Latest 2023 MLB mock draft projects Reds select 17-year-old stud

The 2023 MLB Draft is still a few months away, but teams are already ramping up their scouting as they spy out the top talent that will be available later this summer.

The staff over at Perfect Game recently released an updated version of their 2023 MLB mock draft and foresee the Cincinnati Reds adding a 17-year-old stud to the team's farm system.

According to the outlet, the Reds will take shortstop Arjun Nimmala with the seventh-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Nimmala is committed to play baseball for the Florida State Seminoles, but that first-round money might be too good to pass up.

Latest 2023 MLB mock draft projects Reds select Arjun Nimmala.

According to Perfect Game, Arjun Nimmala has fast hands, plus-power, and plus-bat speed. The evaluation also speaks to his youth, as Nimmala will not turn 18 years old until the fall. MLB Pipeline's latest evaluation states that if it all clicks, Nimmala could have plus-tools across the board.

From the sound of these evaluations, where last year's first-round draft pick Cam Collier was very advanced for his age, more patience could be required for a player like Nimmala. That's not necessarily a bad thing for a team with multiple shortstop prospects all projected to land in the big leagues within the next two years.

Nimmala has huge upside, but Reds fans have heard this before. Most recently, the Cincinnati faithful could point to the likes of Jose Barrero, Rece Hinds, and Austin Hendrick. Both Hinds and Hendrick were high schoolers selected early on the draft, and both have major holes in their game.

Taking a college player typically offers more of a sure thing while drafting a prep player usually offers more upside. The Reds have had a mixture of both over the years, but adding a talent like Arjun Nimmala could certainly bring another skilled athlete to Cincinnati's pipeline.