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    Cincinnati Reds 2019 MLB Draft: Rounds 3-10

    Doug Gray 77

    Today will be rounds 3-10 of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. This post will contain all of the information for each one of the Cincinnati Reds selections on Day 2 of the draft. It will be updated throughout the day as each pick comes in. Things get underway at 1pm ET.

    This is also where I remind you that you can help support all of the work done here through Patreon. Running this website is a full time job, and one that doesn’t have an off day for 9 months out of the year. For as low as $1 a month you can get in on some cool perks throughout the year, including daily run downs and notes on the games and performances during the season. For more information, give this link a click and help keep us going.

    Quick hit links and information:

    Here’s the slot value for each pick that will be made today:

    • $710,700 – 3rd Round
    • $507,400 – 4th Round
    • $379,000 – 5th Round
    • $286,500 – 6th Round
    • $224,000 – 7th Round
    • $178,600 – 8th Round
    • $156,100 – 9th Round
    • $146,300 – 10th Round

    You can follow along with the conference call at MLB.com. You can also follow along with the MLB Draft Tracker right here.

    Cincinnati Reds Round 3 Selection: SS Tyler Callihan

    Background information:

    • School: Providence School of Jacksonville (FL)
    • Position: Shortstop
    • Height: 6′ 1″
    • Weight: 205 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Left/Right

    Tyler Callihan Scouting Report

    Coming into the draft he was rated as a Top 50 prospect at multiple places. Baseball America rated him 37th and Fangraphs had him rated as the 25th prospect in the class. His bat is his selling point. He’s got plenty of bat speed and that helps both his hit-tool and his power potential. There’s potential for both of those tools to be above-average in the future.

    The Reds announced him as a shortstop, though you’re going to have to search for a long time to find somewhere that believes he can play shortstop as a professional. Many think third base is a possibility where his arm works, but there’s plenty of questions about his range at the spot. He’s spent a limited amount of time behind the plate in high school. There’s a chance he winds up in the corner outfield, too.

    Despite the concerns about where he winds up on the defensive spectrum, he’s a solid athlete. He does have below-average speed, but his improved conditioning as a senior helped on several fronts.

    Cincinnati Reds Round 4 Selection: 2B Ivan Johnson

    Background information:

    • School: Chipola Junior College
    • Position: Second Base
    • Height: 6′ 0″
    • Weight: 190 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Switch/Right

    Ivan Johnson Scouting Report

    He played shortstop at Chipola, but he’s listed as a second baseman by the Reds. He went to the same high school as current Reds prospect Tyler Stephenson. Ivan Johnson originally went to Georgia, but transferred to Chipola as a sophomore.

    Ivan Johnson put on some muscle between 2018 and 2019 and that helped translate to more production on the field. A stronger Johnson hit for average and power. There’s some split on the power potential with some labeling it as average, though some have his raw power as potentially plus in the future. His swing is considered a bit better from the right side than the left side. Defensively he shows off a quality arm that should play well at second base. His actions and hands should also play well there.

    College Stats

    YearSchoolAB2B3BHRRBIBBKSBAVGOBPSLG
    2018Georgia4620043206.239.314.283
    2019Chipola189101949343714.381.491.587

    Cincinnati Reds Round 5 Selection: LHP Evan Kravetz

    Background information:

    • School: Rice University
    • Position: Left-handed pitcher
    • Height: 6′ 8″
    • Weight: 250 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Left/Left

    Evan Kravetz Scouting Report

    A senior who played all four years at Rice University, Evan Kravetz pitched out of the bullpen from 2016-2018. In his senior season in 2019 he moved into the rotation and put together what was easily his best season as he posted a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts and 75.2 innings. He walked 28 batters and racked up 103 strikeouts.

    The big, and I mean big, left-handed pitcher throws 88-92 MPH with his fastball. He brings a curveball along with his fastball. His control improved as a senior, but he still has some inconsistency with throwing strikes.

