5th Round Selection: RHP Ian Kahaloa, Campbell High School (Hawaii)

The Reds went to Hawaii to make their 5th round selection by taking right handed pitcher Ian Kahaloa. He’s got an interesting arm that has sat 93-94 at times this spring and touched 97, but he’s also sat lower this spring as well. He’s 6′ 1″ and 185 lbs, so he has the size to start. His secondary offerings could both be average in the future, with his slider being more consistent now than his change up. The control is solid, but he could improve his command inside of the strikezone.

 

A year ago, Kodi Medeiros was a high school pitcher from Hawaii who ended up going in the first round of the Draft. Kahaloa doesn't project to do as well on Draft day, but the right-hander does bring a lot to like on the mound. Early in the spring Kahaloa opened eyes by firing fastballs up to 96-97 mph. He's shown the ability to sit in the 93-94 mph range with good movement, though his overall stuff has been a bit inconsistent. He flashes a solid slider at times, and like with many young pitchers, his changeup is a work in progress, though he shows some feel for it. He's generally around the plate, though his overall command needs to be refined. While Kahaloa isn't the biggest guy in the world, he's strong and athletic, leaving little concern about durability. The right-hander is committed to the University of Hawaii.

 

Ranked #113 by Baseball America

 

6th Round Selection: RHP Jimmy Herget, South Florida

The Reds took a somewhat polished pitcher here with the selection of Herget. He throws a sinker in the 89-93 MPH range and has touched a tad higher at times. He throws a good slider, an average curveball and an average change up. He mixes his pitches well. There are some questions as to whether he can start long term, partially due to his thin frame (6′ 3″ and 170 lbs) and partially due to his very low 3/4 arm angle that is nearly sidearmed. Scouts think he could move quickly as a reliever if he has to make that move. He was drafted out of high school by the Braves in the 40th round back in 2012.

 

The Friday night starter for the University of South Florida as a junior, Herget has a track record of success as a three-year member of the rotation. He could potentially stay in that role or get to the big leagues in a hurry coming out of the bullpen. Herget really knows how to pitch, with a four-pitch mix he uses extremely well. He'll pitch with a fastball a tick above-average in the future with heavy sink, throwing it now in the 89-94 mph range. He adds and subtracts from it at will. Herget has two usable breaking balls, a solid average slider and an average curveball, as well as an average changeup, and he commands all four of them well. Herget does all of this from a low three-quarter arm slot, with a kind of Steve Cishek-like delivery. With a bulldog mentality, Herget could rush to the big leagues in a relief role, though his feel for pitching does give him the chance to be a back-end starter.

 

Some analysts have stated he could be the fastest player in the entire draft to make the show, that's if he pitches out of the bullpen. Been compared to Pat Neshek.

 

7th Round Selection: RHP Jordan Ramsey, UNC Wilmington

Ramsey is a senior, so he will sign on the low end and save money for other picks if needed. He’s got an interesting arm though, hitting as high as 97 MPH while sitting in the low 90’s with his fastball as a starting pitcher most of the time, but he’s been 92-94 at times as well. He moved into the bullpen for his senior year where he’s been sitting 94-95 and touching 97 often. He may be able to move quickly as a reliever, but don’t count out that the Reds try him in the rotation first. He had some injuries in his junior season, resulting in a lack of innings. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 32nd round last year but chose to return to school.

 

Ranked #191 at Baseball America

10th Round Selection: CF Zach Shields, UNC Wilmington

The Reds picked center fielder Zach Shields with their final pick of the day. The left handed hitter is listed at 6′ 2″ and 160 lbs. He only played one season at UNC Wilmington, spending time at Spartanburg Methodist College before transferring. He played mostly right field in college, but he’s got above-average speed and should be able to slide over to center field rather easily. There’s some room for him to fill out his frame some, perhaps adding a little bit of power, but it’s not going to be part of his game.

11th Round Selection: SS Brantley Bell, State College of Florida Manatee

Brantley is the son of Jay Bell. He is a 6′ 3″ and 185 lb shortstop. He played his freshman year at Mississippi before transferring after the season. Not much info on the kid, just thought it was interesting that he has MLB pedigree.

 

Bell features a slight uppercut swing w/ avg bat speed. He likes to ambush and jump on pitches early in the count. The swing is easy to maintain and is extremely repeatable. His frame will move the HS SS to 3B at some point, as the 6'2", 175 pounder doesn't have the range to play SS as a pro. He does feature gd actions and his biggest problem in the field (letting the ball play him) will go away at 3B. He showed below avg arm speed (82-83 on the mound), but reliable accuracy. Is the son of Jay Bell and projects as a potential utility IF, if not everyday 3B. If you draft him now, you are buying the bat and body.

