Reds could make some noise by selecting Rhett Lowder in the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 MLB Draft is still a few months away, but some of the likely top picks are smack-dab in the middle of a season which could help shape their future.

Who knows what the Cincinnati Reds will be looking for with the No. 7 overall pick in this year's draft? Unlike the NBA Draft, the MLB Draft typically focuses on the best player available. After all, most players selected are every bit of three, four, or even five years away from making a contribution at the major league level.

But one pitcher has been soaring up the draft boards with his 2023 performance. The noise is growing, as Rhett Lowder has been dominating opposing batters this season and could very well be available when Cincinnati is on the clock.

Reds could make some noise by selecting Rhett Lowder in the 2023 MLB Draft.

A graduate of North Stanly High School in North Carolina, Rhett Lowder has been pitching for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons since 2021. Last season saw the right-hander post nice numbers with a 3.08 ERA and 105 strikeouts in less than 100 innings of work.

This season, however, Lowder has been more than impressive. The 21-year-old is undefeated in 11 starts, going 9-0 with a sparkling 1.83 ERA. Lowder has 81 punch outs in 68.2 innings pitched and has allowed just 15 free passes.

The Cincinnati Reds have restocked their farm system well with some talented arms. After watching Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene, and Nick Lodolo graduate last season, Brandon Williamson, Levi Stoudt, and Andrew Abbott are next in line. All three are pitching at Triple-A Louisville and could be called up to the big leagues by the end of the year.

That's going to require that the Cincinnati Reds dip back into the draft in order to secure some arm talents for the future. The team selected left-hander Bryce Hubbart in Round 3 of the 2022 MLB Draft, but the Reds pipeline could use another college arm to help bolster their farm system going forward.

According to MLB Pipeline, Rhett Lowder currently ranks as the ninth-best prospect available in the 2023 MLB Draft and is the third-best college hurler behind LSU's Paul Skenes and Tennessee's Chase Dollander.