It may take a few years for Nazzan Zanetello to arrive in Boston with the Red Sox, but if he wants to attend a Celtics game before then, he shouldn't have much trouble.
Zanetello, whom the Red Sox selected in the second round (50th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft, was a star shortstop at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis last season. Zanetello also played basketball at Christian Brothers, where his head coach was Justin Tatum.
Yes, that's Jayson Tatum's father.
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"Justin was my basketball coach. He actually texted me this morning and said, 'I’ll hook you up with Jayson. He’ll take care of you,'" Zanetello said Monday, via The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. "That was sick."
Jayson Tatum attended nearby Chaminade Prep, which competes in the same conference as Christian Brothers and is a rival of Zanetello's alma mater. But considering how proud Tatum is of his St. Louis roots, we'd imagine he'll be eager to take Zanetello under his wing.
As for Zanetello's on-field potential, the 18-year-old made his mark last November by hitting .429 at an 18-and-under World Cup qualifying tournament. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Zanetello has five-tool potential with the ability to hit for power and average as well as play strong defense at multiple positions.
Zanetello still has a long way to go, however: He's committed to playing at the University of Arkansas next season, and once he gets into the Red Sox' system, he'll need to distinguish himself among a crowd of recently-drafted shortstops led by top-five overall prospect Marcelo Mayer.
Still, Zanetello should benefit from a strong support system: In addition to having Justin Tatum in his corner, one of his high school assistant baseball coaches was Al Nipper, a former Red Sox pitcher, coach and scout.