1 Reds draft pick with superstar upside, 1 bound to disappoint, 1 who's the safest bet

The Cincinnati Reds' 2026 draft class is complete. The organization wrapped up their final pick on Sunday evening, and now they'll attempt to sign all 21 picks with a little more than $10 million allocated for signing bonuses.

The Reds surprisingly avoided adding any pitchers with their first three picks of the 2026 MLB Draft, but picked up a slew of hurlers on Day 2. In total, Cincinnati nabbed 12 pitchers, five infielders, two outfielders, one catcher, and a two-way player.

The hope among GMs, scouts, and other baseball operations personnel is that at least a few of the players they selected during the draft become major leaguer contributors someday; maybe even an All-Star. Among the prospects the Reds' selected this past weekend, who has superstar potential, who's bound to become a bust, and who was the safest pick in the draft?

Reds 2026 Draft: Mulivai Levu could become a star at the next level

The Reds selected Mulivai Levu with the 70th overall pick in the draft, and his bat could propel him to stardom. Last season with UCLA, Levu hit .340/.440/.622 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, and a 143 wRC+. The biggest concern with Levu — much like the Reds' first two picks of this year's draft — has been an inability to draws walks.

Levu's strikeout rate, however, was just 11.1%. When you pair that with his 10.4% walk rate, it's obvious that he made a lot of contact. Nick Kurtz has become a star for the Athletics after a three-year stint at Wake Forest. That's not to say that Levu will reach that level of stardom, but baseball fans have seen plenty of slugging first baseman turn into All-Stars over the years.

Reds 2026 Draft: First-round pick Justin Lebron has bust written all over him

The Reds' took a big swing with their first-round pick, and there's a chance that it could be a swing and miss. Justin Lebron was, at one time, considered to be the top prospect in this year's draft. But a poor performance during SEC play in 2026 saw his stock drop, which eventually led to his fall on Draft Day.

If Lebron can revert to that player he was back in 2025, the Reds might have a superstar on their hands. But if he struggled to produce against some of the best college arms in the country, there's reason to believe those issues will follow him into the professional ranks. Lebron's speed and defense are not in question, but if he fails to hit in the minors, those tools won't matter much.

Reds 2026 Draft: Duncan Marsten should be able to find his way to the big leagues

The Reds sixth-round selection, Duncan Marsten, is following in the footsteps of two other Wake Forest products — Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder. The Demon Deacons pitching factory is second to none, and the Reds are banking on another hurler from Winston-Salem becoming a fixture on their staff.

Marsten underwent Tommy John surgery as a high schooler which is mildly concerning, but it's hardly the type of injury that teams shy away from nowadays. The right-hander doesn't have a ton of experience (67⅓ innings pitched in college), but his fastball can touch 99 mph and he pairs with a slider-cutter combo. The Reds will likely give Marsten plenty of run as a starter, and at the very least he could find a home in the bullpen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow