Cincinnati Reds MLB Draft History And Projections

As we approach the 2018 MLB Draft on June 4, we’ll break down each major league team’s recent draft history, picking out tendencies where applicable, highlighting the team’s 2018 draft pool and also touching on the organization’s most successful recent draft picks.

Additionally, each team is listed with potential draft targets. These players either fit the typical modus operandi of the organization or are players who have been specifically linked or rumored as fits with a team throughout the spring. Baseball America will continue to add and subtract players from the potential draft target section as we continue to gather information in the final weeks leading up to the draft. Players are listed with a line of skinny to get a quick idea of who they are, but our full scouting reports will give a more complete picture of a player.

It’s also worth pointing out that while in some cases a team might appear to have a clear tendency with certain demographics (i.e., high school pitchers or college hitters), the sample we are looking at is small enough that teams could simply be following a best player available strategy and the results are showing something that’s not an overarching scouting philosophy. It’s more likely that tendencies can be discovered at the extremes, rather than slight apparent preferences in the last five years.

Here is a breakdown of the recent MLB Draft history of the Cincinnati Reds:

Cincinnati Reds MLB Draft History And Projections

General Manager: Dick Williams (Since 2016)
Scouting Director: Chris Buckley (Since 2006)
2018 Bonus Pool (Rank): $10,900,400 (5th)

2018 MLB Draft Order:

1st Round: 5th

2nd Round: 47th

Supplemental 2nd Round: 72nd

3rd Round: 82nd

4th-40: 5th in each round.

First Round Picks Since 2013:

2017: Hunter Greene (2nd)

2016: Nick Senzel (2nd)

2015: Tyler Stephenson (11th)

2014: Nick Howard (19th), Alex Blandino (29th)

2013: Phillip Ervin (27th)

Best Recent Pick (2010-2017 Drafts):

C Yasmani Grandal (No. 12 overall, 2010) has carved out an impressive career as a polished defensive catcher since the Reds selected him in 2010, though none of his major league production has come with the club who drafted him. Traded to the Padres just over a year after he was drafted, Grandal hit .297/.394/.469 during his debut in 2012 (a 60-game sample) before cooling down offensively and becoming known for his impressive pitch-framing with the Padres and later with the Dodgers, where he earned his first and only all-star selection in 2015.

Recent Tendencies (Last Five Years/Top Five Rounds):

The Reds haven’t shown much preference for hitters or pitchers recently, taking exactly 15 of each in the past five years in the top five rounds. They’ve also been fairly split between college prospects and high school players, though the 46.7 percent of high school players they have taken in that span ranks in the top third of the league (9th).

Scouting Director Chris Buckley has been in charge of Cincinnati’s draft operations throughout this entire period and from 2015-2017 might have shifted to the high school avenue. After selecting only college players in the 2013 and 2014 first rounds and supplemental first rounds, Buckley has taken just one college player (Senzel) in the five selections the Reds have had in those rounds since 2015.

In such a small sample though, it’s more likely that the Reds simply like going with the best player available, and with the fifth overall pick in a deep 2018 draft, they could go a number of different directions this June.

Potential Draft Targets:

C Joey Bart — The top catcher in the class, Bart has an all-around game, including plus raw power and tantalizing defensive tools

IF Alec Bohm — A corner infielder with immense power in his bat, Bohm has a sound plan and approach in the batter’s box

SS Jonathan India — One of college baseball’s most impressive performers, India is solid across the board and is tapping into unprecedented power this spring

LHP Matthew Liberatore — A projectable lefthander who’s been up to 96 mph at times, Liberatore has three potential plus pitches and good feel for each

IF Nick Madrigal — A speedy infielder with exceptional bat-to-ball skills, Madrigal has a long track record of hitting and plus defensive potential as well