With their first-round pick in Saturday’s 2026 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox selected UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner.
The Red Sox took Schaffner 20th overall, 55 slots above his No. 75 ranking on MLB’s Top 250 Draft prospects list.
A 6-foot-2 left-handed hitter out of Janesville, Wisconsin, Schaffner boasts impressive bat-to-ball skills. He displayed little power potential in college, though, hitting just nine home runs in 171 games.
“While he won’t be a slugger, he’s hitting the ball harder than ever this spring and could produce 10-12 homers annually with a healthy amount of doubles,” noted MLB Pipeline’s scouting report.
Schaffner began his college career with two seasons at North Dakota State before transferring to UNC. Facing higher-level opponents at UNC didn’t hamper Schaffner, who batted .356 with a .552 slugging percentage in in 68 games this year and continued to display strong bat-to-ball skills. He collected 96 hits, 19 doubles, eight trips, six home runs, 85 runs and 50 RBI, drew 45 walks to his 32 strikeouts, received 17 hit-by-pitches, and stole 26 bases in 29 attempts.
At shortstop this year, Schaffner recorded 94 putouts, 141 assists and made three errors. Evaluators describe his arm as average, and could therefore see him moving to second base down the road.
“He’s a rangy and extremely reliable defender at shortstop, though his arm likely will dictate a move to second base in pro ball,” MLB Pipeline assessed. “He has below-average to fringy pure arm strength that plays as average because he has a knack for running through balls and using his momentum to create carry on his throws.”