4 MLB Draft sleepers the Reds should consider before taking Seth Hernandez

MLB Draft sleepers the Reds should consider before taking Seth Hernandez

Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

The Reds are no strangers to college arms. Both of their last two first-round picks were college arms — Chase Burns went second overall last year and Rhett Lowder went seventh overall in 2023. Both arms were taken earlier than they were projected so the Reds could sign them at an under-slot deal, and it's safe to say both those picks have panned out well for them. Bremner is certainly a pitcher they can get at a discount as the ninth overall pick.

Coming into the season, Bremner was projected to be one of the first college pitchers off the board in July. Unfortunately due to a down-year compared to expectations, the 6-foot-2 right-hander has fallen towards the back half of the first round. However, this is still a pitcher with top-10 upside.

He has a three pitch mix, two of which are comfortably above-average offerings and play up due to his ability to command the strike zone well. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and has topped out at 98 mph with a lot of arm-side run and some deceptive arm action. His changeup is arguably his best pitch as some scouts have attached a 70 grade to it. It's his go-to offering to earn whiffs as it tunnels well off of the fastball, and he'll throw it in any situation.

Amateur pitchers with his type of feel for an off-speed pitch are hard to come by. For his glove-side offering, it's a gyro slider that has the potential to be average at the next level. He primarily leaned on the fastball and the changeup in college because that was all he needed to find success. In order to stick as a starter at the next level, the slider will have to be developed into a pitch Bremner becomes comfortable using more often.

If there is something the Reds really like about Bremner, I wouldn't find it crazy to see him land with them on an under-slot deal. Whether it's the athleticism, projectability, or fastball-changeup combination, there might be something in there that the Reds player development department really believe they can tap into. It would be a roll of the dice, but it could be a decision that yields a lot of return.

Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina

In the two seasons prior to the Reds selecting Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, they took college bats in back to back years, both of which have looked like solid picks. They took Matt McLain 17th overall in 2021, and Cam Collier, their No. 4 ranked prospect, 18th overall in 2022. If the college arms they're looking for are off the board when their pick comes around, it would make sense for them to pivot to a college bat.

Luke Stevenson is comfortably the best catcher in this year's draft class. A draft eligible sophomore out of North Carolina, Stevenson has one of the best gloves behind the plate to pair with a plus arm that features both strength and accuracy to limit the running game. Despite being a very physical athlete, standing in at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he moves well behind the dish which makes him an excellent blocker and receiver.

Given his prowess as a defender, there isn't a whole lot of pressure on his bat to be elite at the next level. Regardless, he's still among the best hitters in the college class. He does have a fringy hit tool that is exposed through hig struggles with secondary offerings, but it's held up by a mature, patient approach.

Stevenson maximizes his offensive output through his ability to make consistent hard contact, specifically in the air to the pull-side. If his bat doesn't come close to its ceiling in the long run, we're still talking about potentially an above-average player simply because of what he can bring with the glove.

You would have to go back ten years to find the last time the Reds took a catcher with their first round pick when they selected Tyler Stephenson 11th overall in 2015. Like Bremner, Stevenson is more likely to fall somewhere in the back half of the first round than he is to be a top ten pick. However, if the Reds are sold on his game and are looking to add some high-end catching depth to the farm without paying a high-dollar amount, this is certainly an option I can see landing on.