CINCINNATI -- The Reds wrapped up the MLB Draft on Wednesday, satisfied with the haul of players that will beef up the farm system.
"It's always exciting," Reds vice president of amateur scouting Chris Buckley said. "I think our group is happy with how we finished up."
On Day 3, the Reds made 30 selections in rounds 11-40, maintaining a fairly evenly balanced blend of pitching and hitting, with 16 pitchers selected and 14 position players.
• Draft Tracker: Every Reds pick
The Reds took Florida third baseman Jonathan India with the fifth overall pick to begin the Draft on Monday, followed by right-handers Lyon Richardson and Josiah Gray in the second round to cap the first night of the Draft. In total, the Reds drafted 24 pitchers and 17 position players in their 41-man Draft class.
:: 2018 Draft coverage ::
"You always need more pitchers because some of these kids are at their innings limit," Buckley said. "This is rookie ball. We have to be very careful in the first summer."
The Reds took five catchers, two first basemen, six outfielders, two second basemen, a shortstop and a third baseman among their position players. Cincinnati took 26 college players and 15 high school prospects total in the class.
• Reds start Day 2 with college OF Spillane
Buckley noted the team was able to draft a little differently on Day 3 because of the organization getting a third Rookie-level team this season in Greeneville, Tenn.
"It is something that is an advantage for us because we are going to be able to sign more people," Buckley said. "It was a little different today because in some spots it was a little younger than some years. If you didn't have that third team, that is a little younger team, so we had to make sure the ages were appropriate in some spots."
The Reds took seven pitchers and three position players in rounds 11-20. The pitching was mostly college arms, highlighted by Noah Davis, Cincinnati's first pick of the day and UC Santa Barbara's ace. Davis missed the second half of his senior season in 2018 and needed Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but Buckley said Davis is well into his rehab and the injury is similar to the one sustained by Reds prospectJose Lopez, who is now with Triple-A Louisville.
"We had him valued quite a bit higher than where he was actually selected," Buckley said of Davis. "He has already had [surgery] and is well into his rehab so hopefully he will be ready for Spring Training."
In the 14th round, the Reds also snagged Florida's first team all-SEC closer Michael Byrne, who has 34 saves for the Gators over the last two seasons. Byrne is teammates with India.
"I like him because he gets people out in the toughest league in the country," Buckley said of Byrne. "The kid is fearless."
Left-hander Josiah Sightler and righty Alberto Gonzalez were the two high school pitchers the Reds took early on the final day, in the 12th and 18th rounds, respectively. Sightler was announced as a left-handed pitcher but did not pitch in 2018 while recovering from a labrum injury, though he was cleared to throw in the latter portion of the year. Commited to South Carolina, Sightler hit .422 with 7 home runs and 26 RBIs in his senior season for Swansea High School.
Buckley is hopeful the Reds will be able to sign a good portion of the 41 players selected, with the new Rookie-level team helping in that regard as well.
"We are excited," Buckley said. "We are hopeful. We do as much work as we can and we will hopefully get the right number. It will be moreso than in years past. It was a big commitment by our front office to add [the Greeneville franchise]."