How top Red Sox draft picks Jake Schaffner, Owen Hull fared in pro debuts

With their first two picks in this summer’s draft, the Red Sox not only took a pair of teammates, but also a pair of roommates from the University of North Carolina who share similar backgrounds.

At No. 20 overall, the Red Sox selected shortstop Jake Schaffner. At No. 67, a competitive balance pick acquired from the Brewers as part of February’s Caleb Durbin trade, they took outfielder Owen Hull. Both players had transferred to UNC for their junior seasons from smaller programs, with Schaffner coming from North Dakota State and Hull from George Mason.

Fresh off earning All-ACC First Team honors and leading the Tar Heels to the College World Series finals, Schaffner and Hull signed their first contracts with the Red Sox on July 17. Putting pen to paper at Fenway Park, both Schaffner and Hull received under-slot signing bonuses of $2 million and $1.2 million, respectively. They then ventured to Fort Myers before reporting to High-A Greenville for their professional debuts at the start of August.

Schaffner, a left-handed hitting 21-year-old, batted .315/.362/.435 with six doubles, two triples, one home run, 15 RBIs, 19 runs scored, five stolen bases, seven walks, and 21 strikeouts in 23 games (116 plate appearances) for the Drive to close out the season. Defensively, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 181 1/3 innings at shortstop, committing five errors in 80 chances.

Hull, a left-handed hitting 22-year-old, batted .337/.436/.531 with 10 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 24 games (117 plate appearances) for the Drive down the stretch. Defensively, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder logged 191 1/3 innings in center field without committing an error or recording an assist.

Baseball America currently ranks Schaffner and Hull as Boston’s Nos. 6 and 7 prospects. As Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham recently explained to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, improving how they impact the baseball will be a focus for the duo over the winter, including through an offseason training program in Fort Myers.

“All the things foundationally to be a good baseball player, they have,” Abraham said. “Add more physicality, add more ability to hit the ball in the air, improved range, all those things, and you’re talking about two really exciting players with a ton of potential.”

Schaffner, a Wisconsin native who turns 22 next month, and Hull, a Virginia native who will not turn 23 until next July, are projected to return to Greenville for the start of their first full seasons as pros in 2027. That said, it would not be surprising to see them push one another and move through the system relatively quickly if given the opportunity.