Reds may have hit jackpot with draft pick, made signing official on Tuesday

Cincinnati Reds On SI · Jul 22, 2026 00:08 · 3 min read

Reds May Have Hit Jackpot With Draft Pick, Made Signing Official on Tuesday — President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall listens as new manager Terry Francona answers questions from the media during an event to introduce the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds seemingly put together a very productive draft class during the 2026 MLB Draft.

The Cincinnati Reds have a few stars on their roster to be excited about, especially considering they recently signed Chase Burns to a massive seven-year contract extension. But aside from the stars like Burns, Hunter Greene, Sal Stewart, and Elly De La Cruz, the Reds don't have much to be excited about this year, especially if they sell at the trade deadline.

Either way, it seems like the Reds may have struck gold in the 2026 MLB Draft, as Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron fell into their laps in the first round. Lebron has huge potential and could quickly become a household name in Cincinnati if all goes well. But he's not the only potential star that the Reds landed in this draft class.

Keith Law of The Athletic recently discussed the Reds' draft class beyond Lebron. Law shared some praise for the Reds' second-round pick, Eric Becker.

Eric Becker Could Be Better Than Expected

Virginia infielder Eric Becker (21) throws the ball to first base during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Virginia and Jax State at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Friday, May 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Virginia shortstop Eric Becker (2) missed about a month this spring to a hand injury, and hurt his numbers when he tried to play through it," Law wrote. "I had him as a top-15 talent in the draft because of the potential for a plus hit tool. He makes hard contact and uses the whole field well with a swing that produces a lot of low line drives. I don’t think he has any chance to stick at shortstop, but he should be solid at second base."

The Cincinnati Reds signed Becker on Tuesday for $1.65 million, $12,300 over slot.

Becker came into the season with the expectation that he would be a first-round pick in the MLB draft, but injuries derailed his college season, which caused him to drop into the second round.

For the Reds, there's a chance they still viewed him as a first-round talent, assuming he will get back to 100 percent before he suits up in a game of professional baseball.

Becker has a plus hit tool and a very projectable frame. He's a good athlete with solid speed, too. If he can put all the pieces together, he has five-tool potential in the infield, though he may need to be moved to second base in the future. There's also a chance he slides over to third base, as he has in the past.

Either way, Becker still has first-round potential, yet the Reds landed him in Round 2.

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