Austin Hendrick projected to the Cincinnati Reds in recent mock draft

Another mock draft predicts the Reds to take Austin Hendrick.

Austin Hendrick is a popular choice to be chosen by the Cincinnati Reds during next weeks draft. CBS Sports is the latest media outlet to predict the Pennsylvania prep outfielder to land in the Queen City. Hendrick would certainly bring some power to a Reds farm system that is severely lacking in that department.

For the second time now, CBS Sports writer Mike Axisa has predicted that the Reds will take West Allegheny High School star Austin Hendrick. Axisa predicted the same outcome back on May 19th. He’d previously suggested the Reds would take Tennessee pitcher Garrett Crochet.

Axisa isn’t alone. MLB.com writer Jim Callis also pegs Cincinnati as a nice landing spot for Hendrick. Both MLB.com and CBS Sports suggest the Reds have been linked to Hendrick in recent weeks, and that should come as no surprise to anyone who takes a look at the talent currently in Cincinnati’s farm system, especially in terms of power.

Now, that’s not to say that the Reds lack power-hitters atop the team’s list of minor league talent. In fact, last season saw Cincinnati take two power-hitters, Tyler Callihan and Rece Hinds, in the first three rounds of the 2019 MLB Draft. Hinds has ridiculous power and Callihan is no slouch either. However, both play on the infield dirt, not the outfield grass.

When you look at the Reds outfield in terms of prospects, there’s a lot of talented athletes, but none of them carry much power. Mike Siani, Cincinnati’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is known for his glove work and speed, while Stuart Fairchild projects as more of a rotational outfielder once he reaches the big leagues.

Looking beyond the team’s Top 10 prospects, it’s hard to find any outfielders with above-average power. Last year, Aristides Aquino, Josh VanMeter and Brian O’Grady earned a promotion to the majors. Aquino and VanMeter are now on the 40-man roster and O’Grady is in Tampa Bay’s organization. Narciso Crook (.484 slugging percentage) might be the team’s best young bat.

The first round of the Major League Baseball Draft is just over a week away. It’s becoming clear that the Cincinnati Reds have the option to go in several different directions, but a power-hitting outfielder or college pitcher are the two most likely scenarios.