The 2026 MLB Draft is shaping up as a wild one, and the uncertainty starts right at the top. With the Chicago White Sox still a mystery at No. 1, the first round has turned into a massive guessing game.
For the Reds, though, there’s at least one familiar thread. Cincinnati has long leaned toward “up-the-middle” talent in Round 1, and that usually points them toward a shortstop, pitcher, or centerfielder. With the No. 18 pick on Saturday afternoon, that pattern gives the experts a pretty clear lane - even if they can’t agree on the name.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has Cincinnati taking Gio Rojas, a left-handed prep pitcher from Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Rojas is widely regarded as one of the top high school arms in the class, and he’s committed to Miami. A first-round selection could be enough to pull him away from that commitment.
CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa sees the Reds going another prep route, but with a different kind of player. His pick is Jared Grindlinger, an outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Huntington Beach High School in California.
Grindlinger is a two-way player, though most scouts believe his bat will be the stronger side of his game. Cincinnati already showed some comfort with that type of profile when it signed Sheng-En Lin in 2023.
A couple of outlets are pointing to Arkansas lefty Hunter Dietz. Keith Law at The Athletic and the draft group at FanSided both have the Reds selecting him at No.
- The 6-foot-6 southpaw was considered by some to be the best pitcher in the SEC this season, though an elbow injury earlier in his career could affect where he lands.
FanGraphs also has Cincinnati taking a college arm, but with a different flavor. Their pick is Florida right-hander Liam Peterson, a high-octane pitcher who struck out 111 batters in 2026. Peterson’s breaking ball is viewed as above average, and if his command and control hold up, he has the kind of upside that could make him a frontline starter.
MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft took Trevor Condon off the board before the Reds were on the clock and left Cincinnati with two different possibilities. MLB.com senior writer Jonathan Mayo projects Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey, while MLB.com contributor Jim Callis has the Reds going with TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider.
So while the names vary, the shape of the prediction is pretty consistent: the Reds are expected to stay in their lane and target an athlete or arm up the middle. The only real question is which one they’ll trust at No. 18.
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