Former first-round talent falls to Reds in Round 3 of 2024 MLB Draft

There was much debate following the Cincinnati Reds first-round draft pick. Did the Reds make a mistake by selecting Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns at No. 2? Should Cincinnati have elected to take Georgia slugger Charlie Condon? Those questions are unlikely to be answered for a few years yet, but the Reds went back to college ranks during Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft and nabbed a former first-round talent in Round 3.

Heading into the 2024 season, Mike Sirota was seen by many as a potential Top 30 pick. The outfielder had been drafted previously by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 out of high school, but decided instead to attend Northeastern University. In 2023, Sirota hit .346/.472/.678 for the Huskies while also playing above-average defense in center field.

Reds select Northeastern OF Mike Sirota in Round 3 of 2024 MLB Draft

This season, Sirota's numbers dropped off a touch. The 21-year-old hit just .298, but still managed to draw a ton of walks (59) and post a respectable .986 OPS. His power numbers dipped significantly, and Sirota mashed just seven round-trippers, compared to the 18 big flies from a year ago. Still, Sirota was able to keep his on-base percentage about the same, but did see his strikeout rate jump up a few points.

Sirota may have had a first-round grade coming into the 2024 season, but MLB Pipeline ranked the grand-nephew of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford as the 50th-best draft eligible prospect this summer. There are some scouts that feel, due to his speed, that Sirota could eventually be a 20/20 player in the big leagues and certainly has the talent to stick in center field.

Sirota wasn't the only Day 2 pick the Reds made on Monday afternoon. Cincinnati had seven additional selections and continued their philosophy of adding up-the-middle prospects. After selecting Sirota in Round 3, the Reds grabbed a middle infielder, two outfielders, three catchers, and pair of pitchers.

The 2024 MLB Draft wraps up today with Rounds 11-20. It's rare when players selected this late in the draft make contributions to the major league roster, but Reds reliever Alexis Diaz was a 12th round pick in 2015, so there are a handful of diamonds in the rough.

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