Vanderbilt pitcher Devin Futrell was selected with the 297th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Futrell is the sixth Commodore to be picked in this year’s draft.
Futrell came to West End in the fall of 2021 after an impressive high school career. He was the No. 24 overall prospect out of Florida after posting a 0.67 ERA and 78 strikeouts during his senior season. The lefty showed control beyond his years, commanding the strike zone and using his elite changeup to generate a multitude of pop-ups and strikeouts.
When the Florida native began his freshman season, head coach Tim Corbin immediately put him in an important role as Vanderbilt’s midweek starter. He excelled in this role, albeit oftentimes against weaker competition, earning a 4.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio, good enough for third-best in the SEC, and a 3.27 ERA. Futrell won five straight starts in late March and early April and earned Perfect Game Freshman All-American honors at the end of the season. It was an exceptional start to the lefty’s collegiate career, and he seemed poised to be a weekend force for Vanderbilt his sophomore year.
Futrell slotted into the weekend rotation in his second year on West End, facing an even higher level of competition against SEC opponents. Still, he rose to the challenge. He posted an ERA of 3.44 and allowed just 2.15 walks per nine innings. He pitched eight shutout innings against Georgia, which earned him his first SEC Pitcher of the Week award.
Despite high expectations going into the season, the southpaw struggled in his junior year. He was unable to improve upon his ERA from his first two years and sported a 5.40 ERA across 48.1 innings pitched. Injuries impacted the 6’5” lefty, as he was out for nearly a month from March 24 to April 23. Still, he showed flashes of brilliance, throwing a complete shutout against Illinois State in the nonconference slate. While it wasn’t his best statistical year, much of it was attributable to the injuries he dealt with and the rustiness that accompanied them.
Futrell will be an asset to the Sox thanks to his ability to pound the strike zone and limit walks. While his fastball tops out in the low 90’s, Futrell’s capability to locate his changeup shows his elite potential.
Check out the Vanderbilt Hustler Sports Section’s Twitter for up-to-date MLB Draft news.
