1 position player the Cincinnati Reds should avoid in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft

When it comes to the 2022 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds should be looking to land the best college bat available. The Reds have plenty of young pitching prospects, despite seeing Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft debut in 2022.

The Reds also have several young position players that are very highly thought of by the team's top evaluators. Elly De La Cruz, Jay Allen, Rece Hinds, Tyler Callihan, and Austin Hendrick are all ranked in the Top 10 of Cincinnati's farm system according to MLB Pipeline.

With all that in mind, Cincinnati should focus on a college outfielder in this year's draft. There are many top prospects who'll be available when the Reds make their selection at No. 18, but one player Cincinnati must avoid is Tennessee's Jordan Beck.

The Reds should avoid Tennessee's Jordan Beck in Round 1 of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Jordan Beck was a standout corner outfielder for the Southeastern Conference Champion Tennessee Volunteers. Beck didn't see much time up the middle in Knoxville because of the presence of Drew Gilbert.

Beck had a fine season, hitting .298/.391/.595 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs. Beck has power, that's for sure. But he also has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. That's not what you want from a college prospect.

Beck has crazy-good power, but the Cincinnati Reds farm system is chock-full of power hitters. The aforementioned duo of Austin Hendrick and Rece Hinds are both power hitters. Allan Cerda, who was recently added to the 40-man roster, is also a power-hitting outfielder. The Reds also have high hopes for Yerlin Confidan.

What Cincinnati needs is a college bat that favors hit over power. A player like Florida's Sterlin Thompson, Virginia Tech's Gavin Cross, or Jordan Beck's Tennessee teammate Drew Gilbert. Who the Cincinnati Reds select with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft will be a very intriguing development.