Reds 2026 MLB Draft predictions: Who do the experts expect Cincinnati to choose?

The 2026 MLB Draft has the potential to be absolutely bonkers. Most scouts and draft experts have no idea which direction the Chicago White Sox are planning to go with pick No. 1, and the entire first-round has turned into one gigantic guessing game.

The Cincinnati Reds have a tried and true formula. President of baseball operations Nick Krall and his cadre of front office executives almost always go with "up-the-middle" athletes in Round 1. That means Cincinnati is likely to select a shortstop, pitcher, or centerfielder with the No. 18 pick on Saturday afternoon.

The draft experts and pundits would seem to agree that the Reds will settle on one of those three positions, but opinions are split as to who Cincinnati will actually take when they're on the clock. Let's take a peek at who's been rumored to head to the Queen City in Round 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft.

Who will the Reds select in Round 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft?

ESPN - Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN predicts the Reds will take left-handed prep pitcher Gio Rojas with the 18th-overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Rojas is viewed by many to be one of the best high school hurlers in the draft this year and is committed to play for the University of Miami next year. A first-round selection, however, would probably be enough to pry him away from the U.

CBS Sports - Jared Grindlinger, OF/LHP, Huntington Beach HS (CA)

Mike Axisa at CBS Sports foresees another prep prospect falling to the Reds at No. 18. Jared Grindlinger is a two-way player, though most scouts assume he'll be a better hitter than a pitcher. Cincinnati signed two-way Taiwanese standout Sheng-En Lin to a contract in 2023, so one can assume that the Reds would be unafraid to take a flier on another such prospect.

The Athletic and FanSided - Hunter Dietz, LHP, Arkansas

Keith Law of The Athletic and the group of draft experts at FanSided both predict Cincinnati will take Arkansas hurler Hunter Dietz with their first-round pick in 2026. The 6-foot-6 lefty was arguably the best pitcher in the SEC this season, but an elbow injury earlier in his career may lessen his value on draft day.

FanGraphs - Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida

FanGraphs also has the Reds going with a college arm at No. 18. Liam Peterson is a high octane hurler — something Cincinnati's coaching staff loves — who racked up 111 punch outs at the University of Florida in 2026. Peterson has an above-average breaking ball, and if he can maintain command and control, there's a chance he could become a frontline starter.

MLB Pipeline - Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina (Jonathan Mayo)
Sawyer Strosnider, OF, Texas Christian (Jim Callis)

MLB Pipeline's most recent mock draft took the most tantalizing name (Trevor Condon) off the board a few picks before No. 18 and replaced him with a split decision. MLB.com senior writer Jonathan Mayo thinks Cincinnati will go with Coastal Carolina righty Cameron Flukey, while fellow MLB.com contributor Jim Callis believes the Reds will go with TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider. Both are solid, albeit unspectacular prospects in this year's draft.

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