First five rounds: Nick Lodolo (1-7), Rece Hinds (2-49), Tyler Callihan (3-85), Ivan Johnson (4-114), Evan Kravetz (5-144)
Also notable: Graham Ashcraft (6-174), Eric Yang (7-204), Patrick Raby (17-504)
The Reds had a good draft here, starting with the best pitcher in the class and moving forward with two of the better high school hitters available, both signed to overslot bonuses. They mixed up positions as well as high school versus college players, and the overall class is well rounded. I particularly like the two high school bats and think the Reds spent their extra bonus money well, and they could get two impact bats.
1-7: LHP Nick Lodolo (Texas Christian, my rank: 7)
It was a down year for pitching, but Nick Lodolo was the best of the weak crop and the Reds got him at seventh overall. Lodolo was a very well regarded prospect out of a Southern California high school in 2016, when he ranked 76th on my list and turned down the Pirates as the 41st overall selection, but he didn't quite put it all together over his first two years at TCU with ERA's of 4.35 and 4.32, respectively. However, he did put it together this year and posted a 2.36 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 131/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 103 innings for the Horned Frogs, his best start of the season coming on May 16th when he tossed eight shutout innings against a tough Texas Tech lineup, allowing five hits and no walks while striking out 13. Lodolo is a 6'6" lefty who cleaned up his mechanics this season, giving him good angle on a low 90's fastball, two breaking balls that he's still figuring out, and a solid changeup that keeps hitters off balance. He previously used a decent curveball, but he has transitioned over to more of a good slider, and sharpening that slider will be a big key for him going forward. He also commands everything pretty well, and with the potential to add even more velocity and sharpen his breaking balls further, he has #2 starter upside. However, I see him more as a #3 guy as a more realistic projection. Lodolo signed at slot for $5.43 million and has a 2.38 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and a sparkling 21/0 strikeout to walk ratio over 11.1 innings at rookie level Billings.
2-49: 3B Rece Hinds (IMG Academy [FL], my rank: 35)
Rece Hinds is one of the more polarizing prospects in the class this year, but the Reds liked his tremendous upside enough to give him an overslot deal here at 49th overall. They drafted him as a shortstop, but I went ahead and listed him as a third baseman because there is no way he sticks at short (and he's already playing third in the Appalachian League). Even at third, Hinds' glove is fringy and needs some work, but he does have a shot to stick there if he can get more consistent with his glove. Anyways, he's much more interesting as a hitter, where his plus raw power is possibly the best in the class, easily up there with Brett Baty and Keoni Cavaco. The 6'4" slugger originally from the town of Niceville in the Florida Panhandle can hit some absolute moonshots, and that power plays up in games against premium velocity. However, Hinds is a dead-red hitter who really struggles with breaking stuff, and you have to assume he'll get a steady diet of those immediately in pro ball. His hands aren't the quickest to the ball and that causes a lot of his swing and miss, which the Reds will want to help him fix, but the pitch recognition will be the biggest challenge here. Hinds has huge upside as an Aaron Judge-type hitter, but he comes with a ton of risk. Committed to Louisiana State, he signed for $1.8 million, which w as $290,000 above slot, and he's hitless through eight at bats at rookie level Greeneville, striking out three times and walking twice.
3-85: 2B Tyler Callihan (Providence HS [FL], my rank: 34)
I spent a lot of time trying to decide which Florida high school hitter I liked better between Hinds and Tyler Callihan, and while I ultimately ranked Callihan one spot ahead of Hinds, it's still really close. Callihan is high school draftee from Jacksonville, where he shows great feel for the barrel that allows him to make consistent hard contact and hit for some power even against top competition, even though he's a stocky six feet tall. The bat will absolutely play at the next level, and while getting to above average power isn't a guarantee, some mechanical changes should help him do so. Together, that projection comes out to 20 or so home runs per season, potentially 25 or more if he can make the necessary adjustments, and high on-base percentages. Defensively, he comes with a lot of question marks and could end up at first base, second, or third. He's not the most athletic player and probably fits best at first base, but he's a little short for a first baseman and the Reds would probably rather he figure out how to make it work elsewhere in the infield. It's interesting that the Reds drafted him as a second baseman but he probably fits better at third, but we'll see. Committed to Florida, he signed for $1.5 million, which was $789,300 above slot, and he's slashing .244/.277/.400 with two home runs and a 15/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 22 games with Hinds at Greeneville.
