Martin Shelar's First Taste of Professional Baseball Has Him Ready For What Comes Next [Exclusive]

[Nick John]

“Definitely kind of had to take it one step at a time.”

Martin Shelar had been out of high school for just under two months when he received news that changed everything. Taken in the ninth round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, the now-19-year-old had a decision to make: Either keep his commitment to play college baseball at Mississippi State, or sign with the Red Sox and begin his professional career.

In the end, he signed with Boston for a signing bonus of $1.5 million, way above the slot value of $205,400 for a player taken in the ninth round. The organization saw a young, slugging outfielder that could bring power into a system that was lacking it, especially after Shelar put up 19 home runs in his senior year of high school. Reaching that answer proved to be easy; the opportunity to begin his professional career with an organization that was ready to invest in his future was too enticing to pass up.

“I kind of knew at the beginning of Day Two [of the draft] that they were in the cards towards the later rounds. Going into the draft they had always been a team that was interested. That never changed as the draft went on, they were always in talks and always had a number for me,” Shelar explained when asked about the Red Sox's interest in him. The outfielder would go on to further explain he had been invited to events where multiple scouts were watching. However, the area scout from the Red Sox who focused on him, Kirk Fredriksson, went above and beyond. Fredriksson reached out and had Shelar hit a one-on-one batting practice session with just him.

Since signing with Boston and officially beginning his professional career, Shelar spent some time at Fort Myers getting back into game shape and preparing for the upcoming season. Then, he got called up to the Salem RidgeYaks. He described the entire situation as speeding up on him a little, a big change following life as a high school star.

Despite the fast pace of the pros, though, he feels good about how everything has gone.

“I feel like I’ve been improving at this level, and it’s been fun getting to compete with some of the best baseball players in the country.”

The Salem season officially concluded on Sunday, September 6 as they lost their finale 10-7. Since being called up to Salem, Shelar had the opportunity to play in 13 games where he hit .189/.283/.302 with three doubles, one home run and seven RBIs. For someone who just a few months ago was receiving his high school diploma, those numbers should be viewed positively, especially as he continues to adjust to the advanced pitching.

Shelar himself admitted that the pitching he now faced was the biggest adjustment for him. He explained how in high school he was facing guys throwing in the low-80s and now he’s seeing fastballs that don’t register under 90 mph. Likewise, the pitchers he's facing are actually able to locate their off-speed pitches, introducing an additional challenge at the plate.

Which is why it's so promising that his plan for each at-bat hasn’t changed.

“Hunt a fastball. That was the biggest adjustment I had to make because everybody throws so hard. In high school, I could sit backward if I needed to, sit on an off-speed because these kids are throwing 85 [mph] so I can always catch up and adjust. But if guys are out there throwing 95 [mph] and you’re sitting curveball, slider, you’re going to get your doors blown off. If you can sit fastball and see the other pitches off that, that’s the biggest mindset.”

Shelar’s first taste of professional baseball is officially in the books, but the young outfielder will take this experience and use it continue his development. With the potential of being a three- or four-tool player, Shelar will come into 2027 with high expectations not just from himself, but from the Red Sox as well. With the large investment they made in him, the organization will likely take their time to allow Shelar a chance to grow more accustomed to professional baseball.

View full article