Red Sox select Brandon Clarke with fifth-round pick

With the 148th overall pick in the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox selected Brandon Clarke, a left-handed pitcher out of State College of Florida (Junior College).

 

Clarke landed with the Manatees by way of Alabama, where he spent his freshman year but did not pitch. He was the No. 2 left-hander in the Class of 2021 from Virginia according to both Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game, but was not drafted out of high school. The organization will try to sign him away from a South Carolina commitment.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound southpaw worked as a starter in 2024 after limited exposure in 2023 and made 14 starts, pitching 74 1/3 innings. He did well to limit the home run ball, with just four on the year, and was able to miss bats, with 107 punchouts, but did walk 35 hitters and owned a 1.35 WHIP.

According to MLBPipeline.com, he can run his fastball up to 97 mph but sits around 94 mph. He also has a curveball in the upper 70s that may be an out pitch in the future, as well as a high 80s changeup, though it's firm and needs work, according to the outlet, which ranked him No. 177 overall in the draft class.

Baseball America was less bullish, ranking Clarke No. 289, though the site says his fastball is up to 99 mph. He was unranked by Perfect Game.

 

His arm and athleticism are his calling cards and the pitching development apparatus will likely look to use that and develop the secondaries, which are limited at present. It's also unclear whether his control will permit him to start or whether he'll be developed as a reliever.

The suggested signing bonus for this pick is $457,900.