Reds look to continue recent Draft success with No. 18 pick

CINCINNATI – To understand just how integral the annual MLB Draft is for the Reds, you just need to take one look at their 2026 roster.

“Absolutely. This is where we have to be good – international acquisitions, through the Draft, player development," Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said. "That’s our opportunity to put a winning team on the field at the big league level. We know how important it is, the work that we do, to try to reach our goals as an organization.”

Homegrown players – drafted and developed by Cincinnati – can be found all over the field. Four starting pitchers – including three All-Stars in Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott and Hunter Greene, plus Nick Lodolo.

In the bullpen, there's recently moved starter Rhett Lowder along with injured relievers Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft. Position players include All-Star and National League Rookie of the Year contender Sal Stewart, Tyler Stephenson, Matt McLain and the injured Blake Dunn.

All were selected by the Reds, many in the high rounds. Burns (2024) and Greene (2017) were both taken No. 2 overall. For the 2026 Draft that begins Saturday, the Reds will make their first selection at No. 18, with them being way down the list as a result of making the postseason last year.

“We definitely have to scout a wider crop of players for the first pick than we have for the past couple of cycles," Katuska said.

• Day 1 picks: 18, 58, 70, 94, 122

• Bonus pool allotment: $10,758,500 including $4,695,500 for the No. 18 pick

• Last year’s top pick: Steele Hall, SS, No. 9 ... Taken as a reclassified high school player at 17 years old and given a $5.75 million bonus, Hall is ranked No. 52 overall by MLB Pipeline. Currently with the ACL Reds, his speed is his best tool, but he has also shown off his range and arm strength. His right-handed bat has improved as he continues his early stages of development.

• Breakout 2025 pick: Kien Vu, OF, 9th round, No. 264 overall ... the Reds thought Vu could hit, but judging by the fact he was recently promoted to Double-A Chattanooga, he has already exceeded those expectations. A lefty hitter, he has shown power with 12 homers and also has 26 stolen bases overall to earn his promotion from High-A Dayton.

As for the quality of picks in the top portion of this year's Draft, Katuska saw plenty of depth but not a lot of separation in talent.

"It feels like a very flat class from maybe the No. 10 pick to the No. 40 pick," he said. "So there’s a lot of players that we’ll have to talk about and have productive conversations about how to really line them up and understand what direction we want to go when Day 1 comes around.”

After the first-round selection, the Reds will also have picks No. 58, 70, 94 and 122 on Day 1. The club has skewed more towards players from the college ranks in recent seasons, with 14 of the 20 picks in 2025 being picks from colleges. Bonuses can be lower than for high school kids who have college options as leverage – which allows the club more flexibility in its selection.

But the policy of taking the best player available always tops all criteria for the organization.

“I think we’ve stayed very true to our process and what we believe works at the Major League level," Katuska said. "I think we’ve had some notable successes coming through, but at the same time, areas where we need to get better. It’s something we’re always pushing forward, trying to adjust the process and making sure that we’re valuing the right things as we go through it to make sure we get the best players possible.”