MLB Draft 2017: Red Sox select Tanner Houck with 24th overall pick

With the 24th pick in the draft, the Red Sox have selected righty Tanner Houck from the University of Missouri. In mock drafts, Houck was projected to go 27th by MLB.com, 21st by ESPN, and 23rd by Baseball America.

This isn’t the righty pitcher’s first rodeo. In 2014, he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round as a high school senior, but opted for the college experience instead. It paid off, and now Houck’s tried and true calling cards are his nasty slider and 98mph fastball. In his college career, Houck earned a 3.13 ERA He has the ability to be a very reliable ground-ball pitcher, with good movement on the ball.

What the Illinois native is lacking in is variety. His fastball has dipped in velocity leading up to the draft, which has made a lot of people question his stamina and durability. His change up also needs a fair amount of work. There’s some polishing to be done here, but Houck’s arm is far from average.

Here’s a clip of Houck pitching: