2016 Draft Report Card: Boston Red Sox

BEST PURE HITTER: Senior sign Ryan Scott (7) batted .435 at Arkansas-Little Rock in the spring, then held his own at short-season Lowell in the summer. Scott has a smooth swing and works up the middle with gap power.

BEST POWER: Bobby Dalbec (4) has plus-plus power potential from the right side, and he tapped into that power consistently during his pro debut after an unspectacular spring. Dalbec repeated his swing better and showed better overall consistency in his pro debut and posted a jaw-dropping .288 isolated slugging percentage in nearly 150 plate appearances for short-season Lowell.

FASTEST RUNNER: Boston didn’t draft any true game-changing runners, but Santiago Espinal (10) and Chad Hardy (33) are plus runners and C.J. Chatham (2) is an above-average runner who moves particularly well underway.

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Chatham was arguably the best defensive shortstop available in the 2016 draft; he has a quick first step and shows above-average range in both directions. Chatham has a plus-plus arm that fits well at shortstop.

BEST ATHLETE: Chatham’s combination of body control, speed and arm strength makes him the most natural athlete of the class, but Groome and Anderson are very athletic on the mound, and Dalbec has elite physicality and arm strength.

BEST FASTBALL: Groome’s fastball has reached the mid-90s from the left side, and Shaun Anderson (3) has reached 96. Reliever Stephen Nogosek (6) has shown the best velocity thus far, reaching 97 mph in short bursts.

BEST SECONDARY PITCH: Anderson’s cutter is borderline unhittable and has more consistency than Groome’s signature curveball, which flashes plus or better often.

BEST PRO DEBUT: Dalbec’s debut is almost unparallelled in the entire class. He slashed a remarkable .386/.427/.674 and played promising defense at third base.

MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Nick Lovullo is the son of Red Sox bench coach and former interim manager Torey Lovullo.

CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: Dalbec’s rapid recent progress could allow him to move quickly, but Mike Shawaryn’s (5) three solid pitches, strike-throwing ability and poise all point towards a quick rise.

BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Puerto Rican prep catcher Alberto Schmidt (16) earns high praise for his catch and throw skills, as well as his exceptional work ethic and maturity. Schmidt has the defensive skills and aptitude to profile at the highest level if he’s able to make offensive improvements.

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THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Boston had productive talks with Nick Quintana (11) but was not able to sign his potent bat away from his Arizona commitment.