Don't look now, but this former Reds draft bust is tearing it up in the minor leagues

Austin Hendrick was the Cincinnati Reds' first-round pick during the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. There was a lot to like about the left-handed hitting outfielder coming out of West Allegheny Senior High School in Pennsylvania. Hendrick had as much raw power as any player in that year's draft class and possessed enough athleticism to stick in center field.

Through his first four seasons in the Reds organization, however, the closest Hendrick has come to sniffing the big leagues was being part of the 60-man player pool at Prasco Park during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His track record in the minors has been abysmal, as evidenced by his career .203 batting average and 36.6% strikeout rate heading into the 2025 season.

But Hendrick may finally be figuring things out. The Reds assigned the 23-year-old to Double-A Chattanooga to begin the season, and Hendrick has been absolutely raking. In 11 games, Hendrick is hitting .286/.366/.486 with two home runs, seven RBI, and a wRC+ of 143. Will this finally be the year that everything begins to click for the former first-round pick?

Former Reds draft bust Austin Hendrick is tearing it up in the minor leagues

Looking back at the Reds' 2020 draft will make fans sick to their stomach. While there were extenuating circumstances surrounding the condensed, five-round event, Cincinnati's selections are almost indefensible nearly five years later.

In addition to Hendrick, the Reds also selected Christian Roa, Jackson Miller, Bryce Bonnin, Mac Wainwright, and Joe Boyle. Outside of Hendrick, none of those players are part of the Reds organization. In addition, Miller and Bonnin have retired from baseball. Only Boyle, who was traded to the Athletics in 2023, has made it to the big leagues and is currently in the Tampa Bays Rays minor league system.

Hendrick was left unprotected from last year's Rule 5 Draft, and with good reason. He was coming off a full season in Double-A in which he hit a paltry .188/.243/.288 in 121 games while striking out nearly 37% of the time. Hendrick's 173 strikeouts last season led the Southern League by a wide margin.

But maybe Hendrick has finally found his swing. Through the first 11 games of 2025, he has struck out just 10 times and drawn five walks. If Hendrick can sustain this level of production for another month or two, a midseason promotion to Triple-A could be in the cards.

This is likely Hendrick's last chance to prove that he belongs on the Reds 40-man roster. At season's end, the Reds front office will have to make a choice—will Hendrick remain unprotected once again or will Nick Krall and Cincinnati's decision-makers finally give the former top pick his chance to shine? It's a long season, but at the moment, Hendrick looks like he's finally on the right track.

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