Red Sox Draft SS Marrero, Two Pitchers On Day 1
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Red Sox made three selections Monday night in the MLB 2012 First-Year Player Draft, selecting a shortstop and a pair of pitchers.
With the 24th overall pick in the first round, Boston selected Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero who earned all-conference honors in each of his three seasons with the Sun Devils. The 21-year-old hit .325 with 37 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs and 95 RBI in 150 career games, and was the top draft eligible shortstop according to Baseball America.
Marrero set an ASU freshman record with a team-leading .397 average in 2010 and was named a Collegiate Baseball First-Team Freshman All-American. He has played for the Cotuit Kettllers in the Cape League the past two summers, making the Cape Cod League All-Star team last summer after hitting .326.
He was a likely Top 10 pick, but a down junior season where he hit .284 with four homers at ASU let him slip to the Sox.
With their second first-round pick, the Red Sox then took left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson from the University of Florida 31st overall. The junior is 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 16 starts for the Gators this season. The 21-year-old leads University of Florida pitchers in games started and is tied for the team lead in wins and innings pitched. He doesn't just get it done on the mound though, as Johnson is also batting .310 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 40 RBI as a first baseman and designated hitter this season.
Johnson was a two-way player with Yarmouth-Dennis of the Cape Cod League in 2011, going 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA in three games on the mound and batting .280 with two homers and 14 RBI over 14 games.
The club also selected Monmouth (NJ) University product right-handed pitcher Pat Light 37th overall in Compensation Round A. The junior went 8-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 14 starts for Monmouth this season.
