3 college players the Reds should target in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft & 1 they should avoid

The 2023 MLB Draft features some top-flight college talent. Who might the Cincinnati Reds target in Round 1?

Virginia catcher Kyle Teel
Virginia catcher Kyle Teel | Eakin Howard/GettyImages
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Reds should target Tennessee pitcher Chase Dollander in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Before the college baseball season began, many experts pegged Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. There was good reason for this following Dollander's dominance in 2022.

After transferring from Georgia Southern, Dollander took the SEC by storm in 2022. The hard-throwing righty posted an undefeated 10-0 record with a sparkling 2.39 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 79 innings of work.

But this season, Dollander struggled to return to form. The 21-year-old went 7-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 17 starts. Dollander's home run total from 2022 (7) was doubled, as opposing batters took the right-hander deep 14 times this past season.

But Chase Dollander still recorded 120 strikeouts. However. his command just wasn't there are his walks per nine innings pitched jumped from 1.5 in 2022 to 3.0 in 2023. There are some scouts who foresee Dollander falling out of the Top 10 all together.

All indications are that Dollander will be available when the Cincinnati Reds make their selection in Round 1, so it's just a matter of whether or not they pull the trigger on the Volunteers ace. Dollander will definitely be part of the discussion at No. 7.