Oklahoma State pitcher Isaac Stebens selected by the Boston Red Sox in 2023 MLB Draft
Isaac Stebens’ name is off the board. The Boston Red Sox selected the Oklahoma State pitcher with the No. 478 overall pick in the 16th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Stebens only spent one year at Oklahoma State but made the most of his time. The right-handed pitcher posted a 2.24 ERA through 64.1 innings of work. Additionally, Stebens recorded 85 strikeouts this season compared to a mere 24 walks.
Before joining the Cowboys in 2023, Stebens spent two seasons at Cowley College. While there, the 6-foot cannon was an All-American and two-time all-conference selection. Stebens made 45 relief appearances in his career and was 6-1 with 12 saves and 82 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.
Stebens was unranked by Perfect Game, exiting high school. However, he has certainly proven himself now.
More on the 2023 MLB Draft
The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.
This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.
While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.
Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.
In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.
Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.