BOSTON, MA — The Boston Red Sox today signed the club’s top selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, infielder Kolbrin Vitek out of Ball State University. The club also signed its second overall selection, outfielder Bryce Brentz of Middle Tennessee State University.
The announcement was made by Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein and Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye.
Both Vitek and Brentz have been assigned to the Short-Season A Lowell Spinners.
The 20th overall selection in the draft, Vitek was named 2010 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound infielder led the league with 73 runs, tied for second with 17 homers and ranked third with 68 RBI and 161 total bases. The junior also earned Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American honors, pacing the Cardinals with a .361 (84-for-233) batting average, .691 slugging percentage, 20 doubles and three triples (tied) in 58 games. He stole 16 bases in 20 attempts and walked 33 times with a .445 on-base percentage. The 21-year-old also made 17 pitching appearances, including 13 starts, and finished second in the MAC with a 3.28 ERA (29 ER/79.2 IP). He was 3-4 with three saves, 60 strikeouts and just 20 walks. The right-handed hitter was one of 30 finalists for 2010 Golden Spikes Award and last summer won the Triple Crown in the Great Lakes League, batting .400 (54-for-135) with six home runs and 38 RBI. Vitek was rated by Baseball America as the top second baseman in this year’s draft as well as the third-best pure hitter among college players.
Brentz, 21, was selected 36th overall in the supplemental first round after hitting .348 (64-for-184) with 51 runs, eight doubles, 15 homers and 49 RBI in 46 games as a junior for the Blue Raiders this season. He posted a .636 slugging percentage and walked 29 times with a .440 on-base percentage. In 2009, the right-handed hitter was the NCAA leader in batting average (.465), home runs (28), slugging (.930) and total bases (214) and was named Sun Belt Player of the Year. He also hit .366 (26-for-71) in 23 games during the 2009 Team USA season. The 6-foot-0, 200-pound native of Knoxville, Tennessee was rated by Baseball America as the third-best power hitter among college players in this year’s draft. He was selected out of high school by Cleveland in the 30th round of the 2007 draft but did not sign.
Also agreeing to terms with the club were 12th-round selection, right-handed pitcher Garrett Rau from California Baptist University; 13th-round selection, right-handed pitcher Keith Couch from Adelphi University; 34th-round selection, right-handed pitcher Michael Gleason from California State University-Chico; 39th-round selection, shortstop Nick Robinson from North Central College; 40th-round selection, outfielder Luke Yoder from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo; 41st-round selection, catcher Jayson Hernandez from Rutgers University; 45th-round selection, shortstop James Kang from Pomona-Pitzer College; and 49th-round selection, first baseman Trygg Larsson-Danforth from Yale University. Rau, Couch, Robinson and Hernandez have been assigned to Lowell while Gleason, Yoder, Kang and Larsson-Danforth have been assigned to the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League Red Sox.
With the signing, Boston has 10 selections from this year’s draft under contract. Attached is a complete look at the club’s 2010 picks.
