ATLANTA — After the Reds drafted Chase Burns a year ago, Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said, “I’ve told you guys,” Katuska said, “If it’s once it’s a thousand times. (We like) middle of the field offensive players and starting pitching profiles. That’s where we’re going to start. That’s where we’re going to continue to look.”
Now, you’ve heard it 1,001 times.
The Reds used the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on high school shortstop Steele Hall. His top of the scale speed, probability to stick as a plus defensive shortstop and hit over power offensive profile fit the mold that the Reds have sought after since Nick Krall became the team’s lead decision maker.
Hall reclassified into the 2025 MLB Draft class and now joins the professional ranks a year ahead of schedule. He essentially just completed his junior year of high school.
“If you stacked him up against juniors out there, we thought that if you lined him up at the end of the summer and into next year's draft, he might be a guy you're talking about at the No. 1 overall pick,” Katuska said. “That's what we do when we project these players, we're talking about what they are at the big-league level.”
Hall will certainly need some time to develop. Since 2000, just seven first-round picks have debuted during their age-20 seasons or earlier: Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Carlos Correa, Manny Machado, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Jackson Holliday.
Like the Reds have consistently done in the trade and the draft markets recently, the Reds stuck with the best player available on their board.
Selecting Hall follows a similar thought process as drafting Matt McLain, trading for Edwin Arroyo and Noelvi Marte and prioritizing Naibel Mariano and Liberts Aponte on the international free agent market. These are all dynamic athletes at up-the-middle positions, have hit-over-power offensive profiles and a bit of an old school nature to their games.
(Pitchers also count as “up the middle players,” and Burns, Rhett Lowder, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo all fit that description back when they were prospects. So do Chase Petty and Sheng-En Lin).
You’ve heard it 1,001 times.
Shortstop was already far-and-away the most well-stocked area of the farm system with Arroyo, Sammy Stafura, Tyson Lewis, Mariano, Aponte and now Hall. Of course, Elly De La Cruz is holding down the position very, very well in the big leagues.
“We're always looking for that best player available like I keep saying every single year when I'm on calls with you guys,” Katuska said. “We think (Hall) is a shortstop. He has the athleticism to play other places, but he has every bit of a shortstop's ability with all the things he does on the field.”
The questions are how much power he’ll be able to tap into and how much consistent polish he’ll show at the plate. ESPN says that if Hall doesn’t pan out, it will be because, “His contact ability is at the low end of expectations, so he's more of a utility guy with some speed/defense and tools that he can't quite get onto the stat sheet.” Yahoo says, “Scouts are more split on his potential with the bat, as his feel to hit is still rather crude.”
The Reds are having a lot of success developing two similar styles of prospects in Stafura and Lewis. If Hall hits, then the upside is significant.
“We've seen (Hall’s) bat really make strides over the last year,” Katuska said. “The strength gains he's made — if you heard the broadcast, he has put on about 15 pounds of muscle since this point last year. Some of the analytic numbers from this summer, we weren't that concerned about because, again, we're talking about a player that is a full year younger than the draft class on the whole. That time and that projection moving forward that is something that gives us comfort that the gains we've seen now are going to stick and that he's really going to be moving in the right direction as well.”
Other notable players on the board at No. 9 included Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold (a proven college starter with an intriguing delivery and multiple plus pitches), high school shortstop Billy Carlson (a physically impressive talent with an elite arm and plenty of defensive acumen) and Auburn catcher/outfielder Ike Irish (considered to be the most polished bat in this class).
Hall’s projectability at such a premium position plus the Reds’ confidence in their player development ability swung the decision the way it went.
“Dansby Swanson was (a comparison). Trea Turner was one,” Katuska said. “That type of player that is ultra-athletic, can run, can throw, can play defense and provides value with the bat, as well as a leadoff type of guy. That's how we saw Steele and what ultimately lead us to be comfortable with the pick.”
Hey Charlie, any idea what swayed them towards Hall instead of Carlson?
Hard to imagine a high school junior? Thought the current wisdom was to draft somewhat older college proven talent? Seems to be a Puzzling Pick.? Dick G.