Reds: 3 college players to target in Round 1 of 2023 MLB Draft, 1 to avoid

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The 2023 MLB Draft is nearly upon us. Two years ago, the Cincinnati Reds grabbed one of the finest college players on the planet in Matt McLain.

The former UCLA Bruins infielder is now starring as the Reds starting shortstop and is contention for top rookie honors this season.

Will the Reds go the college route once again in the 2023 MLB Draft? If they do, there are a hnadful of top-notch players to target, but one that they should avoid.

Reds should target Wake Forest pitcher Rhett Lowder in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

By now, every Reds fan has probably heard the name Rhett Lowder. The Wake Forest pitcher put together a terrific season for the Demon Deacons and could be the first pitcher to come off the board in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Lowder may be the safest choice in the upcoming draft. The right-hander recorded 143 punch outs in just over 120 innings of work this season while occupying the role of Wake Forest's ace. This was the second year in a row that Lowder recorded 100 or more strikeouts, as he whiffed 105 batters in less than 100 innings last season.

A lot of mock drafts view Lowder as the most likely player to be taken by Cincinnati in Round 1, but you never know how the first round will unfold. There's always a team or two who may look to go under slot-value with their first selection, which would inevitably shake up the 2023 MLB Draft.

If Rhett Lowder is still on the board when the Cincinnati Reds make their selection at No. 7, the club will surely take a long look. Seeing how depleted the Reds rotation has been this season, Lowder represents a pitcher who could be fast-tracked to the big leagues. Probably not this season, but within a year or two.

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.

Reds should target Virginia catcher Kyle Teel in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

This is a possible selection that is gaining more steam. Would the Cincinnati Reds pull off a mild shocker and snag Virginia catcher Kyle Teel in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft. It's certainly on the table.

Teel is unquestionably the best college catcher in the draft. Coming in a distant second is probably Davidson backstop Michael Carico, though Julian Brock of Lousiana-Lafeyette is also in the mix. But Teel is the only catcher worthy of a first-round pick in this year's draft.

Teel provides a sweet, left-handed swing who is probably more likely to hit for average than power. That's not to say the 21-year-old has no pop in his bat. Teel recorded 38 extra-base hits in 2023,m including 13 round trippers.

A major plus when it comes to Kyle Teel is his defensive versatility. While catcher has been Teel's primary position, he's also seen time in the outfield. Teel's level of athletic ability will certainly be sought after in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Cincinnati Reds definitely have questions when it comes to their depth behind the plate. That was a major concern this past offseason when Luke Maile and Curt Casali were signed in free agency. Tyler Stephenson's regression this season has also raised eyebrows. Don't be shocked if the Reds grab Teel in the first-round.

Reds should not target Grand Canyon shortstop Jacob Wilson in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Cincinnati Reds have enough shortstops to trade one to every rival in the NL Central and still have five left over. All joking aside, when it comes the MLB Draft, you take the best player available regardless of position.

No, the fact that Jacob Wilson is a shortstop is not the reason the Reds should pass on the Grand Canyon product. While Wilson has displayed tremendous plate discipline over the past two seasons, those numbers can be a bit skewed.

This is not a misprint, Wilson has struck out a total of 12 times in the past two seasons at GCU. I think Jose Barrero has done that over the past two games at Triple-A. It really is phenomenal when you think about it, however. The fact that a college hitter struck out just five times this past season and posted a .461 on-base percentage in incredible.

But don't let it get lost that Wilson is doing this in the Western Athletic Conference. No offense to the baseball programs in the WAC, but the opposing pitchers Wilson was facing are not the caliber of pitchers like Paul Skenes, Chase Dollander, Hurston Waldrep; all of whom made a name for themselves in the SEC.

This isn't to say that Jacob Wilson will not go on to have a fine career, but he's likely to have a rude awakening when he sets foot in the pros. Combine the lack of competition with average tools across the board, and the Cincinnati Reds should pass on Wilson at No. 7 in the upcoming draft.

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