Reds may have found a hidden gem in last year's draft class

First-round pick Steele Hall and a healthy dose of pitching talent were the headlining stories of the Cincinnati Reds' 2025 draft class. Hall's been living up to the hype so far in the Arizona Complex League, but he's not the only Reds youngster raising eyebrows down in the desert.

Eli Pitts, a19-year-old outfielder, didn't have the same sort of expectations coming in as a fifth-round pick, but those in the know believed in his talent. Baseball America (subscription required) initially had him ranked the 74th overall prospect in the 2025 class, but the high school senior's stock fell as a hamstring injury held him back in his final amateur season.

Pitts is healthy now, and speed, in every sense of the word, is at the center of his game. He's a plus-plus runner with the ability to stick in center field, and at the plate, he swings violently with superb bat speed. Toiling down in Arizona with Hall, he's been every bit as impressive.

Eli Pitts' athletic prowess could make him a fast riser for the Reds

Baseball America also named him a potential breakout prospect for Cincinnati, and so far, he's delivered after overcoming another leg injury in spring training. What's most impressive isn't the slash line, but rather the discipline he's shown at the dish.

One of the concerns was that his swing, while potent, had some holes and needed some refinement. On top of that, patience is always a question with prospects who are so young. It's been less than 100 plate appearances, so it's too early to get too excited, but the seeds of what could be an electric player are there.

Right now, Baseball America ranks him as Cincinnati's No. 24 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him coming in at No. 28 in the system. He might not stay there for long, however.

At the bare minimum, Pitts should be a real base-stealing threat with above-average defense and the power to run into a homer on the mistake pitch here and there. That sort of skillset would play as a sort of fourth outfielder type. However, if he continues to show the patience, strike zone discipline, and contact skills we've seen over this short sample, you can start dreaming about a five-tool player.

For those who were upset to see Charles Davalan go to the Dodgers with the comp pick the Reds sent over in the Gavin Lux trade, and felt that the club missed out on an impact outfield talent to balance out an infield-heavy position player pipeline, understand that with a little patience, the much younger Pitts could be the one to fill that role.

This time next year, Pitts could be an afterthought, but it's just as likely that we'll be talking about him as Cincy's next blue-chipper.

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