The 2023 MLB Draft is just under two months away. After finishing 78-84 last season, the Sox won the 14th overall selection in the first round.

On Thursday, Baseball America released its latest mock draft exactly two months out from Round 1. With the 14th pick, they have the Red Sox staying local, selecting left handed pitcher Thomas White from Phillips Academy in Andover. White is listed as a native of Rowley.

• “How about a hometown selection here for the Red Sox instead of another trip out West for a prep shortstop?” writes Carlos Collazo, the writer for BA who put together the draft. “White has garnered a lot of attention in recent weeks as high-level scouts have run through the Northeast to check in on a number of talented arms, and White is getting real attention among the top 10 as well. He has more control questions than Meyer, but he also has the benefit of throwing a mid-90s fastball from the left side, with a real changeup and a breaking ball that is making progress this spring.”

  White is ranked the 17th-best prospect in this year’s draft by MLB.com. If he doesn’t sign after the draft, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound lefty is committed to play at Vanderbilt next spring. Here’s a look at his MLB.com scouting report…

• “There has never been a high school left-hander from Massachusetts taken in the first round of the Draft and the last time a prep pitcher of any kind from the Bay State went in the opening round was back in 2011, when the Blue Jays took Tyler Beede, who instead headed to Vanderbilt. White has at times been tough to scout as he’s been picky about which events to attend, but he did show what the fuss has been about both in PDP League and East Coast Pro Showcase action this past summer before taking a nice step forward this spring.

  White checks off a lot of boxes in terms of his size, he’s 6-foot-5, his pure stuff and his left-handedness. He was up to 96-97 mph with his fastball over the summer, missing bats with it up in the zone. He couples it with what could be a plus curveball, thrown with high spin rates in the upper-70s. He doesn’t throw it as much yet, but he showed off enough low-80s changeups to give a sense that he’s going to have a very good three-pitch mix in the future.

  Everything works well in terms of White’s delivery, and though he did struggle with his command at times over the summer because all of his moving parts can get out of sync, he was repeating well this spring and improved strike-throwing has led to some helium. There’s little question he’s the best prep lefty in the country, one who’ll likely have to go early to not follow in Beede’s footsteps and fulfill his commitment to Vanderbilt.”

• The Red Sox have not selected a pitcher in the first round of the draft under Chaim Bloom. Their last first-round pitcher selection was Tanner Houck, who they took out of the University of Missouri 24th overall in 2017. They haven’t taken a high school pitcher since 2016, when they drafted Jay Groome 12th overall.

  Since the MLB Draft began in 1965 the Red Sox have drafted four players from Massachusetts in the first round. They did so most recently in 1999, when they took Whitinsville’s Rick Asadoorian and Leyden’s Brad Baker 17th and 40th, respectively. Neither ended up ever playing for the Red Sox. In 1986 they took Greg McMurty from Brockton 14th overall. He didn’t end up signing with the team, but did end up getting drafted by and playing for the New England Patriots a few years later.

  The only Massachusetts native drafted by the Red Sox in the first round to go on to play for the team was their first pick in franchise history – Billy Conigliaro. The Swampscott native was taken fifth overall in 1965, and spent three seasons in Boston before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972.

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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