Red Sox New Mock Draft Brings 6-foot-9 Fireballer to Boston

Who will Boston select in the first round?

Mar 2, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As the Major League Baseball calendar turns toward summer, the draft is beginning to matter to those of us who constantly obsess over our favorite teams' futures.

The Boston Red Sox's future is a bit clouded by their present, as hopes for this season were high and performance thus far has been less than mediocre. But drafting has less to do with the future needs of the team and more to do with choosing the right amateur out of thousands that can one day make the necessary improvements to become a big-league star.

That kind of calculus rarely has anything to do with a player's existing connection to the fan base. But this season, there's a prospect the Red Sox could feasibly draft who would be a total heartstrings play for Boston fans.

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Red Sox predicted to draft LHP Brody Bumila

Aug 31, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of the green monster score board at Fenway Park before game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Brody Bumila is a name Red Sox fans are coming to know, because he's the most exciting draft prospect from the Boston area in quite some time. He's a 6-foot-9 left-handed pitcher with a funky low arm slot who sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has touched triple digits. He's also a state champion basketball player who averaged over 40 points per game this year at local power Bishop Feehan.

On Thursday, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline mocked Bumila to the Red Sox, suggesting that there was a real shot that Boston could reach for the local talent with the 20th overall pick.

"Leaning into the 'don’t miss the guy in your own backyard' idea here," wrote Mayo. "Bumila has been racing up boards thanks to high-octane and unhittable heat from a 6-foot-9 frame. He’s been very fastball-heavy, but did show off more changeups and sliders in his most recent start."

Bumila ranks 22nd on MLB Pipeline's pre-draft big board, and Keith Law of The Athletic also suggested recently that he saw the big southpaw as more of a second-round talent. There's immense upside, but the fact that Bumila had internal brace surgery on his elbow is something of a concern.

It would be immensely exciting on draft day for Red Sox fans if Bumila was the pick. It would also be at least a few years before we collectively found out whether that pick was worth the inherent risks to drafting a high school arm, especially one with such explosive stuff at this age.