Just four days after being selected in the ninth round of the 2026 MLB Draft, Martin Shelar has reportedly agreed to join the Red Sox organization.
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox made 19 selections during the 2026 Major League Baseball draft last weekend, adding a fresh crop of talent to a farm system that is on the rise after being depleted by both graduations and trades alike. In the wake of the draft, teams are scrambling to get their selections signed ahead of the July 27 signing deadline.
Among the Red Sox selections who have signed is Boston's ninth-round pick, 18-year-old outfielder Martin Shelar, who has reportedly agreed to a record-setting signing bonus.
About Shelar
Despite being drafted with the 274th overall pick in the draft, Shelar has major upside, with Baseball Prospectus ranking the Georgia product as the No. 13 player available in the entire draft. Shelar starred at the 2026 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix, posting massive power numbers, including exit velocities that touched 115 mph.
According to MLB Pipeline, the 6-foot-2 Shelar possesses 55-grade power and speed, giving him a unique blend of power and speed that not many prospects possess. However, Boston hopes to refine the 18-year-old's 45-grade hit tool.
Defensively, Shelar played centerfield primarily, where, according to Baseball Prospectus, he has a "slim chance" of sticking as a professional, instead profiling more as a "corner outfield masher."
After hitting .500 with 19 home runs in his final year of high school, the power-hitting right-hander was set to attend Mississippi State in the fall; instead, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo, he will sign with the Red Sox for $1.5 million, over $1.3 million more than the $205,400 slot value of the 274th pick, and begin his professional baseball journey.
As noted by SoxProspects.com's Chris Hatfield, Shelar's massive bonus is set to become the highest given to a ninth-round selection, besting the $1.2-million deal starter Clay Holmes signed after being selected in the ninth round of the 2011 Draft.
Why was Shelar's signing bonus so high?
The Red Sox made an interesting choice with their first-round pick, selecting infielder Jake Schaffner, who was ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 75 player in the draft, with the 20th overall pick. After Schaffner's selection, many assumed that Boston was aiming to sign the University of North Carolina product to a deal well under the $4.37-million slot value of the pick, using the savings to target high-upside high schoolers, like Shelar, who would need to be paid handsomely to forgo their collegiate commitments.
Boston, like many teams across baseball, have utilized this draft strategy on a number of occasions, most notably in the 2022 Draft, where it selected infielder Mikey Romero in the first round, signing him to a deal that was $600,000 under slot bonus. They then used the savings on the 79th overall pick in the draft, outfielder Roman Anthony, who agreed to a $2.5-million deal to forgo his commitment to Mississippi.
Shelar's record-setting agreement is a sign that the Red Sox believe in the massive potential that had him ranked as high as a first-round talent.
The Red Sox are 46-48 and in third place in the American League East entering play on Friday.
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