Austin Hendrick's demotion puts a painful Reds' draft mistake in focus

Former Cincinnati Reds first-round pick Austin Hendrick was recently removed from the Triple-A Louisville roster and is heading back to Double-A Chattanooga. This hardly needs to be said, but this might he the death knell to his tenure with the Reds organization.

The 12th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Hendrick had quite a bit of fanfare coming into the selection process as a major power threat with elite swing speed. The Reds thought enough of Hendrick to hand over a $4 million signing bonus, which swayed his commitment to Mississippi State University.

Unfortunately, nothing has really gone Hendrick's way since Draft Day. He spent years fighting to escape A-Ball, only to get stonewalled in Double-A. When the Reds finally tried to challenge him with the best pitchers the minor leagues have to offer, Hendrick produced a .180 average and 46 wRC+ in 58 games at the Triple-A level.

Reds bypassed some big names in pursuit of Austin Hendrick

The 2020 MLB Draft was a short one; lasting only five rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet a litany of stars were chosen, including some of the faces of the league today.

Failing to select one of Pete Crow-Armstrong (19) or Jordan Walker (21) — both of whom, like Hendrick, were high school outfielders — may prove to be unforgivable. Just imagine how dynamic the lineup would look right now with one of those two All-Stars hitting after Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart atop the Reds' batting order.

Unfortunately, the team's first-round woes extended to the rest of the draft. Hendrick is the only player from that year's draft class who is still with the organization; and he soon may join the ranks of his long-gone contemporaries.

Notable players from later rounds in the 2020 MLB Draft the Reds also passed up include Masyn Winn, Jared Jones, Kyle Harrison, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder.

The Reds have recovered from that disappointing draft in recent years, using their first-round picks on players like Stewart, Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder — all of whom have already shown star potential.

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