Evaluators split on who the Reds will select in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft

Who will the Cincinnati Reds select with the 18th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft? If you ask most talent evaluators, you'll hear a lot of different names emerge.

The Reds are in an interesting spot. Last year, selecting 17th, Cincinnati was able to land talented shortstop prospect Matt McLain. Will the Reds be able to snag another Top 10 talent in 2022?

Trying to figure out who the Reds will take in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. There's no telling who the other 16 teams ahead of them (New York Mets have two selections) will do.

Who will the Reds take in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft?

MLB.com's evaluators Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo are split on who the Cincinnati Reds will take in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft. Callis foresees Campbell shortstop Zach Neto falling to Cincinnati at No. 18 while Mayo believes the Reds will go with Oklahoma hurler Cade Horton.

Neto ranks 17th among draft eligible prospects according to MLB Pipeline while Horton is seen as the 24th-best prospect. Neto is seen as one of the better college bats in the draft while Horton's performance for the Sooners in the College World Series has seen his stock rise considerably.

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports has kept North Allegheny High School shortstop Cole Young as the Reds top pick in his last two mock drafts. Axisa has said that Cincinnati has been connected to Young all spring, so it would not be surprising to see the Reds take him if he's available. Dylan Lesko was also a name that Axisa mentioned as a possible selection at No. 18.

Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) released his final mock draft as well. He suggests that the Cincinnati Reds will find similar fortune as last year and select Arizona catcher Daniel Susac with the 18th pick.

Susac is widely viewed as a borderline Top 10 pick. Law also sees the possibility of Cincinnati going with Cole Young. He also mentions the 18th pick as a the floor for Texas Tech second baseman Jace Jung and the aforementioned Campbell shortstop Zach Neto.

Finally, FanGraphs just released their mock draft and they believe that Daniel Susac still on the board for the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds farm system is loaded with catching prospects, but all are currently at the lower levels of the minor leagues.

The 2022 MLB Draft is sure to bring some intrigue later this evening, and the Cincinnati Reds might be one of the more interesting teams to watch.