Cincinnati Reds: Who might the Reds draft after the #2 pick?

The Cincinnati Reds are heading into the draft with the second pick. They’ll look to keep up their success in building the farm.

So far, the Cincinnati Reds rebuild has gone swimmingly. Cincinnati started tearing the team down during the 2015 season. They won a whopping 64 wins and earned 98 losses. At that time, their farm system was ranked #23 in the league. In contrast, it ranks #9 according to RedsMinorLeagues.com.

Due to the past dismal seasons, they have been fortunate to build up the farm through the draft. The Big Red Machine will look to continue in this year’s draft. We’ve already talked about who they might pick at the start of the draft. But who might they pick later in the draft?

The Cincinnati  Reds might go after a high school hot shot.

The latest from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo is that the Twins are ” leaning” towards Brendan McKay. In contrast, Jim Callis thinks the Reds will take Hunter Greene. With that said, Cincy will take the #1 overall prospect in the draft. Greene is also a two-way player, and has a fastball that can reach102 MPH. It is most likely that the Reds will develop Greene on the mound. This is due to the fact that they just inked shortstop of the future Cuban prospect Jose Garcia to a deal.

So with the #32 pick, Cincinnati might go for a dynamic bat. An option could be Georgia commit Drew Waters. The 6’2 outfielder has quick hands which produces line drives and hard contact. He is a switch-hitter that has ” a big hand hitch load from both sides, timing is complicated but it worked very well in games for him” according to Perfect Game.

The high school grad also has a cannon of an arm. In the same scouting report, Water’s defense is “smooth and fast through the ball in the outfield, fast compact arm action with outstanding arm strength and carry.” Overall, the Etowah high school product projects as a center fielder with a plus on both sides of the ball.

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Tommy John Triumph

At this point in the draft (#38 overall), the Reds will most likely pursue seasoned college players. A great fit could be South Carolina right hander Clarke Schmidt. Unfortunately, he will have Tommy John surgery from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. That doesn’t deter from his high potential, as he “ is a special kid with a bright future in front of him” said head coach Chad Holbrook.

Schmidt’s draft stock was climbing before the injury, as he ranked in the top 25 draft prospects according to Baseball America. The right hander tossed a 1.34 ERA and a stellar 70/18 strikeout-walk ratio. He projected as a reliable mid-rotation starter, as he consists of a middle 90s fast ball and plus off-speed pitches. His slider is his best pitch, due to his over the top arm action.

Schmidt has developed a solid pitch selection and is athletic. According to Baseball America, the hopeful draftee showcased a ” combination of size, athleticism, and track record of improvement made him a candidate to be selected in the top 20 picks.” With that said, I think it would be in the Reds best interest to take a flyer on him, just on potential alone.

Next: It's review time for Reds'pitching prospects

The Cincinnati Reds 2017 draft philosophy

In this year’s draft, Cincinnati looks to pick up players with high potential. Partly because of the increased speculation of drafting Hunter Greene with their first pick. The Reds would like to develop a couple of high upside players as they continue their rebuilding process. As the draft nears, executives and scouts will have their answer. Look for Cincy to “Trust the Process.”