Grading the Boston Red Sox on the 2017 MLB Draft

The dust has settled on the 2017 MLB draft, with all 40 rounds completed. That means, among other things, we can assess each club's selections and offer up some preliminary grades.

"Preliminary" is the operative word. Grading a draft before the players in question have logged an inning in the pros always involves some guesswork and gut feeling. 

With that caveat, let's check in on the Boston Red Sox and grade the additions they made to the farm.

Round 1

With the No. 24 overall pick, the Red Sox selected right-hander Tanner Houck of the University of Missouri.

Houck was ranked as the No. 20 draft prospect by MLB.com, while ESPN.com's Keith Law had him falling off the board at No. 21. 

"I didn't think he was going to get anywhere near 24, to be honest with you," said Boston scout Todd Gold, per Alex Speier of Baseball America.

With a big frame and a fastball that can touch the high 90s, Houck racked up 292 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA in 301 innings during his three seasons with Missouri. 

His secondary pitches, including a slider and changeup, aren't as impressive as his heater, but the 20-year-old is a strike-thrower with the potential to be a mid-rotation starter.

Grade: B

Rounds 2-5

2nd Round (No. 63 overall): Cole Brannen, OF, The Westfield School HS (Ga.)

The No. 68 prospect on MLB.com's list, Brannen is a good athlete with plus speed, defensive range and strong contact skills.

"We like a lot of things about his approach and swing," said Red Sox vice president of amateur scouting Mike Rikard, per Speier, writing for the Boston Globe. "We do see some power projection there, and he's a good runner, a well above-average runner. He's really a five-tool player and we're pretty excited to get him as well."

3rd Round (No. 101 overall): Brett Netzer, 2B, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Brett Netzer flashed excellent on-base and contact abilities during his three seasons with UNC-Charlotte, posting a .428 on-base percentage and drawing 29 walks next to 27 strikeouts in his junior year.

The 21-year-old is raw defensively and lacks power, but at this stage of the draft, he's got enough tools to be considered a decent pick.

4th Round (No. 131 overall): Jake Thompson, RHP, Oregon State

This could end up a steal for Boston, as MLB.com had Thompson ranked No. 71 overall.

The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball as well as a slider and changeup that could develop into solid secondary offerings. He also cut his walk rate in his most recent season with Oregon State, allaying concerns about his command.

5th Round (No. 161 overall): Alex Scherff, RHP, Colleyville Heritage HS (Texas)

Speaking of potential steals, MLB.com had Scherff at No. 52 overall, more than 100 slots higher than where Boston snagged him.

A hard-throwing righty with an impressive changeup, Scherff has wobbled at times with his mechanics and command, but is as close to a can't-miss pick as you'll find at this point in the draft.

Grade on Rounds 2-5: B+

Rounds 6-10

6th Round (No. 191 overall): Zach Schellenger, RHP, Seton Hall

A big righty with a mid-90s fastball and sharp slider, Zach Schellenger profiles as a potential late-inning bullpen asset, provided he recovers from the biceps injury that plagued him this season.

7th Round (No. 221 overall): Tyler Esplin, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)

Tyler Esplin, a 17-year-old who pitched in high school but was drafted as an outfielder, didn't crack MLB.com's top 200 and is committed to UNC-Charlotte for next season.

8th Round (No. 251 overall): Zach Sterry, 1B, University of Oakland

At the least, Boston used these rounds to fill its "Zach" quota.

Zach Sterry is coming off an excellent senior season with the University of Oakland, where he hit .346 with a 1.084 OPS and 13 home runs in 48 games. At 23 years old, he'll have to impress quickly.

9th Round (No. 281 overall): Tanner Nishioka, 2B, Pomona-Pitzer College

Another college senior, Nishioka hit .441 with 18 home runs this season, albeit for a Division III school. If he doesn't pan out, he can always fall back on his neuroscience degree. 

10th Round (No. 311 overall): Jordan Wren, OF, Georgia Southern

The son of Red Sox front-office advisor Frank Wren, Jordan Wren hit .268 in his senior year at Georgia Southern. So...yeah.

Grade on Rounds 6-10: C

Rounds 11-40

Now we tread into the true draft wilderness, where assigning grades becomes especially difficult. Rather than running through all of these picks, most of whom you'll never hear from again, here are a few worth noting:

14th Round (No. 431 overall): Aaron Perry, RHP, Hurricane HS (W.Va.)

Aaron Perry suffered a stress fracture in his elbow in April and didn't pitch again, but he's got a solid mid-90s fastball and could have profiled much higher before the injury. As such, he may opt to go to college and re-enter the draft next year.

24th Round (No. 731 overall): Charlie Madden, C, Mercer College

Charlie Madden bashed 17 home runs in 56 games in his senior year at Mercer College while flashing plus defensive skills behind the dish. Catchers with pop are always in demand.

28th Round (No. 851 overall): Oraj Anu, RF, home-schooled (Fla.)

A home-schooled kid out of Florida, Oraj Anu was dubbed "a name to remember" by Baseball America's Hudson Belinsky after a workout at the Perfect Game National Showcase. Anu flashed plus speed, Belinsky noted, and crushed a ball an estimated 400 feet during "an explosive batting practice session."

Grade: B...we guess

Overall Grade

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

The Red Sox got an intriguing college arm with their top pick, a guy they apparently didn't think they'd land at No. 24.

A couple of possible steals followed in Thompson and Scherff, with the subsequent rounds featuring a handful of below-slot selections likely aimed at helping Boston signing its higher picks. 

No one would say the Red Sox were the draft's biggest winners. But the club added enough talent to bolster a farm system that's been raided by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, including a good mix of prep and college players.

Overall Draft Grade: B

All statistics courtesy of The Baseball Cube unless otherwise noted.