Another Rhode Islander — a former Cumberland star — is taken in baseball's draft
Zach Fogell has celebrated four Boston Red Sox championships as a fan and would like to add at least a couple of more as a player.
The former Cumberland High standout and Brown University transfer was selected by his hometown team on Tuesday in the Major League Baseball draft. Fogell made good use of a graduate year at Connecticut and developed into a left-handed pitching prospect, as Boston picked him in the 18th round.
Fogell was at home when he heard the good news. He’s expected to sign with the club by the end of the week. He was a first-team all-conference selection in the Big East in 2023, dominating out of the bullpen to the tune of an 8-0 record, one save and a 1.89 earned-run average. That was enough for the Red Sox to tab him with the 538th overall selection.
“I’m just so excited to be able to help contribute to that,” Fogell said. “I can’t wait to get to work and hopefully win some championships of my own.”
Fogell had a connection with Boston’s front office that dated back to his freshman year with the Bears. Mark Sluys is currently an assistant in amateur scouting with the Red Sox — he was a senior who played in 37 games with that Brown team in 2019. Sluys helped put Fogell on the club’s radar and Boston followed with more targeted interest from Ray Fagnant, its longtime Northeast regional scout.
“Just being able to stay healthy was the biggest key for me,” Fogell said. “That’s projected me into this.”
Fogell was up to 96 mph with his fastball early in the season. He also featured a slider and changeup for the Huskies, striking out 60 and allowing just two home runs in 47⅔ innings. Fogell tied the school record for appearances with 36, matching the mark set by fellow Rhode Island native and southpaw Caleb Wurster in 2019.
“I had maximum confidence every time I went out there and pitched,” Fogell said. “I credit the coaching staff for preparing me for every outing I had and the training staff for making me as healthy as I could be.”
Fogell shared the draft stage with another Ocean State native and UConn teammate — West Warwick graduate Andrew Sears went in the 10th round to the Detroit Tigers. He's a left-handed starter who helped the Huskies to a 44-17 mark and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He’s the first Wizards alum to earn a professional opportunity in some three decades. Fogell will follow left-hander Chris Wright, who worked for the Clippers and Bryant University before going to the San Francisco Giants in 2019.
“Obviously, I’ve gotten a lot bigger and a lot stronger,” Fogell said. “I think my mental state and my mental awareness have reached a higher point. The jump from high school to college is real tough.”
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Fogell worked in 15 games during that debut campaign with Brown before his career hit the wall. Tommy John surgery and the cancellation of the 2021 season because of COVID-19 concerns forced him to hit the reset button. Fogell started in 10 of his 12 appearances in 2022 and opted to take advantage of a blanket waiver offered by the NCAA.
“That was just getting some rust off,” Fogell said. “I hadn’t pitched in two years. Being able to learn the atmosphere and experience everything again was a trial.”
Fogell is the first high school graduate or college player from the state picked by the Red Sox since right-hander Kevin McAvoy went in the fourth round in 2014. He was a right-handed pitcher from the Bulldogs who reached Double-A Portland in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Fogell is likely to begin what he hopes will be a climb through the system in the coming days.
“Heading down to Florida will be the first step,” Fogell said. “Go down there, sign and then go from there. Whether they want me to play or go to development camp, we’ll see.”
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Zach Fogell is drafted by his hometown Red Sox
