Cincinnati Reds draft profile: Left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers

The MLB Draft is a few short weeks away. Let’s take a peek at one of the players sure to be on the Cincinnati Reds radar; left-hander Reid Detmers.

Could the Cincinnati Reds take another left-handed pitcher in the first round? Last year, Cincinnati selected Nick Lodolo with their first pick in the MLB Draft. Another talented southpaw will be sitting atop the 2020 MLB Draft, perhaps when the Reds make their selection at No. 12. How would Reid Detmers fit with the Reds?

Detmers, a left-handed pitcher for the University of Louisville, picked up a handful of awards in 2019. The southpaw was named ACC Pitcher of the Year, was All-ACC First-Team, and named first-team All-American by ABCA, D1Baseball and NCBWA.

With the college baseball season halted after Detmers threw in just four games, there’s not many stats to speak of from the 2020 season. Detmers threw just 22 innings, allowed 16 hits while posting a 1.23 ERA.

In 2019, Detmers went 13-4 over 113.1 innings with 167 strikeouts and just 33 walks. Detmers ranks No. 8 according to MLB.com and is the second-best left-handed option behind Asa Lacy of Texas A&M. Unlike last season, there are a lot of talented pitchers at the top of the 2020 draft board.

Unlike what fans are used to seeing in the NBA or NFL Drafts, the MLB Draft is predicated on taking the “best player available”. There are many reasons for that, but first and foremost is the amount of time that it takes a player to reach the majors. While players taken in the first-round of the NBA or NFL Draft are expected to make an immediate impact, the same doesn’t hold true in baseball.

Detmers was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 32nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Detmers made the wise choice to attend the University of Louisville and could potentially be a Top 10 draft pick, though the Reds are probably hoping he falls to No. 12.

Reid Detmers doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he has a solid fastball and a plus-curveball. Potentially adding another lefty to the starting rotation down the road would be a huge get for the Cincinnati Reds, who added Lodolo last year and have right-hander Hunter Green waiting in the wings as well.

While last year’s draft went heavy with position players early, the 2020 MLB Draft is a bit more balanced at the top. However, if a few teams go after high schoolers rather than college players, Detmers could fall right into the Reds lap. Given his talent, there’s little doubt that Detmers will last past No. 12.