    College Stats

    YearWLERAIPHHRBBKWHIP
    2016102.2823.21811481.35
    2017314.5030.033023191.87
    2018014.2833.226219381.34
    2019523.3375.2575281031.12

    Cincinnati Reds Round 6 Selection: RHP Graham Ashcraft

    Background information:

    • School: Alabama Birmingham
    • Position: Right-handed pitcher
    • Height: 6′ 2′
    • Weight: 217 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Left/Right

    Graham Ashcraft Scouting Report

    Power stuff is the selling card for Graham Ashcraft. As a starter he sits 94-96 MPH and he’ll touch 98 MPH regularly with his 4-seam fastball. He also has a sinker that he’ll throw in the low 90’s at times. His slider is arguably his best pitch, a plus offering in the low-to-mid 80’s. The righty also throws a good curveball. His change up is below-average, but has potential to be an average offering.

    On the flip side of the strong stuff is the questions about how many strikes he can throw. He threw 56.0 innings in 2019, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. In that span he walked 39 batters and hit 16 more while throwing 13 wild pitches. That came along with 53 strikeouts and a 5.62 ERA. The control issues likely mean he’ll move over to the bullpen and probably focus on his fastball/slider combination.

    He began his college career at Mississippi State. He transferred to UAB as a sophomore. He’s a redshirt sophomore who missed the 2018 season while recovering from a hip injury.

    College Stats

    YearWLERAIPHHRBBKWHIP
    2017205.6324.024316251.67
    2019255.6256.059339531.75

    Cincinnati Reds Round 7 Selection: C Eric Yang

    Background information:

    • School: UC Santa Barbara
    • Position: Catcher
    • Height: 5′ 11″
    • Weight: 185 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Right/Right

    Eric Yang Scouting Report

    Eric Yang is a solid defender behind the plate with decent catch-and-throw abilities who should stick behind the dish long term. At the plate he broke out in his first year as a full-time starter, hitting .383/.492/.567 with more walks, 30, than strikeouts, 28, in 54 games played. None of his offensive tools stand out, and he’s a below-average runner, but there’s a chance he could hit for enough average and power for a catcher to work his way to the Majors if things go right.

    College Stats

    YearAB2B3BHRRBIBBKSBAVGOBPSLG
    2017260002031.154.207.154
    2018905001013110.278.400.330
    201920116074530286.383.492.567

    Cincinnati Reds Round 8 Selection: CF Quin Cotton

    Background information:

    • School: Grand Canyon University
    • Position: Center Fielder
    • Height: 5′ 11″
    • Weight: 200 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Right/Right

    Quin Cotton Scouting Report

    There’s some division with scouts on what they see out of Quin Cotton. Those who are high on him think he’s got some raw power to tap into in the future and has a chance to hit for average. Those who aren’t as high on him think the power could be a little below-average and that he’s more of a left fielder with a below-average arm. He’s got good speed, and it gives him a chance to play center field, though the arm could limit things there. He was previously drafted in the 38th round out of high school by the Rockies.

    College Stats

    YearAB2B3BHRRBIBBKSBAVGOBPSLG
    20177921085182.274.321.329
    2018241195543223013.390.462.573
    201923119443621317.342.415.511

    Cincinnati Reds Round 9 Selection: OF TJ Hopkins

    Background information:

    • School: South Carolina
    • Position: Outfield
    • Height: 6′ 0″
    • Weight: 195 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Right/Right

    TJ Hopkins Scouting Report

    A starter for all four years at South Carolina, TJ Hopkins may have been drafted as a junior if he hadn’t suffered through a back injury that cost him about half of the season. Returning for his senior year he hit .286/.367/.524. His power went up in a big way as a senior, but his average and plate discipline did suffer some.

    The big selling card is that when he’s been at his best he’s shown off plus-plus speed, though he did seem to slow down some in 2019. The Reds listed him as a center fielder, which may suggest they believe he can handle the position as a professional. His arm will play well in right field if he has to slide to a corner spot in the future. There’s a potential for average-ish power in the future.

