Red Sox double dip at UNC to open MLB Draft on Saturday

The Red Sox made a surprising pick in the opening round Saturday, selecting North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

The selection came well ahead of where most public draft boards projected him. ESPN ranked Schaffner No. 51 in the class, MLB Pipeline had him No. 75, and Baseball America placed him No. 98, making Boston’s first-round choice one of the biggest reaches to open the draft.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Red Sox reached for their newest prospect. 

Boston has employed a similar strategy before. In 2020, the club stunned many by selecting Nick Yorke 17th overall, signing him below slot before using the savings to sign Blaze Jordan to an over-slot bonus later in the draft. With this year’s class viewed as one of the deepest in recent memory, it’s possible the Red Sox are once again prioritizing bonus-pool flexibility over consensus rankings.

"His offensive skillet aligns very well with our player development group,” said Red Sox amateur scouting director Jake Bruml. “We’re confident he’ll be able to thrive in our system while playing strong defense at shortstop.”

Schaffner, a lean, athletic shortstop at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, is regarded as one of the best pure contact hitters in the class. A left-handed hitter, he transferred to North Carolina for the 2026 season after spending his first two collegiate seasons at North Dakota State, where he was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.

Schaffner slashed .356/.467/.552 with a 1.019 OPS, six home runs, 19 doubles, eight triples and 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts across 68 games in his lone season with the Tar Heels. He also showcased outstanding plate discipline, drawing 45 walks while striking out just 32 times.

Scouts believe his value starts with his bat-to-ball skills.

MLB Pipeline describes Schaffner as a hitter with “good feel for the barrel” who focuses on spraying line drives from gap to gap. He rarely swings and misses, particularly against fastballs, and while he isn’t expected to become a middle-of-the-order power threat, evaluators believe his improving bat speed could eventually produce 10-12 home runs annually while generating plenty of doubles.

Baseball America echoed that assessment, praising his elite contact ability while noting his below-average power. Defensively, however, Schaffner may offer even more upside. He’s considered an athletic, instinctive shortstop with the actions, range and arm strength to remain at the position long term.

Boston enters the draft with 19 selections, including No. 67 overall in Competitive Balance Round B and No. 96 overall in the third round Saturday.

The 67th pick was acquired from Milwaukee in the February trade that brought Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler and Andrew Monasterio to Boston in exchange for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan.

Boston does not own a second or fourth-round selection after forfeiting those picks as compensation for signing qualified free agent Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract last offseason.

Red Sox Draft Another Tar Heel

The Red Sox stayed in Chapel Hill for their second selection of the 2026 MLB Draft, taking North Carolina outfielder Owen Hull with the No. 67 overall pick, a Competitive Balance Round B selection.

Hull, 21, was ranked No. 67 overall by MLB Pipeline entering the draft. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound left-handed hitter is coming off a breakout season for the Tar Heels, slashing .393/.500/.615 with a 1.115 OPS, nine home runs, 27 doubles, two triples and 87 RBI in 69 games. He also stole 18 bases while drawing 48 walks against 49 strikeouts.

Hull becomes the second consecutive North Carolina player selected by Boston, joining first-rounder and fellow teammate Schaffner as the Red Sox continue to mine one of college baseball’s premier programs early in this year’s draft.