Three Prospects The Cincinnati Reds Could Take In The 2017 MLB Draft

Hunter Greene – Shortstop/Right Handed Pitcher

Hunter Greene is another two-way prospect with massive power at short and an even more powerful arm on the mound. He is one of the most highly touted high school prospects in recent memory and is considered the best prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline.

In his four years at Notre Dame High in California, Greene has appeared in 114 games as a hitter and 30 as a pitcher. He held a career .337 batting average with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs. On the mound, Greene pitched to a 12-5 record with a 1.62 ERA and a 145/31 K/BB ratio.

While some feel that Hunter Greene could remain at shortstop, the majority opinion is that the high schoolers future is on the mound.

MLB Pipeline agrees with that stance in their write up of Greene, saying:

"Greene is also a talented hitter and infielder — he would be a first-rounder as a position player as well — but it’s become clear his future is on the mound. It all starts with a plus plus fastball that has touched triple digits consistently this year. Greene will regularly be 97-101 mph early in starts and then settle into sitting in the 95-98 mph range, and he does it without a ton of effort. He’ll throw two breaking balls, and they’ll run into each other occasionally, with some thinking he’ll focus on a slider in the future, with a chance for that secondary pitch to be at least Major League average. He doesn’t need to throw his changeup much, but he’ll mix in some good ones in every start. He is always around the strike zone and rarely walks batters, especially impressive given how hard he throws."

Hunter Greene has drawn comparisons to Mets starter Noah Syndergaard based on his fastball.

Sitting in the upper 90s with the ability to go triple digits will make him one of the scariest power pitchers in the league. He could continue to pound the zone with his impressive fastball while adding a secondary pitch. Then he could be on a fast track to the MLB and potentially stardom.

The only problem for Greene is his age. At just 17, he could need multiple years in the minor leagues before he is ready for Cincinnati. However if the Reds are willing to commit to the process, they could be getting an elite prospect in Greene.

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Another factor is working in the Reds favor. No team has ever drafted a high school level right hander first overall. Greene  also certainly has the talent to be the first. However,  Minnesota may be unwilling to take a chance, leading to him ending up with Cincinnati.

Greene to Cincinnati has been one of the more talked about projections in mocks around the league.

Recently ESPN’s Keith Law had the prep star mocked to the Reds, saying that he feels the team would be willing to take a chance on his talent.

It could come down to McKay and Greene. Then the Reds will need to decide if they prefer Greene’s raw talent or McKay’s college experience. Regardless, Hunter Greene looks like the real deal. He  could potentially be the best high school player in a MLB draft ever. However, it’ll be up to Cincinnati to take a chance on him.