Mickey Gasper, the unexpected offensive breakout for the Boston Red Sox, was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 27th round of the 2018 MLB Draft — a round that no longer exists, according to Heavy.com.
A Late-Round Pick No One Expected to Reach the Majors
Gasper grew up in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and played college ball at Bryant University in Rhode Island. He was his conference’s player of the year in 2018, but was not viewed as a high-end professional prospect. He signed with the Yankees for just $5,000 at nearly 23 years old. As The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner notes, Gasper is the only player selected in the 27th round of the 2018 MLB Draft to ever reach the major leagues.
The Winding Path to Boston
The Red Sox initially selected Gasper in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft after the Yankees left him off their 40-man roster. His journey to Boston required waiver claims by the Minnesota Twins and then the Washington Nationals before the Red Sox claimed him back. Kepner reports that teams have never been certain where to play him; he has appeared at designated hitter, catcher, and first base for Boston, with the Twins also trying him at second base and in left field.
A Historic August at the Plate
Gasper posted a .400 average with six home runs in the final two weeks of August and carried a 1.671 OPS for the month, a figure topped in a calendar month only by Ted Williams, Barry Bonds (twice), and Carlos Peña, Kepner writes. He homered again when the calendar flipped to September.
The Red Sox optioned Gasper to the minors on a Sunday when two players returned from the injured list, then lost by 15 runs that day at Yankee Stadium. Boston brought him back when Willson Contreras strained his hamstring, and Gasper homered in his first at-bat the following day, Kepner reports.
