Red Wing's Ryan Boldt appeared to be a sure first-round pick until an injury ended his senior season and put his draft status in jeopardy.
Photo courtesy of Red Wing Republican Eagle
After a spectacular summer that saw him win MVP awards and gold medals,
Ryan Boldt of
Red Wing (Minn.) was primed for an outstanding senior season.
It lasted one and a half games.
Boldt injured his knee sliding into a base in the second game of the season and has been on crutches ever since. According to a
report in the Star Tribune, Boldt's surgery was not major and he is expected to begin rehabilitation this month.
The question now is how the injury will affect Boldt's draft status.
Elevated to first round material after a summer season in which he earned a gold medal while helping lead Team USA at the IBAF Junior World Championships and also won MVP honors at the Perfect Game Classic after going 2-for-3 with a triple, Boldt could fall out of the first round if teams deem his injury a risk.
Jordan Sheffield, Tullahoma
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
He's not the only highly-regarded prospect dealing with injury woes.
Tullahoma (Tullahoma, Tenn.) pitcher
Jordan Sheffield, ranked No. 8 overall by MaxPreps in the class of 2013, had Tommy John surgery after injuring his elbow in early March. Where he goes in the draft is unknown and it is more likely he will honor his commitment to play at Vanderbilt.
In 2012, Lucas Giolito of Harvard-Westlake, the consensus top prospect in the class, also went through Tommy John surgery and eventually slipped to the middle of the first round.
Should teams pass on Boldt, they will be missing out on a special player, according to Red Wing coach Jim Bohmbach.
"He is a quiet leader, leads by example with a very positive attitude," said Bohmbach. "When he showed up to practice his sophomore year he had grown about 2-3 inches with a beautiful, powerful swing. I said to my assistant coach that swing is a Division I swing. Wow!"
Bohmbach also noted that Boldt has bounced back from injury in the past. He even had to switch throwing arms.
"When he was around 10 years old he was pitching off a mound during a youth clinic and hurt his (left) arm so he could not throw anymore," he said. "He had to have surgery. A plate was put in so he had to learn how to throw with his right arm. Now he is a right-hander with a Major League arm."
While Boldt missed nearly his entire senior season, he played close to 100 games over the summer competing in the Area Code Games, the Perfect Game Classic and Team USA competition. He batted .273 with a team-high 13 runs scored and a .429 on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter for Team USA. He went 2-for-5 in the championship game against Canada with two runs scored.
Ryan Boldt, Red Wing
Photo courtesy of Red Wing Republican Eagle
"Winning the gold medal in South Korea with the USA national team was an experience I will remember forever," said Boldt. "Standing on the podium with my teammates and coaches and hearing our national anthem is something I will never forget."
Boldt credits his brother Steven, who played baseball at Viterbo University in Wisconsin, with his development as a player.
"Steven has been my baseball mentor," said Boldt. "He has always been there to teach me things, tell me what I could improve on and he has helped me get better mentally as well as physically."
Boldt's strong points include a 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, an above-average arm and plenty of speed. Several scouts have noted that Boldt's swing needs some tweaks, but it remains above-average. He is more likely to be a line-drive hitter at the next level rather than a home run hitter. However, scouts also note that he could develop power over time due to his strong frame.
While Boldt has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Nebraska, he is looking forward to the draft.
"Playing in the Major Leagues would be an exciting opportunity and a dream of mine," he said.
While tabbed as a potential mid-first round pick prior to the injury, most mock drafts now see Boldt going somewhere in the supplemental round or second round.
"I guess we're kind of taking it as it comes and letting the cards fall where they may," Boldt
told the Republican Eagle. "I don't know if I really have expectations that I've set for myself and for the draft. Like I've been told many times, I'm in a win-win situation. Whether I choose to sign or whether I choose go to Nebraska, I'll be in a really good spot."