    College Stats

    YearAB2B3BHRRBIBBKSBAVGOBPSLG
    20161215112614378.322.388.405
    201719011252015446.258.316.416
    201811982224192714.345.448.496
    20192101131141274617.286.367.524

    Cincinnati Reds Round 10 Selection: RHP Jake Stevenson

    Background information:

    • School: Minnesota
    • Position: Right-handed pitcher
    • Height: 6′ 4″
    • Weight: 225 lbs.
    • Bats/Throws: Right/Right

    Jake Stevenson Scouting Report

    He throws 92-94 and has hit 97 MPH with his fastball. He also shows a solid breaking ball out of the bullpen. He’s struggled to throw strikes throughout his college career. He walked 64 batters in 86.0 innings over his 4 years at Minnesota. 2019 was the only season in which he struck out more batters, 36, than he walked, 27. He’s got limited action as a starter, making 13 starts – and 11 in the last two seasons.

    College Stats

    YearWLERAIPHHRBBKWHIP
    2016013.4810.0701181.74
    2017014.6311.2102871.54
    2018116.3231.032318151.6
    2019226.6234.035227361.82

     

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    77 Responses

    2. Will Holland? I know he has some swing and miss, but, he has played in a competitive conference. If he is there…. would he be a good fit for us? Or are we going with pitching?

    3. I will not lie, I wanted to see the Reds go college with the first three picks and then a senior sign in the fourth. This draft may not blow you away, but there are alot of 2 pitch college pitchers to choose from. Yes, they probably wind up relievers, but have a chance to stay starting. Just look at Dayton’s bullpen and try and find the guy that Lodolo will hand the ball off to next year in Daytona. Who else is going to be in the rotation with him? For as many AAA guys have popped up this season, that’s how many top guys in Dayton have stumbled.

      As a result, I may be a little hard on the Hinds pick. However, we have seen these picks before. Just last year with Bren Spillane, and they had to send him back to extended spring. I guess if you keep going back to the well, you will eventually get water. Or the well is just dry.

    4. Reds at #7 in 3rd round:
      1. RHP Jack Kochanowicz, Harrison HS (Pennsylvania).
      2. 1B/LHP Spencer Jones, La Costa Canyon HS (California):
      3. LHP Matt Cronin, U. of Arkansas.

      1. Spencer Jones is very intriguing. Big kid that can hit and pitch, and is very big… 6’7″. If he would sign, I would be all over that. I like Cronin, However, we have not had good luck, nor have other teams with drafting closers only… see Nick Howard, Joey Devine, Etc…

    5. I’d like to see them get some up the middle talent at SS and/or CF in rds 3-4.

    6. Tyler Callahan with 3rd Round pick. There’s questions about him defensively, but he can barrel up the baseball with legit raw power. If his defensive ability is limited, does his bat play at 1B? The Reds don’t have a ton of depth at that position, and as a high schooler, he won’t be ready until after Joey retires.

    7. Well, if Callahan isn’t projected as an up the middle guy long term at least they got a guy known for barreling the baseball well. I’ll take hit over power 9 times out of 10, especially when the power is still at least average and could be a 20+ HR guy.

    8. I see several writers praising the Reds for this pick as the kid seems to have a very good bat tool with some raw power. Some questions with the glove and range.
      My only concern is that it will be an overslot signing according to those same writers. (Carlos Collazo among them).

      1. Sounds like an overslot, which will be fine, the Reds have an additional $500k going into the above allotment pool, and i’m sure we’ll see 3-4 senior signs today. Sounds a lot like Cash Case coming out of high school, except maybe more power potential. Hopefully he fares better than Cash has so far.

    9. Love drafting good hit tools. I think the reds listed him as a 2nd baseman. We can worry about the position later. May even have the option of DH soon too

    10. Love what the Reds have done with the 3 picks so far, technically for picks if you include Sonny Gray lol. A lot of upside with Hinds and Callihan. Hopefully at least one hit that ceiling. Castillo/Greene/Lodolo/Santillan Potential staff sounds a lot of fun in a few years

        1. I think (could be wrong), he signed a 3 year extensions (+ this year).
          So we have him for 3.75 more or less years.

    11. I keep seeing potential Votto replacements in 4 or 5 years in Hinds and Callahan. Hitting infielders with marginal corner infield skills.

      1. The timeline is about right. 3-5 years in the minors, maybe 1 year where we have a situation similar to Votto/Hatteberg for a changing of the guard. Or just move Winker or Suarez over once Joey hangs them up.

