Reds' last 2020 draft pick is gone after becoming another painful miss

Former first-round draft pick Austin Hendrick elected free agency earlier this week, putting an end to miserable run during his tenure with the Cincinnati Reds organization. Hendrick was taken with the 12th-overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, but was the last man standing having watched five others from the same draft class depart before him.

The first to go was Mac Wainwright. For reasons we won't get into here, the Reds placed Wainwright on leave not even a year after being drafted. The club eventually severed ties with the Ohio high school product in 2023.

Catching prospect Jackson Miller was selected with the 65th-overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, but injuries decimated his career before it ever really got started. In total, Miller appeared in just 14 minor league games before retiring from the sport.

Former third-round pick Bryce Bonnin battled injury issues of his own, and was released by the Reds in 2024. He never made his Major League debut and last played for the Portland Sea Dogs — an affiliate of Boston Red Sox organization — in 2024.

But not all the Reds' 2020 selections were mired in minor league obscurity. Second-rounder Christian Roa made it to the big leagues, but never threw a pitch for Cincinnati. He was called up in August of 2024, but never took the mound; sort of his own Moonlight Graham situation, huh?

Roa was claimed off waivers the following offseason by the Miami Marlins and made his MLB debut in 2025. He faced just 12 batters and covered only three innings. He latched on with the Houston Astros the following winter, and made seven appearances out of their bullpen this past season.

Joe Boyle is arguably the most recognizable name to emerge from the Reds' 2020 draft class, and he was traded to the Athletics in 2023 for left-handed reliever Sam Moll. The high-octane righty has appeared in 33 Major League games, including 25 starts and has a 5.01 ERA. He's currently on the Tampa Bay Rays 40-man roster.

Austin Hendrick elects free agency and closes the book on Reds' 2020 draft class

Hendrick was lauded for his power, and while it shown through from time to time, he was never able to get the swing and miss under control. In total, Hendrick appeared in 627 minor league games for the Reds and amassed a .211/.293/.366 slash line with 84 home runs and 290 RBI.

A large number of first-round picks from the 2020 MLB Draft join Hendrick in the "bust' conversation. Heston Kjerstad, Asa Lacy, Austin Martin, Robert Hassell III, and Zac Veen have all failed to live up to the lofty standards that come with being a first-round pick. Others like Garrett Crochet, taken one pick ahead of Hendrick, have put up All-Star numbers during their big league careers.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow