Three years ago, the Boston Red Sox tried to pry a slick-fielding shortstop named Gavin Kilen out of high school with a 13th-round pick, No. 399 overall. Kilen, then a wiry left-handed hitter from Wisconsin, said “maybe next time” and instead chose to take his glove and bat to the University of Louisville.
That next time may come this weekend. As the 2025 MLB Draft looms, taking place Sunday and Monday in Atlanta as part of MLB All-Star Week, Boston’s front office again has Kilen in its sights.
Only this time, the team will need to use the No. 15 overall pick.
Mock Drafts Predict Boston to Select University of Tennessee Infielder Gavin Kilen
A wave of recent mock drafts and scouting chatter point toward Kilen finally joining the Red Sox, who are again in the market for an infielder they trust to stick at short. Baseball America, Bleacher Report and Keith Law of The Athletic all project Boston to select Kilen with its first-round pick, with Law stating, “Kilen scores particularly well by batted-ball data and swing decisions, two things the Red Sox value now.”
If that happens, it’ll say plenty about how much the organization values a polished defender and high-contact lefty bat—two traits that have kept Kilen’s name near the top of draft boards all spring.
Boston’s interest in Kilen never really cooled. Back in 2022, they gambled that his college commitment might soften enough for an over-slot deal, but Kilen stuck to his word and enrolled at Louisville. After two seasons with the Cardinals, Kilen transferred to the University of Tennessee and turned into one of the SEC’s most consistent performers.
Gavin Kilen Touted as ‘One of the Best Hitters in the Country’
Kilen certainly made an impact in his lone season at Knoxville. Batting primarily from the leadoff spot, the 21-year-old slashed .357/.441/.671 with a 1.112 OPS, finishing with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. Touted in one draft profile as “one of the best hitters in the country,” Kilen had more walks (30) than strikeouts (27) over his 245 plate appearances, and he was one of three Tennessee players to earn First-Team All-American honors from Perfect Game.
Concerns over Kilen’s arm strength and stature at 5-foot-11 feed into a scouting debate about his long-term future, with some seeing Kilen more likely playing second base. But there is no debating the glove work or defensive skills, with Kilen touted for his “great hands and quick instincts.”
While Kilen isn’t expected to morph into a 30-homer bat, he checks enough boxes to make an instant impact in a farm system that’s quietly leaned on analytics to target high-contact hitters. As MassLive pointed out, Craig Breslow’s overhauling of the Red Sox front office included an increased reliance on data to identify college players with mature approaches at the plate. Kilen’s profile fits that mold perfectly—low chase rates, plenty of contact, and a swing built to spray line drives gap to gap.
If the Red Sox do pull the trigger on Kilen at No. 15, they’ll be getting a player who turned down their money once to bet on himself—and won. And this time, they won’t need to convince him to skip class.
Red Sox Expected to Pay Up for Shortstop Who Turned Them Down