to see him frequently this spring.
Keane likely dropped in the draft due to signability concerns, but it seems like the Red Sox are hopeful they can get the righty in the fold.
But don’t count on the hometown team factor playing a role in Keane’s decision.
“I’m a diehard Yankees fan, but if the Red Sox take me, I’ll be happy,” Keane told the Boston Herald in April.
You can hear Matt McCarthy on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s own Hardcore Baseball podcast and on various 98.5 The Sports Hub programs. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985.
