The Cincinnati Reds will be on the clock with the 18th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, which is set for July 11th and 12th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And one question already hanging over that selection is whether the club will use it to keep building pitching depth.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently pointed to that possibility, noting that several of the Reds’ best-developed arms have already moved beyond prospect status. He wrote, "Many of the top arms the Reds have developed have graduated from prospect status, like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, who follow in the footsteps of other first-round arms Cincinnati has developed, like Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene," McDaniel wrote.
"The Reds might be a floor for Cameron Flukey or Liam Peterson if they drop this far, then they'll get to pick through the top of the next tier of college arms, like Mason Edwards, Cole Carlon, Cade Townsend, Hunter Dietz, Taylor Rabe and Logan Reddemann. The Reds tend to prefer big fastball velocity, so Edwards and Reddemann make a bit less sense from that group."
That line of thinking fits the way Cincinnati has operated before. The Reds have had real success taking pitchers in the draft, especially in the first round, and that track record is hard to ignore.
At the same time, the roster has plenty of other holes. They need a center fielder.
They need a third baseman. They’ll also have to account for 3-4 relievers heading into next season, and they still need starting pitching depth.
But even with those obvious needs, drafting purely for fit usually isn’t the smart play.
The source of that caution is easy to see. If the Reds had simply chased need in the 2024 MLB Draft, they likely would have taken Charlie Condon over Chase Burns. Condon still hasn’t reached the big leagues, while Burns is already on his way to the All-Star Game and has been one of the best players in baseball.
So while pitching is a logical area to watch, the Reds still have to balance need, value, and the board in front of them. Various outlets are already projecting who Cincinnati could take at No. 18 overall, and that picture should become clearer as the trade deadline and draft draw closer. It’s a pivotal stretch for the organization.
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