Crow-Armstrong came off the board two picks later, going to the Mets at No. 19.

In hindsight, the Sox’ selection looks like a head-scratcher. But they weren’t alone in missing on their evaluation of Crow-Armstrong. Not only did 17 other teams pass on the center fielder, but the Mets traded him to the Cubs in 2022 for rental shortstop Javier Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams.

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So where did the Sox — and other teams — err with Crow-Armstrong?

As a high school player at Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) and as an underclassman on both Team USA and the national showcase circuit, Crow-Armstrong was electrifying. He was an elite defensive center fielder whose speed and bat-to-ball skills suggested a table-setter. In the summer of 2019, Baseball America — in its wonderfully titled “Way Too Early” 2020 mock draft — projected Crow-Armstrong as the No. 3 pick for 2020.

But Crow-Armstrong struggled on the showcase circuit in the summer of 2019, posting a concerning swing-and-miss rate. That performance amplified questions about his swing mechanics and how much power he could produce from his wiry 6-foot frame. Concerns grew that he might be a glove-first fourth outfielder or average everyday center fielder rather than an above-average player.

While Crow-Armstrong had a strong start to the season as a high school senior, that 2020 campaign was truncated by the COVID-19 shutdown. So with Crow-Armstrong, Yorke, and virtually every player in the draft, there was a major shortage of information, forcing teams to project players’ paths based on an unusually incomplete breadcrumb trail.

“If you wanted to say that 2020 draft was unlike anything we hopefully will ever experience again, I think you’re not wrong,” said Sox amateur scouting director Jake Bruml, who in 2020 was working as an assistant in both amateur and pro scouting, taking part in draft preparations for the first time. “We essentially weren’t provided a full year of baseball, and arguably the most important year – the platform seasons. It made what is already an incredibly difficult job that much harder.”

According to a cross-section of accounts, the Sox gave varying levels of first-round consideration to high school position players Crow-Armstrong and Tyler Soderstrom, Louisville righthander Bobby Miller, and UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell.

Nick Yorke, who the Red Sox selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft, has played 40 MLB games for the Pirates this season.Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Though a number of mock drafts had tied the Sox to Crow-Armstrong with their first-round pick, atop the Sox’ wishlist at No. 17 were two high school infielders: Yorke and Illinois high school shortstop Ed Howard, a gifted defender with projectable offensive upside.

The Sox believed Yorke had special offensive traits, particularly in his swing decisions, and had seen hints of emerging power in his senior season (before the COVID shutdown) to conclude that he was on an upward arc that, in a normal year, would have made him a first-round selection.

The Sox were aware other teams didn’t share that view. But after the Cubs took Howard at No. 18, the Sox saw an opportunity to take a player they’d scouted heavily and loved in Yorke and sign him to a below-slot bonus, thus permitting the team to spend more on other picks. Such a strategy had considerable appeal to the club in a year where it didn’t have a second-round pick, the result of MLB’s punishment of the Sox for electronic sign-stealing in 2018.

Obviously, the risk did not yield the hoped-for reward. While Yorke had a remarkable first pro season in 2021 that initially validated the pick, he’s struggled to deliver consistent results. In 2024, the Sox traded him to the Pirates for pitcher Quinn Priester (subsequently dealt to the Brewers for a package that included pitching prospect John Holobetz and a draft pick).

Though Yorke has reached the big leagues (seven players from that draft haven’t, including Howard), in parts of three major league seasons, he has a sub-.600 OPS and a negative career WAR. He’s now shuttling between the infield and outfield corners for the Pirates.

Former Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman has helped mentor Pete Crow-Armstrong in his first season with the Cubs.Michael Reaves/Getty

Crow-Armstrong, meanwhile, has not only dispelled any fears about his offensive profile but vastly exceeded his perceived ceiling — especially this year. Part of the reason for his 2026 breakout? A challenge from Cubs (and former Red Sox) third baseman Alex Bregman when Crow-Armstrong struggled with a hyper-aggressive approach at the start of the year.

“Basically, we just played a game with each other. If you say you’re looking for a fastball middle-in, you’re only allowed to swing at that [before two strikes],” Crow-Armstrong said at the All-Star Game. “Everything else is shut down. It was really good for my eyes. … I started walking after that, and it was kind of interesting to see such an immediate change. He’s got a lot of cool insight as to who he is as a hitter and how he can let that seep into what I do.”

And on Friday, Crow-Armstrong will have a chance to showcase his talents at Fenway — a reminder of how decisions made on players as amateurs and minor leaguers can shape organizations for years to follow.

Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.