Reds feeling fortunate with early Day 2 Draft picks
CINCINNATI — When it came time to make their first few picks on Monday’s Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Reds felt like good fortune shined upon them.
Cincinnati’s third-round pick (No. 87 overall), college center fielder Mike Sirota out of Northeastern, was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 50 Draft prospect. Fourth rounder (No. 117) Arkansas second baseman Peyton Stovall is ranked as the No. 77 prospect and the fifth-round selection (No. 150) and pitcher Tristan Smith from Clemson is ranked as the No. 73 prospect.
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“Obviously, we feel great about being able to do it,” Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said. “We were able to get some talented guys right there that probably did fall a little bit from where we anticipated them going. I can’t say exactly why all those guys fell or anything like that. We control our own board, but we’re obviously excited to get all three.”
Sirota, the 21-year-old grand-nephew of Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford, saw his production numbers dip during his 2024 junior season. He still batted .298/.473/.598 — a nearly 50-point drop in his batting average — while hitting seven home runs, down from 18 in 2023.
