CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds selected RHP/SS Hunter Greene (6’3”, 195) from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif. with the team’s first pick (2nd overall) of the 2017 first-year player draft, senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley announced.
Later tonight, the Reds will select their second and third players with overall picks 32 (in competitive balance lottery round A) and 38 (2nd round).
“We do not see prospects like this very often,” said Dick Williams, President of Baseball Operations, General Manager. “The physical talent is special, but he also exhibits great intangibles. We enjoyed getting to know Hunter and his family during this process. His parents should be very proud of the job they have done. We are excited for the opportunity to bring him into our organization.”
Greene, 17, in his career at Notre Dame High School posted a 1.62 ERA over 121.1 innings pitched while striking out 30 percent of the batters he faced. As a senior, he was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA over 5 appearances, collecting 43 strikeouts with just 4 walks over 28.0 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .324 with 6 home runs, 28 RBI, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 23 runs scored, a .374 on-base percentage and a .598 slugging percentage.
This year, Greene has been ranked the No. 1 draft prospect by both MLB.com’s Top 200 Draft Prospects and Baseball America’s Top 200 MLB Draft Prospects.
“Hunter is an extremely athletic and very talented high school prospect who has been on the scene for many years,” Buckley said. “He is a 2-way prospect who has shown an advanced feel for pitching, significant raw power with the bat and very good fielding ability.”
Prior to the season, Greene was named a Rawlings Perfect Game First Team All-American and to the California All-Region First Team. He attended the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, CA, hit .419 as a junior and went 5-3 on the mound with a 1.63 ERA over 55.2 innings pitched.
SS Kurt Stillwell (1983) and INF Nick Senzel (2016) selected with the second overall picks, are the only other players to be drafted that high by the Reds.
The first-year draft will have 40 rounds. Rounds 3-10 will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday and Rounds 11-40 will begin at noon Wednesday.
