Red Sox 2nd-Rounder Hints He's About to Become Draft Steal

Boston's drafts have been home runs of late...

Jun 14, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers second baseman Henry Godbout (2) throws late on a double play attempt against North Carolina Tar Heels catcher Luke Stevenson (44) during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Filed Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

It's possible there are still Boston Red Sox fans out there who don't know Henry Godbout's name, but it sounds like the 22-year-old intends to change that immediately.

Godbout has been turning heads in the Red Sox system since he was taken with the 75th overall pick (Round 2C) in last July's draft. That started over the summer, when he crushed the ball in 13 games with High-A Salem, posting a .950 OPS.

One thing Godbout has yet to do as a professional, though, is to hit a home run. That's a fact he'll be out to change in 2026.

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Henry Godbout looking to become 30-HR type of player

In an interview with Christopher Smith of MassLive that was published on Sunday, Godbout said one of his focuses since the draft was adding power, and was confident he could eventually become a consistent 30-homer bat in the big leagues.

“The Red Sox do a great job of developing power, so I think it’s a perfect fit,” Godbout told Smith.

“Being a 30-home run guy would be a big boost to my offensive profile. I know I can do it. So just figuring out, how do we do that?”

If the thought of having a 30-homer middle infielder in a couple of years wasn't exciting enough for Red Sox fans, Godbout also discussed another offensive skill set he believed he could add to his tool kit: taking free bases with his legs.

“I think I can play with speed, steal some bags,” he said. “I haven’t really shown that in the past, but I really think I’m going to open some eyes this year with that.”

Because the Red Sox have such a logjam of young position players, Godbout may have gotten lost in the shuffle a bit last summer, when Boston used three of its four picks in the first three rounds on right-handed pitchers from SEC schools.

But Godbout has a chance to put the entire organization on notice this year if he provides the offensive impact he believes he can. And it's possible he could even put himself in the conversation for a major league debut by the start of next year.