2023 MLB Draft - Day 2 open thread

The 2023 MLB Draft rolls on, as rounds 3-10 are set to take place this afternoon. The Reds made quite a splash with their selection of 2 elite college right handers in Rhett Lowder and Ty Floyd, followed by high school shortstop Sammy Stafura. The Reds get the day started with pick number 74. While you’re waiting, here is some analysis about the Reds’ day 1 picks:

Mark Sheldon, MLB.com: Lowder, Floyd and Stafura.

Here’s David Adler of MLB.com talking about the Pitching Lab at Wake Forest, and how it has prepared Rhett Lowder to make the jump to the professional level.

Doug Gray of Reds Minor Leagues and Redleg Nation broke down all 3 picks here, here, and here.

C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic broke down the Reds first two picks and went over what the Reds saw in Lowder and Floyd. ($)

Finally, Keith Law of The Athletic provided his overall analysis of night 1, where he was very high on the Reds and their picks. ($)

Round 3 starts at 2:00PM EDT. Follow along here as we will try to update with some brief analysis as the picks roll in throughout the day.

Round 3 (Pick 74) - Hunter Hollan, LHP, University of Arkansas

Hunter Hollan transferred to Arkansas before the 2023 season after spending his first two years at San Jacinto Junior College in Texas. He was drafted in the 15th round by Milwaukee after his first season at San Jacinto but turned them down, opting to return to college. In his lone season at Arkansas, he went 8-2 with a 4.13 ERA over 80.2 innings of work. He was inconsistent at times, as he allowed 13 home runs on the season while walking 29 batters against 74 strikeouts.

His fastball sat upper-80’s, low-90’s in junior college before jumping to 93-94 MPH and touching 97 MPH while at Arkansas. His curve ball sits in the mid-70’s but generates some whiffs. He also offers a decent slider and change-up that both sit in the 80’s.

Round 4 (Pick 105) - Cole Schoenwetter, RHP, San Marcos HS (CA)

That makes pitchers 4 out of the first 5 picks for the Reds. Schoenwetter is a high school pitcher from Southern California. Committed to UC Santa Barbara, scouts have compared him to JR Ritchie, who was selected 35th overall in 2022 by the Atlanta Braves. Schoenwetter has a fastball that sits low-to-mid 90’s and has an above average curve ball and change-up. This is a good pick for the Reds this late, as he had been projected to go late first round/competitive balance round A before the draft.

Round 5 (Pick 141) - Connor Burns, C, Long Beach State (CA)

Connor Burns is a 21 year-old catcher out of Long Beach State University in California. Always known as a fantastic defensive catcher with a great arm, some scouts have labeled him as the best defensive catcher in the draft. While he’s been excellent in the field, he has struggled at the plate. He failed to crack the Mendoza Line in each of his first 2 collegiate seasons, but he made a big jump this season, hitting .300/.368/.596 with 14 home runs and 14 doubles. Hopefully he can continue to progress at the plate to match his defensive skills behind the plate.

Round 6 (Pick 168) - Ethan O’Donnell, OF, University of Virginia

Ethan O’Donnell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Northwestern University, where he had a breakout sophomore campaign. He hit .320/.410/.619 that season and set the school’s single-season record for doubles. He decided to take his talents elsewhere and transfer to Virginia, where he continued to hit the ball well and help lead UVA back to the College World Series. He hit .354/.448/.587 with 13 home runs in a pitcher-friendly park and against a much tougher ACC schedule. O’Donnell also has above average speed, as the center fielder stole 18 bases in 2023.

Round 7 (Pick 198) - Dominic Pitelli, SS, University of Miami (FL)

Dominic Pitelli is a solid defensive shortstop who was a 3-year starter at the University of Miami. He struggled to hit his first 2 seasons, but his bat came around in his junior season. In 2023, he hit .294/.380/.525 with 13 home runs. He also stole 10 bases and hit 14 doubles on the year.

Round 8 (Pick 228) - Carter Graham, 1B, Stanford (CA)

Carter Graham is a right-handed power hitting first baseman out of Stanford University. In 2022, he put up a 1.041 OPS and led the Pac-12 with 22 home runs. He struggled a little to start the season, but still hit 15 home runs and drove in 75 runs to help lead Stanford to their 3rd straight College World Series. He has a ton of raw power and was able to start driving the ball to the gaps when he got out of his slump to start the season. He’s athletic and has a good arm at first base.

Round 9 (Pick 258) - Logan Van Treeck, LHP, Lipscomb University (TN)

If you looked at Logan Van Treeck’s 2022 numbers, you’d wonder why the hell the Reds were spending a day 2 pick on the left hander. He pitched in only 13 games and threw only 22.1 innings, putting up an 11.69 ERA. He turned things around in a major way in 2023, making 17 appearances, including 10 starts, and putting up a 3.67 ERA over 88.1 innings. He started in the bullpen but was Lipscomb’s Friday night starter by the end of the season. He walked only 14 batters in 2023 and struck out 108.

He has a fastball that sits 90-92 MPH and topped out at 96 MPH this year. He has a sweeping slider and was able to get more whiffs with it this year. He also has a curve ball and a change-up that he throws much less than the fastball/slider combo.