Reds sign fourth-rounder Wainwright

CINCINNATI -- The Reds announced Wednesday the signing of their fourth-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, outfielder Mac Wainwright.

Wainwright finished his high school career at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland and had committed to Ohio State. He will turn 18 on Aug. 2.

The slot value of the 113th overall pick is $512,400.

Besides having his senior season erased by the pandemic, Wainwright also dealt with injuries during the showcase circuit. A fractured tibia prevented him from playing in the East Coast Pro showcase, but his team was coached by Reds scouts, who got to know him well. Having recovered by last autumn, he was healthy and showed what he could do in a showcase in Jupiter, Fla.

“We feel good about the makeup and know what we’re getting, [someone who is] going to put the work in,” Reds amateur scouting director Brad Meador said on June 11. “He’s got the big engine, and we think we can hit big on him. It may take a little bit of time. It’s definitely an upside play, but we think we have to take some of those.”

On the night he was selected, Wainwright said he was thrilled to have a chance to play professional baseball and be a role model for others who aspire to play.

“Me also being a Black African-American, I am proving a lot of people wrong as it is. You see a lot of guys going to play basketball and football, and I’m one of the guys who chose the other route -- to go play baseball and live that up as my job,” Wainwright said. “It’s one of those things that I’ve grown to accept.

“I have friends who say, ‘Why do you play baseball? Who plays baseball now?’ I love the game. It’s fun for me. I’m out there all the time. No matter what, I could be failing, and I’d still have fun. That pushes me to know that I’m going to be one of the best one day and also as a Black African American, I can be a role model for a lot of guys like me.”