4-114: 2B Ivan Johnson (Chipola JC, unranked)
Ivan Johnson started out at Georgia but transferred to powerhouse junior college Chipola for his sophomore year when he didn't get as much playing time as he wanted, and it paid off for him. The Atlanta-area native slashed .381/.491/.587 with nine home runs and a 37/34 strikeout to walk ratio on the Florida JuCo circuit, showing a projectable bat from both sides of the plate. The switch hitter is trending upwards with his quick, explosive bat that produces good power, and he seems to have improved his plate discipline this year after looking overmatched in the SEC as a freshman. Johnson is also a good defender that can handle himself anywhere in the infield, though it looks like the Reds are going to stick him at second base going forward. He could project for 20 or more home runs annually with middling on-base percentages, though he does have some work to do to get to that projection. If his bat doesn't quite materialize, he still profiles well as a utility infielder. Committed to South Carolina for his junior season, he signed for $397,500, which was $109,900 below slot, and he's slashing .250/.296/.337 with a 21/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 21 games with Hinds and Callihan at Greeneville.
5-144: LHP Evan Kravetz (Rice, unranked)
There is not much scouting info on Evan Kravetz out there, as he wasn't listed in MLB Pipeline's top 200 prospects or in Baseball America's top 500, plus there's no video of him on YouTube. What I do know is that he spent three years as a reliever at Rice before transitioning over to the starting rotation this year as a senior, and he posted a 3.24 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 108/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.2 innings as the team's Saturday starter behind ace (and Twins second rounder) Matt Canterino. Kravetz, from the Miami area, is listed at 6'8" and 240 pounds, and that helps him get good downhill slope on his pitches. He throws a curveball and a changeup as well, which helped him generate a ton of strikeouts this year. Since I don't know much else about him, I can't really say whether he's projected as a starter or a reliever, though as a senior, he turned 22 in December. He signed for $112,500, which was $266,500 below slot, and he pitched a scoreless inning in his first appearance for Greeneville.
6-174: RHP Graham Ashcraft (Alabama-Birmingham, unranked)
Graham Ashcraft has always had exceptional stuff, but he's never quite put it together in college ball. Beginning his career at Mississippi State, he missed the 2018 season with injuries and transferred to the University of Alabama-Birmingham in his home state, then was up and down this year. He posted a 5.62 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP, and a 53/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 innings, starting off strong by dominating his old teammates at Mississippi State (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K) but eventually getting blown up more often than not and ending up in the bullpen. That's likely where his future will lie, though the Reds have trotted him out as a starter so far with mixed results. The Huntsville native can sit in the mid 90's at his best, but he also dips into the low 90's regularly and rarely throws consistent strikes. He also adds a few breaking balls, most notably his above average slider, but as with his fastball velocity, he's inconsistent there. The Reds will hope to smooth out his mechanics and get him throwing strikes at least sometimes, and they'll also hope to get him consistent with his velocity and breaking stuff. Moving him to the bullpen could help him with that and that's probably where he ends up after the Reds are done with this experiment. The 6'2" righty signed for $247,500, which was $39,000 below slot, and he has a 5.63 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a 29/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 24 innings with Greeneville. His minor league numbers are actually skewed by one awful start on July 2nd in which he allowed ten runs, as he has a 2.05 ERA in his other five starts.
7-204: C Eric Yang (UC-Santa Barbara, unranked)
Eric Yang gives the Reds another catcher for their pipeline, and he fits the clear backup catcher mold. The Los Angeles-area native had a breakout year with the bat this spring, slashing .368/.479/.545 with seven home runs and a 29/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games, certainly not bad for someone playing the most grueling position on the field. He's got some sneaky pop in his 5'11" frame but will likely hit for more contact than power, using his advanced plate discipline to get his pitches and drive them. He's also a competent defender behind the plate who will stick back there, that makes him your prototypical backup catcher. Yang signed for $197,500, which was $26,500 below slot, and he's slashing .386/.486/.491 with a home run and a 16/9 strikeout to walk ratio through 17 games with Billings.
17-504: RHP Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt, unranked)
Patrick Raby doesn't have overwhelming stuff or good command, but he still managed to dominate the SEC for four years as one of Vanderbilt's big time arms. The Knoxville-area native went 32-11 with a 2.98 ERA over four years, and this season he posted a 3.08 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and an 81/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 76 innings as a senior. He rarely touches 90 with his fastball, mixes in a couple of offspeeds, and has average command of everything. Yet he has a very strong feel for pitching that enables him to perform well against good hitters. He will need a big jump forward in his stuff in order to work his way up to the majors, but his feel for pitching should give him his best chance to do so. He signed, for $10,000 and has thrown 5.1 shutout innings with eight strikeouts over three appearances for Greeneville.
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