Red Sox draft College World Series champion pitcher with their fourth pick of night
Boston selected Eyanson with its third round pick at No. 87 overall Sunday, making him the third SEC pitcher (and fourth college player) the club selected on Day 1 of the draft. The slot value of the pick is $907,200.
Earlier, the Red Sox took Oklahoma righty Kyson Witherspoon at No. 15 and Tennessee righty Marcus Phillips at No. 33.
Eyanson, a 20-year-old California native, pitched for UC San Diego for two years before transferring to Baton Rouge for 2025. For the Tigers this year, he logged a 3.00 ERA and struck out 152 batters in 108 innings in 20 games (18 starts). He was a First-Team All-American, per Baseball America, along with Witherspoon.
'Another guy that throws a ton of strikes,' said Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson. 'Has really good secondaries (pitches) and has dominated from a performance standpoint this year.'
Eyanson started the final game of the collegiate season when LSU beat Coastal Carolina to sweep a best-of-three championship series in Omaha on June 22. In a 5-3 Tigers win, he went 6 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while recording nine strikeouts.
'To do it at a school like LSU where it's a packed house every night, you've got to be tough and enjoy that craziness in the moment,' Pearson said. 'You have to have players like that if you want to pitch at Fenway Park.'
Eyanson was ranked the No. 40 prospect in the draft, per MLB Pipeline. Here's the site's scouting report on him:
'Eyanson served UC San Diego as a solid starter for two seasons before electing to transfer to LSU. He showed top-two-rounds potential last summer by working with a 93-97 mph fastball and a hammer curveball while with the U.S. collegiate national team and in the Cape Cod League. His stuff wasn't as sharp early in his junior season but he came on strong in the final two months to rank third in NCAA Division I in wins (12) and strikeouts (152 in 108 innings) and help the Tigers win the College World Series.
'Eyanson's slider has become his best pitch during his first season in Baton Rouge, parking at 82-85 mph and eliciting empty swings in and out of the strike zone thanks to its tremendous depth. His upper-70s curveball has been solid but hasn't enticed hitters to chase nearly as much as his slide piece has. His fastball has operated at 92-94 mph and topped out at 98, though its lack of life can make it vulnerable if he doesn't locate it well.
'Though Eyanson's low-80s changeup can miss bats with its fade and sink, he struggles to throw it for strikes. He's a good athlete with decent control but will nibble around the plate too much at times. He has a ceiling of a No. 3 starter if he can improve his fastball shape but also could wind up as a reliever who relies heavily on his breaking pitches.'
More Red Sox coverage
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A sweet ambush: Fred Lynn and Jim Rice's bond still gold 50 years after 1975 Red Sox pennant
Red Sox draft UVA infielder with third pick at No. 75 overall
Who's Kyson Witherspoon, Red Sox first round pick? 'I don't like being second'
Red Sox double down on college pitching, draft another SEC arm with second pick (No. 33)
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