- Full name Kyle Bono
- Born
- Profile Throws: R
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Mike Rozier wasn't the only 2004 Red Sox draftee who landed a record bonus. A draft-eligible sophomore who could have returned to Central Florida without losing any bargaining power, Bono opened the summer in the Cape Cod League, where he didn't surrender a run in 12 appearances. That was enough to persuade Boston to sign him for $432,000, the most ever for an eighth-round pick. A late bloomer on the mound, Bono was primarily a third baseman and pitched sporadically as a high school senior. In two years of college, he set a Golden Knights record with a 1.66 career ERA and led NCAA Division I with five shutouts last spring. Bono's top two pitches are his heavy 88-91 mph sinker and his changeup. Whether he remains a starter in the long term depends primarily on how much improvement he can make with his ordinary slider. He likes to go right after hitters, and he locates all three of his pitches well in the strike zone. Because he's so polished--like many of Boston's 2004 pitching draft picks--Bono could handle starting his first full season in high Class A.