It's a good bet that very few fans of the Cincinnati Reds have even heard the name Drew Mount. I can't say that I blame you, as not many 16th-round draft picks ever get the opportunity to make it to the major leagues.
But Mount might be the exception. After missing the first-half of the season due to injury, Mount has returned with a vengeance.
A brief rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League and a month-long stay in Double-A Chattanooga was all the Reds development team needed to see before moving Mount up to Triple-A.
Unheralded Reds prospect Drew Mount is pulverizing baseballs at Triple-A.
The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of playoff push, so it's doubtful that the club will actually call up Drew Mount when rosters expand next week. However, if he keeps hitting like he has since the calendar flipped to April, Nick Krall and the Reds front office may have no choice.
It's a small sample size, but Mount made the leap to Triple-A back on August 6th. Over the past 12 games, Mount is 15-for-37 (.405) with seven extra-base hits. According to FanGraphs, those dozen games have seen Mount post a wRC+ of 189 with a 1.122 OPS.
The Reds currently have the left-handed duo of Will Benson and TJ Friedl starting in the outfield, plus fellow left-handed swingers Nick Martini and Michael Siani. It would also appear that the left-handed hitting Jake Fraley may well be back in the Reds just in time for the next homestand.
The chances of Drew Mount actually making the Cincinnati Reds roster later this season are slim to none, though I wouldn't rule out an addition during the final week of the the team's 2023 campaign if the postseason is out of reach. Still, Mount is a player worth keeping an eye on as the offseason unfolds.