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3 Better First-Round Picks the Red Sox Could've Made Than Nick Yorke

By Max Smith

Garrett Mitchell would have been a steal for the Red Sox.
Garrett Mitchell would have been a steal for the Red Sox. / Katharine Lotze/Getty Images

Many were surprised when the Red Sox selected second baseman Nick Yorke with the 17th overall pick in Wednesday night's MLB Draft. Yorke was No. 139 on the MLB Top 200 Prospects list, which makes him seem like a major reach. The Red Sox could have gone a lot of different directions with the 17th pick last night. These are the three that make the most sense.

3. Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pete Crow-Armstrong may have been the best all-around prospect in the draft.
Pete Crow-Armstrong may have been the best all-around prospect in the draft. / Hans Gutknecht/AP

Pete Crow-Armstrong was selected by the New York Mets two picks after the Sox took Yorke. Perfect Game Scouting noted that Crow-Armstrong was "probably the most polished all around player in the 2020 class" -- he's elite defensively and has the tools to be an above-average hitter as he progresses. Coming into the draft, Crow-Armstrong was ranked as the 20th overall prospect.

2. Nick Bitsko

Nick Bitsko has enormous upside.
Nick Bitsko has enormous upside. / Mike Janes/AP

Though many see RHP Nick Bitsko as a bit of a gamble, his upside is outstanding. Bitsko only pitched in his freshman and sophomore seasons in high school and has decided to graduate early. Bitsko already has an insane frame, standing 6-4 and 225 pounds at only 17. He can also hit the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball and throw a very competitive curve. Coming into the draft, he was ranked as the 14th overall prospect, but fell to the Tampa Bay Rays at 24. Bitsko would have been a risk, but so is Yorke.

1. Garrett Mitchell

Garrett Mitchell was ranked sixth overall heading into the draft.
Garrett Mitchell was ranked sixth overall heading into the draft. / Katharine Lotze/Getty Images

Unlike the two other prospects listed, Garrett Mitchell is a college player, and has excelled during his time at UCLA. The center fielder has elite speed, and is far closer to an MLB debut than Nick Yorke. Coming into the draft, Mitchell was ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect, but dropped all the way down to 20th, when the Brewers took him. This is (partially?) because Mitchell is a type 1 diabetic -- however, the Red Sox were still lucky they had the chance to draft him at 17, and passed.