Former Virginia second baseman Henry Godbout has heard his name called in the 2025 MLB Draft. He was selected No. 75 overall by the Boston Red Sox.
Godbout entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2025 season. His decision came after the Cavaliers’ longtime head coach Brian O’Connor left the program for the same job at Mississippi State.
Before hitting the portal, Godbout was one of the best players in the ACC last season. He earned second-team all-conference honors for his efforts. Across 50 games played, 48 of those were at second base. Virginia called upon Godbout to man the hot corner on two occasions, potentially showing a little versatility.
Teams are going to love the offensive production Godbout produces, though. He finished with a .309 batting average in 191 at-bats during the 2025 season. His OPS finished at .894 due to eight home runs, 10 doubles, and a triple. Godbout got a base via walks on 26 occasions and is not prone to a strikeout, only having 19 on the stat sheet.
“In many ways, Godbout is the prototypical Virginia hitter, a solid all-around baseball player with tools that play up thanks to a high baseball IQ,” his MLB scouting report reads. “He makes consistent hard contact from the right side of the plate and doesn’t chase or swing-and-miss much (14 percent miss rate in 2024). He could end up with better than average power when all is said and done, with most of it coming right now to his pull side.
“Godbout appeared to have added some strength this fall, but looked a little stiffer as a result. He’s a fringy runner and that might be trending in the wrong direction with that added bulk.”
There was some hope that Godbout would play some at shortstop for the Cavaliers in 2025 but that did not pan out. However, during his last stint in the Cape Cod League he was awarded this nod. Scouts and analysts believe his inexperience at the position could limit his versatility on defense moving forward.
Godbout played three seasons for Virginia, meaning he has one season of eligibility remaining to play college baseball again if he chooses not to sign with his new MLB team. No one would fault him for following his head coach to Starkville for his senior season in college baseball. However, his ultimate decision remains to be seen.