​After a long and eventful day at the MLB Draft, the Red Sox made three notable selections, two of which came from the North Carolina Tar Heels. With the 20th overall pick, Boston chose North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner. Schaffner, 21, is coming off a breakout season with the Tar Heels in which he batted .356 with a .467 on-base percentage, scored 85 runs, collected 19 doubles, eight triples and six home runs, while driving in 50 runs and swiping 26 bases across 68 games. The left-handed hitter transferred to North Carolina after two seasons at North Dakota State University. During his time with the Bison, Schaffner earned All-Summit League First-Team honors in both 2024 and 2025 and was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. The Wisconsin native also spent the summer of 2025 in the Cape Cod Baseball League, appearing in 29 games for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. He was honored with the league’s Manny Robello Tenth Player Award, which recognizes a player who embodies exceptional teamwork and community involvement.
The Red Sox kept their draft momentum rolling later in the day, selecting North Carolina outfielder Owen Hull in Competitive Balance Round B with the 67th overall pick. Boston then added Jace Mataczynski, a shortstop from Hudson High School in Wisconsin, in the third round with the 96th overall selection.
Day 2 of the draft continues tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. This is a developing story, so check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts, and follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter for the latest developments.