Cincinnati Reds 2022 MLB Draft Report Card

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Best Pure Hitter: 3B Cam Collier (1) was one of the youngest hitters in the 2022 draft class, but he also came with one of the most advanced bats of the group. He has a smooth swing from the left side and advanced bat-to-ball skills, with an ability to naturally use the opposite field. He excelled in a nine-game pro debut in the Arizona Complex League, where he slashed .370/.514/.630 with more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six).

Best Power Hitter: 3B Sal Stewart (1) ranked as the No. 3 power hitter in the high school class and has a strong and filled-out, 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He has the raw power to homer easily to all fields and scouts think he could wind up with plus in-game power in the future.

Fastest Runner: OF Justin Boyd (2s) is an above-average runner who stole a career-best 24 bags for Oregon State during the spring, at a 77% success rate. He primarily played right field in college, but scouts thought he could handle center field and during a 2022 debut with Low-A Daytona, Boyd spent most of his time in center, with innings in left field as well. 

Best Defensive Player: The Reds selected a pair of college players who ranked highly at their respective positions for defensive play. C Logan Tanner (2) ranked as the No. 3 defensive catcher in the college class and has high-level tools behind the plate, with a 70-grade arm and above-average receiving skills. SS Trey Faltine (7) was the everyday shortstop for Texas since arriving on campus as a freshman and has above-average defensive potential at the position with fluid movements and plus arm strength.

Best Fastball: RHP Zach Maxwell (6) averaged 96 mph on his fastball during the spring with Georgia Tech and has routinely gotten the pitch up to the 100-101 mph range at peak. It’s a high-spin offering (2,500-2,700 rpm) with 18-20 inches of induced vertical break that should be an elite, 70-grade offering in pro ball. 

Best Secondary Pitch: RHP Kenya Huggins (4) throws a slider in the mid 80s that features impressive downward bite and could be an above-average pitch that plays nicely as a starter or a reliever.

Best Pro Debut: Collier (1) certainly acquitted himself nicely in rookie ball as a 17-year-old, with a 204 wRC+ in a small sample, but he wasn’t the only Cincinnati draftee to put up big numbers in his debut. C Cade Hunter (5) split time between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Daytona and between both levels in 14 games slashed .342/.449/.683 with three home runs, three doubles and a 205 wRC+.

Best Athlete: Boyd (2s) is a standout athlete in the traditional manner with impressive speed, but the Reds are also excited about the athleticism that Hunter (5) has shown behind the plate. 

Most Intriguing Background: Collier (1) is the son of former major leaguer Lou Collier and was also one of the youngest players in the 2022 draft class after re-classifying from the 2023 class. RHP Trey Braithwaite (16) was on the other end of the spectrum and was quite old for the class, after spending four seasons at Navy—where he became the program’s all-time leader in saves—and another in 2022 as a lockdown reliever for West Virginia, where he posted a 1.70 ERA over 37 innings. 

Closest To The Majors: The Reds invested in high school hitters who might take some time with their first two picks and later drafted a few catchers—a position that is typically on the slower end as players learn the finer details of the position. But Maxwell (6) has the sort of stuff that could move quickly in a reliever role if he’s able to hone in his control.

Best Late-Round Pick (Or NDFA): RHP Ben Brutti (11) popped up during the spring after his fastball took a massive step forward. He has been up to 97 mph with the pitch and has also shown some promise with a slider that needs more consistency. The Reds took a shot on his stuff with a $405,000 bonus as their first pick on day three.

The One Who Got Away: OF Mason Neville (18) was the first player the Reds didn’t sign and one of just two (along with RHP Tyler Chadwick (19) in the class who didn’t sign. Neville ranked as the No. 184 player in the class and has impressive power, speed and arm tools. He will head to Arkansas and begin his college career.