And with the final pick in the 2008 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft the Boston Red Sox select Kyle Stroup, righthanded pitcher from Grant Community High in Fox Lake, Illinois. The Northern Illinois and Chipola (Calif.) JC signee ranked as the 23rd best prospect in Illinois in our pre-draft state-by-state rankings. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander has been a four-year starter at his high school, and will likely head to Chipola unless the Red Sox give him a larger-than-expected offer. According to this story, Stroup’s fastball has touched 95 mph.

After an entire year of scouting, 1504 players were drafted over the past 30 hours, and now it’s time to rest, right? Don’t count on it. There’s a high school showcase in Jupiter, Fla. this weekend. It’s time to get a jump on the 2009 class.