12th Round Selection: RHP Alexis Diaz, Juan Jose Maunez High School (Puerto Rico)

This would be a nice signing by the Reds. The Puerto Rican right hander is already throwing in the low 90’s and has projection left to pick up velocity. He’s also got a curveball and a change up, but neither pitch is average at this point. His brother plays in the Seattle Mariners system and is one of their top prospects, also as a pitcher.

 

Of the half-dozen pitching prospects headed into this draft class, Solá singled out right-hander Alexis Díaz, brother of pitcher Edwin Diaz, who was drafted 98th overall in 2012 by the Seattle Mariners. The younger Díaz, of Caguas Military and Sports Academy, is in a group that includes José Espada, Jovani Moran, Michael Rivera, Edrick Agosto, Jesús Ortiz and Reynaldo Rivera.

 

“Edwin was one of the top Seattle prospects, so they will remember his bloodline,” said Edwin Rodríguez coach of a Big League (15 to 18 year-old) franchise team in Caguas, Puerto Rico, who helped shape 2012 No. 1 pick Correa and has the same name but no relation to the former Florida Marlins manager. “Alex has the ability to throw strikes and has a changeup and a curveball. He has a lot more polish than his brother did at this point."

 

13th Round Selection: RHP Andrew Jordan, Hunter Huss High School (NC)

Andrew Jordan is a 6′ 3″ and 180 lb right handed pitcher that is signed to go play baseball at Charlotte if he doesn’t sign out of the draft. He throws in the 89-91 MPH and has touched 93 MPH at times this spring. The fastball has a little bit of sinking action and armside run to it. He throws a change up and a curveball.

 

Jordan, a Charlotte signee, has walked only eight batters all season. He’s struck out 109 batters in 58 innings and has yielded five earned runs. That’s a 0.60 ERA.

Clark believes more scouts would be salivating over Jordan if he was a lefty. As it is, he’s drawing considerable attention — enough that there’s a possibility he’ll never enroll at UNC Charlotte.

 

15th Round Selection: 2B Blake Butler, College of Charleston

Butler is a prototypical grinder who gets the most from his abilities. He currently plays second base, though not everyone thinks he can stick there on an every day basis because of his range and some concerns about his arm. He can use the entire field at the plate.

 

13 HR's this season.

 

2015: .325/.395/.564, 56 R, 15 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 25 BB, 34 K, 4 SB

17th Round Selection: 2B Jade (JD) Salmon-Williams, David Suzuki Secondary School (Canada)

He has been a member of the Canadian Junior National team for several years.

 

His speed and athletic ability has garnered interest not just from baseball scouts. This season he played running back and linebacker for the Suzuki junior football team and showed his prowess on the gridiron.

Because of his success in baseball Salmon-Williams is planning to continue working on improving in that sport. While he has a best time of 6.7 seconds in the 60, he wants to get that down to about 6.2. He has big goals in the sport.

“I have to make the Major Leagues,” he said. “I want to pay back my parents for all their sacrifices. I want to spread the Word of God.”

 

Nice looking athlete.

20th Round Selection: LHP Rock Rucker, Auburn Montgomery

Rock Rucker may be the best name in the 2015 Reds draft, certainly so far. He began his career at Auburn, but transferred to Auburn Montgomery where he’s moved to the mound after spending very limited time in the outfield previously. He only threw six innings in 2015, walking eight and striking out 10. Despite limited action, he’s an intriguing arm. Rucker throws in the low 90’s with a good breaking ball, though he is still quite raw.

 

Rock Rucker is a 6’-5”, 220-pound left-hander from Russell County HS in Alabama. He is one of the top prep players in the country and is projected as a possible first-round draft pick in the 2012 MLB amateur draft to be held June 4-6. A two-way player, he is 7-0 on the mound with a 0.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 36.2 innings, while allowing just eight hits. At the plate, he is hitting .382 with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 41 RBI and a 1.177 OPS over 40 games. His fastball touches 95 mph and his overall athleticism makes him one of the better long-term prospects with a very high ceiling.

 

The scouts' evaluation is easy. Rucker is batting .420 with seven homers, nine doubles, 30 RBIs and a .756 slugging percentage. His season highlights include belting a two-run homer and a grand slam against previously unbeaten Brookstone and tossing a no-hitter against Beauregard. The multitalented player recently had five hits and pitched four no-hit innings on the mound in the Warriors' 8-0 win over George Washington (New York City) in the inaugural National High School Invitational.

 

Rucker is fresh off an outstanding summer ball session in Orlando where he earned First-Team All-American honors by Perfect Game USA. Rucker led the entire league in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.491) and slugging percentage (.620). His batting average not only led the Florida League, but it was the highest average of any player named to the three All-American teams. His .424 mark fell just .001 point short of tying the all-time Florida League record for average that was set by Ted Blackman of Winter Park in 2011. Rock had 39 hits in just 92 at-bats on the year, including seven doubles, one triple and three home runs. He also added 22 runs, 23 RBI and four stolen bases. Rucker also made six appearances as a pitcher during the summer. In just 9.2 innings pitched, Rucker struck out 15 batters, good for a 13.96 K/9 ratio.