    12. Given the Reds predictability, I expect we’ll see a high school or jr college pitcher taken in round 4.

      1. Got the JC part right, but not a pitcher. The Reds love themselves some offensive minded 2B apparently. I’d expect Ivan will start at a level higher than Callahan.

    13. So far, so good. Three top 40 talents and Johnson seems like a solid pick in the 4th. The Reds had nearly $900K of savings last year from their 5-10 round picks. Add that to the $476K they would have at 5% over slot and that should hopefully be enough to get Hinds and Callihan in the fold. Maybe Hinds at $2MM and Callihan at $1.8MM, if that is what it would take.

    14. Strikes me as a very clever, astute pick. Really, who can’t play LF? Can’t imagine he’s Yonder Alonso lead footed.

    15. Everyone can have their opinions about the draft picks and who they should take, but I am absolutely pleased they are sticking to BPA and not getting cute. We don’t have enough picks to try to save money. The Reds needed to identify 3 players at the top who have Major League talent and traits. I think they succeeded at that 100%. Time will tell if it works out for us.

    16. Carter Bins is a catching prospect that looks like he has some promise, maybe the Reds target one in rds 5-6?

      1. I was thinking about Cooper Johnson, the catcher they drafted in 2016 but didn’t sign. I think he is a top 150 prospect on some boards and seems like a 5-6 round type. Definitely a defense first type catcher.

    17. Hinds is an LSU commit.
      Callihan is a South Carolina commit.
      Going to take a bunch more than their slot money to sign either one. Slot plus $1MM or they go to college. I know the schtick, they don’t draft a player they don’t think they can sign. But time will tell. I doubt Callihan signs and Hinds is going to be iffy. Callihan is a top 15-20 player in 3 years. That money vs. 3rd round money. The math is easy on that one.

      1. would rather Calihan than Hinds…. Neither one has a true position, both have power, Cal has less swing and Miss.

      3. The Reds have never failed to sign someone since going to the slot system. These dudes are signing.

      4. If Hinds is wise he takes the money now. Don’t think he’s a lock to rise in the draft in college. He’ll be competing against tough competition at LSU.

    18. The predictable college senior pitcher who will sign for $7,500 in the 5th round. Good strategy.

        3. A singular M behind a number means thousands and two M’s is a million in some parlance, particularly in business numbers. Somewhere along the way, the M became more common to substitute for millions.

        4. We used M for thousands when I was in business. How about k for thousands anyway its $379,000. Whatever !

    19. A Sr sign in round 5. Huge dude though at 6’8″ 250. Reliever turned starter, always a Reds favorite. At least it’s not in round one this time.

      2. And from a good program at Rice. Imagine his low 90’s fb gets on hitters in a hurry.

    20. I have my doubts.
      1. Why did he slip so far?
      2. IS he willing to sing for about slot. (or a coupe 100K over).

    21. Senior picks starting in the 5th rather than the 6th or 7th this year really shows the impact of the smaller pool, but it’s all cool given that they went big with Hinds and Callihan.

      That said, Kravetz looks intriguing for a senior sign

    23. Kravetz is not a bad pick. His team page had him with 14 games, 80.2 IP, 58 H, 32 BB, 108 K, 5 HR, 3.24 ERA. He was a national Pitcher of the Week once and C-USA pitcher of the week twice. 28th in the nation with a 12.05 K/9 and tied for 30th in the nation with 108 K’s. He was 45th in the nation in H/9 with 6.47.
      Not bad for a 5th rounder. Shoring up the LH pitching within the organization. That was sorely needed.

    24. I like the value they got with the 6th rounder Ashcraft. Big arm that could wind up a solid reliever at the pro level in a couple years

      1. Also hope they can grab Hess from LSU in the 7th for another possible reliever with a big arm

        1. Reds had pick #204 in 7th round. Tigers took Hess at #202. I would have liked to have seen Hess picked in the 6th over Ashcraft. Hess was awesome in 2017 CWS.

      2. That 6th round pick was a wasted pick. If the line of 56.0 IP, 59 H, 51 R, 35 ER, 53 K, 39 BB wasn’t bad enough, in ONLY 56.0 IP, he had 16 HBP and 13 WP.
        The Reds have plenty of RHP that can’t find the strike zone. Why add another? This guy is brutal at issuing BB’s and hits and letting runs in.

