Reds select OF Austin Hendrick with first-round draft pick

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For the first time in months, we have some Reds news. The team took high school outfielder Austin Hendrick with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft on Wednesday.

Hendrick, a left-handed hitter and thrower who will turn 19 next Monday, stands at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds. He attended West Allegheny High School near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he primarily played right field, and is a Mississippi State commit. He figures to play a corner outfield spot as a professional as well.

Austin Hendrick Scouting Report (Per MLB Pipeline)

Hit (out of 80): 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50

The last two times the Reds took a position player in the first round, they went a bit safer with college bats (Nick Senzel in 2016, Jonathan India in 2018). Hendrick comes with more risk because, well, most high schoolers do. The Reds haven’t taken a high school position player this high in a draft since selecting Devin Mesoraco with the 16th overall pick in 2007.

Beyond his age, though, Hendrick’s risk also comes from the swing and miss in his game. That being said, when a player gets drafted so highly despite issues making contact, it’s almost always because they can crush the ball.

That is undoubtedly the case with Hendrick, who is lauded for his raw power. As you can see in the video below, Hendrick has a quick, smooth, powerful swing that looks nearly effortless. Perhaps that shouldn’t come as a surprise for a kid whose favorite player is Ken Griffey Jr.

Here’s a look at Hendrick in game action, where both the bat speed and swing-and-miss tendencies are on display:

Reds general manager Nick Krall called Hendrick a middle-of-the-order bat:

Dick Williams said he's already heard from #Reds hitting coach Alan Zinter about working with Austin Hendrick. GM Nick Krall described him as the prototypical RF and middle of order bat.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) June 11, 2020

Here’s a collection of what various scouts and writers have to say about Hendrick:

• FanGraphs: “Hendrick swung and missed a lot during his showcase summer but has the best raw power in the high school class.”
• Reds Minor Leagues (Doug Gray): “All of his raw tool grades are at least average, while his raw power is among the best in the entire draft and at the top among all high schoolers.”
• MLB Pipeline (Jonathan Mayo): “He has as much bat speed and raw power as any prep hitter in the class.”
• The Athletic (Keith Law): “Hendrick makes exceptionally hard contact with a very noisy approach that sometimes sees him collapse his back side, so he’s a power over hit guy for now — which means he has significant upside with 30+ homer potential but risk that he doesn’t hit enough to get there.”
• Perfect Game: “Hits from an exaggerated high hand set up that creates timing variables, has whippy fast hands when he’s on time and can create elite bat speed and impact, has lots of lift in his swing, fun to watch the ball come off the barrel when his timing is on. High ceiling talent with some work to do on his hitting approach.”

From a defensive perspective, scouting reports note Hendrick’s strong throwing arm, which should help him stay in right field as he moves through the Reds’ organization. He’s rated as an above-average runner, as well.

If the videos and scouting reports don’t convince you of Hendrick’s power, the Perfect Game scouting report above also notes he has hit an exit velocity as high as 105 mph, which is elite for a high school hitter. Rapsodo has tracked Hendrick as high as 108 mph off the bat.

Round 1, Pick 12: Austin Hendrick (@Aust_Hendrick7) to the Cincinnati @Reds! Keep your head on a swivel if you're playing the field against this guy😅 #Rapsodo #MLBDraft #SuperScore pic.twitter.com/NyitmY31qO

— Rapsodo Baseball (@rapsodo) June 11, 2020

The slot value of the 12th pick in this year’s draft is $4,366,400. Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports expects Hendrick to sign for above slot value.

The remainder of the shortened, five-round draft will take place on Thursday at 5 p.m. EST. The Reds’ next pick will be the 48th overall. They also have a competitive balance pick at No. 65. Coverage will once again be available on MLB Network and ESPN2.

[Featured Image: Credit to Flickr user slgckgc]