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The Cincinnati Reds have been a team that has made the most of its first-round picks over the years. They have drafted guys like Hunter Greene, Jonathan India, Matt McLain, Sal Stewart, Rhett Lowder, and Chase Burns, just to name a few.
Last year, they were awarded the No. 9 pick, and with it, they selected Alabama prep shortstop Steele Hall. And with the amount of exciting prep players on the board this year, they could certainly continue that trend of taking high school talent.
Or, they could grab one of the handful of college players who may work their way through the minor leagues a little quicker. Either way they lean, there's going to be some elite talent still left to be drafted when the Reds hit the clock at pick 18.
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MLB analyst sets the stage for the Reds to draft TCU's 60-power outfielder
It has been a few years since the Reds took an outfielder with their first-round pick. The last time they did it was with their supplemental pick during the 2021 MLB Draft when they selected Florida prep slugger Jay Allen.
However, that could all change with the latest draft predictions. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter suggests the Reds could draft TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider at No. 18.
"Strosnider has seen his batting average dip from .350 as a true freshman to .273 as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he has become a more well-rounded hitter with a massive spike in his walk rate. He still needs to cut down his chase rate and improve his pitch recognition, but there's a lot to like about a 60-power, 60-speed center fielder with a 1.040 OPS and 24 home runs in 106 collegiate games."
There are still things Strosnider needs to work on, but he has a massive ceiling. He has huge raw power and is a quick-twitch athlete who should have more than enough speed to stick in center field.
While his bat has taken a hit this past season, he has turned into a more well-rounded player. Now, it's just about continuing that development and putting it all together.
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