        1. They’re taking a flier on a guy who can hit 99. Worth a shot in the 6th round. The biggest success they’ve had in 6th rd picks since 2012 when I started tracking Reds drafts is Jimmy Herget.

        2. Because sometimes there’s a reason guys struggle in college and can improve.

          Packy Naughton is a very good example of this.

          Also, it’s a 6th round pick. It’s not wasted. The expectations for a 6th rounder is “reach Double-A and it’s a good pick”.

        3. Just from the video, it looks as if a lot of that wildness comes from an inconsistent motion. His footwork is a mess. I don’t know how correctable that is with coaching, but for a sixth-round pick with that kind of stuff, I think it’s worth finding out.

        4. Gonna save big on slot money and could end up with a big arm in the bullpen if it works out. What were you wanting in the 6th?

      3. Ashcraft is the kind of pick which makes it impossible for the minor league teams to compete. A long term project.

        1. Minor League teams aren’t there to compete. They’re there to develop players to play in the majors. Competing and winning are just a bonus.

        2. True but guys like this makes it difficult forthe other guys to develop. Do catchers learn to frame pitches when a guy can not get the ball close? Do fielders learn to field when they are back on their heels waiting for a ball to be put in play. Do they learn to hit in situations when they are so far behind all they can do is swing away. One out of 30 of these projects get to AAA let alone the majors. The Reds haven’t been to competitive at the top lately either.

        3. Five years ago I could make up a whole line-up of former Dayton Dragons from the Reds 25 man roster. Now including pitchers there are seven former Dragons on the 25 (8 if you include Bob Steve on the DL). Barnart, Votto, Winker, Senzel, Garrett, Lorenzen Mahle, Stephenson. None of these guys were long shot projects so their non competitive approach isn’t doing that well.

        4. Can they be left in spring training and/ or do what Finnegan is doing and just woke with someone?

    25. The Rangers just took my favorite sleeper in Cody Bradford. Still think its been an okay draft, wish we would have gone pitcher a little earlier but can’t complain to much.

    26. Reds went all in with first 3 picks! Love that strategy vs drafting under talent to over pay later picks. Reds are paying lodolo max and still picking from top of board with picking next two picks. No reason to think reds management can’t get these 3 signed with their track record. Wanted top end talent- close as you will get without making a trade. Nice work.

      1. Looking at Stats wonder how he had the freshman OBP with no walks. might have gotten hit a lot.

    28. To what degree to teams scout the schools and not just the players? For example, suppose you have a prospect that has some kind of mechanical problem that you think is fixable. If the school has a number of players with the same flaw, do you write it off as the school not doing a good job of correcting the problem? Alternatively, if the school has a history of guys coming to the school with that problem, but leaving with the problem corrected, does that mean that this kid might not be so willing to take instruction?

    30. I would love to see why the reds pick who they do. I wonder what qualities they look for in guys what they value.

    31. Don’t know if there are enough players left that you could through money at and pull away from school but the Reds will sure have some money to use in rds 11 – 40 if such players are available.

      1. I don’t think the money is there for anymore overslot guys in rounds 11-40. If we sign any HS players that get picked today then it is either fringe players or guys who never had any intention of going to college.

    33. Random thoughts:

      Reds really dipped into South Carolina Gamecocks program. Hopkins was a Senior Gamecock in 2019 while Johnson and Callihan had signed with them for next year.

      Plus we now have Stevenson to go with Stephenson and Stephenson. Thom B will get all screwed up if Jackson Stephens, Tyler Stephenson, Robert Stephenson and Jake Stevenson are all on the team at the same time.

    34. Has there ever been a pitcher whose college stats stink and they become a good pro? just wondering why you don’t take a guy like kyle hill instead of some of these other guys.

      1. @haven

        Excellent question and I do not know the answer. I know sometimes it is taking a flyer on a senior you think you can fix who has good stuff and save money to sign guys overslot.

        On a side note once you get past the first few rounds everyone except overslot guys are lottery tickets.

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