The Boston Red Sox select 21-year-old shortstop Jake Schaffner from the University of North Carolina with their first-round pick, 20th overall, in the MLB Draft. Multiple outlets describe Schaffner as an infield prospect known for his athleticism and speed. Yahoo Sports also notes that Schaffner is the Red Sox’s first-round choice from UNC after being available at that spot in the draft.
While the Red Sox take him in the opening round, his draft standing among prospect evaluators appears mixed. One report highlights that Baseball America ranks Schaffner 98th among prospects in the draft, while MLB Pipeline places him at No. 75. Keith Law of The Athletic lists him at No. 79. The same coverage indicates that Boston’s top officials rate him more highly than those rankings suggest, leading to his selection at No. 20 despite lower consensus placement across major prospect lists.
