Reds Don’t Have To Settle For Senzel

CINCINNATI—It didn’t matter that the Reds had the No. 2 pick in the draft, because they got their first pick: Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel.

The Reds had Senzel at the top of their board since last summer, when he was the MVP of the Cape Cod League. They knew they’d be drafting high this June, so they had the wood-bat summer collegiate league covered. They liked what they saw in Senzel.

“We’re really excited. This is the guy we wanted,” scouting director Chris Buckley said. “He’s a very polished player, and one of the better hitters—if not the best hitter—in the draft. We think his power will improve the more he plays. He’s a complete player. He runs, throws and plays his position well.”

Senzel was widely seen as the best college hitter available. This year at Tennessee, the junior hit .352/.456/.595 with eight home runs and 59 RBIs in 57 games. He struck out just 21 times and walked 40 times while hitting 25 doubles. He also stole 25 bases in 29 attempts.

At Tennessee, Senzel played all around the infield, with most of his action this season coming at third base. Of the questions about Senzel, his ability to stick there has been one of the biggest.

“It’s just a matter of where they put me and where they try to develop me,” Senzel said. “Wherever they want me, I’ll play. That’s just the main thing. Whatever I can do to help the organization out.”

For now, Buckley said the team sees him as a third baseman.

Tennessee coach Dave Serrano recently said he has no doubt Senzel could stick at third, and he even thinks he could start at shortstop.

After taking Stanford third baseman Alex Blandino in the first round of the 2014 draft, the Reds started him at shortstop before shifting to second base in 2016.

“(Senzel’s) arm strength is tremendous. His range is good,” Serrano said. “He saved us a few games just with what he did defensively.”

The other question is Senzel’s power. He hit just eight home runs this season, but his last came off fellow first-rounder A.J. Puk of Florida.

Undrafted out of high school in Farragut, Tenn., the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Senzel has added more power each of his three years in college, and he struck 34 extra-base hits in 57 games this season.

“I think playing in the (Southeastern Conference) the last three years has helped me out tremendously from an individual standpoint,” said Senzel, who doesn’t turn 21 until June 29. “I think (as far as) the overall grind of the minor leagues . . . I’ve played a lot of games. It’s an every day, in-and-out grind. It will be the biggest challenge for me moving forward.”

RED HOTS

• The fact the Reds took a catcher, Tyler Stephenson, in the first round last season didn’t deter them from taking Clemson’s Chris Okey with the second pick of the second round this year. “We did that with Devin (Mesoraco in 2007) and Yasmani Grandal (in 2010),” Buckley said. “We thought he was the best player up there, (and) it’s a tough position to find. This year there was a little more depth to that position.”

• Buckley said the team liked the fact that supplemental first-round outfielder Taylor Trammell played football at his Kennesaw, Ga., high school, noting that Todd Frazier played basketball in high school and Mesoraco played football.