Reds: 5 MLB Draft prospects that should be on the shortlist

4. High school outfielder Benny Montgomery should be on the Reds’ shortlist.

Benny Montgomery has elite speed. When you talk about raw talent, there are few in the 2021 MLB Draft who has more of it than Montgomery. The 18-year-old is committed to play for the University of Virginia, but being selected in the middle of the first-round might be enough to lure the speedster away from Charlottesville.

The Cincinnati Reds have had good luck over the last few years drafting high school prep players from the state of Pennsylvania. Michael Siani (West Penn Charter School) is a former 4th-round pick of the Reds and Cincinnati took Austin Hendrick (West Allegheny Senior High School) in the first-round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Benny Montgomery is from Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania, and he has some of the best raw tools in the entire draft. Montgomery can run, throw, has a cannon for an arm, and above-average raw power. The question is, can he make contact consistently. I believe he can, and this young man could be a force in the league for years to come.

Most scouts believe that his bat will play at the major league level. If that happens, the sky is the limit for this young athlete. The trick with Montgomery might be signability, but if the Cincinnati Reds select Montgomery with their first-round pick, he might not be able to pass that deal up. If Montgomery is still on the board, the Reds have to entertain the idea of drafting the speedster.