Red Sox Predicted To Draft Star SEC Shortstop At 20th Overall

Kentucky Wildcats infielder Tyler Bell

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The Boston Red Sox have the 20th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and could draft an impact prospect.

The 2026 MLB Draft is set for July 11-12, and Boston could look to add a position player to the prospect pool. Ahead of the Draft, MLB analyst Jim Callis of MLB.com revealed his first mock draft and had the Red Sox picking Kentucky Wildcats shortstop Tyler Bell with the 20th overall pick.

"Gamely playing through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that will require surgery once Kentucky's season ends, Bell is a solid defender at shortstop and a switch-hitter with 20-homer power,” Callis wrote in an article published on Thursday.

Callis ranks Bell as his 23rd-best player in the MLB Draft, so he should be available for the Red Sox at pick 20. The 20-year-old has played two years at Kentucky and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2025, as well as being named to the Freshman All-America, First Team.

This season in 30 games, Bell is hitting .374 with 6 home runs and 26 RBIs while having an OPS of 1.183. In his freshman season, he started all 56 games he played in, hitting .296 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs, including 17 doubles and two triples.

Bell would add some more infield depth to the Red Sox’s prospect system.

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