Grading the Reds' last 5 first-round draft picks in the MLB Draft

The Cincinnati Reds maintain the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The last time Cincinnati had the second selection, the Reds took a high school pitcher out of California by the name of Hunter Greene. Seeing as how Greene is headed to the All-Star Game in his third season on the active roster, it's safe to say that Cincy hit a home run with their first-round pick back 2017.

But one year prior Greene's selection, the Reds took Nick Senzel with the second pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Having been non-tendered by the Reds last winter and just recently released by the Washington Nationals, Senzel's fall from grace shows that not every top pick will find success in the major leagues.

The Reds have made several fine draft picks in recent years with players like Greene, Andrew Abbott, Alexis Diaz, Jonathan India, and Tyler Stephenson providing key contributions to this year's team. Let's hand out some grades for the Reds and their last five draft picks.

Reds 2023 MLB Draft first-round pick: Rhett Lowder, RHP

It's tough to judge Rhett Lowder not even one year into his professional career. The Reds made Lowder the seventh pick in the 2023 MLB Draft after the right-hander enjoyed a fine career in Winston-Salem as a member of the starting rotation for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Lowder was the second pitcher taken in last year's draft behind All-Star starter Paul Skenes. Lowder signed an under-slot deal with Cincy last summer that allowed the Reds to spend a little more of their bonus pool elsewhere.

Grade: B
Lowder is currently the Reds top prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has been promoted all the way up to Double-A without pitching professionally last year. Lowder has struggled a bit since being bumped up to the Chattanooga Lookouts roster, and a late-season call-up seems a bit premature this year.

Reds 2022 MLB Draft first-round pick: Cam Collier, 3B

Based on raw tools, Cam Collier was a steal at pick No. 18 in the 2022 MLB Draft. Most draft experts predicted that the teenage infielder would go somewhere in the Top 5, with some picking Collier to go No. 1 overall.

But he fell into the laps of the Reds two years ago, and Cincinnati shelled out quite the price to get him. The Reds went over-slot to ink Collier to a deal and sent him to Rookie Ball that summer. Collier endured some struggles last season at Low-A Daytona, but has rebounded nicely in 2024.

Grade: B
Collier is still incredibly raw, and much younger than the competition around him. But developing young talent is a marathon, not a sprint, and Collier has already more than doubled his home run total from a year ago. The strikeouts are still an issue, but it can't be overstated that Collier is still just 19 years old.

Reds 2021 MLB Draft first-round pick: Matt McLain, SS

The Reds got another steal the year prior to Collier's selection in 2022 when Cincinnati was able to swipe Matt McLain at No. 17 in the 2021 MLB Draft after the UCLA shortstop fell out of the Top 10. Players like Sam Bachman, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter, and Henry Davis were taken ahead of McLain in that year's draft, and it's likely that all those teams who passed on the infielder are now kicking themselves.

An injury has prevented McLain from taking the field this season, but it looks as if he's on track return later this summer. While his sophomore season isn't what Reds fans expected, when healthy, McLain might be Cincinnati's best player.

Grade: B+
If he were healthy, McLain would receive an A+. But avail-ability is as important than any other ability these young players possess. If McLain can return to the player that everyone saw during his rookie season, the infielder figures to be a fixture in the Reds lineup for the next several years.

Reds 2020 MLB Draft first-round pick: Austin Hendrick, OF

Oh my. Austin Hendrick has the chance to go down as one of the Reds worst draft picks of the past decade. To be fair, it's not all his fault. The coronavirus pandemic halted baseball at every level except for the major leagues, and scouts never had the ability to fully evaluate players taken the 2020 MLB Draft.

But Hendrick hasn't done himself any favors either. The Reds took the prep outfielder with the understanding that he had some massive pop — which he does. But there's also a lot of swings and misses in his swing. Hendrick owns a 39.7% strikeout rate this season at Double-A Chattanooga. That's unsustainable.

Grade: D
The only reason Hendrick isn't receiving an F is due to the circumstances surrounding the 2020 MLB Draft. If scouts would have been given an entire summer to keep tabs on Hendrick and other top talent, it's quite possible he wouldn't have been selected so high. Now 23 years old, it's questionable as to whether or not Hendrick will ever make it to The Show.

Reds 2019 MLB Draft first-round pick: Nick Lodolo, LHP

Let's end on a high note, shall we? While Hunter Greene will represent the Reds in the Midsummer Classic (and rightfully so), were he healthy all season, Nick Lodolo would also be in the All-Star Game. The southpaw is the best pitcher in the Reds rotation.

That's no slight to Greene, but rather a testament to how good Lodolo really is. The left-hander missed all of last season with a lower leg injury, and many fans throughout Reds Country forgot how good he really was. The Reds have a heckuva 1-2 punch atop their starting rotation, and Lodolo is the ace of this staff.

Grade: A
Lodolo would get an A+ if were more durable. Already this season, Lodolo has seen his fair share of trips to the IL. But when he's on the mound, there are few pitchers in the league who are better. This was a fantastic selection on the part of the Reds, and now it's up to Cincinnati's front office to sign him to a long-term contract.

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