 

A key player for Russell County this season, Rucker has hit .383 with seven home runs, 13 doubles and 40 RBIs, and he's probably been even better as a pitcher. In eight appearances, Rucker is 7-0 with a 0.41 ERA, and he's got 66 strikeouts in just 34 innings pitched. He's allowed only seven hits in the 148 batters he's faced.

 

Pretty excited about this pick. Seems like a steal and has the ability to be either an outfielder or a pitcher.

 

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21st Round Selection: CF Satchel McElroy, Clear Creek High School (Texas)

McElroy was ranked as the 90th best draft prospect in the state of Texas by Baseball America. He’s got an easy swing that is compact. He’s an above-average to plus runner and there could be some projection in his hit tool. He has a solid arm.

 

PG 2014 Underclass 2nd Team

PG 2013 Underclass High Honorable Mention

Ranked 5th in state at CF (PG)

Recruiting Coordinator Trip Couch on Satchel: Satchel is one of the fastest players in the country. He has a great feel on the bases and should have an instant impact at the top of the lineup. He currently plays for Coach Brent Kunfeke at Clear Creek and is the son of former Major League great Chuck McElroy.

 

22nd Round Selection: RHP Darren Shred, St. Roch Catholic Secondary School (Canada)

Darren Shred was ranked as the 329th best player in the draft by Baseball America, but that was as a catcher. He’s committed to Chipola JC. Some teams did prefer him as a pitcher though where he’s thrown in the upper 80’s, touching 90 MPH and has a solid curveball.

 

Right-handed hitter, Chipola JC commit, plus power and a strong throwing arm, has less press attention than the United States guys but looks like a sleeper and should be signable.

 

25th Round Selection: 1B James Vasquez, Central Florida

Vasquez is a college senior who has started at UCF for the last three years after splitting time as a freshman. He didn’t really improve over the years, with the exception of a strong Junior season that saw his strikeout rate drop off, but it went back up as a senior.

 

SR 1B/OF James Vasquez’s mere presence on this roster surprised me after the junior season (.340/.445/.519 in 206 AB) he had. The pro game is increasingly desperate for bats, and Vasquez has average or better power, a good approach, and a knack for hard contact. He’s also no slouch with the leather, so that’s nice.

26th Round Selection: CF Dwanya Williams-Sutton, Greenfield School (HS – North Carolina)

This may be a tough sign as he’s said that he is going to school unless he gets “life changing money”, though exactly how much that is could be very different depending on who you ask. He’s got above-average speed and some power potential. He reportedly hit a home run out of Wrigley Field in a workout with the Cubs, among nine home runs he hit while taking batting practice for the club.

 

Williams-Sutton was a driving force in the Knights’ North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A baseball championship less than two weeks ago. Earlier this year, Williams-Sutton was a mainstay for the Greenfield boys basketball team that reached the NCISAA 1-A semifinals. In the fall, he discovered a new sport — soccer — that turned out to be to his liking as he propelled the Knights to the state semifinals.

 

"He treats himself as a normal high school student-athlete, but he’s the best high school athlete I’ve ever seen,” said Greenfield athletic director and varsity boys basketball coach Rob Salter. "I’ve never seen anybody who could pick up a sport and be a Division I player if he wanted to be.”

 

The tales of Williams-Sutton’s athletic ability are quickly becoming the stuff of legend. The time he blasted eight straight batting practice pitches over the wall in Fleming Stadium. Or when Williams-Sutton, who doesn’t play golf, picked up a driver and blasted a golf ball some 280 yards. Or his ability to casually fire a football some 30 yards on a line — behind his back.

 

"He does things athletically that are amazing all the time,” said Greenfield baseball coach Daniel Johnson. "He does things and I’m like, who does that mess? He’s just a freak of an athlete.”

 

But those are just anecdotes, snippets of how gifted the 6-foot-3, 225-pound 17-year-old (yes, he won’t turn 18 until mid-summer!) is in a physical sense.

 

He looks a lot older than he is.

 

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27th Round Selection: SS Alejo Lopez, Greenway High School (Arizona)

Lopez was ranked as the 354th best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, so he would seem to be a tough sign here. He’s projected to remain at shortstop thanks to good hands and actions. He’s got above-average speed. He doesn’t project for much power and at 5′ 11″ and 170 lbs he doesn’t have much now either. He’s a switch hitter.

 

According to perfectgame he impressed at all fall events.

 

2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American

West - All Region 1st Team

2014 Underclass 2nd Team

2013 Underclass Honorable Mention