The Red Sox draft team is done for the day and is now free to enjoy the World Cup. With the 96th overall pick, they selected Jace Mataczynski, a high school shortstop out of Hudson, Wisconsin.
With the major caveat that one of them came out of college and the other high school, there are some interesting similarities between Mataczynski and Jake Schaffner, whom the Sox selected 20th overall. Like Schaffner, Mataczynski is an outstanding athlete with speed to spare and a good defensive reputation as
an infielder. And, like Schaffner, there are questions about his bat. Here’s what the evaluators at MLB Pipeline had to say about him:
Though Mataczynski has plenty of bat speed, his swing isn’t smooth and has some length to it. He operates out of a wide base and didn’t spend a lot of time on the showcase circuit, leading to questions about his ability to make consistent contact when he faces quality pitching. He does hit balls hard and should continue to add strength to his projectable 6-foot-3 frame, so he could have plus raw power once he matures physically.
I’m not going to even pretend to be someone who can scout a hitter’s swing. But I do know when a swing looks… interesting. And this swing does:
So the Red Sox still have not used the savings they got from going way under slot in the first round. There is still plenty of time to do that tomorrow, though. In the meantime, the Sox’ Day 1 picks followed a clear pattern: interesting athletes who need some swing tweaks.
